Our visit to the Vatican at the invitation of the Holy Father was an absolutely exceptional and unforgettable event that left deep emotional traces and spiritual experiences in each of us that will forever be written in our hearts. This trip was not just an ordinary tourist visit to one of the holiest places in the Christian world, but it was an opportunity to participate in a general audience directly before the Holy Father, which represents for every believer an extraordinary moment of spiritual fulfillment and a meeting with the highest authority of the Catholic Church.

From the very beginning of our stay in Rome, we were surrounded by an atmosphere of hospitality and friendliness that pleasantly surprised us and exceeded all our original expectations. Immediately upon our arrival in the Eternal City, we were welcomed with open arms and a warm smile by the Ambassador of the Czech Republic to the Holy See, doc. JUDr. Pavel Svoboda, PhD., D.E.A., whose professionalism, humanity and incredible helpfulness immediately captivated us and showed us how important it is for the Czech representative office abroad to take care of its citizens and allow them to experience such important moments in a dignified manner.

Ambassador Svoboda did not limit himself to a formal welcome, but actively participated in the organization of our stay and showed a real interest in our mission and the activities of the Czechoslovak Roma Union. His willingness to help and personal commitment exceeded all our expectations, as we initially assumed rather standard diplomatic courtesy, but instead we encountered a genuine interest in our work and efforts to improve the situation of the Roma community. The Ambassador devoted his precious time to us, listened to our experiences from field social work and showed understanding for the problems that our organization faces every day in helping socially excluded families and individuals.

Likewise, our sincere thanks and appreciation go to his deputy, Ambassador Counselor Marcel Sauer, whose professionalism, organizational skills and knowledge of local conditions allowed us to experience this visit much more comfortably and efficiently than we had originally imagined. Mr. Sauer proved to be an invaluable assistant, perfectly familiar with all the procedures and protocols associated with visiting the Vatican and was able to provide us with valuable advice and practical information that significantly facilitated the entire course of our stay.

Thanks to his expertise and contacts, we managed to reach the Holy Father without having to wait in long lines, which often last several hours and can be very exhausting, especially for older participants or those with health problems. At the same time, we avoided the unpleasant jostling in the crowd of thousands of pilgrims from all over the world who descend on the Vatican every Wednesday for the general audience. This fact was all the more important for us because among our participants there were also people who would have problems coping with the physically demanding conditions associated with long standing and moving in crowded spaces.

Our delegation consisted of selected members of the Czechoslovak Roma Union, who represented various aspects of our organization and activities. Among the participants were both members of the association’s leadership and active volunteers who have been directly working with families in difficult social situations for a long time. Each of them brought to the group their specific experience and perspective on the issues that our organization deals with, which created a diverse mosaic of personalities united by the common goal of helping those most in need.

Richard Samko, an experienced photographer and documentarian, was also an integral part of our delegation, who professionally documented the entire journey through photographs and video recordings. His work was absolutely crucial in preserving the memories of this exceptional event and allowed us to later share these experiences with the wider public, members of our organization who were unable to participate in the journey, and also with the families to whom we provide assistance. Richard proved to be not only a talented professional, but also a sensitive observer who was able to capture not only the formal moments of our visit, but also the personal emotions and spiritual dimension of the entire event.