One Day Left!

This morning, I finally got to sleep in until 8:00 a.m.—a rare luxury on this trip! When I woke, I felt inspired to look up the website for Santa Maria Maggiore, our favorite church in Rome. To my surprise and excitement, I discovered that the Pope would be celebrating Mass there on Sunday at 7 PM. But there was a catch: tickets had been distributed on Thursday and Friday… and it was already Saturday.

Still, we had to try. We headed over to the church in hope, only to find the line wrapped around the building. Rather than wait in uncertainty, we crossed the street and found a cozy spot for breakfast. It turned out to be a perfect moment—slow, peaceful, and filled with the simple joy of an Italian cappuccino. I’m really going to miss my daily fix.

From there, we made our way to the Holy Stairs at the Basilica of St. John Lateran, one of the four major basilicas in Rome. This is the Jubilee Year of Hope—a sacred time when pilgrims from all over the world come to walk through the Holy Doors of these four basilicas, opened only once every 25 years, to receive special blessings. So far, we’ve passed through two. Tomorrow, we’ll complete our journey with Santa Maria Maggiore.

Our next stop was the Basilica of Saint Praxedes. Tucked away and often overlooked, this gem took our breath away with its shimmering mosaics, the pillar where Jesus was scourged, and the tomb of the Quattrocchis—the first married couple canonized as saints together.

Then came one of the most powerful moments of the day: the Holy Stairs. These steps, brought from Jerusalem by Saint Helena (mother of Constantine), are believed to be the very ones Jesus climbed when He was condemned by Pontius Pilate. Pilgrims ascend them on their knees, and gold-framed glass marks the spots where His blood once fell. As I knelt and prayed for my family, friends, and loved ones, I felt deeply moved—connected to something ancient, sacred, and bigger than myself.

Inside St. John Lateran, we discovered another surprise: Pope Leo would be celebrating his installation Mass there on Sunday at 5 PM. Again, tickets had been distributed earlier in the week, and again, we had missed the window. A small disappointment—but we knew the journey had already given us so much.

As we stepped out of the basilica, we stumbled across a charming local deli—a true hidden treasure. It’s moments like these that make travel magical: finding yourself among locals, savoring simple, authentic food, and feeling like, just for a moment, you belong.

We finished our day wandering through the city center—grabbing lunch by a fountain, browsing shops, enjoying drinks at a rooftop bar, and sharing a beautiful dinner at a neighborhood pizzeria just down the street from our apartment.

Tomorrow is our last day in Rome. I can’t wait to see what God has planned for us as we close this incredible chapter.Læs mere