I traveled with my daughter Benedetta and my husband to the Rome-Assisi pilgrimage. More than twenty of us came from our Faith and Light community. I set out filled with hope, expecting to return feeling even more rooted in the life of Fede e Luce. That hope was realized, and I am deeply grateful.
I want to share a moment during the pilgrimage that moved me in ways I still cannot fully express. In Rome, on the day of the papal audience, I found myself ushered to the front row by the organizers—a place of honor we occupied because Benedetta was in her wheelchair. I was surprised; I hadn't expected to be positioned so prominently. But I waited to see what would unfold. Then the Pope approached the wheelchairs, stopping at each one, bending with his customary gentleness toward every person. When I saw him moving toward us, I felt my heart open. Though we never spoke a word, something profound passed between us—a dialogue made of presence, communion, understanding. It's hard to put into words what I experienced. There are no words. He leaned down to Benedetta, kissed her forehead, and then turned to me. He placed his hand on my forehead and looked into my eyes with a gaze so paternal, so full of love, that I will carry it with me forever.
