Student Franciscan Pilgrims: All Good Things Must Come to an End

Well, the pilgrimage is over. Thursday the students will get up early, get on a bus, and ride to Rome. From there they will all go their various ways back to homes and then to school. Next week it is back to the normal world, classes, homework, part-time jobs. However, it will never be totally the same. Something will be different.

That difference is that they were introduced to Francis and Clare. Not the Francis and Clare of books or legends but the real folks who grew up in and around Assisi. The difference is that they were touched by a spirituality of place.



They walked along cobblestone roads, through walled gates, up and down mountains. They started of in Rome, heart of an Empire and home of martyrs. The next time they read the Book of Acts or a letter by Paul they will remember Rome.







They worshiped in a home chapel, in the Vatican, la Verna, the catacombs. They read, attended lectures and they reflected.





They made new friends. They were exposed to different perspectives, and different styles of worship.



Best of all, they learned to be what they already were. They learned to be pilgrims, intentional pilgrims. Now when they travel they can choose to be on vacation, to be tourists or to go on pilgrimage. They will know how to prepare, how to focus, how to pause and listen. They will know how to be a pilgrim.



So, they will be home in a number of hours. I look forward to hearing their stories, to seeing their pictures, to getting a glimpse of the transformations that are beginning to occur. Welcome home pilgrims


Prayer of St. Francis, sung by Angelina, EWTN