A short report, by a pilgrim:
The final day of the Summorum Pontificum pilgrimage to Rome was the feast of Christ the King. To celebrate this feast, His Grace The Archbishop of Portland, Oregon, the Most Reverend Alexander K. Sample, offered Pontifical High Mass at the church of Santissima Trinità dei Pellegrini, which is the church entrusted to the Priestly Fraternity of Saint Peter in Rome.
Decked out in splendour, the high altar of the church was truly a marvel to behold. Prior to this particular Mass, the church's side altars were all in use by priests offering their private Masses for the day, a sight one does not see every day.
The church was once more full, with faithful having to stand in the side aisles, and music was provided by a choir from Fribourg. Since yet another earthquake had struck the region near Perugia, and also damaged Norcia, in the morning, everyone was particularly invited to pray for those affected. The earthquake had been powerful enough to be felt in Rome, which, for those never having experienced one before, was rather an upsetting experience.
In summary of the pilgrimage, by one who only attended it for the first time this year, the experience of Catholicity at the events was striking. Faithful of all ages, nationalities and languages gathered, yet in unison sang the same hymns and prayed the same prayers in Latin. The splendour of the Liturgy beheld in the Roman churches, supplemented and filled with life by the sacred music sang by wonderful choirs showed everyone in attendance what the traditional Roman Rite truly is: A glimpse of heaven on earth.
