Pilgrimage to Amsterdam
It's party year at SFX Church in Liverpool, as they have celebrated the 500th anniversary of the birth of their patron. Earlier in the year they visited SFX Church in Dublin - now theyÕve been to the Netherlands. Judith Callaghan explains
A group from St Francis Xavier's Parish (SFX) in Liverpool has just been on a pilgrimage to Amsterdam. Amsterdam doesn't immediately spring to mind as a pilgrimage venue. So, why there? St Francis Xavier, the patron saint of this parish was one of the founders of the Jesuit order. He was born in 1506 and so this year is the 500th anniversary of his birth and a reason to celebrate by all Jesuits and Friends.
Earlier in the year a group from our parish went to SFX Church in Dublin and now another group of 27 journeyed to our namesake church in Amsterdam - another St Francis Xavier's. It is an easy journey, a one hour flight direct form Liverpool. In fact you can do it in a day if you want to. But we had four full days there and were able to really get into the feel of the place. Some things we did together, but much of the time we split up in small groups and did our own thing.
The main focus of the trip was Sunday Mass at 9.15am: an early start, so it was rather dazed group that wandered across the quiet Rokin and round the Singel canal to the church. At that time in the morning there were few trams to dodge, and local artists were just setting up their stalls on the edge of the canal. The church was beautiful, packed, and full of images that related to our reason for living there. Although Mass was, of course, said in Dutch we could follow easily as the format is the same wherever you are in the world. And the main readings were available in English on a handout. It was a sung Mass and the standard of singing was wonderful. When, after Mass, one of the singers was complimented, she said that they were amateurs who rehearsed only once a week. Difficult to believe; they came over as professionals. Altogether, a moving experience.
Later that day we all met up again for a meal in a typical Dutch restaurant. We had pea soup, a meat 'hotch potch' with broad beans, fried potatoes, creamy beetroot and what looked like Scottish neaps, followed by ice cream and chocolate sauce. That plus lots of chat about what we were all doing in our free time made for a jolly occasion.
The other communal event was a coach trip to various places outside Amsterdam - a chance to get a wider impression of the country. We visited one of the two remaining Delft porcelain factories for a quick viewing of the process involved. But few purchases were made in the factory shop, as prices reflected the intensive work that went into making the ornate dishes and ornaments. Afterwards, we had a tantalising view from the coach of the centre of Delft - somewhere to spend more time on the next visit. The next stop at Mudurodam was more leisurely and took us all by surprise. It's an extensive model layout of significant sites in Holland, all at a 25th of the real size and peopled with lifelike figures and miniature trees and plants. There was a wide range of sites, from Schipol airport, to a typical fairground, to a block of Amsterdam-style apartments. A terrific overview of the country and a ideal 'taster' as part of a short visit to the country. On the way we also drove through the Hague, the seat of government, and Schevingen - one of Holland's main seaside holiday resorts. So, including travelling through the flat countryside passing several windmills, plus a typical Saturday afternoon traffic jam on the way back into Amsterdam, we got a really good overview of that part of the country in a few hours.
The rest of the time people did a variety of things. Lots of us took a canal trip - the best way to appreciate the unusual and attractive architecture. The leafy canals bordered with cosy houseboats and picturesque, tall, narrow, gabled houses are unique and a must see. Another popular choice was 'Our Lord in the Attic', a 17th century merchant's house, with a hidden chapel right at the top - lots of narrow Dutch stairs to negotiate, but worth the effort. And then there were the museums and galleries to visit, plus the range of shops - C&A and Blokkers for bargain hunters, hundreds of small specialist shops for something different, plus the busy markets - materials, second hand clothes, bulbs, and plants and bric-a-brac - for another taste of Amsterdam life. Finally, we sampled the rich mix of restaurants which reflected Holland's historic outward looking national policy, as well as offering its own filling, tasty specialities.
All that - together with a comfy, central hotel, flights that were on time, sunshine and warmth for three of the four days, and good company with lots of laughs and fun, made for a smashing pilgrimage and holiday. St Francis Xavier would approve!