ROME, Italy (KGUN) — Some local teens are in Rome, watching the historic events around the death of Pope Francis.
For the teenagers, parents and the priest serving as their guide—65 people in all, the pilgrimage to the Vatican was already full of history and deep meaning. The local priest leading the trip says as soon as they landed in Rome they heard the news Pope Francis had died. They joined hands in prayer and went out to watch fresh history unfold in front of them.
The students came together from churches all across the Diocese for a pilgrimage to learn and deepen their faith.
Among sites that have witnessed hundreds of years of church history they found themselves witnessing fresh history with ancient roots. The death of the church’s Holy Father and the rituals to send Pope Francis to his final rest.
Zianya Ponce says “I feel like it's really amazing to like everybody like, saying, ‘Oh, this happened,’ and you've been like, ‘Oh, I was there when it happened.’ I would say it's really cool. To be honest, it's really awesome to like, feel like you're in the history that is right now happening.”
To talk with the group we had to improvise a video call with What’s App.
Father Manu Franco is grateful that the Diocese was able to send the teens on their pilgrimage and see much more than they had planned.
“I think we're gonna be able to go to the viewing on Friday. So we're planning to go there to St. Peter’s mass on Saturday morning. So we're gonna be part of it as as much as we possibly can.”
And group members like Giada Coronado understand a trip that was already special has become much more.
“It’s just a wonderful experience not only because it’s an experience you’re having with your own faith but it’s with a wonderful group of people.”
The students' experience in Rome extends through Pope Francis burial on Sunday. Then they head home to Arizona changed by their time in Vatican City.
