In this kaleidoscope of events, I've tried to capture a few personal moments—knowing they can't tell the whole story of what we've lived through together.
The day with the Pope: chaotic, nerve-wracking, shadowed by the constant fear of some organizational disaster that thankfully never came. I had a seat with the other Provincial Coordinators near the Pope, but before the audience even began, I was bouncing around like a ping-pong ball inside the square ("Where's the Pope's gift?", "It's lost!", "This one can't get in!"). Finally I sat down, dressed in a jacket for the occasion (the guy next to me was wearing cycling shorts!!!). I looked out at the crowd filling the square and at our communities with their banners—the sight of it was extraordinary. That moment alone was worth the whole day.
The start of the pilgrimage in Assisi, in the piazza: we were all there, and a joyful wave rippled all the way around. I stood with Angela, Carlo, and Stefano for the opening greetings, and I felt a little out of place.
The day with the stations of meditation and prayer: I was at one of the tables—the one where we gave away clothes for the poor of Assisi. Enrico and I had prepared sheets with passages from the Gospel and from Jean Vanier to help people reflect. Some took them, some didn't. Some read them alone, some in groups. The members of the Perugia community stopped by, took the sheets, and then sat nearby to discuss them together, guided by their coordinator Marco. I felt a deep affection for this small Umbrian community: I'd witnessed their rebirth after years of inactivity, and I feel very close to them. Seeing them come together as a community always brings me joy and a touch of pride.
The celebration with the community presentations. When the San Valentino/San Gaetano community was called, Nicolò stepped forward to represent it. He's thirteen, the only one from his community to come, and he was bursting with pride. Often we tie ourselves in knots over a thousand problems (why do we have this name? Why do we build our houses this way? There are so few of us! We're not living in community the way we should! It's not like it used to be!) and rob ourselves of the joy of being together. Nicolò, the sole representative of his community, soaked up that moment completely. He was happy and proud to be there.
The thanks to the national and provincial coordinators, past and present: at the very end, when we all sang together, Stefano asked me to hold the Kimata banner with him. Stefano and I are very different, with different views about the roles we hold, but we're united by an enormous love for Faith and Light. In that moment, there was only that love, and the differences fell away.
Marie Hélène's emotion when we said goodbye: it's remarkable not just the vision this woman had when she founded Faith and Light, but also her dedication and her ability to be moved after so many years. Her continued presence at our pilgrimage touched many of us.
There are a thousand other things I could speak of: the emotion of presenting Mariangela, the mimes so beautiful they almost wrapped you up in their art, the stunning vigil in Assisi—the absolute high point of the pilgrimage—the presence of the Precious Pearl, a community being formed at Santa Maria degli Angeli, and countless other moments.
None of this is enough to describe a pilgrimage that for me is always many things at once: new encounters, special places, moments of prayer, moments of celebration, moments when you walk alone, moments when you walk hand in hand. It includes the preparations too, the meetings where we talk about how things are going and maybe adjust course to do better the next day, the frustrations. A pilgrimage lifts you up and wears you out at the same time, sweeping you into a whirlwind of events!
It was one step in a journey we've been walking together for a long time. May it be a sign of a rich future for our three provinces.
Pietro Vetro – Coordinator, Kimata Province, 2015
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