Following are testimonies written by participants of our pilgrimages from Fall, 2019“The pilgrimage experience you organized was totally wonderful. […] and I will highly recommend it to anyone considering a pilgrimage to Assisi. I think we were blessed with being able to share the experience with our Filipino and Japanese brother and sisters and it was a living example of the universality of our faith and our commonality. Father Frank was a special blessing also as a liturgist, homilist, experienced pilgrim and a fun fellow traveler. I was so impressed with Magdelena's historical knowledge and also her spirituality which was inspiring. Your presence and hospitality and concern for our comfort and needs were greatly appreciated. Our accommodations were comfortable and convenient. The restaurant meals were well chosen. […] The return travel effects have now worn off and I am now able to process and re-live some of the important parts of the pilgrimage within myself. I am so very grateful for having made the trip and for being connected with Saint Francis and Saint Clare in a deeper way, for making great friendships with my fellow pilgrims and for a meaningful preparation for my Profession in Dec. With Gratitude and Love, Gayle, North Carolina.” “Thank you for all the time, planning and loving energy you and Katia put into making our Pilgrimage special and an experience of my lifetime. Francis's spirit continues to live through me. I wish you and your beautiful family many unexpected blessings. With gratitude and love,” Mary Marinucci, North Carolina "I recently returned for the pilgrimage led by Fr. Peter O'Brien to Italy. It was a great experience! Father was a good spiritual guide and a very kind and friendly person. Our guide Loredana was terrific. She seems to really love her job. Our driver Fabriggio (sp?) did a fine job, and I never felt unsafe when we were on the road. The itinerary was thorough. Hotels were very good, […]. Meals provided were tasty and bountiful. […]. I hope all is well with you and your family now, Brett. Take care and God bless you." Matt Crowley, Grants Pass, Oregon “Ed and I enjoyed our pilgrimage. We have travelled extensively, occasionally with tour groups, but had not been on a pilgrimage trip before. I found the pilgrimage to be spiritually beneficial and I do think that the experience will continue to bear fruit going forward. I found the daily mass to be very nourishing. Being able to attend daily mass in such beautiful, profound places was probably the biggest highlight of the trip for me. Thank you for your efforts in arranging those. Confession during the trip gave me the opportunity for spiritual growth as well. The fellowship with the other members of the group was a positive factor as well. Fr. Peter did a great job on the trip as spiritual director. Loredana did an outstanding job as tour guide. She was knowledgeable, very personable, and always, always went the extra mile to try to arrange whatever anyone asked for.” Jamie & Ed Diehl, Portland Oregon “I am really grateful that I was able to go on this beautiful pilgrimage to Southern France. I find there are many parallels of the pilgrimage to my (or anyone) spiritual life. The hardships, the joys, the work, the disappointments, the pains, and the blissful moments were experience on this journey as they are usually occur in our normal life back at home. An example of that parallel: when we arrived in Toulouse, some of our luggage had not followed us to our destination. I, with some of the others, was without some of essentials for a couple of days. That was one of the hardships of being deprived which was no different in my non-traveling life. For a delightful, blissful moment: one of my favorite highlights is the hike up to St. Mary Magdalene Grotto. The effort of the journey to get there was epic from the bus driving up there to the actual hike. Once to the top with the view and the cool church, I felt that I earned it after the hot and arduous hike. One can make the comparison to our pilgrimage to a foretaste of Heaven with all the hard work before our rest in the end if, in God's grace, we make it there. Thank you for organizing this wonderful pilgrimage.” Thomas Rousseau, Portland Oregon "Fr. Frank, you were a light and an inspiration to our pilgrimage. Thank you to all my fellow pilgrims and to Bret. Ours was a unique experience composed of the lives, spirituality, faith, and love of each of us individually. There will never be another exactly like it. We came as individuals, each bringing along our own personal journey. We shared, we laughed, we cried, we celebrated, ourselves and each other. We were changed. We created something new and unique. As I transition back into my daily life, I bring a piece of each of you with me. I pray for you and ask Our Lord to bless you as you continue your personal journey which now contains a piece of each of us. Peace and love, with God’s blessings always, until our paths meet again.” Brenda Harris, North Carolina “Just wanted to extend my thanks for a wonderful pilgrimage. Stefano and Maurizio were wonderful in their respective roles as guide and driver. The accommodations were comfortable and I really enjoyed the dinner at Terme on the last evening of the trip. I appreciated being able to visit such places as the Capuchin monastery and St. Michael’s cave. Loreto was beautiful as was Assisi. […]. It was such a privilege to be able to visit such holy sites and to spend time listening to Adolfo share his journey with Padre Pio. You have done a wonderful job building your company Franciscan Pilgrimages and I am thankful I was able to experience a pilgrimage under your leadership.” Rebecca Capezzuto, Georgia "THANK YOU for the awesome pilgrimage!!! It was truly Beautiful!!! Been on others, but yours was so layed back and peaceful. Jan and I both agreed it was one of our best trips. We have been on 4 other ones together. I have been on several others ones myself. I will keep your family and other pilgrims in my prayers. God Bless You!" Cheryl Klatt, Nebraska "Everyone in our group was purely a joy I was not a vocal part of the group but being my first visit to Assisi it was just almost too much to take in I was in awe to be in the footsteps of St Francis and others was an overwhelming experience. I can understand why people make numerous trips I hope to come back again. Thank you to everyone of you for such a wonderful memory." Carol Palmer, Michigan "I am happy to be home and yes woke up this early this morning. Miss everyone and thank you again for a lovely and memorable pilgrimage. Pray to see you again on a future pilgrimage. Peace and goodness." Isabel Pina, OFS, Texas "Pace e Bene to all; Bret and Katia a great pleasure that our paths came to be. Yes, this pilgrimage was a very memorable journey that will be remembered in the years to come as a maturity of faith with God’s mercy. My Prayers for this journey here on earth. May our paths cross again - we leave it in God’s hand. Paula prayers for your mom and for your family. God bless us all." Teresa Adames, Dallas, Texas “The pilgrimage exceeded my expectations. Bret set the tone before going with guides and reflection for each of us to contemplate. It was really a blessed and prayerful experience I would recommend to anyone reaching deeper for an authentic Franciscan experience.” Fr. Frank Critch, OFM "We are all still just so amazed at how blessed of a pilgrimage this was for each of us individually and as a family. Being able to experience not only Assisi and Rome, but also all of the side ventures to Greccio, Gubbio, Renacavata, Loreto, and La Verna, we received so much more than we could have ever anticipated. It will surely take us time to fully comprehend and appreciate all that we saw and experienced, however I know for certain that we are all already planning our returns to Italy. Bret, thank you again for organizing such a wonderful, blessed trip for our family. From beginning to end, it was more than any of us could have ever hoped for. We know that you had so much else going on with your own family and it's most recent addition, so we greatly appreciate the time you took to assist us and make sure that things were going smoothly for us. Our experience with you and your company is one we will never forget and one that will hopefully be just the first of many more pilgrimages. There is so much to see and witness, I am sure that God will call all of us back home to Italy." Matt Hair, North Carolina “A summary of our pilgrimage”
By Alessandro Gullo “A week has gone by since you all left Italy and returned home; I heard it is very cold over there so maybe this small narration of your pilgrimage will warm you up a bit and will help you in case other families or groups are interested in traveling with Bret again. December 26th. We met at Rome airport and headed out to Orvieto to have our first taste of medieval Italy, having a simple but flavorful lunch including gnocchi and octopus salad and exploring the little streets ending up in front of the Gothic Cathedral with its beautiful facade. Then we drove to Assisi and the hotel La Rocca, just in time to go to mass in Assisi San Rufino before dinner and well-deserved rest after a very long day. December 27th. Although it was raining we were ready to go! We got on the van and drove to the parking lot below Saint Francis basilica. We first visited the Benedictine church of San Pietro and then spent almost two hours in the basilica of Saint Francis stopping to pray for a while in the crypt where Saint Francis is buried along with four of his closest companions along with "brother" Jacopa di Settesoli and discovering the inspiring Christian messages revealed through the frescoes painted more than 700 years ago. Afterward, we drove to the best restaurant in town, La Pallotta, for a lunch consisting of mixed antipastos and two kinds of regional pasta: a local squared spaghetti known as strangozzi with an olive and mushroom sauce, and small ravioli called cappellacci with honey, parmesan, and poppy seeds. Then, later in the afternoon we went to the stables of Rivotorto where St. Francis stayed for a while after San Damiano, we passed by the leper church of Santa Maria Maddalena on our way to visit Saint Mary of the Angels where we prayed the rosary in the Porziuncola -- the church Francis loved the most and explored the friary including the chapel built on top of where he had his simple hut and there is now a collection of nativity scenes from all over the world. December 28th. We visited the upper part of town including San Rufino, Santa Maria delle Rose (with the big Tau cross and the "pocket Marys"), the Church of Saint Mary over Minerva (the 1st century BC Roman temple), the New Church built in 1631 on top of Francis’ father’s home, and Saint Clare’s basilica where we prayed in the chapel in front of the Crucifix of San Damiano that spoke to Francis. Next, we headed to San Damiano where we prayed and visited the place of the conversion of Saint Francis before driving back in town for the best pizza at Pizzeria I Monaci. In the afternoon we went to Perugia for a nice stroll in this famous medieval town visiting the buried city, the main street with the 13-14th century town hall, the medieval fountain and the cathedral of Saint Lawrence before returning in time to pray the vespers with the poor Clares in the chapel of the crucifix of San Damiano. And when we returned at Domus Laetitiae we were greeted with the good news that your misconnected luggage had finally arrived! December 29th. With warm clothes we went up to La Verna where Saint Francis received the Stigmata -- what a beautiful day it was with blue skies and white snow all around us! We visited the friary and prayed in the chapel built exactly where Francis was praying that day when he received the stigmata. Then we ate a very nice lunch at the foresteria with menu including duck! On our way back to Assisi, we stopped at Gubbio where Francis encountered the wild wolf and where he received his first tunic from the Spadalonga family. We visited the church of Saint Francis, the main square and the beautiful nativity scenes through many alleys and streets of Gubbio. On our way out, the mountain above Gubbio lit up and the biggest Christmas tree in the world was revealed before our eyes as we drove back to Assisi. December 30th. In the morning Randy and Matt and I went for morning prayers at San Damiano and then on to Humilis jewelry shop for a ring or two. We then walked from Santa Chiara to Porta Nuova to check out the Assisi weekly Saturday market. Then, later in the morning, we began our drive to Renacavata to visit the first Capuchin friary where the reformed Franciscan order was born and its museum and where we had lunch with a few fun friars, especially Anastasio! We then continued on to Loreto where we finally met Bret, who took us inside the Holy House of Mary -- what a place!! -- standing in there next to the poor Palestinian stones which came from Nazareth is almost overwhelming...and the soul rejoices. December 31st We drove to Porta San Giacomo, giving a ride to a holy nun to attend Mass, and then we had some more free time in Assisi. After a small casual lunch we shopped for wine and parmesan cheese at a local supermarket and then headed to Greccio where Saint Francis reenacted the night of Christmas. Then we continued down to Rome where we checked in at the hotel and went out again to see St. Peter’s Square at night and then on to eat a delicious dinner at a local restaurant before going to sleep despite fireworks and firecrackers bringing in the New Year! January 1st In the morning we attended mass with the giant screens of St. Peter’s Square and saw the Pope greeting us from the Angelus window. Then we visited St. Peter’s basilica. After lunch we went to Saint Paul outside the Walls and Saint Mary Major and from the van saw the Roman Forum and the Coliseum. January 2nd. After standing in line to enter the Vatican museums, we saw the medieval painting collection with the Transfiguration by Raphael and beautiful paintings celebrating Christ, Mary and the saints from the 12th to the 20th centuries! Then we saw the hallways with the maps, the tapestries, the roman statues, and finally the famed Sistine chapel with Michelangelo’s Last Judgement and ceiling frescoes. After a gelato lunch and some shopping for olive oil, we went to the Scala Santa and Saint John in Lateran, before visiting Holy Cross in Jerusalem and praying in front of the relics brought by Saint Helen. On our way back to the hotel we stopped in another church, Santa Sabina, and from the gardens near it admired once again the illuminated dome of Saint Peter’s. Finally, at the hotel we had a big hug and a reciprocal feeling of friendship in Christ and a hopeful arrivederci (until we see one another again)!
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Bret ThomanCatholic. Franciscan. Married. Father. Pilgrim guide. Writer. Translator. Pilot. Aspiring sailor. Archives
April 2024
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