Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary Chapel chosen as a pilgrimage site during this Jubilee Year!

On February 19, 2025, the Montessori Center of Our Lady Elementary students participated in a walking pilgrimage led by our Mission Integration Associate to the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary Chapel in Livonia, MI. There, following the tradition of Pope Francis knocking and opening the Holy Door at St. Peter's Basilica in Rome to commence Jubilee Year 2025, the children knocked on the Holy Door of the chapel and were greeted by local vicar, Sister Juanita Szymanski. Sister Juanita gave the children a pilgrimage tour of the chapel, where she provided a wonderful spiritual lesson on what it means to be a pilgrim, to have hope, and to ask for mercy. Sister Juanita also showed the children the interior of the chapel and gave them a tour of the convent. A very special stop was made at the Felician Sisters' Heritage Room. 



The students learned about the rich history of the Felician Sisters and viewed special artifacts. During the pilgrimage, Sister Juanita received the elementary students' prayer intentions, which they had written in their classroom. The prayer intention box will be kept in the chapel for daily prayers. Together, the students, teachers, Sister Juanita, and special guests prayed and sang songs while in the chapel. To begin and close this spiritual journey, the students carried Jubilee of Hope items such as the Vatican and American Flags, a Jubilee of Hope Candle, Christ Candle, and their special prayer intentions box while wearing handmade Pilgrims of Hope headbands during their outdoor pilgrimage walk. All those in attendance received a Pilgrim's Passport for completing a pilgrimage to one of twelve designated pilgrimage sites selected by the local bishop within the Archdiocese of Detroit. What a blessing for the students to experience a pilgrimage site on their very own campus! It is a tremendous blessing, too, for the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary Chapel to be chosen as a pilgrimage site during this Jubilee Year and during The Felician Sisters' 150th Anniversary!