By Cynthia Clarke

On October 11, a group of pilgrims from Saint Anthony’s, Preston, and other parishes returned from Turkey, where we had been visiting sites, both Biblical and Classical, particularly the Seven Churches of the Apocalypse. We started in Istanbul, where preparations for the beginning of Ramadan were in progress. Hagia Sophia, once the largest church in Christendom, then a mosque, now a museum, impressed by its splendour and size even though the space beneath the great dome was full of scaffolding. The neighbouring Blue Mosque took the breath away with its exquisite tiles, but it was the hour of evening prayer, so we could not stay long to admire them. Visits to the Topkapi Palace and bazaars followed, then a short flight to Izmir/Smyrna, first of the Seven Churches on our route, home of Saint Polycarp, Bishop and Martyr. Father Peter celebrated Mass in the brightly painted church. At Pergamum, we saw the ruinous site of the Altar of Zeus, now in Berlin. Next day, we visited no less than 3 of the churches: Thyateira, home of Lydia, the first European Christian; Sardis, with its great synagogue; and Philadelphia, where disappointingly little evidence of its heritage remains. Then on to the weird pools and dazzling white slopes of the hot springs of Pamukkale and the burial grounds of Hierapolis, tombs stacked on top of each other like boxes on the unyielding rock. Here Saint Philip was martyred. The last of the Seven was Ephesus, held by some scholars to have been the home of Our Lady and Saint John in their latter years and where Saint Paul.preached to such powerful effect that he caused riots. Little remains of the Temple of Artemis, but the theatre is still a dramatic setting for performances such as Verdi’s Requiem. The high point of our days in Ephesus was Mass, celebrated by an Indian Franciscan, at ‘Mary’s House’ under the trees on the slopes of ‘Nightingale Mountain’. Eight days had passed far too quickly.

But we had crammed into them more than any of us had thought possible. The memories will stay with us, not only of historic sites where saints walked, but also of friendships forged and renewed, kindnesses shown and received with grace and generosity and the sense of our Christian heritage stretching back through the centuries to the Apostles and Mary and Christ. Now we shall have to strive to incorporate in our everyday lives the lessons learnt: faithfulness; vigilance; commitment; perseverance; resolution.

A LITTLE ANECDOTE FROM OUR FIRST DAY IN TURKEY
On arriving at our hotel in Istanbul, arrangements were made for Mass at 8.00 a.m. the following morning. We were promised the restaurant, the only suitable room. Yes, it would be open especially for us at 7.45 a.m., we were assured. A different shift on reception the following morning knew nothing of our request. And their English was limited.
"Could the restaurant be opened for us?" we asked.
"No, sorry, restaurant not open until 9.00 a.m."
"But we were told… we need it for meeting… not food and drink…for Mass… to pray!"
At last, a word they recognised, and an enthusiastic response.
"Pray? You want pray?" and the hands went together in the universal sign of prayer.
"Yes."
"Sultanhamet Mosque… two minutes away. You pray there. Very good. Very nice."
The picture of 36 Catholics descending on a prestigious mosque with candles, hymn sheets, altar cloths, vestments, chalice and wine(!) briefly crossed my mind. But we did get our restaurant in the end, and the early morning staff preparing for the day ahead treated us with great respect – prayer. (P.V.)