“Pilgrims, Not Tourists”
My car’s indicator light flickered as I exited a roundabout we now know all too well.
Tonight is the third night in a row that we’ve driven into the Perth Airport long-term car park. “Third time’s the charm,” I whispered under my breath before bringing our trusty SUV to a complete stop.
“We’re here again?!” my 6-year-old boy shouted emphatically.
“Yes,” I replied. “The past two nights were just practice…”
We had to leave Australia tonight—otherwise, it would’ve confirmed who in our group has the “balat sa puwet” (a Filipino superstition that blames someone with a birthmark on their behind for bringing bad luck).
Our travel party includes me, Mum, our two boys aged 10 and 6, and our 8-month-old baby girl. The first four of us have already flown overseas before. Today would mark the international flight debut of our unica hija.
We were meant to fly out of Perth three nights ago, if not for the initial flight cancellation. Lugging around our baggage, a pram, and three sleeping kids in the wee hours of the morning would have been bearable to endure once.
Unfortunately, it happened again. Our second flight the following night was cancelled after we had already boarded, as the plane had to taxi back to the gate due to electrical problems.
My tired boys, enduring sleepless nights and the heartbreak of two consecutive flight cancellations.
After two cancelled flights and in exasperation, I was already tempted to cancel our travel altogether.
However, a still, small voice within me urged me to continue. A few days earlier, during my prayer time, God had promised that He would reveal something great to me in Europe.
So, I held on to that promise despite the heartbreaks, physical tiredness, and emotional exhaustion.
“Most unfortunate participants of the CFC Global Conference”
Despite having labeled myself as one of the “most unfortunate participants of the CFC Global Conference,” this time I was hopeful that our third attempt to fly out of Perth would be successful.
We had since asked for extra prayers from our household leaders. I had accepted the fact that whatever happens to our family is according to God’s plan.
I felt confident because I knew we had prayed hard for this trip—our first trip and pilgrimage as a family to Europe.
At last, our plane took off and left Australia. After 17 hours, we safely landed in Europe.
I shrugged off the jet lag and marvelled at the place I had always wanted to visit since I was young. We initially explored Paris, France.
The highlight for me was seeing the majestic façade of Notre Dame de Paris Cathedral in person. We prayed as a family in front of the cathedral, asking for the intercession of our dear Mother to safeguard us for the rest of our journey.
We prayed at the iconic Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris—now fully reopened to the public after the devastating 2019 fire.
Pilgrims vs. tourists
We then flew to Rome, Italy, and made our way to Castel Gandolfo to attend the first run of the CFC Global Conference.
Being at the venue with almost 2,000 other CFC participants—brothers and sisters from all over the world—was nothing short of awe-inspiring.
There, we rejoined our co-delegates from Australia, including our household leaders and fellow brothers and sisters from Western Australia.
Australia represent! Attended the 2025 CFC Global Conference in Centro Mariapoli, Castel Gandolfo, Rome, Italy
During the three-day event, we were graced by powerful speakers, including no less than H.E. Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle and H.E. Pablo Virgilio Cardinal David, to name a few.
In Cardinal David’s talk, I was struck by how he defined a pilgrimage. He explained that a pilgrimage is different from touring or sightseeing—it’s a journey that often involves challenges, demands, and hardships.
I was later affirmed that, through all the cancellations and the money we lost trying to get to Italy, we were truly meant to be there.
As pilgrims, we entered through the Holy Door (Porta Santa) of the Basilica of St. John Lateran in Rome, Italy
“If You Want To Go Far, Go Together”
During the conference, I was also affirmed by the African proverb: “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.” This rang especially true when we later visited Saint Peter’s Square in Rome.
It was Wednesday, the 21st of May—the day when the newly elected Pope Leo XIV was scheduled to hold his first general audience. We had been briefed by our CFC leaders to queue up as early as possible that morning, knowing that thousands of faithful would attend.
Naturally, with two kids and a teething baby, we moved as quickly as we could, and our personal best was arriving at 7:00 a.m. Thankfully, our dear CFC brothers and sisters had saved seats for us amidst the vast sea of chairs set up in the square.
It was a powerful moment for our faith to sit in the middle of Saint Peter’s Square, surrounded by people of different nations, tongues, and races, all eagerly awaiting the Pope.
The towering statues of the saints above us made me feel protected, as though they had interceded and prayed for my place there in that holy space.
So when a couple of Mexican nuns asked if I could bring baby Elia closer to them when the Popemobile passed, it was naturally an easy yes. By then, the nuns had already secured seats closest to the alleyway—they clearly knew how to position themselves so the Pope would spend more time near them.
Witnessed Pope Leo XIV’s first General Audience on 21 May 2025 at St. Peter’s Square, Vatican City.
Our Moment With The Pope
At around 10 a.m. on a cloudy spring day in Rome, the Popemobile emerged to the erupting cheers of the faithful. “¡Viva el Papa!” The newly elected Pope Leo XIV smiled and waved.
At that point, no one knew the exact route the Popemobile would take, but everyone stood, waving with excitement, as a sea of smartphones reached upward to catch a glimpse of the new Pope.
Our baby Elia was asleep against my chest when I saw the Popemobile make a right turn toward our direction. I quickly woke my dear daughter, moved closer to the nuns, and lifted her as high as I could—like Rafiki presenting baby Simba.
I can’t quite remember what I shouted, but it was likely a clumsy Italian attempt at saying, “Dear Pope Leo, please bless my baby.” Apparently, the Lion King gesture was enough for the Pope’s bodyguards to signal the driver to stop.
At that moment, I wasn’t even sure if the Pope would actually bless her—she would be the first.
I breathed a sigh of relief when Pope Leo saw Elia and paused to give her a blessing. It happened in a breeze, as he continued blessing more babies and the rest of the faithful gathered in St. Peter’s Square. But for me, it was the defining moment of our pilgrimage.
They say it’s a one-in-a-million chance to be blessed by the Pope. All the hardships and challenges we went through as a family to get to Italy made perfect sense in that single moment of grace.
The baby girl who was jokingly said to have an “unfortunate birthmark” turned out to be the blessed one. We even made Vatican news—Elia was the very first baby to be blessed by Pope Leo XIV in a general audience during his pontificate!)
Pope Leo XIV blesses our 8-month-old baby Elia on 21 May 2025 at St. Peter’s Square, Vatican City
“Take and Receive”
After the general audience, we attended a Holy Mass inside Saint Peter’s Basilica, celebrated by H.E. Msgr. Dario Gervasi and attended by around 2,000 members of Couples for Christ.
It was truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience for me—and refreshing to hear an English Mass in Italy!
Attended a deeply moving Mass inside St. Peter’s Basilica with our Couples for Christ brothers and sisters—a truly unforgettable spiritual experience.
The words of the song “Take and Receive” struck deep into my soul: “Only Thy grace, Thy love on me bestow; these make me rich, all else will I forego.”
All the hardships, the lost time, and the lost money at the start of this trip were rendered insignificant compared to the grace that the Lord has poured out on me and my family.
Fast forward—our family left Italy and returned to Australia with hearts full, faith fortified, and hope renewed.
God has indeed been faithful and merciful. We hold on to this life-changing pilgrimage, realizing that our faith is alive, our faith is universal, and our faith is Catholic.
We have become pilgrims of hope. And we look forward, full of trust, to the next journey He has planned for our family.
