Italy 2015

Msgr. Pat at Monte Sant'Angelo

Pilgrimage to Italy 2015

On September 20, 2015, fifteen pilgrims departed Portland International Airport for Italy. Brilliant sun greeted us at Rome's Fiumicino Airport, where we met our tour guide, Jon Bouillot. Thus began a two week pilgrimage to the Eternal City, to southern Italy, and to Sicily. Starting in Rome, we headed east to San Giovanni Rotondo, the home of St. Padre Pio, and to the nearby hilltop town of Monte Sant'Angelo, with its shrine to St. Michael. From there, we traveled south along the coast to Bari where we visited the shrine to St. Nicholas. Returning west across the "spine" of Italy, we stopped at two UNESCO World Heritage Sites, Alberobello and Matera. Continuing west and south, we passed through Calabria on the way to the coast, where we took a ferry to Sicily—a melting pot of languages, cultures, and traditions. Arriving in Messina, we moved on to Taormina, Siracusa, Mt. Etna, Agrigento, Monreale, and finally to the great city of Palermo. It was a rich experience for us pilgrims—making new friends, growing in our faith, and giving us a new appreciation ancient lands and cultures. All of the pictures were taken with a Canon G7X, and they were processed in Lightroom. Enjoy the pics!