The Holy Spirit: My Jubilee Tour Guide

The Holy Spirit had special plans for Leslea Wahl and her family on their Jubilee trip to Rome as they witnessed the historic passing on of the papacy.

Not surprisingly, my recent Jubilee journey to Rome turned out to be quite different than what I had planned. In 2018, my family had attended a special Jubilee year, so I thought I knew what awaited us this time around. But all that changed when, a week before our departure, the eyes of the world turned to Rome with the news of Pope Francis’ death.  

Since we would arrive in Rome in the days between Pope Francis’ funeral and the beginning of the conclave, I realized things might be a little different. However, I was unprepared for how profoundly affected I would be by three specific moments. This trio of events were not on our original itinerary, and we would have missed them all if it weren’t for the gentle nudging of the Holy Spirit, who knew exactly what we needed to experience. 

After arriving in Rome, it didn’t take long to encounter the telltale signs that this Jubilee would be quite different from our last one. As my husband, two adult sons, and I set out to fulfill our Jubilee obligations at St. Peter’s, we maneuvered not only through throngs of tourists and clergy but also around the large structures of scaffolding set up for the press. 

All the Conclave preparations added a sense of eager anticipation to our Vatican visit, from the jarring sight of an enormous work truck rumbling up the front steps of St. Peter’s Basilica to install the red velvet curtains at the balcony where the new Pope would be announced, to the view from the top of St. Peter’s dome of the newly-installed smokestack on the roof of the Sistine Chapel. 

Conclave

The Conclave officially began on the final day in Rome with our sons. Our plan for the day had been to tour a few more sites around the city and enjoy dinner near the Spanish Steps. But suddenly, both boys felt convicted that we should instead return to our Air B&B, sit on the balcony, which had an amazing view of St. Peter’s dome, and watch for the smoke after the first round of votes.

I’m so thankful for that change in our schedule because that afternoon became one of my favorite moments of the trip. From our vantage point, we observed the helicopter circling around St. Peter’s and the hovering Vati-drone seeking the first signs of smoke. We opened a bottle of the very fitting Cardinal wine we’d found in Siena to toast the momentous event we were experiencing. 

But, as darkness descended and our stomachs growled, we reluctantly left our perch to head out for dinner at a nearby outdoor café. We were just sitting down at a table when we heard the news — black smoke had been released! We rushed out to the street, along with some of the restaurant workers, to see the wisps of smoke against the dark sky. Then, the crowds from St. Peter’s Square dispersed, and hundreds of equally excited people flooded the streets, who, like us, were thrilled to be witnessing the very future of the Church. 

White Smoke

The next afternoon, in the small seaside town of Loreto, as we soaked in the view of the beautiful Adriatic Sea from the balcony of our hotel, preparing to head out for a walk along the shore before dinner, our son received a text message — white smoke was spotted at the Vatican! 

We immediately pulled out our second bottle of Cardinal wine and opened our iPad to watch the breaking news. As we waited, we all began receiving texts from friends back at home, everyone buzzing with excitement, eagerly waiting to discover who would be the next Successor of Peter. I felt so blessed to not only share that special moment with my family but also, through technology, with friends around the world. 

Inaugural Mass

Our sons left Italy a few days later, and my husband and I were soon joined by a group of friends. We spent time enjoying Venice, Florence, and Tuscany before returning to Rome. At some point, we realized that we would be back in the Eternal City for Pope Leo’s Inaugural Mass. While we were all thrilled about the new Pope, the thought of standing for hours in the heat, engulfed by a massive crowd, sounded overwhelming.  

We finally decided we’d instead attend an English-speaking Mass and then afterward see how close we could get to St. Peter’s, hopefully catch the end of that Mass, and receive the Papal Blessing. However, the Holy Spirit once again had other plans for us.  

My husband and I both woke up that Sunday morning, realizing we needed to be at that Inaugural Mass — it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that we would always regret missing. With numerous roads closed and bottlenecked security checkpoints, the trek to St. Peter’s Square took longer than we anticipated. Still, we finally made it in, finding a spot closer than I would have expected.

Our traveling companions, who were unable to make their way around the blockades and crowds, soon also found their way into St. Peter’s Square. Somehow, we were all near each other as Pope Leo rode past in the Popemobile. I have no doubt that the Holy Spirit guided us all that morning to a Mass we will never forget. 

The buzz of excitement around us was awe-inspiring. All those people (we heard it was about 200,000 in attendance) from all walks of life were there to celebrate this new chapter in the Catholic Church. Dignitaries from around the world had come to pay respect to our faith. Hundreds of media outlets were there to broadcast this historic moment. 

In America, it can be easy to feel alone as a Catholic when we’re surrounded by so many Protestant churches. We can be discouraged by the Catholic-bashing rhetoric we hear, the all-too-many lukewarm Catholics we know, and the friends and relatives who have sadly left the Church. It can be so disheartening. But in that moment, in St. Peter’s Square, as just one of thousands and thousands of people, I was only filled with hope as I witnessed the passing on of the Papacy, a never-broken chain since Saint Peter himself.  

While the Mass was in Latin and Italian, with a few readings in other languages, and I didn’t understand the exact words, it didn’t matter because I actually did understand. Have you ever thought how truly astounding it is that every Catholic Mass throughout the world is the same? No matter what country you are in, we all celebrate with the same readings and prayers. Catholic means universal, and I indeed experienced universality on that day. 

I will be forever grateful to have experienced those precious three events in the history of the Church. As I reflect on our time in Italy, I’m left contemplating two specific things. First, the profound history of the Church — the succession of the faith from the Apostles to our current clergy and new pope, Leo XIV, the countless saints and martyrs who gave their lives for their steadfast belief in Christ, and the millions around the world who are united through the Catholic Church. My second takeaway? That I need to be more aware of those Holy Spirit’s nudges so I can continue to be blessed with whatever God has in store for my life. 

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Copyright 2025 Leslea Wahl
Images: copyright 2025 Leslea Wahl, all rights reserved.