PILGRIMAGES AND PRAYERS THROUGH POETRY

About the Book

This is a book of spiritual poetry. It comes from the heart. It is inspired by the Holy Spirit. This is how it all began: I was preparing for my first religious pilgrimage. It was in 2004. It was a trip to Italy. The spiritual guide on the trip was Father Dan Kampschneider. Before we embarked on our trip he told all of us that we would all find something unique to each one of us on the pilgrimage. I took this to heart little knowing what an impact it would have on my life. We arrived in Paris, France to catch a plane to Venice, Italy. . As we landed in Paris, Air France played a song on the loud speaker. It was “He Leadeth Me”. At the time I thought it sounded as though the angels were serenading us. I took out my journal and started writing. As we landed in Venice I showed it to Father Kampschneider and he suggested I read it after communion as a reflection on the beginning of our pilgrimage. I did. The rest is history. Since than I have read reflections or poems in St. Peter’s Basilica, St. Mary Major, St. John Latern, The church in Ars and several Churches in Ireland. I have written many prayers. The Holy Spirit is definitely inspiring me and working through me. I hope you are inspired a little from these gifts of God. For through my writing they are also gifts for you.

About the Author

Diane Sullivan was born in Omaha, Nebraska. She has lived there all her life. She is a widow. Her husband died in 1998 of cancer. She has four children and nine beautiful grandchildren. Diane has taught high school Spanish for thirty years in the archdioceses of Omaha. In 2005 she received a MPS (Masters Degree in Pastoral Ministry) from Loyola of New Orleans. She is now working in Adult Formation at Christ the King parish in Omaha. Diane tells us that her poetry writing began on a pilgrimage to Italy. She began to write spiritual poetry on this trip and hasn’t stopped. She believes that the Holy Spirit inspires all her work. She says, “When I write it comes to me almost out of the blue. I need to hurry and put in down on paper. It’s as though some one is whispering in my ear what I want to write. It is indeed a gift from the Holy Spirit”.