Pilgrimage to Italy inspires group from St. Paul’s Parish

Liana Green (Photo/Dr. L. Kennedy)

By Liana Green

Editor’s note: Liana Green is a parishioner at St. Paul’s in Nampa and will be going into her junior year at Benedictine College in the fall. She is studying English and hopes to pursue a career in writing in the future, as she has a passion for telling stories. This is her first article for the ICR and through this experience and elsewhere, she has enjoyed learning how to write in various genres to share uplifting stories with the world.

Beginning on June 10, 2026, and continuing through June 17, 2026, Father Justin Brady and 45 parishioners from St. Paul’s Parish, Nampa, trekked across Italy on a pilgrimage that took them from Rome to Assisi to Milan, with a few extra stops along the way.

They went as pilgrims, not tourists: as disciples seeking intimacy with God, not individuals enamored by the glamor of the world. In eight days of pilgrimage, the 46 pilgrims, a third of whom were young adults like myself, celebrated Mass in seven chapels, prayed in 19 churches, and visited the resting places of countless saints.

The Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi (Photo/Liana Green)

A radical way to pursue Him back

It is said that “[s]omeone who goes on pilgrimage ‘prays with his feet’ and experiences with all his senses that his entire life is one long journey to God” (YouCat 276). As St. Augustine of Hippo states, “[u]nwaveringly, the Church marches forward on her pilgrim way between the world’s persecutions and God’s consolations.”

A pilgrimage is not easy. As one of the pilgrims, I can attest that in many ways: the physical strain of the journey reflects the spiritual tumult of the soul. But it is always God who pursues us first; our pilgrimage was a radical way to pursue Him back.

Toward the beginning of the trip, Father Brady spoke about how we wouldn’t only be taking souvenirs and experiences with us when we went back home.

“You’ll leave with saints in your suitcase,” he said, indicating how it is not only God Himself who pursues the pilgrim, but His saints as well. From the testimonies of several pilgrims, Father Brady’s words held true: the saints have come home with us.

“Like many of us who went, we did not know what would happen,” said Nataly Arriaga, one of the young adults who joined the pilgrimage. “But one thing was for sure: we were called, drawn to go. Learning about the saints and their lives taught me to be resilient, patient, and most importantly at peace; even if the peace took the form of a struggle. The saints had a difficult life, but there was peace in knowing the Lord would strengthen them.”

Indeed, learning about the saints while we traversed Italy was a beautiful experience, allowing us to follow in their footsteps not only through stories, but by walking the places they walked and seeing the places they saw.

Father Justin Brady celebrates Mass in the Basilica di San Pietro in Ciel d'Oro (Photo/Nico Corral)

 A list, no matter how extensive, cannot adequately convey the graces received by a pilgrim pursued by God

On the first day of pilgrimage, we visited St. Peter’s Basilica, which Lauren McKittrick, a young adult who teaches at St. Paul’s Catholic School, described as “an incredible experience” in which she could “see the beauty and rich history of our faith. I was amazed by the holiness I felt throughout the Basilica, and I felt very close to God when I had the opportunity to pray to Him there.”

St. Peter’s Basilica, however, was only the beginning. From there, the pilgrims journeyed to several other holy sites and chapels around Rome, including the other three papal basilicas of St. John Lateran, St. Mary Major and St. Paul Outside the Walls.

The Holy Stairs, which Jesus mounted during His Passion and were brought from Jerusalem, were ascended by many of the pilgrims on their knees, continuing a tradition of meditative prayer on Christ’s Passion and His great love for sinners. Considered a highlight of Rome for many, the pilgrims marveled at the power of such a physically and spiritually demanding prayer.

But the pilgrims were not confined to Rome. While one could remain in Rome for years and fail to visit every Catholic church throughout its streets, God had more graces He desired to bestow on them in other parts of Italy. The pilgrims also visited Orvieto, a small town dominated by a glorious Gothic-style cathedral; Assisi, where they venerated the bodies of St. Clare of Assisi, St. Francis of Assisi and St. Carlo Acutis; Cascia, the home and burial place of St. Rita of Cascia; Milan, home to the magnificent Duomo and the church containing the body of the city’s patron, St. Ambrose; and Pavia, the resting place of St. Augustine of Hippo. But a list, no matter how extensive, cannot adequately convey the graces received by a pilgrim pursued by God.

“The faith can seem distant and far away,” Father Brady told the pilgrims, “But when we go on pilgrimage, the history and beauty of the Church comes alive in a new way.”

A spiritual reawakening

McKittrick noted, “While this pilgrimage involved a physical journey to another country, it was also a personal growth journey for me in exploring my faith and deepening my relationship with God.”

Dominic Reeping, another young adult pilgrim, echoed the sentiment. The pilgrimage, he said, was “a spiritual reawakening for me … It put into perspective how truly special God is, because America and Italy are almost polar opposites, but we all share the same faith.”

Arriaga said the experience “strengthened me spiritually” and was especially touched by the saints “who let go and let God, because they are an inspiration and example of what we should do. My soul needed prayer and the pilgrimage brought me back to it. My soul needed to let go and let God,” she said.

But while our bodies sojourned far from home in pursuit of relationship with God, the physical journey is ultimately only a reflection of the spiritual one.

As one of the 46 pilgrims, I can testify that God has brought about a radical spiritual renewal in me through this journey. And you need not wait to travel to Italy to let Him work wonders in your life. The saints we saw on pilgrimage, such as St. Carlo Acutis, St. Francis of Assisi, St. Ambrose and countless others, had one thing in common: God pursued them, and they answered.

And whether we’re in America, Italy or somewhere else entirely, God always pursues us first.

The question is, how do we respond?

The Duomo di Milano, or Milan Cathedral, is the enormous Gothic cathedral in the center of Milan, Italy. It is one of the most famous churches in the world and one of Italy’s most significant architectural landmarks. (Photo/Liana Green)