Sequela Christi 2025
Sequela Christi 2025 Day 16
With our arrival in Singapore, our pilgrimage officially comes to an end. But while our physical journey has ended, it doesn’t mean our spiritual one has to. I feel an overwhelming sense of gratefulness and joy to have the privilege of seeing so many churches, franciscan sanctuaries, and to follow in the footsteps of St Francis and St Claire. The many displays of beauty we were graced with, be it inside the various basilicas or deep within nature, were all displays of God’s strength and power. As I take the time after this trip to unpack and slowly reflect on the photos and videos that we all have taken, I pray for God’s grace to continue to keep my heart open to receiving his love and wisdom as we have throughout this trip. And maybe, day by day, may we slowly become more like St Francis and St Clare.
Sequela Christi 2025 Day 15
Today didn’t feel like a pilgrimage day in the usual sense. We packed up, said our goodbyes to Vienna and the cold, and made our way to the airport. Some squeezed in last-minute shopping, others just sat around, tired but content. No churches, no holy sites, just suitcases, boarding passes, and waiting. We flew to Dubai, sat through a long transit, and waited again for our next flight to Singapore. By the end of it all, everyone was exhausted. Quiet. Ready to go home. And maybe that’s what today was meant to be. After two weeks of walking, praying, reflecting, and being moved in ways I didn’t always expect, the pilgrimage didn’t end with a big moment, it ended with tiredness, waiting, small talk, and silence. Real life slowly creeping back in.
Sequela Christi 2025 Day 14
Our final day of the pilgrimage before making our way home to Singapore. A bittersweet ending to the wonderful two weeks we have spent in Italy/Austria, following in the footsteps of St. Francis. We spent the majority of the day today at the Schonbrunn Palace, the main summer residence of the Habsburg rulers. The sights of the interior of the Baroque palace were stunning and mesmerizing to soak in. We then proceeded to have mass in a chapel by the main palace.
Sequela Christi 2025 Day 13
Today we left Salzburg, and on our way to Vienna we stopped at Melk Abbey. Melk Abbey is a Baroque Benedictine monastery overlooking the Danube in Austria, founded in 1089 by Leopold II, Margrave of Austria, and later rebuilt in its grand Baroque form in the early 18th century. It can be described as monumentally grand, a vast Baroque masterpiece with soaring halls and lavish frescoes that project both imperial power and spiritual magnificence. Mass was celebrated in a lavishly decorated chapel inside the abbey, filled with golden ornamentation and intricate paintings. In fact, the main church itself looked as grand as St. Peter’s Basilica, which we had seen earlier. While we were in this extravagant place, the homily spoke about learning to recognize God not in grandeur but in fidelity, recognizing Christ who remains faithful to us even when life does not turn out the way we wish.
Sequela Christi 2025 Day 12
Today, our first stop was the Salzburg Cathedral, which is the largest and main church in Salzburg. It is made in baroque style, characterised by intricate interiors and a more subtle colour scheme compared to the other churches we had seen previously. Although this church wasn’t as large and fresco-filled as some of the other basilicas we had visited, it nonetheless felt just as grand. The baroque style of design was not afraid to speak up in its own way—with dynamic poses of angels and prominent church figures, bold altars, and a relatively simple colour scheme that expressed more with less.
Sequela Christi 2025 Day 11
This morning, Innsbruck greeted us with snow-capped mountains surrounding the town. The mountains will always stand behind this place, giving it that iconic, beautiful backdrop. And today, they reminded me of our Father, steady, faithful, always here. Inside St. James’ Cathedral, two images really caught my attention. The first was the statue of Jesus seated with the crown of thorns. His hands were tied, a reed placed in them, and a red cloak draped over His shoulders. But what struck me most was the expression on His face, calm, steady, tired, yet still looking straight at me. It felt like He was saying, “I’ve gone all the way for you. What will you do for Me now?”
Sequela Christi 2025 Day 10
Goodbye Padua! Today we were on our way to Austria after 9 full days in Italy. But before we headed over the border, we made our final stop in Italy at Madonna Della Corona (Our Lady of the Crown), a gem hidden away on a cliff on the mountains. Unlike the other churches or sanctuaries we visited, we did not have a guided tour on this one, leaving us to explore the area on our own and spend some quiet time with the Lord. I felt particularly drawn to this display of Jesus on the cross and Mary looking sorrowfully at her dying son.
Sequela Christi 2025 Day 9
Today’s Gospel, Matthew 18:12–14, tells the parable of the one lost sheep—the sheep that brings the shepherd more joy than the ninety-nine who did not stray. This felt especially meaningful because we were celebrating Mass at the Basilica of St. Anthony, who is widely known as the patron saint of lost and found. From the homily, I learned that a key paradigm of Franciscan spirituality is not centered on the ninety-nine, but on the one. I realized how often our parishes and ministries tend to focus on those who are already in the fold, which is necessary and an efficient use of resources. However, the Franciscan approach is not just about efficiency; it is also about compassion for the one who is lost, the one who needs greater care. For example, St. Francis himself reached out to those who were most marginalized, such as the lepers, those considered “lost” by society.
Sequela Christi 2025 Day 8
Today we visited the Franciscan Sanctuary of La Verna, which began in 1213 when Count Orlando Captain donated the mountain site to St Francis for a hermitage. It subsequently was the place where St Francis received the Stigmata (Christ’s wounds) in 1224. We met Sister Angela, who first took us down to some of the caves that St Francis and his friars prayed in. She explained to us that the friars would always pray in pairs: one would oversee the day-to-day requirements of getting food, entertaining visitors, running the administrative tasks of the hermitage, while the other could focus fully on prayer and connecting with God. It was a heartening reminder that holiness grows in pairs and of our need to support those around us in community.
Sequela Christi 2025 Day 7
Today at Carceri Hermitage, it felt as though Jesus was gently telling me: “Come and rest with Me.” Our guide shared that St Francis would come here to speak to God like a friend. We passed through the tiny passageways and caves where Francis lived and slept. His “bed” nothing more than a shallow space carved into the rock. Standing there, I realised how freely he let go of everything unnecessary, resting only in God. Being inside those caves reminded me of Jesus the Good Shepherd, who leads His sheep into quiet places to rest. Our guide shared that St Francis would come here to speak to God like a friend. We passed through the tiny passageways and caves where Francis lived and slept. His “bed” nothing more than a shallow space carved into the rock. Standing there, I realised how freely he let go of everything unnecessary, resting only in God. Being inside those caves reminded me of Jesus the Good Shepherd, who leads His sheep into quiet places to rest.
Sequela Christi 2025 Day 6
We begin the day with mass in a chapel at the Basilica of St. Francis. During which, Father told us the story of St. Francis’ dream. In St. Francis' time, one had to prove himself in battle in order to gain honour and status which Francis himself attempted. When in Spoleto, Francis had a dream in which he was in a room with armour and heard God’s voice say “Do you serve the master or the servant”. Francis replied, “The Master”, to which God said, “Then why do you serve the servant”. The master here refers to God while the servant refers to all the smaller things in life we might seek instead. Following this revelation, St. Francis had an internal crisis, questioning, “Who are you, O God. And who am I”. We need to understand God before defining ourselves. Once we know who we are, nothing else matters. This was a powerful message we received first thing in the morning, which would inform our reflections on our own lives and the life of St. Francis as we continued on through Assisi.
Sequela Christi 2025 Day 5
In the quiet hills of Narni, where St. Francis once stayed and lifted his heart in prayer, we are reminded of a man who carried a contemplative life within himself wherever he went. Francis did not wait for perfect surroundings to encounter God. Every cave, every forest, every humble shelter became a small sanctuary because he brought to each place a heart already shaped by silence, gratitude, and love. His presence in Narni invites us to realise that we too carry within us the good things God has planted: compassion, peace, gentleness, hope. Wherever we go, we bring these gifts with us, allowing the world to be touched by the quiet goodness of a heart that knows how to listen. And just as Francis found joy with very little, we are reminded that happiness grows not from having much, but from seeing with the eyes of faith.
Sequela Christi 2025 Day 4
Today we visited two sites: The Franciscan sanctuary of Fonte Colombo and the Sanctuary of Greccio, both places where St Francis lived at different periods of time. Inside the monastery, we visited a Benedictine chapel donated to the Friars when the order was founded. It was this very chapel that the early friars prayed, celebrated mass, and were together in communion with the Lord. I was struck that this was the exact same chapel that Brother Leo (one of St Francis’s first followers) celebrated mass and where so many Friars would have passed through. I was also deeply drawn to the simplicity of the room: wooden chairs, brick floors, and a simple altar that was wide open but contained only a wooden crucifix. I realized that that was analogous to how they lived: those friars could have chosen paths of wealth and comfort, but instead they chose to devote their lives entirely to Jesus and serving him.
Sequela Christi 2025 Day 3
We began today at the Holy Steps that Jesus climbed during His trial before Pilate, brought here by St Helena. Inside, everyone ascended differently, some on their knees, some on all fours, an elderly lady lifted by her husband, others gripping the railings, each with their own pain but all looking toward the same Crucified Lord at the fresco on top. On each step I prayed a Hail Mary. She has been faithfully accompanying me through the rosary, and today I truly felt it. As my knees ached, she was carrying me forward. I thought of Jesus on these steps, bruised, in chains, perhaps stumbling too. I was barely tasting a fraction of His Passion, yet He allows me to unite my trials with His victory.
Sequela Christi 2025 Day 2
We began the day with a walk to OFM for mass, the headquarters of the Franciscan Order. Its interior, like much of the architecture in Rome, is intricate and purposeful. Mosaics made from millions of tiny stones decorate the walls and columns with various scenes and figures that tell the story of our faith. One I found particularly memorable was the mural of pelicans under one of the arches. Pelicans, when starved but do not have access to food, would offer their own flesh to satisfy their young. Much to think about in terms of how this parallels closely with Christ’s sacrifices for us.
Sequela Christi 2025 Day 1
I have been looking forward to my trip to Rome, and there was one particular book that stood out to me: Rome Sweet Home: Our Journey to Catholicism by Scott Hahn and Kimberly Hahn. Both authors are outstanding Catholic apologists, and in this book they recount in their own words the incredible spiritual journey that led them to embrace Catholicism. As a convert myself, from Protestantism to Catholicism, their stories moved me deeply and gave me something I could personally relate to.
