In May, 50 pilgrims from the Church of the Holy Trinity went on pilgrimage to Italy; encountering the heart of the Church, shaking off the chains of complacency, and embracing a new zeal for the Church.  From Rome to Milan, these adults encountered deep faith, new and familiar saints, and the rich tradition of the Catholic faith.

The pilgrimage began in Rome, highlighted by the Wednesday Papal audience.  Standing with thousands of other Catholics in St. Peter’s square, the weight of the universal Catholic Church settled on the shoulders of all present.  Though there were many differences between all gathered, the Church bound them together.  Leaving Rome for Orvieto, the assurance of the universal Church’s ability to bind in the face of adversity, brought comfort and hope.

The story of Orvieto’s Eucharistic miracle goes; in the 13^th century, a pious priest was struggling with doubt and so began a pilgrimage to Rome.  While on his way, he stopped in a small town to say Mass.  When he got to the moment of consecration, the host began to bleed, dropping blood on the corporal below.  In the great Duomo of Orvieto, a side chapel preserves this corporal and host.  Encountering such tangible proof, an utter certainty of the True Presence of Christ in the Eucharist overwhelms the soul.

From Orvieto, other stops during the pilgrimage included Assisi, Florence, Padua, and Venice; home of the magnificent St. Mark’s.

Before the final stop in Milan, the group took a detour to Mesero, home of St. Gianna Berretta Molla; a modern saint who lived from 1922-1962.  When facing a difficult decision between cancer treatment or saving the life of her child, she didn’t hesitate in choosing life for her child.  This heroic woman lived a simple life of piety and prayer, inspiring thousands. 

Because St. Gianna is a lesser known Saint, Mesero does not see a lot of pilgrimage traffic.  The excitement when a tour bus full of Americans pulled up, was so great that the parish priest delayed the start of Mass to speak with the group.  As a friend of St. Gianna, he spoke of her life with a joy that was undeniable and contagious.  He also brought out St. Gianna’s relics, typically kept in the sacristy, for veneration.

A walk to the town cemetery to visit St. Gianna’s tomb followed the priest’s touching tribute.  There the group prayed, together and individually, humbled and inspired by a woman who simply sought to live out God’s call in her life.  

St. Gianna once said, "The secret of happiness is to live moment by moment and to thank God for what He is sending us every day in His goodness."  As the pilgrims encountered Saint after Saint, from doctors of the Church like Catherine of Sienna to simple people of faith like St. Gianna, and stood in all manner of churches, from humble local parishes to the grandness of St. Peter’s Basilica; they were constantly reminded that what God calls us to is not complicated.  His call is to live a simple life of prayer and service.  Living this call gives courage to avoid the trap of complacency and live life with zeal for the Lord.