Pilgrimage to Rome

St Stephen's student, Azali Mitchell, participated in the Jubilee for Teenage Pilgrimage to Rome during Holy Week this year. Azali has kindly shared her experience below, and we thank her for contributing this article and sharing her reflections on this once-in-a-lifetime experience. 

My trip to Rome was something that words simply can’t describe.  I was part of 15 staff and students from across Cairns Schools and Parishes, where we would embark on a journey through the heart of Italy on a Pilgrimage. After back-to-back flights, travelling for over 18 hours, with very little sleep, we arrived at our hotel and started on a journey that I could never imagine. 

The first few days of our pilgrimage we had the privilege of crossing all four Holy Doors of the major Basilicas in Rome, the doors that are only opened every 25 years - St. Peter’s, St. John Lateran, St. Paul Outside the Walls, and St. Mary Major. We also explored several ancient ruins, wandered through the Colosseum, tossed coins into the Trevi Fountain, walked down the Spanish Steps, and managed to get in some shopping. 

Holy Week was extraordinary. At The Lord’s Supper Mass we were lucky to share stories with Fr Charles. At the Veneration of the Cross, my mum was lucky enough to place her hand on the cross which contained Relics of the Passion. The Way of the Cross was held outside the Colosseum at night, it was extremely cold, but breathtaking. The Easter Vigil Mass in St Peter’s Square was a little quiet, however Easter Sunday Mass was something I will never forget. We were blessed by Pope Francis as he gave his blessing from the balcony and then caught an amazing view of him in his Pope Mobile. Seeing him in person that day was surreal and was extremely emotional, as I could see how frail he was. 

After this once in a lifetime experience, we went to Assisi. Here we visited the tomb of Blessed Carlo Acutis, who is known as the “millennial saint” and will be the saint of the internet. We were meant to see his canonisation but was postponed to a later date due to the passing of Pope Francis. We also went to Florence, where we saw the Duomo, walked across the Ponte Vecchio and got to see the statue of David.

On our return to Rome, we were greeted by Bishop Joe and got to spend a couple of days with him exploring other parts of Rome. Along the journey, we also met other Pilgrims from different parts of the world and got to share stories with one another – they also loved our little gifts. 

We returned to the Vatican City to witness Pope Francis lying in State peacefully and were blessed to attend his funeral at St Peter’s Square, as hundreds of thousands could not gain access. I must say that gaining access was a little confronting, as the crowds were extremely pushy and getting crushed was not a comfortable feeling. Then, a couple of days later, we returned to St Mary Major to view his resting place. 

What an experience I had. From early mornings to very late nights, to waiting in long lines, to sharing pasta dinners and eating gelato, I was on a pilgrimage filled with moments of awe, reverence, and unexpected friendships. A massive thank you to Rachel McLean who organised this experience, and to Bishop Joe who journeyed with us, I will be forever and truly grateful.