June 14 - Florence - Our Final Day

The last and final day, Florence. First we started with a 3 hour bus ride that took us from La verna to Florence. That is always amazing to see the beautiful sites and the cities. Most of us slept on the bus rides anyways. When we got to Florence, we stood in a beautiful square in front of Santa Maria Novella and it was covered with marble. Then we walked inside to see many stained glass windows which were so historical and amazing to see the sunlight come through. Along that tour we continued to see one of the best painting i've seen of Michelangelo's in the church. Then with our tour guide we went to the statue of David which was bigger than I could have ever imagined. We got some gelato of course for the last time, before we head on the bus to go to the hotel. When we arrived at the hotel it was very pretty and there were many sites to see. After that Josie and I went on a run to the top of a mountain by the hotel. Which we saw the sunset and we sat far apart which was The most spiritually part of the day where I was by myself and I thought about the past days that we visited sites and saw a lot of churches. I enjoyed every experience of this as well. Not only did I got closer to a lot of new people but I spiritually deepen my faith.

~Lili Bressette

June 13 - Part two

Almost done with this pilgrimage, and I had a great time. I hiked up the mountain with a small group. When we got to the top we wanted to meditate with rocks that represented our bitterness. I had a small rock while Adam had a huge rock. After we meditated, we threw the rocks off the mountain, and I felt like I had a connection with God when we threw the rock off the mountain and when Adam threw his boulder. I also felt a connection when we were in the chapel of the Stigmata when all the monks and nuns were there and it was quiet and peaceful. I felt like God was touching me today.

-Jacob Bressette

June 13 - Part one

Today is day 8 of our pilgrimage. We took a tour of the monastery that we stayed the night at. I also took a hike of some of the local mountains around the monastery. Some of the things I saw included a wild hog sign in the mountains that reminded me most of home. Today I saw God the most when we arrived at the top of the mountain at a look out where I could see the surrounding mountains and small villages. I also saw God when we attended a mass lead by monks and nuns, although the whole thing was in Italian I could still connect with them on what was going on. When I saw the wild hog sign I felt a strong connection with God. I felt this because it made me think how similar things were even though we are thousands of miles away from home.

~Simon Wilson

June 12 - Lake Trasimeno and La Verna

To start, hi to all my family, I miss you all very much. Today proved to me that the most insightful  and profound days are the most unforeseen. Our day started with about one hour of a bus ride out of Assisi to the lake of Lago Trasimeno. Here we waited for the ferry to take us to the small island of Isola Maggiore in which there are only 16 inhabitants. We began our exploration of the mostly forested island with hiking to find the Castle Guglielmi. While we were successful in entering the grounds of the castle due to construction issues. While on this excursion, we found an ancient church and cemetery the local people used for their religious purposes. From the top, you had a beautiful view of the light blue water and the surrounding mountains, valleys, farm fields, and homes. The view was breathtaking. We hiked down slowly but surely in the burning sun and while the “beaches” on this island were not ideal we went swimming. The “beaches” on this island either consisted bird carcases, thousands of ants, trees in the bank, or rocks. Of these choices, we chose the rocks of course. While the rocks were painful on the feet, the water was cool and blue. As we swam we saw the castle from an angle we hadn’t seen before. It was from the edge of the water about 500 yards down shore. What do we do when we have a chaperone like Adam? We swim/walk through the water down to the castle to attempt an entry into the castle. When starting we had the whole group and half way there we dropped down to just 4 of us: Adam, Curry, Matt and I. We arrive to the castle in awe at its size and realize two of the four of us had to shoes to climb up. While this was  disappointing, just the sight and achievement of reaching the castle was incredible. After this, we floated with the current back to our hungry waiting group. We went to a local restaurant for more pasta and gelato. Following this we took the ferry, then had a long 2 and a half hour bus ride to La Verna where we are currently staying in a magnificent Franciscan Sanctuary. On arriving we were surrounded by wet green mountains and an old building nestled into the mountains. We arrived with 2 hours or so of free time to do what we please. Naturally, we decided to explore the monastery. We found an ancient cemetery and a path between two boulders covered in green moss and wet walls. As we kept exploring Adam, Josie, Curry, Mrs. Keri and I began hiking up a mountain. Adam and I continued ahead while they meditated and read. Our hike was about a mile and was up the mountain. Tomorrow you might hear this same story because we accidentally hiked this without knowing it was part of our itinerary tomorrow. As we hiked the green scenery around us was astounding. The green of the trees covered in moss and leaves left a beautiful aura around. The ground was soft but not muddy. Everything about these forests was very alive unlike the forests of the islands. There are not many words to describe how beautiful it was. Although this was true, dinner time here is very prompt and it was coming close and it seemed as thought the top of the mountain was not getting any closer with our up hill climb. With five minutes remaining before we needed to turn back in time for dinner, we saw a building. At the top, there are no words. You could see everything and with the air thick from recent rain we were in the clouds. Our view had the sun shining in rays in the distance, fog rolling in the valley below us, the mountains surrounding us, and so much more. We were in awe of the beauty of this place. At this moment being surrounded by the beautiful world, doing something I love, in a country enveloped in the history and richness of God, I felt close with him. We have been learning of the humility of Saint Francis and Saint Clare. They were both born into wealthy families, but gave it all up for god. Standing at about 5,500 feet looking out at this marvelous creation of God’s I could see why they would do what they did. I me self need more humility in my life, everyone does. They managed to have the most modesty and selflessness close to beginning of man and many of us do not have any.

Eugenia Knauss

June 11 - Saint Claire, Saint Francis, and more

First off...HI MOM! I think you’ll be happy to hear that each day has become more and more spiritual and meaningful to each of us as this journey continues. So far I’d have to say this was my favorite day in Italy. Mrs. Keri and I started our day off bright and early with an easy run around the town of Assisi, which smells like flowers literally everywhere and feels like the one day out of the year that we have spring back in rome. Around lunch time, we took a tour of         where St. Claire lived and died as the first woman Friar (inspired by St. Francisco). Her story, told by our cool Irish Friar guide, came to life as we walked through the chapel, garden , and sleeping quarters that she once did in San Damiano. She was the first woman to write to the Pope asking for nothing so he granted her wish of a life in poverty. I felt a personal connection to this place and was absolutely blown away with the view it had atop of the mountain. Oh and did I mention that we were hiking up the side of this “city on a mountain” the whole day? If you’ve seen the pictures you might understand how our calfs feel by now. We went to two other Churches which were also indescribable with frescoes and mosaics sprawled across the walls and ceilings, telling timeless stories. We were pleasantly surprised when our guide of the Basilica di San Francesco happened to be from New York and cracked jokes at every corner. While he also starred us each in the eye promising heaven if we were all good boys and girls.. I think he was just a bit Catholic. Amazed by all of these things we were also exhausted, time to go back down the mountain. Except Curry, Eugenia, Adam,and I decided we couldn’t leave until we got to the top and saw the fortress. After some convincing they said we could go with Adam but wouldn’t have a bus to ride back on. Just a long walk back to the hotel and a scolding if we weren’t back by dinner time. Challenge accepted! It was tough but completely worth it when were were at the top of this castle overlooking all of the village and far more land beyond. This was an experience that I know I will never forget along with the surprise on their faces when we got back on time. I believe God was with us every step of the way showing us how the saints lived with imperfections and mistakes that made them ideal teachers of God's miracles and love. I know that I have learned more about my faith through their stories and selfless actions.

Josie Cole

June 10 - Journey to Assisi, Basilica di Santa Maria Degli Angeli, and more

Frequently on the pilgrimage we are asked “Where do you see God?” The answer is different for everyone. The place, time, headspace, sounds, and people surrounding someone all contrast and create an individual experience. A moment can be small and internal or as vast as one of the many grand monastaries we’ve visited with sky-high ceilings and exceptionally large and intricate works of architecture. My experiences have been both shared with the mass of people around me and personal for only me to feel. So, back to the question at hand: “Where do you see God?”

During our nightly talks in the chapel we discussed the topic of materialistic reliance and the current worlds obsession with the things we claim to “need” but are more realistically quite easy to live without. The question, “Would you be able to live without nothing but God?” was ressurected, and further into the debate over the topic I phrased a new question: “Could you lose everything you have and be satisfied with only God?” For a moment people held their breath as there was a pregnant pause as my statement was processed and thoughts emerged. We, together, concluded that the many things in our lives we find so hard to live without, are merely as tiny as a grain of sand when matched with the serenity and wisdom of the greater power. I have found that letting go of the small-town world I am constantly immersed in is much easier away from all of life’s normal pressures (and yes, to all the parents reading this, I have not experienced the adictive teenage pleasure of electronics till this very moment and at it’s peak it is not as satisfying as I had previously hoped---also I love and miss you Mama and Andy).

My experience today was an extremely moving and personal one so I’m going to refrain from sharing my deepest thoughts and feelings as I would like them to remain with me. It happened when we were inside the Santa Maria monastary and our tour around the structure given by a local monk had just come to a close. The remains of a small church had been placed in the center of the monastary and he explained to the group in closing that this was a place where leppers would congregate after the church had been abandoned. Saint Francis went to visit the leppers there in order to further his spiritual wellbeing and be in congregation with these lonesome people. The monk (and tour guide) asked us to go into the small church and take a moment to pray. The feeling of holy presence and history that came over me was immediate. I was suddenly immersed into my own little personal universe when I began to pray. As I prayed (again, sparing the details) I felt as if I were the only person in the room and when I emerged from my prayers I felt the small stream of a few tears down my face. My moment when I saw God was unique and shared between only me and the heavens. Now ask yourself, “Where do you see God?”

Sophia Vargo

June 9 - The Vatican City

In our journey to the Vatican City, it was not a difficult mission to find God. Everywhere I stepped in the city, I saw sculptures depicting His image in men and women, intricate mosaics featuring religious scenes excerpted from the Bible, and just the overwhelming awe prevalent in the faces of many of the Vatican’s visitors. Everywhere I looked, I found God conveyed through his art on Earth. However, I didn’t really find his presence through the art on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, or the gold inlay on the roof of the basilica, I found him through the stories of these artists. Michelangelo dedicated his life to expressing his love and emotion for Christ. He spent years working on these magnificent pieces of art that are now appreciated by millions of Christians across the world. His understanding of human anatomy amazed me by his work in La Pieta and just in his ceiling paintings. Pietro Vannucci and Raphael, with their works that developed classic expression created new ways to express this appreciation for creation. It also made me ask myself this question: What urges people to create these masterpieces? Why are they driven to spend years working on a painting, or a sculpture, just for their faith? This stumped me because I knew the answer was in the level of faith they had, but it didn’t make sense to my actual level of faith. So that’s the question I leave you with in this blog post: What motivates you to find and pursue your personal relationship with God?

John Knauss