April 23 - It took 18 hours to get to Rome. On the 21st, we heard that the Holy Father had passed away early Monday morning. As I prepared for the pilgrimage, I felt out of sorts, not quite myself, although a part of me was eager to be able to pay my respects to someone I held in great esteem and affection. Tears streamed down my face unbidden when I first read the news of his death. Such a mix of emotions: sorrow, gratitude, deep respect and love for a man who heroically ignored his own ailments to be the voice of encouragement on Easter Sunday, his last gift to the world.
April 27 - Forty-four of us are on the way to Rotondo which is a five and a half hour bus ride. The last four days in Rome were filled with grace upon blessing despite the hive of activity - passing through the Holy Door of each of the four major basilicas, praying as we ascended the 28 steps of the Holy Stairs, paying our last respects to the late Pope Francis in St Perer’s and a little bit of sightseeing in the Vatican Museum and the city of Rome. It was surreal to be in Rome to see the large numbers of people who had gathered intentionally and unintentionally to say goodbye to the Holy Father. What was most heartening was to see the huge number of youth who had gathered for the canonisation mass of Blessed Carlo Acutis. May they be blessed even though the mass has been postponed due to the funeral on the 26th.
April 28 - San Giovanni Rotondo is a destination purely to experience the holiness and life of Saint Padre Pio. It was nice to take a breath, to be able to contemplate how God has blessed me and P on this pilgrimage. As we did the Way of the Cross it became clear that my mission, our collective mission, is to grow in holiness within our own families by forgiving, and caring for those people whom God has placed in our lives and bonded us in a special way. The people I need to treat best, giving generously of my time and effort are my family. Am I doing it? Yes, but I can certainly do much better.
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