1,000 Legion of Mary Members Pilgrim to East Flores to Pray Before St. Peter’s Relics

Around 1,000 members of the Legion of Mary from 21 local groups in the Diocese of Larantuka gathered in East Flores, southeastern Indonesia, on October 23 to pray before relics of St. Peter the Apostle and renew their commitment to serving people in need.

The annual pilgrimage of the Renha Rosari Larantuka Comitium took participants to St. Peter the Apostle Station Church in Lewouran, a village in East Flores, in East Nusa Tenggara province. The visit included prayer at a Marian grotto, a Eucharistic celebration, and veneration of the relics of St. Peter and a fragment of stone from the Holy Door of St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican.

The pilgrims began by praying the Tessera, the Legion of Mary’s characteristic prayer, at the Rosa Mistika Marian Grotto in Riangbunga Station. They then celebrated Mass presided over by Fr. Moses Atasoge, parish priest of St. Joseph Lewotobi Parish, before proceeding to Lewouran after lunch.

Fr. Atasoge said the gathering allowed local Catholics and pilgrims to pray together and deepen their understanding of St. Peter’s spirituality. He credited cooperation between Legion of Mary members and the Parish Pastoral Council for making the event possible.

Sisi Leba, chair of the organizing committee, said the annual pilgrimage is held every October. She proposed including Lewouran this year so participants could visit the relics brought from the Vatican by Fr. Marco Solo Kewuta, SVD, a native of the village.

“In the Gospel, the Blessed Virgin Mary and St. Peter are always close to Jesus and, in many ways, work together. Therefore, we journey from the Blessed Virgin Mary to St. Peter,” Leba said.

Fr. Kewuta described the relics as a spiritual link between the local community and the universal Church. He urged pilgrims to translate their experience into concrete service.

“Faith must not remain merely at the level of the heart and mind, words or inner feelings. It must be translated concretely into acts of charity, compassion and service to others,” he said.

He encouraged Legion of Mary members to care for the sick, older people, disadvantaged families, orphans, and other vulnerable groups.

Leba said many members are farmers, homemakers, retirees, and older people with limited financial resources, but continue their apostolate through prayer and simple acts of service.

The gathering also highlighted challenges facing the Lewouran community. Kalis Muda, chair of the local church council, said the church could not accommodate all 1,000 pilgrims, requiring residents to cooperate in welcoming them despite limited facilities. He hoped the visit would draw attention to the community’s need for improved church infrastructure.

The pilgrimage concluded with a renewed call for participants to carry the values of faith, fraternity, and solidarity into their communities