Reporting from Vatican City and Rome

This week we have been on a pilgrimage tour led by Father Robert Adamo, the pastor of St. Ephrem’s Church, to Vatican City and Rome.  This spiritual event is to help commemorate Jubilee 2025, which has been proclaimed as a holy year by Pope Francis.

Pastor Adamo also heads Varciate 9 of the Brooklyn Catholic Diocese, which covers the neighboring churches of Our Lady of Guadalupe, St. Andrew the Apostle, St. Anselm, Our Lady of Angels and St. Patrick.

The pilgrimage started with a Delta flight on Sunday, March 23, arriving at Leonardo da Vinci Airport, nine miles south of Rome. Father Adamo celebrated Mass at the Basilica of Santa Maria in Trastevere.

Next we went through the Holy Door of St. Peter’s Basilica and attended Mass at the tomb of St. Peter by Brooklyn Auxiliary Bishop James Massa and concelebrated by Father Adamo.

Due to the serious illness of Pope Francis, we were unable to attend a papal audience or see the Holy Father from his apartment window overlooking St. Peter’s Square. However, the good news we hear is his health is steadily improving after he twice almost died while hospitalized.  

While walking the streets of the Vatican and Rome, we were absolutely amazed to see very little black topping. Instead, pieces of slate, brick, even marble, cobblestones, chopped rocks, gravel and dirt roads were still prevalent.

Also part of the tour was viewing the Roman ruins and the town of Pompeii, and next are stops at Orvieto, Florence, San Gimignano and Assisi.