Since you have a deep yearning to go to Rome, you decide you absolutely have to go this Jubilee year. You google to find out the best pilgrimage to Rome, and happen upon a man named Mountain, otherwise known as The Catholic Traveler. You research him and see wow, this is a totally normal and nice man who cares deeply about God and people.

You put yourself on a waitlist and pray, and then miraculously get off the waitlist weeks before you’re supposed to fly out! You talk to the father of your children and then to your coworkers, and they are supportive (maybe because you exude pure joy while talking about it!), and you decide to go for it. Your kids (except for one) are not on board, but hey, they are not the ones traveling. That’s YOU! You are finally traveling. And so, when your son falls playing basketball two days before you’re supposed to leave, you go to the ER, you get ‘im a boot and crutches, you hang with him at home while S’s friend’s mom takes care of S in Roanoke at her volleyball tournament (thank you!!!!), you email his principal, and then you STILL GO TO ITALY!!! 🇮🇹 praying the rosary on the way because the flight is turbulent and you miss your kids. And when you get there, the weather is terrific, the graffiti is still everywhere, and it feels like home away from home.
You made it! You’re smiling ear-to-ear because you just can’t believe it. You feel pure happiness standing there on a random street in Rome. You’re finally here!!!
After a few hours to yourself you go to the hotel lobby to meet the group. It’s kinder older people, and then, who’s this??

They are people your age!!!

Woohoo!!! And they are kind and funny and honestly gorgeous!!!

It’s St. Patrick’s Day, and you’re wearing green and telling people “Happy St. Patty’s Day!” like you’re still in America. Because these people are like your home away from home. They make you feel like you’re not alone in Italy. They care about praying 🙏 They actually want to go to church. They could have been anywhere on this planet, but they Chose to be here in Italy because it was important to them, it meant something to them. And it means so much to you. So you embark on this adventure together!!!

17 Mon (Saint Patrick’s Day)
You talk to a kind and generous couple from Colorado on the bus. Everyone is excited!!! To me the coolest part of the day was scaling the steps of Scala Santa on your knees. St. Helena (mama of Constantine), brought the stairs from the palace of Pontius Pilate in Jerusalem to Roma in 326. These stairs are special because Jesus is said to have climbed these stairs the day he was sentenced to death. So, when you climb these stairs on your knees, you see paintings of Jesus on the walls as you climb, and you ponder what he went through. Mountain told us to pray for whoever comes to your mind, and you do that. People you haven’t seen in years cross your mind, and you dutifully pray for them. You climb behind the bravest and spunkiest 76-year-old ever and cheer them on. You realize your knees are hurting, too, but in comparison to older people, you realize you have it easy. You reach through the wooden protection to feel the actual marble steps with your hand. And you’re in awe. What a perfect way to start the pilgrimage. On your knees.

After everyone has completed this very prayerful beginning, we walk to the church called Saint John Lateran. After we go through security, we find our phones. You are so excited because you are about to walk through the first holy doors. On the actual door, it’s a sculpture of Mary at the foot of Jesus on the cross. It’s striking. You’re in awe.

We walked through this massive church and prayed. You eventually walk to the gift shop at the far end of the church, and you get a postcard, and ask the clerk to please stamp it with the church stamp, like a passport (your new friend from Mississippi gives you the idea). You are delighted to get your first stamp (you’ll see later that it won’t be as smooth a process at all the churches, but so far, so good).

Suddenly, you hear bells tolling and panic because you feel you may have missed the time to go to the next stop. You walk like Super Mario speed, and cannot see the exit, so—yes, it’s happening, “scusi, per favor, excuse me”— you have to quickly walk Out the holy doors. Once out you realize, no, you have like 15 more minutes, so of course you have to (you don’t have to, but you want to) walk through the Holy Doors again to restart the whole Holy Doors pilgrimage and chuckle at yourself as you see the exit was right next door all along. Clearly, you didn’t want to be late! Ahhh, life. Redo!

At 5:30 p.m. we have a church service in the Baptistry (long ago, you had to be baptized to go inside a church, so you went to the baptistry first and then could walk in to the actual church). The priest talks about St. Patrick, naturally, and how he had to forgive. First, he had to forgive his captors. Then, he had to forgive his good friend who betrayed his confidence. The priest pointed out that sometimes we think we are done forgiving, and then, nope, here comes a fresh opportunity to forgive. Father Baggot’s message was beautiful and insightful, and we all enjoyed it.

Dinner was at L’isola della Pizza, and I sat next to the nicest and funniest couple from Boston. I absolutely loved talking to them. We tasted appetizers (apertivos) and had two delicious pastas, one with red sauce and one with white sauce. The pastas were cooked al dente, and you immediately realize you’ve been overcooking pasta at home! Or maybe the pasta itself is denser. In any case, it was delicious! Passed on the limoncello and got a little doll-house size espresso. It was a perfect ending to a perfect day!

18 Tue
This morning we visited several churches, including Santa Maria sopra Minerva (tomb of Saint Catherine). You think it can’t get better, and then you walk into this super peaceful church. You don’t know why. You just feel such a sense of peace there. A fellow pilgrim from Dallas (such a great lady!) tells you that means you should look into the story of St. Catherine. You have wisdom to learn and share (you make a mental note to do that). Later, you walk past the gigantic Pantheon and through the Piazza Navona. You hold on to your purse because there are so many people.

And then you get on a bus and go to the most beautiful church you’ve ever seen in Italy: Saint Paul Outside the Walls.

The first church burned down and then people of all faiths gave money to have it rebuilt. It’s so spacious, with a lot of greenery which you don’t really see in the center of Rome. When you look up at the dome, it looks like Jesus is looking right at you. Beautiful mosaics. Just spacious and inviting for prayer and meditation. You feel at peace here. The lady at the gift store stamps your little postcard passport of churches. There’s a cafe. You get a tea, and you never want to leave. But you have to, and you hurry to the bus.

We go to another church ( St. John the Baptist, healing place for me, beautiful red stone) to have another beautiful, prayerful church service, and then we have a dinner at Clorofilla. Imagine a magician planning your menu. You start with an appetizer of bruschetta and. . . A raspberry? No, it’s a tomato spread in the shape of a raspberry. You wish it were a raspberry. However, that is the only disappointment of the night. You get to enjoy things like an ice cream on a popsicle stick that’s actually like a corn dog type breading and then what tastes like delicious barbecue inside. There’s a swing inside the restaurant, and then we all get up and dance to a jazzy American rock/funk performer aptly named Spooky Bear. And you know this girl loves to dance!!! Super fun ending to a great day!

19 Wed (The Solemnitiy of Saint Joseph)
This day was spectacular. Your friend from Mississippi got up early to buy a special St. Joseph cream pastry to share with all of us. It was amazing, so, so delicious. Thank you!! We decided to go to St. Joseph’s basilica together, and came right during the mass, and we just started crying (later, we found out that they had relics of both St. Joseph and Mother Mary), overcome with happiness and joy. You got a blessing and St. Joseph bread. You walk out of the church, and eat the bread and drink a cappuccino for lunch, and then find a florist because your friend and you want to bring flowers to the hospital where Pope Francis is trying to get better from double pneumonia. The florist assembled the most beautiful bouquet of roses you have ever seen, and you and your friend take a taxi to Gemelli. You get out of the car not knowing what to expect. You see a statue of John Paul II, a lot of flowers and candles. We put the flowers down and pray a decade of the rosary. Mission accomplished!

We take a taxi with a driver who clearly had a vendetta against all living creatures. Your friend and you try to gulp as much fresh air as you could and barely manage to keep everything down. Walking out of the car, you stopped at a pizzeria, where you purchase a focaccia with sardines that may have saved your lives. You walk back to the hotel, rest a bit, and then head out to a church with your group. However, the church did not have the relics our group was looking for (where could they be?!). Turns out, they were at the aforementioned St. Joseph church, so that’s where we’re going!

Your friend and you are so happy to return to that church. Turns out, the relics are there! That may have been why you were so moved earlier. A woman gives you a prayer card and tells you to “pray for your boys,” I kid you not. Of course you do, immediately, just as you did this morning in this very same church. Your whole pilgrimage group loves this church, and as we step out, we notice one of our own talking to EWTN. He spoke about seeing Jesus everywhere, and it was exactly how we felt, too! And just then, just as our gregarious group member wrapped up, we got to see the St. Joseph procession!!! With a statue of St. Joseph and a band!!! We were all ecstatic!!! Praise God for an excellent time on the feast of St. Joseph ❤️❤️❤️

After that God-orchestrated delay, we go to our next stop:

We heard nuns sing at Santa Cecilia. The church service was in Italian, and I think I heard something about how St. Joseph was respectful and protective and kind.

We had dinner with Mountain, my friend from Mississippi, and my friends from Houston. You shared a baked fish with your friend from Houston, and confessed to only seeing the first episode of The Chosen because it was so intense. But you want to see more (for numerous reasons), so your Houston friend said you can restart with episode 4. “It was intense for me, too, but then I started at episode 4, and it was fine.” You make a mental note to start again. In the lobby of the hotel, you ask for the room key. “Quindici, per favore,” and you laugh with joy.

20 Thu
You get up super early to go to the Vatican Museums. You walk through the Museums of artifacts accumulated from Egypt (red stone) and Greece (statues, green stone) and Tunisia (peach columns). In the Sistine Chapel, your guide Agnes explains how Michelangelo first painted the ceiling (the famous God touching Adam’s finger painting) – for years when things were going well and then later the side wall of Judgement Day when Rome was getting sacked. You wonder what it would be like to actually attend a church service in the Sistine Chapel. You have breakfast of croissant (“cornetto,” as you remember from Duolingo) and cappuccino and some eggs. You walk back to the hotel to grab your suitcase and head to Assisi.

Assisi is in the mountains. It’s like a town carved into a mountain side. Lots of stairs and stone. It’s so peaceful. It’s narrow streets and artisan shops. And ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL churches.

Our church service is in a little chapel where St. Francis may have lived as a child. It’s extremely peaceful. You love the reflective and joyful presence of your friend from Jersey!

Our dinner at Taverna dei Consoli has the most delicious ravioli I have ever tasted. You enjoy the sweet company of a couple from Wisconsin and another super funny and kind couple from Houston. Sparkling water and ravioli, and what tastes like flan for dessert!!! Ah, to be in Italy. You wonder if your kids would like to make ravioli with you. You talk to your counselor from home and he is so happy you are in Assisi. Probably because he can tell how happy you are to finally be there.

21 Fri
This morning you have 9 a.m. service at Santa Maria Maggiore at the tomb of Blessed Carlo Acutis.  You finally get the courage to be the reader. You get up in front of everyone (you are so nervous sitting there, and a little bit less nervous when you stand) and you read from Genesis about how Joseph’s brother sold him to strangers. You try to remember all the lessons you told your students about public speaking. “Eye contact,” you remind yourself, and you try to speak slowly and clearly. You finish. It went well, thank goodness. Then, a beautiful woman named Gwen Wiseman gets up to sing the responsorial psalm and it’s the most beautiful psalm you’ve heard! Her voice is so pure and prayerful. Thinking back, it reminds me of services at Georgetown.

Then, the wise priest talks about how to come a saint, or at least what Carlo Acutis taught him about how to become a saint. You have to pray, especially the rosary. You have to go to church (“mass”) and partake of communion, the body, blood, soul, and divinity of Jesus. You have to do what you can to be kind and welcoming to people. That’s what you remember from the sermon. Then you walk over to Carlo’s tomb — he is dressed like a typical teenager and it’s striking and it stops you in your tracks — and pray a prayer together with pilgrims from India, which is really cool because the priest has Indian roots, so the people are so happy. You share a prayer card with a pilgrim and you pray together. You pray for your kids, and ask Carlo to pray for them, too. It’s a lot.

After Mass you get in a little bus with the super smart and funny tour guide Marco and you head to the Shrines of Assisi, including the Hermitage, San Damiano, the Porziuncola, and the tomb of Saint Francis.

You walk up to what looks like literal caves in the mountain and you cannot believe that St. Francis actually lived in a cave in the summer (the rest of the time, he lived in a tiny room in what looks like a bathtub). The cave looks impossibly narrow. The tour guide says that it has radon and that’s probably what led to St. Francis’s early death at 44 (versus St. Claire of Assisi who lived to 60+). St. Francis was super-ascetic, doing 3 Lents per year, and living super simply. He publicly renounced his family and wealth, and said that the San Damiano cross told him to rebuild the church. At first, he thought it meant literally, like fixing the church building. But then he realized it was the Church with a capital C. I feel like Martin Luther would really love this man. St. Francis was about loving God and others wholly and living simply. He was all about Jesus. He loved animals and talked to them. His disciples thought he was like Jesus. And isn’t that the goal? To be like Jesus, to love like Jesus, to act like Jesus? Few of us get close. Sounds like St. Francis got a lot closer.

We then went to the convent where St. Claire lived, and it was what you expect — super beautiful yet serene and peaceful and simple. She slept on the floor with a log for pillow.

She was inspired by the simplicity and love of St. Francis. They were friends, brother and sister in Christ, with a lot of respect for one another. (Who inspires you? Are there people near you who are inspiring you to serve God?)

With your friend, you went to St. Francis’ basilica and got to touch the tomb of St. Francis and talked to Father Andre. He told you the most important thing is a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, and it brought you back to your high school, a nondenominational Christian school. He told you a few more things and you were surprised at how kind and thoughtful and helpful he was. You walked back with my friend and found a few things for my family. You felt peaceful and free.

Mountain took us to an all Lenten Friday dinner – all vegetarian – at his favorite Umbrian restaurant, Trattoria Pallotta. It felt great to eat vegetables (and still a lot of pasta). You sat next to a gorgeous woman with blonde locks flowing like the water in the Trevi fountain!

22 Sat
After Mass this morning, at Santa Chiara, you take a day trip across the Umbrian Valley to Montefalco. You didn’t want to go because you don’t really drink, but you are so grateful you went because the actual vineyard was so beautiful, and the Donna Julia wine was actually incredibly delicious. You went to Le Cimate winery for a tour, a tasting, and a yummy lunch prepared on their farm. It was amazing to see how much thought and effort was put into each wine and wine pairing. Let’s just say it was a very successful day for this vineyard 🙂 and at the end of the meal, we found out that Pope Francis was getting out of the hospital! Yay!!! 😃

23 Sun
This morning we returned to Rome with so much excitement and happiness. We waited at Gemelli hospital with so much anticipation, and then, “Francesco, Francesco!” He was rolled out and after thanking everyone and expressing gratitude for the woman with the yellow flowers, the Pope blessed everyone. Yay!!!!!!!! You were so happy to see him but also realized how sick he must have been and still had a long road of recovery. Nonetheless, we prayed for him and some talked to news organizations about our joy at seeing Pope Francis and at his release from the hospital.
you really can’t put in into words. We were praying for him from home and then God let us see him in person. Just so much gratitude. And now back to our hotel.

You can’t remember exactly, but you think this is the day we carried the pilgrim’s cross down St. Peter’s square, into St. Peter’s, through the Holy Doors, and up to the altar over the tomb of St. Peter. We took turns praying the rosary and carrying the cross. You felt like you carried the cross a long time, and it was powerful to think of Jesus. And of your crosses you’ve had to bear. It was comforting that we were bearing our cross together. The most humble one of all of us brings the cross into St. Peter’s. His wife later tells me the most important thing about parenting is prayer.

Your friend and you go to pray a rosary of gratitude at St. Peter’s Square that night. You looked up the Rosary in Italian and prayed in Italian outside of St. Peter’s. In America, you literally watched the EWTN broadcast from this very spot at night for so many nights. And now you got to celebrate with your new friends and pray together. It’s unspeakable happiness to experience this.

24 Mon
Today you toured Saint Peter’s Basilica. It’s grand on an inexpressible scale. Maybe overwhelmingly so. The most moving part for you was the JP2’s tomb and the statue of St. Andrew. And the twisted columns of the altar.

This afternoon you visit a very special Jubilee exhibit, the Caravaggio Exhibit at the Barberini Palace. You find it beautiful and tragic.

You think about it all while praying at the night church service, and then go to a wine pairing dinner at the famous Rimessa Roscioli. You drink chamomile tea instead and enjoy delicious cheeses and pasta. You enjoy talking to Mountain’s daughter, who studies in Rome. Would your kids like to live in Rome?

25 Tue (The Solemnity of the Annunciation)
In the morning, you go the Church of the Annunciation. Then, you go to the basilica dedicated to Our Lady, Santa Maria Maggiore. When you walk through these Holy Doors, you feel warmth and peace. And you think, when many of these churches were built, we Christians were one. We literally made the sign of the cross the same way. We were united. Can we get there again??? Your heart aches for that, for all Christians to come together because we all love Jesus, and that’s what he said he wanted in John 17. To have our Orthodox, Catholic, and Protestant brothers and sisters to come together as one body in Christ!!!!

After you pass through the Holy Doors, you think about these things as you go up to the roof with amazing views of Roma. You and your friends take photos together. Later, you walk to the spot where Rome began and meet brilliant and down-to-earth Agnes again for a walking tour of some ancient spots in Rome, like the Roman forum. It’s crazy to think that used to be such a key spot in the Roman Empire, and now it’s literally in ruins. You go to see the church where St. Helena’s tomb is, and it’s a very special church with many chandeliers. It looks absolutely beautiful, and there’s a special baby Jesus. It’s gorgeous. We walk out and the bells are tolling and the sun is setting. On today and on our trip. You think how absolutely beautiful and you send a video to your family. And then you walk on.

You go to dinner with everyone and you express your gratitude. Especially to Mountain 🙏 you are ready to go home now, and after a crazy flight wherein you are literally deep breathing and looking forward, you get home, you hug your kids, you have two days of teaching, and then you get Covid and get hit by a car as you back out of your drive way. 😂 So you take it as a sign to rest and watch the Chosen, thinking of your new friends all along. What did you learn? To be grateful and celebrate each moment of your life, baby! Welcome home!! It’s time for healing ❤️❤️❤️