October 11, 2002  Last Day in Rome

We went early to Santa Maria Maggiore very early this morning.  Fr Luis did his prayer while I attended mass.  Padre was to celebrate mass today at the Prelatic Church of Our Lady of Peace at Villa Tevere.  I was heading home!  Before leaving the Basilica, I went to the Filipino sacristans and left them a message for Fr Boy for my request of the relics of St Josemaria and St Nicholas of Bari.

We then went back to the hotel for breakfast.  After this, Padre and I took the taxi to Termini.  Padre wanted to buy a book at a bookstore at Termini while I took the Leonardo Express to Fiumicino Airport.    At the airport, I was craving for a last scoop of Gelato but tough luck it was still early and all the Gelato stations were closed!  I had to settle for a Tartulfo.  The lounge at the airport was also bad. They didn’t serve food!!

Our flight left Rome at around 12:30 pm.  Arrivideci Roma!!

My flight was uneventful. The only thing that was interesting was when I was about to board the flight back to Cebu at Hong Kong.  I lost my passport!  Worse was that I was flying to San Francisco the next day!!  I was in panic.  I left my bag at the gate and ran to the Wing (Cathay Pacific Lounge)!!  The passport wasn’t there.  It was a good 2 Km run and they were already doing the final call!  I said the prayer to St Josemaria on the way back to the gate.  I reopened my bag and found my passport stuck with my notebook computer.  Whew!  I boarded the plane just in time but I was very exhausted from the long run…

December 2002

I got a text message from Fr Roy at around noon time.  The message said that he has something for me from Fr Boy!  My heart rate went off the roof!!  I called Fr Roy and he told me that he got my relics!!  I went in haste to Sugbu and got the relics of our Father and St Nicholas!!