Today is the fourth day (of the second week) of our pilgrimage, which means we’re halfway there. The vast fields of grain we passed time and again along the way served as a constant reminder today that “the harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few.” And even more so, the stories we heard at our lodgings. About a priest who, even though he’s already retired, provides pastoral care for nine parishes... About a parish community that—though immensely grateful to have a priest—can no longer remember when they last had a priest from their own country (the current pastor is a priest from the Congo, previously there was one from India, and before him, for a long time, a priest from Poland). This motivates us even more to pray for vocations—also for the local Church, for this land through which we are making our pilgrimage...
Along the way, we again met people who offered us a ride or simply asked who we were and what our journey meant. We invited them to pray with us for vocations, offering them pilgrimage medals. Our sisters took care of lunch along the route today. 🌭😁 The brothers, for their part, took great care in preparing breakfast and dinner on the days when we cooked for ourselves. 🙂
After an intense but beautiful day, we arrived in St. Martin im Innkreis, where we were warmly welcomed by the local pastor, Fr. Jophy Francis, who is from India. Not only did he treat us to dinner, but he also made it possible for us to... watch the Argentina vs. England match, which was a real treat for soccer fans following this year’s World Cup. 😃 We end the day with gratitude and hope for many more beautiful and meaningful experiences in the second half of our pilgrimage as well.
