Our Pilgrimage through Italy, to Saint Monica
Our latest pilgrimage brings us to Italy. We did a sweeping tour, starting in the north and working our way down the Adriatic coast, around Sicily, then to Rome for Christmas.
As we generally do on pilgrimages, we bring a booklet of prayer intentions. This time, in addition to our usual request for prayer intentions through this site and from our family and friends, we asked Celeste Behe to spread the word through the Saint Monica Ministry Newsletter. This ministry is a ‘prayer network’ of parents and grandparents who grieve the loss of loved ones from the Church.
Our goal was to pray along the way and especially at the tomb of Saint Monica in Rome.
St. Bernard Monastery - Great St. Bernard Pass, Switzerland
We had had to skip the Great Saint Bernard Pass during our previous pilgrimage, the Via Francigena, because the Pass Road is only open May – October . The St. Bernard Monastery was founded by St. Bernard of Menthon. Known for his compassion, he established the hospice and monastery around 1050. Later, the famous St. Bernard dogs were bred here to rescue lost travelers.
We attended Vespers and Mass in the Crypt Chapel before praying for those on our prayer list. This small, stone-hewn chapel, tucked beneath the main hospice buildings, exudes an austere beauty. The ceiling lights were reminiscent of the Big Dipper constellation, but instead of pointing to the North Star, they pointed to the Tabernacle. The Canons Regular, the Augustinian order founded by St. Bernard, manage the hospice, still care for travelers and pilgrims, and practice their faith here.
Sagra San Michele - Mount Pirchiriano, Italy
Perched atop the craggy summit of Mount Pirchiriano, a 30-minute drive outside of Turin, Italy, the Sacra di San Michele rises like a medieval fortress against the sky, a chapel and monastery dedicated to St. Michael the Archangel. This ancient abbey, part of the legendary “Sword of St. Michael”—a line of sacred sites stretching from Ireland to Israel—towers above the valley, giving a fantastic view of Turin and the whole valley. Like the other St. Michael sites, we are left wondering how they built this magnificent place back in the 10th century.
Every night, we say the St. Michael prayer so it felt right to ask for his intervention for those on our prayer list. We even burst out in song.
Eucharistic Miracle in Basilica of Corpus Domini - Turin, Italy
Just steps from Turin’s Duomo, with the Holy Shroud, the Basilica of Corpus Domini stands as a testament to the Eucharist Miracle of 1453, a marvel that shaped its history. This Baroque church, built in the 17th century, marks the spot where a stolen consecrated Host, taken from a church in Exilles by French soldiers during wartime, miraculously rose into the air with radiant light after the donkey carrying it stumbled in the square. The basilica’s single nave and grand altar draw the eye, but it’s the plaque on the floor—pinpointing the exact location of the miracle—that held our attention as we said our prayer list there, asking for grace amid the quiet hum of reverence.
St. Augustine in Basilica of San Pietro in Cielo d’Oro - Pavia, Italy
The Basilica of San Pietro in Cielo d’Oro, a Romanesque gem in Pavia, Italy, about an hour south of Milan, houses the tomb of St. Augustine, one of the Church’s greatest theologians. Built in the 12th century, its simple brick facade hides a treasure within—the ornate Ark of St. Augustine, a marble masterpiece holding the saint’s relics, where we paused to pray our list in the stillness of the nave. Praying before St. Augustine, the bishop of Hippo (in present day Algeria), and a Doctor of the Church who shaped Christian thought would have been a fantastic holy site for our pilgrimage, but in this context, we really wanted to speak to his mother, St. Monica.
For those not familiar with their story, Augustine was born of a pagan father and devout Christian mother. He lived a wild immoral life and had a son with his mistress. Monica prayed for his conversion for many years and cried many tears during the time he was away from the faith. Her prayers eventually were answered in dramatic way, and our prayer list was filled with many requests for conversions.
St. Josephine Bakhita in Church of the Holy Family - Schio, Italy
In the quiet town of Schio, Italy, about an hour northeast of Verona, the Church of the Holy Family holds the tomb of St. Josephine Bakhita, a Sudanese-born saint who found freedom and faith in this land. The simple, bright rotunda church houses her remains beneath the main altar, where her effigy lies in a black Canossian habit, a rosary in her clasped hands—a humble nod to her life of service after surviving slavery. Kidnapped at age seven, sold multiple times, and brought to Italy in 1885, she was baptized in 1890, joined the Canossian Sisters, and spent 42 years in Schio, cooking and greeting visitors until her death in 1947. We prayed our list at her tomb, feeling the weight of her journey from captivity to canonization in 2000, a patroness of human trafficking victims.
Basilica Pontificia di Sant’Antonio di Padova - Padua, Italy
We had no problem finding The Basilica Pontificia di Sant’Antonio di Padova. It’s a massive church in the center of Padua, dedicated to St. Anthony, the 13th-century Franciscan preacher famed for his miracles and eloquence. A steady flow of faithful pass his elegant tomb, with reverent silence. We knelt there and recited the growing prayer list (people kept sending in requests while we were on the road; it’s a good thing Laura left many blank pages in the booklet).
A testament to St. Anthony’s eloquence, his vocal cords were displayed in the massive Chapel of Relics in the apse.
Basilica San Marco - Venice, Italy
Gondolas, Rialto Bridge, and Piazza San Marco are the top highlights for any tourist visit to Venice. We did enjoy all the trappings of a tourist, including buying a delicate glass nativity scene on Murano. Still, the important part of our visit was inside the Basilica di San Marco. Under the golden Byzantine mosaics rests the mortal remains of St. Mark the Evangelist.
We were grateful to be able to pray in front of the tomb of the author of the Gospel and someone who personally knew Jesus.
Bl. Imelda Lambertini in Church of San Sigismondo - Bologna, Italy
Bologna, the foodie’s paradise, is home to the Church of San Sigismondo, which holds the shrine of Blessed Imelda Lambertini, a young Dominican whose love for the Eucharist defines her legacy. Born in 1322 to a noble family, Imelda joined the Dominican convent at Val di Pietra at age nine, consumed by a desire to receive Communion—then restricted to those over 12. On May 12, 1333, during the Feast of the Ascension, a miraculous Host appeared above her as she prayed, prompting the priest to grant her wish; she died in ecstasy shortly after at age 11. Her remains rest beneath a wax effigy in her Dominican habit. A quiet draw for pilgrims—us included—who prayed our list there. We’ve been blessed to meet many Dominican sisters on our travels.
Holy House of Loreto Sanctuary - Loreto, Italy
The Basilica della Santa Casa shelters the Holy House of Loreto, the Nazareth home of the Virgin Mary. It is venerated as the site of the Annunciation—where the Angel Gabriel told Mary she’d bear Jesus. Tradition holds that the house was miraculously flown here by angels in 1294. The house is encased in an ornate marble screen inside the basilica with a black Madonna statue.
Pope Benedict XV named Mary the “Celestial Patroness,” protecting pilots in Air Forces—fitting for a house that soared. Saying our prayers here was especially powerful with family members serving, past and present, in the Air Force.
Eucharistic Miracle of Lanciano - Lanciano, Italy
“Take this and eat it; this is my body.”
Over 1200 years ago, a priest who doubted the Real Presence was conducting Mass when the host turned into flesh. This flesh is still present in Lanciano at the Church of San Francesco, in Lanciano, Italy. We shared the church with a group of pilgrims from Brazil; they had Mass in Portuguese as we prayed our list.
St. Michael's Cave - Monte Sant’Angelo, Italy
Monte Sant’Angelo is the second site devoted to St. Michael the Archangel that we visited on this pilgrimage. This rugged grotto church, part of the “Sword of St. Michael” line, has drawn pilgrims, with a very unique heritage. It is the only church that was not consecrated by man. St. Michael the Archangel told Bishop Lorenzo Maiorano, “I have already consecrated it with my presence.”
We prayed in silence just before the cave filled up for Mass.
St. Padre Pio in Chiesa di Santa Maria delle Grazie - San Giovanni Rotundo, Italy
It’s funny where faith intersects our path. In Foggia, our encounter came with the parking garage attendant. We suspected he was a faithful man by the religious artwork in his office, where he seemed to live. His annoyance of my applying the parking brake was replaced with joy when we told him that we were pilgrims on our way to see St. Padre Pio’s tomb. He enthusiastically gave us directions, then recounted seeing Padre Pio as a young boy.
Basilica Santuario Beata Maria Vergine Incoronata - Foggia, Italy
We were pleasantly surprised by the Basilica Santuario Beata Maria Vergine Incoronata di Foggia. That Sunday was a travel day, and the Sanctuary was on our way to our next destination, so it seemed appropriate to attend Mass there. We joined the line of people filing past a dark wooden statue of the Virgin Mary, set above the altar, and received a blessing with holy water as we walked past. Legend says she revealed herself atop an oak tree to a nobleman and a shepherd in the woods, urging them to build a chapel; the shepherd lit an oil lamp there that still burns today.
After Mass, we had a delicious lunch of grilled meats prepared at a quaint mother/son restaurant just outside the Sanctuary grounds.
Basilica di San Nicola di Bari - Bari, Italy
The Basilica of San Nicola in Bari, a sturdy Romanesque church in the heart of the city’s old quarter, holds the relics of St. Nicholas, the 4th-century bishop of Myra whose gift-giving inspired Santa Claus. Built between 1087 and 1197 to house his bones—stolen from Turkey by Bari sailors in 1087—it boasts a simple facade with three arches and a crypt where his tomb lies, oozing a mysterious “manna” said to heal. St. Nicholas, famed for saving sailors, dowering poor girls, and even raising three murdered boys, draws Orthodox and Catholic pilgrims alike. We prayed our list in the crypt, surrounded by flickering lamps and the weight of a saint whose kindness echoes through Christmas stockings everywhere.
Chiesa di Santa Lucia alla Badia - Syracuse, Italy
As usual in Italy, looking either left or right when standing in front of a beautiful cathedral, you are likely to see another amazing church next door. The central piazza of Ortigia, the historic section of Siracusa, is no exception. The Piazza Duomo contains both the Cathedral of Syracuse (Cattedrale metropolitana della Natività di Maria Santissima) and the Church of Saint Lucy (Chiesa di Santa Lucia alla Badia).
We asked Santa Lucia for her intercession with our prayer list in front of her relics. The Church of Saint Lucy contains two amazing paintings of her. The first is a Caravaggio titled “The Burial of Saint Lucy”. The fresco behind the altar has an amazing story. It was painted in the early 1500s and was covered up in the 1700s during a renovation. Only in 1998, during another restoration, was the painting rediscovered.
Saint Matthew in Duomo di Salerno - Salerno, Italy
The Cathedral in Salerno was built over a thousand years ago specifically to house the relics of St. Matthew, the Apostle. His remains are housed underneath the altar, in a crypt that has an amazing set of frescoes that depict the life of Jesus.
Duomo di Sant ‘Andrea - Amalfi, Italy
The Amalfi Coast invokes visions of twisty roads and sipping spritzes while admiring the sunset. We were pleasantly surprised to also find the relics of Saint Andrew, the Apostle, in the crypt of the Duomo in the town of Amalfi itself. The crypt and reliquary were reminiscent of St. Matthew’s in Salerno, every inch of the ceiling covered in frescos depicting Andrew’s life.
Even though St. Andrew is the patron saint of fishermen, our appetites on this rainy December day were drawn to lasagna and Pasta Bolognese. A kindly gentleman pointed us to his daughter’s restaurant, where we had a delightful lunch.
Tomb of Don Dolindo - Naples, Italy
“O Jesus, I surrender myself to You, take care of everything!”
Father Don Dolindo, Servant of God, is the author of that prayer and his tomb is in Naples, Italy at the Church of San Giuseppe. Father Dolindo has a strong following in Italy, including Padre Pio who once said to a group of pilgrims at his home, “Why do you come here, you have Don Dolindo in Naples?, Go to him. He is a saint.”
San Gennaro in Cathedral of Naples - Naples, Italy
An ampule containing the blood of San Gennaro has been coagulated since he was martyred in the year 305, however, it often miraculously liquifies — three times each year. We were in Naples on one of the dates, December 16th. This is anniversary of the eruption of Mount Vesuvius that almost destroyed Naples in 1631. San Gennaro is credited with saving Naples; the lava flow stopped when approaching his relics.
The night before, we participated in a procession of the faithful, chanting and praying in the Via Duomo. The next morning, we went to the crowded Chapel of the Treasury and prayed for those on our prayer list while waiting for the Mass and San Gennaro ‘ceremony’ to begin. After Mass, the bishop processed the blood ampule around the chapel for all to witness, but it did not turn to liquid.
Like everyone in Southern Italy, even the blood of San Gennaro honored the riposo and the chapel closed until 4 PM. Shortly after reopening, amidst an informal chorus of old women chanting ever louder, “San Gennaro, protect us”, the blood in the vial did indeed liquify before our eyes.
Sts. Phillip and James the Lesser - Rome, Italy
After visiting the tombs of Saint Andrew in Amalfi and Saint Matthew in Salerno, we wondered where the other apostles are buried. Having previously walked pilgrimages to Saint James the Greater and Saint Peter, we found several more apostles are buried in Rome.
We prayed in front of St. Phillip and St. James the Lesser at the Basilica dei Santi XII Apostoli (Basilica of the Twelve Holy Apostles) in Rome.
Basilica di San Bartolomeo all'Isola - Rome, Italy
Continuing the theme of finding the twelve apostles, we ventured onto Tiber Island, in the middle of the Tiber River, to the Basilica of Saint Bartholomew. He is known for his gruesome martyrdom, being flayed. Perhaps because of that, the Basilica also holds a shrine dedicated to the new martyrs, who died under communism. Appropriately, given his experience, Saint John Paul II dedicated this shrine.
St. Monica in Church of Sant'Agostino - Rome, Italy
As mentioned earlier, we started building the prayer list for this pilgrimage with requests from the readers of the Saint Monica Ministry Newsletter. Many of the prayers are for loved ones to find their faith. So, we were grateful to finish this phase of our journey in the Church of Saint Augustine, at the tomb of his mother, Saint Monica.
We asked Saint Monica for her intercession for those on our prayer list. Her example, in praying for her son’s conversion for 17 long years, shows us there is always hope — hope for the simple things as well as the great things.
