Spirituality, enjoyable mark pilgrimage in Canada and New York

Fra Samuel Delpino shows his soccer abilities throughout a go to July 17 to Rochester’s Ontario Beach Park. (Courier photograph by Mike Latona)

ROCHESTER — For the Hood household, one pilgrimage can result in one other.

In the summer time of 2025, Chris Hood hiked via northeast Spain with a contingent from McQuaid Jesuit High School, the place he’s a longtime theology instructor. The group journeyed alongside Camino Ignaciano, the trail that St. Ignatius of Loyola — founding father of the Jesuit order — took in 1522 from Loyola to Manresa, marking his non secular conversion.

As Hood later recounted his experiences to his brother, Franciscan Father Jason Hood, they seized upon the concept of constructing the latter’s go to dwelling from Italy this summer time — to notice his twenty fifth yr within the priesthood — into its personal model of a pilgrimage.

That thought turned actuality July 13-31, when Father Hood visited a number of elements of the Rochester Diocese in addition to locations in New York and Canada. Joining him from Italy had been two teenagers from his parish, Riccardo Bernardini and Emanuele D’Antoni; and a seminarian, Fra (Brother) Samuel Delpino. Their travels mixed non secular elements with enjoyable and sightseeing.

“It’s been a few years since I’ve been home. So I thought as long as I’m going, I would like to bring some young people. It’s a chance to evangelize them, help them meet the Lord in a different way and experience a new culture,” Father Hood defined.

Pilgrimage included websites round Rochester Diocese, different close by areas

The pilgrimage started with the guests’ arrival in Toronto — the primary aircraft journey ever for Riccardo and Emanuele — the place they loved the Canada’s Wonderland amusement park . Next up had been Niagara Falls for a trip on the Maid of the Mist, then Buffalo for a go to to Our Lady of Victory Basilica adopted by a meal of rooster wings.

Upon arriving in Rochester July 16, the group visited McQuaid for Mass, dinner, a faculty tour and leisure actions, with pupil volunteers serving as hosts.

“The school is huge, so huge,” Emanuele remarked. He and Riccardo famous that McQuaid’s athletic services are huge in comparison with their highschool’s services, which include little greater than a small gymnasium.

The following day included a day journey to Ontario Beach Park. There, the pilgrims kicked round a ball with some beach-goers they met. Father Hood and Fra Delpino remained of their full-length habits on the sand, standing out among the many many swimsuit-clad seashore patrons.

Chris Hood noticed that Father Hood and Fra Delpino maintained their full non secular apparel publicly all through their keep: “It says that every moment I am going to be here, I am going to honor God. It made me proud to be a Roman Catholic.”

While in Rochester, the pilgrims lodged on the Mercy Spirituality Center. They then spent every week at Camp Koinonia in Yates County, collaborating in Family Camp.

Back in Monroe County July 26, they attended the 11 a.m. Mass at Penfield’s St. Joseph Church to have a good time Father Hood’s silver priestly jubilee adopted by a luncheon. Extended relations — together with the Hood brothers’ uncle, Father James Schwartz, pastor of St. Joseph and Penfield’s Holy Spirit Parish — had been available that day to honor Father Hood, who was ordained to the priesthood in 2001 by St. John Paul II and has served in Italy ever since. He belongs to the Franciscan Family of Mary Immaculate non secular order and is pastor of St. Paul the Apostle Parish in Pisoniano, close to Rome.

Then it was on to Auriesville, close to Albany, to go to shrines and burial websites of Jesuit North American martyrs. Finally, the guests took a prepare to New York City, the place they stayed at a retreat home within the Bronx and visited a number of church buildings in addition to the Bronx Botanical Gardens earlier than flying again to Italy.

Pilgrimage a ‘once in a lifetime’ expertise

Chris Hood, who joined the Italian pilgrims for a number of of their actions, stated the itinerary he deliberate together with his brother sought to observe the spirit of his personal 2025 pilgrimage to Camino Ignaciano. The Spanish mountain climbing route — which additionally was visited by two teams of McQuaid school members and college students in the summertime of 2026 — winds via rugged mountain terrain. Hood stated he averaged strolling eight miles a day in 2025 — 60 to 70 miles whole — however he didn’t wish to throw the identical sort of grueling tempo at his latest guests.

According to Riccardo and Emanuele, the actions they did expertise rated an enormous thumbs-up.

“This is once in a lifetime,” Riccardo stated of his journey. “It’s like another world.”

In addition, the pilgrimage marked a satisfying reunion for the Hoods. Chris stated he and Father Hood go to one another each few years, however “it’s the most time I’ve spent with my brother since high school.”

Tags: Monroe County East, Pilgrimages, Religious Orders