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Dispatches from the Camino Francesco

Jun 19, 2018 4:28:22 PM

Earlier, I mentioned I was leaving for five weeks of holidays with most of those days to be spent in Italy. I also mentioned that I had an agenda, which I was unable to share at the time.   

I am now free to share that upon flying to Europe I spent five nights in London and then proceeded to Assisi where I spent one night with the Franciscan Sisters of the Atonement. I was planning to travel to La Verna by train and bus the next day but a group of Austrian pilgrims overheard my conversation with a priest from Ireland and offered me a ride as they were going that way after breakfast. La Verna, for those who might not know, is the place where St. Francis received the Stigmata. After a day there, I began to walk the Camino Francesco. It is a total of 350 km but my intent was to walk to Assisi, a distance of 194 km according to my iPhone health monitor.   

I walked from La Verna to Pieve Santo Stefano, Sanselpolcro, Citta di Castello, Gubbio, Pietralunga, Valfabbrica and finally to Assisi. I will write and post a few pictures about this on my return but let me simply say that, in scorching sun and fantastic thunder, lighting and rain storms I walked up one mountain and then down and then up the next mountain, across the valley and up and down again. It was a challenge! But I have survived to tell the tale and no, I did not sleep in caves!  

You can read more about this camino by accessing http://www.viadifrancesco.it/en/(northern route).

I am presently enjoying a few days of rest in Assisi and it is from here that I wish to say Happy Father’s Day to all you dads and those who take their place in our lives as we celebrate Father’s Day this weekend. Fatherhood is a marvellous vocation and an opportunity to raise your children to take their rightful place in society and our Church community as mature, well-formed individuals who will contribute in a positive way to the future development of both. We don’t hear sufficient positive things about fatherhood but it is a marvelous vocation that needs to be held in high esteem. My prayers for all dads, living and deceased will be offered at Sunday Mass.

Photo courtesy Caminoways.com 

Fr. John Laszczyk

Written by Fr. John Laszczyk

Fr. John Laszczyk is a priest in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Victoria.

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