After spending the night in picturesque Villanders, we set out on the next stage of our pilgrimage.
Day five was special from the very moment the sun rose. One of the pilgrims summed up the day by writing: “In addition to my intention for priestly vocations, of course, I also had a personal intention in my heart today for the souls suffering in Purgatory.” During the morning Mass, a friend read the Prayers of the Faithful, and one of the intentions was a prayer for the souls suffering in Purgatory; I smiled to myself. The journey was a miracle; despite the heat, there were so many beautiful places and landscapes that I marveled at endlessly, just as the priest had said in his homily—to look.... There were moments when a tear welled up in my eye at how wonderfully God had created the world. As I made my way to my lodging, I spoke with the Lord and asked if today could be a bit luxurious—and if there could be a shower—because the heat was incredible. The Lord granted us all that and even more.
Thank you for today and for yesterday as well... Praise the Lord."
The novices of the Society of Jesus, undeterred by the scorching sun, handed out pictures of Saint Stanisław Kostka along the way and explained the purpose of the pilgrimage. Today they met a group of cyclists from Italy and the Netherlands who asked if they were walking in cassocks “as penance” and expressed interest in the purpose of the pilgrimage.
In Bolzano, we are experiencing the hospitality of a woman from Poland who runs a café here and treated us to lemonade, and above all, of the Salesians, who opened their home to us.
As we do every day, we end the day with the Jasna Góra Appeal and a prayer for the main intention of our pilgrimage.
It’s heavenly at Don Bosco.
