Parishioners of St. Mary in Franklin and Christ the King in Scottsville gather for a group photo on June 9 during a joint parish pilgrimage to Bardstown, Ky. COURTESY OF MARGARET WOLTER

BY MARGARET WOLTER, SPECIAL TO THE WESTERN KENTUCKY CATHOLIC

At the February worship committee meeting at St. Mary Parish in Franklin, we discussed the possibility of scheduling a Jubilee Year of Hope Pilgrimage. There were several holy places within a two-hour drive from our parish in Franklin, Ky. A week later, Fr. Tom Buckman said he had made tentative arrangements to tour the Basilica of St. Joseph Proto-Cathedral in Bardstown, Ky., on Monday, June 9, and had arranged for a motor coach to transport us.  An anonymous doner agreed to pay for the bus. Father thought having lunch at The Old Talbott Tavern would be nice as it was a short walk from the restaurant to the basilica.

The motor coach would hold 56 people, so the goal was to fill the bus. Father suggested that we invite parishioners from our sister parish of Christ the King in Scottsville to join us (he is the pastor of both of our parishes). Flyers were distributed to both parish communities and parishioners were asked to fill out an interest form if they would like to participate. We received 30 forms by mid-March and as the weeks went by, we easily reached our goal of 56 pilgrims, with a waiting list! We had a few who decided not to travel due, for the most part, to mobility issues, but we were able to fill their seats from the waiting list. 

On the morning of June 9, we celebrated Mass at 8 a.m. at St. Mary and then 56 of us boarded the bus. Fr. Tom shepherded us via the charter bus to Bardstown. He led us in praying the rosary, praying for Pope Leo’s intentions and praying the Litany of St. Joseph as we traveled to Bardstown. Praying together certainly promoted our sense of being pilgrims, despite the rain we encountered as we traveled.

After enjoying a meal at The Old Talbott Tavern, we were ushered into the basilica where a docent guided our tour. Bardstown was the first diocese west of the Allegheny Mountains, hence the term “Proto (first) Cathedral.”

Among other things, we learned of the return of the stolen paintings, the poplar pillars and the umbrella with the pope’s coat of arms that indicates the church is a basilica. The tour was followed by an hour of adoration and meditation. Fr. Tom also provided an opportunity for us to receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation. We returned to Franklin at 4:30 p.m., having prayed the Divine Mercy Chaplet at the hour of 3 p.m. Though we had rain showers throughout the day, they were very light while we were in Bardstown and didn’t deter us from enjoying the prayerful time we spent together. 

One of the participants noted: “It was very spiritual and helped our church family grow closer together.” We all thanked God for the opportunity to pray together and to gain a plenary indulgence. All praise be to God!

Margaret Wolter belongs to St. Mary Parish in Franklin.

The front of the Basilica of St. Joseph Proto-Cathedral in Bardstown is seen during a June 9 Jubilee Year of Hope Pilgrimage from Franklin and Scottsville. COURTESY OF MARGARET WOLTER