St. Peter's Square becomes a different place every Wednesday. The Pope's audiences unite thousands of people who make Rome their pilgrimage destination.
Juan Fernando Rosales arrived from Córdoba, Spain. It is not his first time in the Eternal City. But this trip is one he will never forget.
When Pope Francis passed by him in the popemobile, Rosales managed to get closer to him than anyone else. He gave the Pope a book related to his town, Montilla.
JUAN FERNANDO ROSALES
Pilgrim
It's a book of a saint from my town, called San Franciso Solano, who traveled to the Americas in 1500 to evangelize and is known as the Apostle of South America.
Rosales attends one General Audience every year. When in Rome, he wakes up at two o'clock in the morning to get to St. Peter's Square first and get a good seat. This time, his persistence earned him a lifelong memory.
JUAN FERNANDO ROSALES
Pilgrim
The car went by, stopped in front of me, and I pulled out the book. And I said, well, this is the moment! I showed it to him, and he said, no, bring it to me, bring it to me.
I jumped up, I gave it to him and truthfully, it was a unique and unbelieveable experience.
Spaniards were far from the only nationality present at the General Audience. For these Brazilians, Rome was the second stop on their pilgrimage after Jerusalem.
The group chaplain, Father Lucas, said the group's trip was paid by the Church in Brazil as they cannot afford luxuries. That is why they wanted to finish their journey by seeing a person they feel very close to.
FR. LUCAS
Priest
With our beloved Pope Francis, the Pope of the poor.
Father Lucas has even been granted Israeli nationality for bringing so many Brazilians to visit the country.
From Brazil to Spain and beyond, next Wednesday, St. Peter's Square will once again be filled with new unique stories.
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