After a year of preparation—spiritual above all—the moment finally arrived. We were leaving for Rome, then Assisi, to celebrate something momentous: our first 40 years.
My God, that's so many! Forty years of walking together, and Fede e Luce has been with us every step.
Back to the pilgrimage: the journey was joyful, moving. I couldn't wait to reach Rome. The first real emotion came when I saw friends from all over Italy—old friends and new ones. It was proof that distance is only a matter of miles. Even when we see each other rarely, what we feel doesn't change.
And what about the unexpected, close encounter with the Holy Father? It's not every day you get embraced and kissed by a man as unique and special as Pope Francis—whom I personally adore.
I remember almost nothing of that moment. The instant I saw him coming toward us, tears filled my eyes. When he reached me, I wept. I had promised myself I wouldn't cry, that I'd stay calm and savor his presence for just a second. But I couldn't help it. The emotion was too strong, and tears were the only way to show my joy.
None of this would have been possible without my friend Paola from the Rho-Milano Community. I will never stop thanking her.
Everyone kept asking what the Pope said to me. I was so overwhelmed that I heard nothing—only the touch of his hand on my face, on my legs, and a great upheaval inside me.
Assisi was a beautiful spiritual experience too. We had the chance to shut out the outside world and meditate. That's what happens when you enter Assisi—you feel like you're living in another dimension.
Those were days lived intensely, full of emotion. I have so much to say I wouldn't know where to start. But I'm ready to live through these experiences again, even though each one is different from the last.
Arianna Giuliano