The Catholic News Jubilee Pilgrimage to Tortuga/Gran Couva

“My experience was excellent!” These words from one of our pilgrims honestly express how many felt about our Steps for Hope pilgrimage to Tortuga/Gran Couva, on Saturday, March 29. For our second pilgrimage, over 70 pilgrims travelled to Our Lady of Montserrat RC Church, Tortuga which is one of our iconic sacred sites. Full maxis came from north and south early Saturday morning, while some pilgrims directly travelled with friends and family to come to this historic community.

Upon arrival, the pilgrims enjoyed a tasty breakfast with a hot cup of cocoa. They were welcomed by General Manager of The Catholic News, Kathryn Tardieu who expressed thanks for their support.

Spiritual Director, Fr Robert Christo, then led everyone to form a circle as a community around a historic giant tree, as he opened the day with a joyful prayer.

Pilgrims subsequently made a brief pilgrim walk from the churchyard to the presbytery to perform a corporal act of mercy. There, they delivered some non-perishable food items to representatives of the St Vincent de Paul Tortuga Conference, who would distribute them to families within the community.

The spiritual aspect of the pilgrimage then started with Confession, Eucharistic Adoration and Holy Mass which was celebrated by Fr Christo. The Tabaquite parish choir also contributed to making the experience unforgettable with their beautiful voices. “It was a truly enriching spiritual experience, full of grace and blessings”, was how one pilgrim described her experience.

President of the Our Lady of Montserrat Shrine Committee, Diane Bertrand also gave a brief talk about the parish, identifying the historical significance and uniqueness of the church structure.

A sumptuous lunch was enjoyed by all and a pilgrim’s 80th birthday was celebrated with a birthday cake and blessings from Fr Christo. Pilgrims also engaged with booth holders from the community who sold plants, candles, and delicacies. High quality cocoa products were available from the Montserrat Cocoa Farmers’ Cooperative (MCF) booth.

The interactive tour at the MCF Estate in Gran Couva, which was the next experience on the pilgrimage, had to be cut short due to unexpected showers. The weather, however, did not dampen our pilgrims’ spirit and enthusiasm, as they eagerly continued to the La Vega Estate in Gran Couva.

Although the sky was overcast and there was a light drizzle, pilgrims made themselves comfortable in the outdoor amphitheater-styled area at the Divine Mercy shrine. Here, pilgrims prayed the Divine Mercy Rosary, followed by a Christian Meditation session with Judy Joseph Mc Sween.

One pilgrim summed up the latter part of the pilgrimage: “The staff, food and meditation were awesome. Even the pilgrims were very friendly.”

In the end, the pilgrims were joyful and grateful for their unforgettable pilgrimage experience.

The Catholic News thanks everyone who contributed to the success of this pilgrimage and express deep gratitude to the following stakeholders who helped make it possible:

• Fr Shijomon Zacharias MSFS, Diane Bertrand and the parish team of Our Lady of Montserrat, Tortuga
• The Management and staff of the Montserrat Cocoa Farmers’ Cooperative
• The Management and staff of the La Vega Garden Centre, Gran Couva
• The St Vincent de Paul Tortuga Conference
• Judy Joseph Mc Sween
• Ronald Alexander
• Allan Mahadeo
• Maharaj Event Rentals
• Our booth holders at Our Lady of Montserrat, Tortuga
• Our pilgrims

We encourage you to look out for more of our pilgrimages throughout the year and hope you will join us. –Camille Ramdial-Cumberbatch, Business Manager, Camsel