The spirit of pilgrimage in Assisi

The Rome Center has a long tradition of sending students on pilgrimages where they visit sacred sites of significant spiritual importance. These journeys can become, for their participants, acts of devotion to seek spiritual enlightenment, renewal, and connection both with God and with their fellow pilgrims. This year Dr Deborah Sawyer, Professor of Theology, accompanied students on a two-day pilgrimage to Assisi.

According to Rome Center Campus Minister, Fr Joseph Wagner, SJ, in Assisi the students took “a communal approach... in a spirit of pilgrimage”. Although they toured the town as tourists, they also had opportunities for spiritual reflection and prayer. While Assisi has a distinctly Christian heritage, the pilgrimage was open to students of all faith backgrounds who desired to take part.

The group, also accompanied by Assistant Resident Director, Alexia Rizzotto, departed on Friday, 2 April, and arrived in time for an Umbrian lunch of "torta al testo" - a panino filled with a choice of local produce, the group then set off to visit the major sites.

First stop: St. Clare's Basilica containing the wooden crucifix before which St. Francis prayed some 800 years ago. As he prayed, Jesus spoke to him saying, “Rebuild my church,” and from that moment, his spiritual journey was transformed.  As our students walked towards the Basilica of St. Francis, they noted many of the important Franciscan sites, including the site of Francis' parents' house and the Church of Santa Maria Maggiore, where today the body of the Beatified Carlo Acutis is venerated. Reaching the Basilica, a guide escorted them through the Lower and Upper Churches, where they visited the tomb of the St. Francis and explored Giotto's beautiful frescos depicting the life events of the saint. 

The next morning, they began their walk down to the Church complex of St. Damiano, reading and reflecting on the Prayer of St. Francis. Student Mike Posoli, a junior studying accounting and finance from Boston College, led the group in a reflection and prayer before and after visiting the church.

The reflective atmosphere continued as they explored the place where Francis began his restorative mission to the Church and where St. Clare founded her convent of the Poor Clares. Walking back up to the town, through olive groves to the sound of bird song, the students experienced first hand the natural world which lies at the heart of Franciscan theology. 

Posoli reflected on his experience: “The Assisi trip gave me the opportunity to explore a holy city that I’ve been meaning to visit, as well as bond with my peers at the Rome Center”. Posoli led several prayers and reflections during the pilgrimage. “It was a meaningful experience that I won’t forget”, he said.