On bicycles, a group of young Poles, including some Dehonians, undertook a pilgrimage from Krakow to Rome, where they participated in the closing Mass of the Youth Jubilee.
Our pilgrimage brings hope for a better tomorrow. How? “We are cycling to Rome, giving people a chance to move their hearts. In a way, our very presence says: if you want to help us, now is the time!” recalls Fr. Piotr Chmielecki, one of the priests making the pilgrimage to Rome.
The Dehonian ”Re-cycling Team” reached Rome not only by the strength of their muscles, but also thanks to the open hearts, homes, and wallets of those who supported them. Twelve cyclists as well as Kasia and Jakub — a couple helping with logistics and cooking — set off from Krakow on July 18th. They aimed to reach the Eternal City on the last day of July, to experience the Jubilee together with young people from around the world.
Not all of them were experienced cyclists, nor did they all know each other beforehand. But all of them — as one team, expressed their desire to create a community and “deliver” the intentions and prayers, often gathered from friends. “I rode with gratitude for the good things I’ve received from God, for my family, and with prayers for further blessings,” shares Grzegorz, one of the oldest pilgrims, cycling to Rome with his son Karol, who was making the pilgrimage “to discover his calling.”
They had worries about their own physical strength, unexpected events, and the high temperatures, but fortunately these concerns did not come true. There was a leader in the number of punctured tubes, a real chef on board, and pilgrims so sun-tanned that even after taking off their helmets in St. Peter’s Square, they looked as if they were still wearing them. Their spiritual pilgrimage followed the path of the Book of Tobit, which they read, chapter by chapter. “It tells the story of the journey, the voyage of hope, of young and old Tobit. Though historically distant, it speaks of realities that, like a mirror, we can still see ourselves in today,” says Fr. Franciszek Wielgut, who also made sure they didn’t lose their way on bike trails.
“We planned everything well in advance. When we visited the accommodation places in April, on one hand we encountered the hosts’ surprise at the distances we intended to cover, and on the other, genuine joy that they could take part in our pilgrimage this way. Let hope be born within us—a hope much deeper than just optimism that things will turn out fine!” concludes Fr. Radek Warenda.
This cycling pilgrimage was not only about reaching the Vatican, but also about participating in the Jubilee for Young People, with central events at Tor Vergata with Pope Leo, as well as further meetings with European Dehonian Youth in Frascati.
