Editor’s note: This is the second part of a two-part commentary by Vickie Kauffold, superintendent of Archdiocese of Omaha Catholic Schools. The first part is also available for readers.
Kauffold was one of the 20 pilgrims from the Archdiocese of Omaha to accompany Archbishop Michael G. McGovern to Rome to receive his pallium from Pope Leo XIV. The pallium is a liturgical vestment worn by metropolitan archbishops. Archbishop McGovern was one of 54 new metropolitan archbishops to receive a pallium on June 29, the Solemnity of Sts. Peter and Paul.
Friday morning our pilgrimage took us out of the city of Rome to the upper city of Assisi. As we walked through the cobblestone streets to the Basilica of St. Francis, I noticed the chirping birds were much more active here. They seemed joyful that we were visiting St. Francis, the man who dearly loved nature and animals. I spent time in prayer at the tomb of St. Francis of Assisi and later at the tomb of St. Clare.
Father Daniel Kampschneider, a retired Archdiocese of Omaha priest, celebrates Mass at a chapel at the Basilica of St. Francis in Assisi. Concelebrating is Father Tobias Letak, associate pastor of St. Wenceslaus Parish in Omaha. The two priests were among the pilgrims who accompanied Archbishop Michael G. McGovern to Rome.
Our final stop in Assisi was where the body of the soon-to-be-canonized Carlo Acutis is kept. This young teenager spent his summers in Assisi and captured the hearts of the people here. Known for his love of the Eucharist, he used his computer skills to create a website dedicated to understanding the significance of Eucharistic miracles. What a wonderful role model for our young students to emulate.
Back in Rome, we spent Saturday morning near the Spanish Steps. At the top of those steps is Trinità Dei Monti, a church built by a French community that settled in Rome. We celebrated Mass in a small chapel in the upper part of the church where there is a beautiful fresco of Our Mother Most Admirable. Many of us wrote down the prayer intentions we brought with us on the pilgrimage and asked our Mother to answer these prayers. In the main chapel below was a relic of St. Therese of the Child Jesus.
Petitions are placed before an image of Mary, Mother Most Admirable.
We continued to march up and down the hills of Rome in the sweltering heat to visit the Church of Santa Maria della Vittoria. A magnificent sculpture of St. Teresa of Avila in ecstasy is located here.
The Ecstasy of Saint Teresa d’Avila
Back out into the heat of the day, we found our way to the Basilica di Santa Maria degli Angeli. It’s known as the primary church for Italian state funerals and weddings. We enjoyed a mid-afternoon lunch at a nearby restaurant, where the temperature was much cooler inside. Later in the day, we all spent time just being together without a guide pushing us on to the next location. It was a nice break from the fast pace.
Finally, the day we all had been anticipating arrived. The reason we came on the trip was to support Archbishop McGovern as he received his pallium from Pope Leo XIV on the Solemnity of Sts. Peter and Paul.
Pope Leo XIV is part of a procession at the Pallium Mass.
The Mass was grand with all the pomp and circumstance you can imagine. Part of our group was near the front with an excellent view of the altar. The rest of the group was farther back with an excellent view of those processing in. I noticed the marble sculptures of St. Philip Neri and St. Vincent de Paul looking over us as we awaited the start of the Mass.
To my surprise, during the Consecration, I became suddenly overwhelmed with emotion. I felt the Lord telling me that He hears my prayers. What a humbling blessing to be present and hear His message in that moment.
Following the Mass, a throng of people were outside in St. Peter’s Square awaiting the strike of noon when Pope Leo came to the window to pray the Angelus with those present. We wove our way through the crowd to find our way to the vans that would transport us to the Pontifical North American College (NAC) for a reception with the other newly appointed North American archbishops.
Archbishop McGovern, shown in his cassock, stands in the center of the pilgrims with Cardinal Blase J. Cupich, an Omaha native, as they gather at the Pontifical North American College.
Following the reception, we received a personalized tour of the NAC by our two priests, who knew the place well. In the lower chapel was an altar that was funded by Archbishop Gerald Thomas Bergan as a gift from the Archdiocese of Omaha. What a nice connection and an expression of Omaha’s commitment to the NAC.
Our final day in Rome began with a Mass at the Basilica of St. Cecilia, the patroness of the Archdiocese of Omaha. It’s a simple church built on the location where St. Cecilia’s family lived and where she was martyred. In the main church there is a sculpture of St. Cecilia’s body as it was found.
She died proclaiming that there are Three Persons and One God as indicated on her fingers, the right hand showing three fingers and the left hand showing one. Below the main chapel was a small chapel where her remains were kept behind the altar. There are relics of two other virgin martyrs are located here as well: St. Agnes and St. Agatha. In my prayer before her relics, I reflected on how St. Cecilia lived her faith with conviction. My prayer was that we may be inspired by St. Cecilia to proclaim and live our faith without fear.
Kauffold prays before relics of St. Cecilia.
We ended the day with one last meal together before we headed back to the hotel to pack up for our return trip home. At a rooftop location overlooking the dome of St. Peter’s, we shared graces we received on the trip. So many graces … some spoken, some unspoken.
A rooftop view of St. Peter’s Basilica
It was a special privilege to be with this group of pilgrims, all who care deeply about their faith. We forged a special bond as we trekked through the blistering hot streets of Rome in search of the next church, water fountain or toilette.
We enjoyed our share of gelato, ate too much pasta and drank just enough wine to get a good night’s rest. Each day seemed to bring an unexpected challenge, and we handled each with grace.
Pilgrims’ hearts are always ready for whatever the Lord puts in their path. We literally walked in the footsteps of saints and martyrs who lived in Rome hundreds of years ago. As we return to our lives back in Omaha, may we carry with us the same passion for the faith and be an inspiration for the generations that follow after us.
READ MORE FROM THE CATHOLIC VOICE:
Archdiocese of Omaha pilgrims saw Pope Leo XIV during a June 29 Pallium Mass at St. Peter’s Basilica.
Commentary
Part two: Rome’s holy sites viewed through the eyes, heart of a pilgrim
July 23, 2025
Editor’s note: This is the second part of a two-part commentary by Vickie Kauffold, superintendent of Archdiocese of Omaha Catholic Schools. The first part is also available for readers.
Kauffold was one of the 20 pilgrims from the Archdiocese of Omaha to accompany Archbishop Michael G. McGovern to Rome to receive his pallium from Pope Leo XIV. The pallium is a liturgical vestment worn by metropolitan archbishops. Archbishop McGovern was one of 54 new metropolitan archbishops to receive a pallium on June 29, the Solemnity of Sts. Peter and Paul.
Friday morning our pilgrimage took us out of the city of Rome to the upper city of Assisi. As we walked through the cobblestone streets to the Basilica of St. Francis, I noticed the chirping birds were much more active here. They seemed joyful that we were visiting St. Francis, the man who dearly loved nature and animals. I spent time in prayer at the tomb of St. Francis of Assisi and later at the tomb of St. Clare.
Father Daniel Kampschneider, a retired Archdiocese of Omaha priest, celebrates Mass at a chapel at the Basilica of St. Francis in Assisi. Concelebrating is Father Tobias Letak, associate pastor of St. Wenceslaus Parish in Omaha. The two priests were among the pilgrims who accompanied Archbishop Michael G. McGovern to Rome.
Our final stop in Assisi was where the body of the soon-to-be-canonized Carlo Acutis is kept. This young teenager spent his summers in Assisi and captured the hearts of the people here. Known for his love of the Eucharist, he used his computer skills to create a website dedicated to understanding the significance of Eucharistic miracles. What a wonderful role model for our young students to emulate.
Back in Rome, we spent Saturday morning near the Spanish Steps. At the top of those steps is Trinità Dei Monti, a church built by a French community that settled in Rome. We celebrated Mass in a small chapel in the upper part of the church where there is a beautiful fresco of Our Mother Most Admirable. Many of us wrote down the prayer intentions we brought with us on the pilgrimage and asked our Mother to answer these prayers. In the main chapel below was a relic of St. Therese of the Child Jesus.
Petitions are placed before an image of Mary, Mother Most Admirable.
We continued to march up and down the hills of Rome in the sweltering heat to visit the Church of Santa Maria della Vittoria. A magnificent sculpture of St. Teresa of Avila in ecstasy is located here.
The Ecstasy of Saint Teresa d’Avila
Back out into the heat of the day, we found our way to the Basilica di Santa Maria degli Angeli. It’s known as the primary church for Italian state funerals and weddings. We enjoyed a mid-afternoon lunch at a nearby restaurant, where the temperature was much cooler inside. Later in the day, we all spent time just being together without a guide pushing us on to the next location. It was a nice break from the fast pace.
Finally, the day we all had been anticipating arrived. The reason we came on the trip was to support Archbishop McGovern as he received his pallium from Pope Leo XIV on the Solemnity of Sts. Peter and Paul.
Pope Leo XIV is part of a procession at the Pallium Mass.
The Mass was grand with all the pomp and circumstance you can imagine. Part of our group was near the front with an excellent view of the altar. The rest of the group was farther back with an excellent view of those processing in. I noticed the marble sculptures of St. Philip Neri and St. Vincent de Paul looking over us as we awaited the start of the Mass.
To my surprise, during the Consecration, I became suddenly overwhelmed with emotion. I felt the Lord telling me that He hears my prayers. What a humbling blessing to be present and hear His message in that moment.
Following the Mass, a throng of people were outside in St. Peter’s Square awaiting the strike of noon when Pope Leo came to the window to pray the Angelus with those present. We wove our way through the crowd to find our way to the vans that would transport us to the Pontifical North American College (NAC) for a reception with the other newly appointed North American archbishops.
Archbishop McGovern, shown in his cassock, stands in the center of the pilgrims with Cardinal Blase J. Cupich, an Omaha native, as they gather at the Pontifical North American College.
Following the reception, we received a personalized tour of the NAC by our two priests, who knew the place well. In the lower chapel was an altar that was funded by Archbishop Gerald Thomas Bergan as a gift from the Archdiocese of Omaha. What a nice connection and an expression of Omaha’s commitment to the NAC.
Our final day in Rome began with a Mass at the Basilica of St. Cecilia, the patroness of the Archdiocese of Omaha. It’s a simple church built on the location where St. Cecilia’s family lived and where she was martyred. In the main church there is a sculpture of St. Cecilia’s body as it was found.
She died proclaiming that there are Three Persons and One God as indicated on her fingers, the right hand showing three fingers and the left hand showing one. Below the main chapel was a small chapel where her remains were kept behind the altar. There are relics of two other virgin martyrs are located here as well: St. Agnes and St. Agatha. In my prayer before her relics, I reflected on how St. Cecilia lived her faith with conviction. My prayer was that we may be inspired by St. Cecilia to proclaim and live our faith without fear.
Kauffold prays before relics of St. Cecilia.
We ended the day with one last meal together before we headed back to the hotel to pack up for our return trip home. At a rooftop location overlooking the dome of St. Peter’s, we shared graces we received on the trip. So many graces … some spoken, some unspoken.
A rooftop view of St. Peter’s Basilica
It was a special privilege to be with this group of pilgrims, all who care deeply about their faith. We forged a special bond as we trekked through the blistering hot streets of Rome in search of the next church, water fountain or toilette.
We enjoyed our share of gelato, ate too much pasta and drank just enough wine to get a good night’s rest. Each day seemed to bring an unexpected challenge, and we handled each with grace.
Pilgrims’ hearts are always ready for whatever the Lord puts in their path. We literally walked in the footsteps of saints and martyrs who lived in Rome hundreds of years ago. As we return to our lives back in Omaha, may we carry with us the same passion for the faith and be an inspiration for the generations that follow after us.
READ MORE FROM THE CATHOLIC VOICE: