It had been a long and exhausting day. Rome was already close, but the journey was still challenging. When it turned out that the trail led along a busy national highway, we had to look for an alternative route. The sun had also returned, along with the sweltering heat.
For a complete account of our journey to Rome, it’s worth mentioning that our group of 20 people had split into several smaller groups of pilgrims. There were the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy (Sister Evangelista, Sister Anna Maria, Sister Loretta). There was the “black” group—fourth-year seminarians who have been zealously wearing their cassocks for a year. Finally, there was the Marian group, which led the loud singing, beginning with the Little Hours, and prayed with Marian hymns.
On this day of our pilgrimage, we were joined by a Polish woman and an Italian man, as well as Fr. Piotr Majtyka, a graduate of our seminary in Płock who serves in Iceland and is currently a student in Rome.
At the end of the day, we stood at the gates of Rome.
