The Little March was extraordinary. Let me put it this way: the bonds formed there were real and strong. Six of us set out from Rome, and when we arrived, we met so many new people— yet there was already a sense of brotherhood and love between us. A family bond, as I like to say, despite all our differences.
From a spiritual standpoint, the Little March was powerful for me. When I started marching—it was the day after we arrived in Perugia, actually at Ospedalicchio, where we made our first stop to settle in before beginning our journey—I felt something shift inside me.
Read also: The Little March to Assisi with Fede e Luce
When I stopped to eat and watch the other marchers, it was as if Francis himself walked beside me and beside them, because we were walking the same paths that Saint Francis walked years ago. Even now, talking about it brings tears to my eyes.
When we arrived in the heart of Assisi, there was so much emotion. It was like saying, "We did it too. We wrote our own piece of history"—because, you see, for those of us with disabilities, this journey was genuinely difficult. But it was worth it, both spiritually and personally. I never thought that at thirty-three I could do this with a wheelchair!
Visualizza questo post su Instagram
The people who organized this march thought of everything. I can promise you, I would do it again. I will do it again. I don't know if other members of Fede e Luce will join, but I'll keep coming back. Even now that I'm home, I can hardly believe the beauty of it all—not just the place, but being in the presence of Saint Francis.
There's so much I want to tell you about the Little March. It marks you. It makes you grow. I want to thank Brother Paolo, Brother Nicola, Brother Alessandro, and Brother Giovanni, and everyone in the organization. And I want to give a special greeting to Saverio's group. I don't know what else to say except this: I invite you to have this beautiful experience yourself. Don't be afraid of what it might change in you.
For the first time, we spent more time away from our phones than with them. That's when the real Antonietta came out. Maybe that's something I can't quite do here in Rome—let the real me emerge. Perhaps all this technology that surrounds us prevents us from seeing the true beauty of nature.
So I'll say goodbye now and send you a warm embrace. If you want to see more, I've left a video of our arrival in Assisi and my speech from the stage (at 1:51:00). See you soon!
https://www.youtube.com/live/kCAtVHZJqg4?si=ImtFlDS0qe1dmJbv&t=1796