Pilgrimage with a Purpose: Discovering Christ the Servant
on the Road to Assisi and Rome

Deacon Dominic Cerrato, Ph.D.

 

What sets this pilgrimage apart is not merely its sacred destinations, but its sacred orientation: a journey toward Christ the Servant. Rooted in a spirituality that arises from the very heart of the Church’s mission, this pilgrimage is an invitation to interior transformation. While we will walk through ancient streets and venerate holy relics, the deeper pilgrimage is one that moves through the terrain of the soul, drawing each of us—deacon, priest, layperson—into more intimate communion with the One who came not to be served but to serve (cf. Mk 10:45).

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Every baptized Christian is, in a sense, a deacon—a servant conformed to Christ the Servant. This pilgrimage offers a unique opportunity to rediscover that identity. Whether we are called to the diaconate, the priesthood, consecrated life, marriage, or single life, our shared vocation is to live a “spirituality of service,” one that expresses itself not merely in actions, but in the offering of our very selves as a gift of love to others. The Church is, at her core, a servant Church, and all of us are called to participate in that mission.

 

Holy Places, Holy Encounters

As we journey from Turin, where the Shroud of Christ’s suffering is venerated, to Assisi, the town where Francis embraced poverty and service, and ultimately to Rome, the heart of the Church, each site will not only inspire but also challenge us to become more like the One we follow.

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Nowhere is this more profound than in our visit to the Basilica of St. Lawrence Outside the Walls, where the relics of St. Lawrence, the great deacon-martyr, are enshrined alongside those of St. Stephen, the Church’s first martyr and also a deacon. United in death as they were in vocation, these two holy men embody the fullness of diakonia—service that flows from love and leads to the cross. St. Lawrence, entrusted with the treasures of the Church, boldly proclaimed that the poor were the true riches of Christ’s body. St. Stephen, filled with the Holy Spirit, offered his life in fearless proclamation of the Gospel, praying for his persecutors even as stones fell upon him. Their fidelity unto death is not only a testimony to heroic virtue, but a sacred reminder that service, when rooted in divine love, transforms suffering into glory. As we kneel in that basilica, we kneel not only before stone and relic, but before the memory of those who bore witness to Christ the Servant in life and in death.

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This spirit of humble diakonia echoes throughout our other stops: at the Basilica of St. Mary Major, where the humility of the Incarnation is honored; at the Catacombs of San Callixtus, where deacons and popes alike bore witness to Christ; and in Assisi, where the simplicity and radical surrender of Francis and Clare show us that greatness lies in smallness.

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The Word as Our Companion

Travel can be tiring. Long bus rides, airport layovers, and moments of waiting can seem like wasted time. But on pilgrimage, these pauses are invitations. Bring with you a small Bible or a book of sacred reading—perhaps the Gospels, the Psalms, or the writings of St. Francis. In these moments of quiet, let the Word of God find a home in your heart, guiding your reflections and deepening your awareness of Christ’s presence along the way.

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The journey offers time to pray, to reflect, and to listen. As Christ washed the feet of His disciples and said, “As I have done for you, so you should do,” (Jn 13:15), He was inviting them—and now us—into a divine pattern of self-giving love. Scripture, when read prayerfully, becomes the gentle voice of the Servant whispering through the noise: “Follow Me.”

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A Journey Inward

Pilgrimage is not about escape. It is about encounter. The silence of the bus, the hush of a basilica, the candlelit chapels—all beckon us to stillness. And in that stillness, Christ the Servant waits. He waits to receive your burdens, to renew your vocation, and to deepen your love. He waits to give you Himself.

Let this journey be more than a memory. Let it be a moment of transformation. Prepare your heart. Carry your Scriptures. Walk in silence. Serve one another. And know that in doing so, you are walking in the footsteps of deacons and saints—of Francis and Clare, Peter and Paul, and above all, of Jesus Christ, the Servant King.