Via Crucis, April 2014, was the day Italy crept into my soul. This was a moment that I will always remember as life altering. There are those times in life when you just know that someone/something else is in control and you just have to show up and be present. April 18, 2014 proved to be this kind of day for me. I happened to be in the right place, at the right time.
At this point in my life, I was working at a Catholic school and was selected to attend a special pilgrimage to the United Nations. It was a great honor to be chosen for this experience and one I cherish greatly to this day. Easter happened to fall at the beginning of our April school vacation which also happened to be the week preceding my journey to the United Nations. I decided to fly out to Rome on Holy Thursday, spend my actual vacation week there, and then take the train to Geneva for the pilgrimage the week after. A two-week adventure of a lifetime. Little did I know. Right time, right place.
My First Trip to Italy
Naturally I reached out to my travel mate to see if she was up for the adventure to which her answer was, per usual, of course. So there it was, my first trip to Italy began to take shape. I was to depart on Holy Thursday, arriving on Good Friday. My travel mate would arrive on Saturday. Let the games begin.
The journey to the hotel was not so easy but I made it. After an epic nap, I made my way outside and found a cute little trattoria to enjoy my first Roman dinner. After dinner, I decided to stroll making my way over the river towards the Colosseum, eager to see it for the first time. The area around there was extremely crowded. I remember being very curious why there were so many people walking in this direction. As I approached the Colosseum, I was in awe of its grandeur and romance. It was and still is a truly humbling experience to be next to this structure.
As I took in this beauty, I continued to be perplexed at the crowds. There were so many people simply standing around outside of a closed historical site. I mean it was thousands of people. Then a slew of fancy white cars approached the hill above. He had arrived. The Pope; Pope Francis, the People’s Pope. Right time, right place.
The Via Crucis at the Colosseum
I did not know what this was at the time, but I was present for the Via Crucis, one of the most moving and symbolic events of the Christian calendar. Held each year on Good Friday, it commemorates the Passion of Christ through the Stations of the Cross, a sequence of 14 moments tracing Jesus’ journey from condemnation to crucifixion and burial, over which the Pope presides. Beginning near the ancient amphitheater and continuing toward the Palatine Hill, the ceremony unfolds by candlelight, creating a powerful and contemplative atmosphere. At each station, prayers and meditations are read, often written by invited figures or communities, offering reflections that connect Christ’s suffering with contemporary issues.
The choice of the Colosseum is deeply symbolic: once a site associated with martyrdom and suffering, it now serves as a place of remembrance, faith, and reconciliation. Thousands of pilgrims, locals, and visitors gather to witness the event, either in person or through global broadcasts, making it one of the most evocative religious traditions in the world. And there I was. Right time, right place.
Whether you are Catholic or not, this ceremony is truly remarkable to witness. Time seemed to stand still for me. To this day, as I reflect upon my life’s path, this moment comes back to me over and over again. I felt very lucky to have been given the opportunity to be here in this moment. But I must admit, it wasn’t just luck. It was the right time and the right place. The universe created this moment. It changed my life forever. I have been to Italy probably 15 times since then. I cannot get enough. As I said, it seeped into my soul.
