The Way of St. Francis
May 15, 2026
Rome
Miles walked
I’m sitting in a little church. Definitely not one of the big basilicas that dot the streets of Rome. This one is more modest and there are less than 20 people visiting it. Some come to visit or like the young man in front of me, to pray.
The smell of incense lingers in the air. I know what I’m about to say is as controversial as singing contemporary music; I wish that worship had the “smells and bells” that used to be part of worship. It was a means to enter into a sacred space through the olfactory senses. Or as I’ve often heard about the Cathedral of Santiago, it covers the smell of the pilgrims who’ve walked so far.
It occurs to me that this sanctuary is about the size of many mid-sized churches at home. At full capacity it probably seats about 150 worshippers. It’s just the sanctuary and a few offices and storage. The sides of the sanctuary have small carve outs on either side dedicated to this saint or another.
There are no Sunday school classes. No rooms for the ladies’ quilting circle or an AA meeting. This is a place of prayer and worship and reflection. I wonder when did churches become a sort of catch all community center? Is it in the growth and expansion of our United States of America when settlements were far apart and the church served as a place to gather, not just for worship, but also to connect with far away neighbors? I don’t have an answer.
As for the place I’m in right now physically and spiritually, I feel a real sense of peace and a connection to the sacred. I pray you do too.
Buon Cammino
One day I decided to go for a walk... 