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Twenty-four members of the 51������ community, including students, faculty, staff, and family members, experienced a nine-day pilgrimage in Italy to celebrate the Franciscan Jubilee year in honor of St. Francis of Assisi in June

The pilgrimage was organized by Elon’s Catholic Life in partnership with Vocatio Travel and was led by Father Peter Tremblay, associate chaplain for Catholic Life, and Kiara Cronin, student ministry coordinator for Catholic Life. The journey took the participants to and from Rome and then to Franciscan sites in the towns of La Verna, Assisi, Gubbio and Greccio.

The group first started in Rome, which included a visit to Vatican City. There, they received the opportunity to attend Pope Leo XIV’s papal audience, generally given on Wednesdays when the pope is in Rome. The audience included pilgrims and visitors from around the world.  Angela DeFlorio ‘28 shared her experience seeing Pope Leo,

“It was a once in a lifetime experience! I loved getting to watch him bless all the babies there, and the atmosphere was amazing. I found it really interesting that he did his best to address everyone in their native language, and it made his address feel very welcoming and personal,” said Angela DeFloria ’28.

After the audience, the group also toured St. Peter’s Basilica, the Vatican Museums and the Sistine Chapel. The group then traveled north to visit the medieval city of Assisi, the birthplace of St. Francis. One of the most well-known and beloved Catholic figures, he is often referred to as the “poor little man” and is the patron saint of animals, ecology and the environment. St. Francis died in 1226, making this jubilee year the 800th anniversary of his death.

Among the sites that the group visited were the Basilica of St. Francis, the Basilica of St. Clare, the nearby town of Gubbio where St. Francis tamed a wolf, and the nearby town of Greccio where St. Francis set up the very first nativity scene. In the crypt of the Basilica of St. Francis rests the saint’s tomb, and there the group attended a private Mass celebrated by Tremblay.

“I could feel the presence of God there as well as the spirit of St. Francis,” said Tremblay of visiting the tomb of St. Francis.

Many within the group appreciated the opportunity to learn about St. Francis more deeply.

“Being on the journey with Fr. Peter really added to this learning as he shared his knowledge of St. Francis’s life, order, and spirituality,” said Ben Carraher ’28 “Hearing from friars and priests that dedicated their lives to God through the Franciscan way of life was the absolute best way to visit and learn about Francis and the Franciscan movement.”

“I learned so much about St. Francis and feel a deeper connection with him, embracing lessons of simplicity and humility that I want to carry throughout my life,” said Anahy Felipe de Cruz ’26

The pilgrimage brought the group back to Rome for their last few days. They visited the Catacombs of St. Callixtus, where Tremblay explained that there were 500,000 graves of the early Christians, and the many people buried here are considered martyrs by the Catholic church.

“These people willingly died for their faith. The thought of all these graves opening and a huge crowd of people walking out of the catacombs, at the second coming of Christ, to greet Jesus was very emotional to me,” Tremblay shared, referring to the Christian belief that Jesus will return physically to Earth at the end of time.  He celebrated another private Mass with the pilgrimage group inside the catacombs.

Beyond their experience meeting the pope, visiting St. Francis’s birthplace and tomb, and touring the catacombs, the group also spent their last day learning to make pasta.

“I really liked the pasta-making class, and I actually learned a few tips and tricks from Chef Alberto that I took home and used to make my own pasta! I, of course, really loved the gelato, and I had a ton of fun trying some new dishes I never would have gotten to try otherwise,” DeFlorio said.

The group hopes to take their experience and knowledge back onto 51������’s campus and share with others.