Chronicle of Saturday 16 August

Dear parents, grandparents, friends and the rest of the pilgrims,

Today’s stage wasn’t very long. 25 kilometres on foot is what separates Trestina from Pierantonio, our destination for today. Today’s meditation was about unity. Unity is fundamental in the essential aspects of the life we share with others, because without it everything falls apart.

Today we were crossing on foot an area where, a couple of years ago, there was a considerable earthquake. As a result many buildings were left in ruins, among them many churches, and for that reason the day’s timetable changed a little. Right after the stop we celebrated Holy Mass in an old tenth-century abbey that was on our way. It was a very beautiful Mass, which we celebrated precisely to ask the Lord that we may always be very united.

There’s a custom that has taken hold on our pilgrimage. The pilgrim knows very well that, after the stop, wearing a cap is compulsory. Well, whoever leaves theirs behind or loses it has to wear, for the rest of the stage, the Disney princesses cap that is kept in the van. Today’s lucky winner was Miguel del Pozo. Let’s see who’s next.

When we arrived, the usual glasses of cool water were waiting for us so we could rest a little, today kindly provided by Mauro and Alessio, the lads who run the sports centre where we’ll be spending the night. And then we were able to rest for a while as the kitchen team prepared some succulent spaghetti carbonara, which we got to taste later.

As we had already been to Mass, the afternoon timetable changed a little. The boys took the chance to go and play a bit of sport on a football pitch near the sports centre, which was a hybrid between a road the Dakar Rally might pass along and the long grass where you might find a Pokémon. In fact, nobody really knows which team won the match, but we’ll remember the stunning bicycle-kick goal scored by Miquel. The truth is they had a fantastic time. While the boys enjoyed a kickabout, the girls had a session of face masks and relaxation in the sports centre, which did them good to rest and release the tension that comes with long walks.

At 18:30 we had meditation, in which we went a little deeper into the idea of unity we mentioned before. We are all different, but we must always love one another. Diversity enriches us and can only be understood by learning from the way Jesus behaves in the Gospels and from others, with patience and listening. Loving others strengthens community and trust, because unity is solidarity lived out, not uniformity. Staying united demands humility, openness and the faith that, together, we reflect God’s presence in everyday life, both in the parish and in the family.

For dinner we had scrambled eggs with green asparagus and some chicken parcels filled with ham and cheese. These cooks outdo themselves more every day. During dinner we celebrated Xipi’s birthday: we sang to him, we got some balloons ready for him, and Emma gave him as a present a box to keep his cutlery and plates in during dinner today and some golden party pompoms, as well as preparing him an ensaïmada as a cake, crowned with a cigarette standing in for a candle. As we reflected today, the unity of this group, nourished by service, celebration and caring for one another, reflects our faith, which unites each person as a family in Christ.

Now we’re off to bed, as tomorrow we have a 40-kilometre stage to reach our first great destination, Assisi, the meeting point with the rest of the pilgrims, whom we are waiting for with open arms.