During the winer semester break, 11 St. Bonaventure students and two recent graduates joined Fr. Steve Kuehn, O.F.M., university chaplain, and Alice Miller Nation, director of University Ministries, on an Italian pilgrimage to walk in the footsteps of saints Francis and Clare.
Traveling with peers from other Franciscan universities offered the pilgrims the opportunity to get to know other college students interested in learning more about Franciscan heritage and traditions as they visited meaningful sites in Rome and Assisi.
The SBU student participants have served as coordinators at either the Warming House or Bona Buddies, two longtime outreach programs housed within the Franciscan Center for Social Concern in University Ministries. The Warming House marked its 50th anniversary in 2024; Bona Buddies reaches the same milestone this year.
Experience the journey through the eyes of some of the students who walked it.
Visiting the Basilica of St. Mary of the Angels in Assisi brought us all together to share and reflect upon the values of humility, simplicity and peace. Standing in the small, humble chapel, you can feel the weight of the love and devotion that shaped
St. Francis’ life. It’s a place where the world’s noise fades, and the stillness calls you to reflect on your own life, to question how you live in relationship with others, with nature, and with God. There’s a deep sense of connection to something larger than yourself, a reminder that true peace comes not from external accomplishments but from living with an open heart. The Portiuncula feels like a link to Francis’ spirit and a reminder that embracing humility allows us to open ourselves to experience grace and compassion. In that quiet chapel, it felt almost as though St. Francis was inviting me to step away from the noise of life and return to what reflects the true Franciscan values in life.
Paris Christie, ’26
On Mount Subasio, I practiced being alone with myself. As I sat in front of an outdoor altar on that chilly morning writing a reflection to myself, I had an enduring feeling of God being with me and God being in me. Particularly during that reflection, but during much of the rest of the pilgrimage as well, I learned that I don’t fully know who I am yet. The difference between the version of myself before the pilgrimage and after lies in the state of discomfort I felt at not knowing exactly who I am. Prior to the pilgrimage, a great torment accompanied my not knowing. After the pilgrimage, that affliction had been replaced by an acceptance of my lack of wisdom and constant state of growing coupled with a kind of captivation to know myself better and enjoy the process.
Emma Gavazzi, ’26
One of the most meaningful moments on the trip was having Mass underneath the real San Damiano cross. There was something inexplicable about that experience. I felt a stillness in the air with everyone in that chapel. After the Mass was over, we all seemed to naturally walk over to the cross and stand under it for a while, in complete silence.
Maxwell Wolfe, ’26
The most moving part of the trip for me was the Clare Walk at the end of the trip. We walked the steps that St. Clare walked when leaving her life of privilege and her family to live a life of poverty outside the walls of Assisi.
In our Francis and Clare class at St. Bonaventure University, we learn about the values of St. Francis and St. Clare, and how they shape our Franciscan identity. Some of these values include humility, charity, service to the poor and marginalized, compassion, wisdom and integrity. While I have done my best to embrace those values as a student, especially through my work at the Warming House, there is nothing quite like learning about these values in Rome and Assisi.
Abby Docos, ’26
My biggest takeaway from going on this trip is that pilgrimage is a lifelong journey. Just because we are back home with our friends and family does not mean that we should stop living the way that Francis and Clare did every day of their lives. This trip allowed me to see that. The spirituality of place was something we talked about while we were on the journey and it is a feeling you get when you are in a certain place that makes you feel spiritual. For some people this could be in church, or the spot where they pray, but for me, I have learned that spirituality is everywhere, you just have to know where to look.
Nathan Sobko, ’24, ’25
Seeing and feeling places such as San Damiano and the path that Clare walked cannot be compared to any experience inside the classroom. We also explored places that I had not heard about in class, such as Greccio. This small village was very important to Francis’ life and sitting in the same churches and seeing the same views that Francis himself saw hundreds of years ago was breathtaking. I truly learned what it is like to live my life like Francis, with compassion and dignity. The people of Assisi showed Franciscan values like no other. Every shop felt like home, and every interaction felt like family.
Molly Edgington, ’26
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