Scripture describes St. Paul’s epic missionary journey, in the Acts of the Apostles from Chapters 13 to 28. It is nearly unfathomable as a real excursion. This summer, Interim President and Director of the Centro Semillero, Fr. Dempsey Rosales Acosta made it a reality and led students from UST’s Centro Semillero on that incredible adventure.
Going from Turkey, then to Greece and finishing up in Rome, student Pedro Portillo said it was the trip of a lifetime.
“Getting to know and recognize St. Paul, listening to the biblical texts in the very places where the events took place, and witnessing the reality of the communities to which Paul referred - all of this was truly powerful,” Portillo said. “Realizing the distances we traveled by bus or even by plane, which Paul had to cover on foot or horseback, was truly amazing. This experience, being my first pilgrimage and my first time in Europe, felt like one of the most beautiful and meaningful of my life.”
For Fr. Dempsey, this trip was one that he only imagined.
“I have always dreamed of creating a pilgrimage that follows the journey of St. Paul,” Fr. Dempsey said. “For more than 15 years, I have taught St. Paul’s letters and theology in higher education settings, and I longed to personally experience the places where Paul preached, performed miracles, and faced imprisonment and hostilities. This desire motivated me to plan such a pilgrimage starting in Spring 2024.”
Due to unforeseen circumstances, the group had to avoid Jerusalem, Syria, and the Mediterranean islands, so the pilgrimage began in Tarsus, Cilicia, Paul's birthplace. They traced his footsteps through modern-day Turkey by bus, then continued to Greece. Along the way, they read and reflected on Paul’s letters and corresponding passages from the Acts of the Apostles. The journey took them through Galatia, Troas, Izmir, Ephesus, Laodicea, Miletus, Hierapolis, Troas, Ancient Macedonia, Samothrace, Neapolis, Philippi, Thessalonica, Corinth, Athens and Rome.
“The visit to Philippi was especially moving, where we meditated on Acts 16 and celebrated Mass in a Roman amphitheater, once a place for Greco-Roman pagan stories,” Fr. Dempsey said. “The Irony of God gave me the opportunity to celebrate the Eucharist and proclaim the Gospel of the Lord in a place that was hostile to Christianity. It is simply ‘extraordinary.’”
Maria Belinda Trujillo, Administrative Assistant in the Centro Semillero, was integral in planning the trip and was moved by the experience.
“Learning about St. Paul's missions through his letters to the different churches is powerful when we read about them from Scripture and more so when we have the God given messages and the tribulations he endured for Christ explained to us in the virtual classroom by a professor who has studied them deeply,” Trujillo said. “Nothing compares, however, to reliving St. Paul's footsteps on the same ground that he walked on. Scripture became alive and inspiring when we could both feel the environment and imagine what St. Paul overcame to proclaim the Good News. This pilgrimage became a living classroom that I was honored to share with classmates I only knew virtually.”
Portillo, originally from El Salvador, now living in Los Angeles, Calif., matriculated at the Centro Semillero in its Master of Arts in Sacred Scriptures (MASE in Spanish) in the Spring of 2024 and just graduated in the Fall of 2024. He said he enjoys this program so much that he is joining the Centro Semillero’s Pastoral Theology for the Fall of 2025. The group of 43 people connected while on the journey.
“The unity that forms within a pilgrimage group, where everyone shares the same goal, is incredibly meaningful and helpful,” Portillo said. “I didn’t personally know anyone in the group beforehand; I had only seen them in online classes or pre-trip virtual meetings. Yet I discovered a wealth of knowledge we can share among colleagues, as well as a beautiful experience of friendship and faith that we lived together.”
Fr. Dempsey said the most profound moment for the group was celebrating Mass at the Monastery of the Tre Fontane, the exact site of Paul’s martyrdom by beheading.
“This deeply spiritual experience immersed us in Paul’s courageous faith,” Fr. Dempsey said. “I was moved into tears while I was celebrating Mass. We were truly feeling the presence of the Holy Spirit there. Another significant occasion was concelebrating Mass at the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls, where we venerated the Apostle’s tomb with great emotion, love and reverence.”
Portillo celebrates Fr. Dempsey knowledge and passion for Scripture and the life of St. Paul in leading this pilgrimage.
“Father Dempsey's guidance was essential to the trip,” Portillo said. “His knowledge of Paul and his writings proved invaluable in helping us see these historic sites not merely as archaeological ruins, but as meaningful places for the living faith of the Catholic Church today.”
The pilgrimage concluded by the group participating in the Jubilee Year in Rome, prayerfully walking through the holy doors of the city’s four major basilicas: St. Paul, St. Peter, St. Mary Major and St. John Lateran. During their visit to St. Mary Major, they had the opportunity to pray at the tomb of Pope Francis amidst a crowd filled with faith, respect and devotion.
“This pilgrimage has been truly an incredible blessing from God, and I hope to organize it again, as many on the waiting list of 30 persons were unable to join this trip,” Fr. Dempsey said.
Portillo agrees.
“I would love to have many more experiences like this, centered on figures such as the Saints or the Apostles themselves,” Portillo said. “I hope this won’t be the last time I have the opportunity to travel with Centro Semillero.”
The Centro Semillero for Hispanic/Latino Theology offers master’s degrees in Pastoral Theology and Sacred Scripture 100 percent in Spanish, with doctoral-level professors from various Catholic universities across the country and around the world, all with a high standard of academic and Catholic excellence. Learn more about it’s programs.