There was no line at the shower, so it was very tempting to just stay and shower, and not go anywhere for the evening. But, I didn't want to waste any time, and decided to go with another group to the Paddingtons market first, which is opened only on weekends and closes at 5pm. After that, my plan was to go to the Cathedral and then eat dinner.The market was interesting, but not too exciting. Basically it is a flee market indoors. I got few souvenirs in 30-40 min I had to spend there. Then I had to wait for the rest of the group. They were taking too long, and they weren't sure if they'll go to St. Mary's anyway, so after about 20 min of waiting I decided to go by myself. This is my third attempt to go to the Cathedral. The first one was on the first day we were here, and they closed the entrance once we got there. The second was after the papal motorcade, when we actually had a booking for a particular time slot, but the streets were packed and we were not able to make it. So tonight was the night, because tomorrow is no longer WYD week and I don't know what kind of schedule they would have in the Cathedral.
The streets were still partially blocked and traffic chaotic from thousands of pilgrims making their way home from Randwick. So, I went on a walking pilgrimage and prayed the rosary along the way. It took about 30 min. Once I got there, the front square still had all the fencing around, and the security person told me to go to gate A1. Once there, another uniformed person told me they closed the Cathedral for the night! I was devastated. So much that tears went into my eyes. I started pleading to please let me in. They said I can come back tomorrow morning at 8, but I told them we are leaving tomorrow. They also said the relics are probably not going to be here tomorrow. Again I was pleading, but they were firm - 'sorry we are closed'. When he told me they closed the Cathedral just 30 min ago, realizing this was the time I lost at the market, I got even more upset that I didn’t choose to come to the Cathedral first instead of the market. But that was not getting me any closer, so I just prayed – thy will be done. I came this close, I tried my best, and it was His will I wanted to believe He will open the doors for me.
I wanted to give it more try, so I first thought to sneak in through tent where people are exiting. That didn't work, so then I went to the main exit of the church. The entire area is fenced in, and security guards are everywhere. The exit personnel told me the same thing - closed. I tried pleading with him, too, more like trying out my charm. I told him how nobody will know that he let one person in, if he looked the other way it would not be his fault, I tried sneaking in behind him while talking with him,…it didn’t work. Lying to first and charming the second guard did not get me in.
Then one lady came with the group who had a booking for that time, and tried to explain they have to let them in because they have scheduled the pilgrimage during that time. This guard sent them back to A1, but said he still doesn’t think it will work. I tried lying to the guard again and told him that I too had the booking during that time but didn’t have the printout, but he said without a proof they would not let me in. I realized that this group was my only chance. I run after them to gate 1. There was another smaller group already there, also with the booking, and the security person asked the group for their total number. The other group only had 4, so I got closer to the group I ran after. One man in the group whispered to me just to stay with them. The group was from Indonesia, 12 of them. I really didn’t blend in with them. I also had to disguise myself, because I just spoke to that security guard few minutes ago, so I put my jacket and hat on. Fortunately, there was also a priest and a young man with him, who were from Spain, so although they didn’t look Indonesian, they were in the same way adopted by this group at the spot. When the security guard asked the group leader for their number, the girl said 15, which included me and the two Spaniards. The guard counted us in, and all 15 of us were on the other side of the fence now! Yay! We rushed through the maze of fences, toward the security check point, only to be sent back to another tent we missed because they already closed it. We had to leave our bags there – security measure. 
They too didn’t want to let us in, telling us the Cathedral is closed, but we were able to convince them they already approved us, and we just need to leave the bags. The staff girl looked at me a bit funny among all those Indonesians, but I slipped quickly out of her sight. Then we went through one security that scanned us, and another that checked the content of our pockets. And not we were walking toward the main entrance. Once we got it in, it was surreal. I took so many obstacles, that now that I was in, I was so overwhelmed. I knelt down and started crying – of course. I finished the last decade of the rosary, which I was still praying along the way, still not over the awe of how I was able to get in. I then walked around the church, and saw a casket in one area of the church, but it was roped off. I figured this must be the blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati, so I asked one of the volunteers if that area was ever accessible by pilgrims, and she told me no. I thought I won’t be able to touch my rosary beads to the casket after all, but at that moment I was at peace. God’s providence got me this far, and it wasn’t meant to be, I figured, for me to get that close. I walked around and so some relics displayed on another altar, but it too was roped off. I don’t know whose relics where those. After reading several stations that had the life of the blessed Giorgio, by which I was truly amazed, I went back and knelt by the roped off casket. I was so thankful to be there, and amazed how simple it looked. It was just a wooden casket with a simple cross on it. In front of it was a sign that simply said “the body of the blessed Giorgio Frassati”. As I was kneeling, the guard came around the rope, and touched rosary beads in her hand to the casket. My eyes perked.
“I want that too”, so I jumped up and went to her as she was coming out and asked her to do the same for me. She then just touched her rosary to the three rosaries in my hand, gave them a good rub, and then returned the rosary to a sister who apparently asked her for that favor. So, that is how my rosary, indirectly, came in contact with the body of the blessed Giorgio Frassati. Now, isn’t God awesome! This was a perfect ending, I was just a player in this saga. This was a perfect ending to my pilgrimage to the cathedral, and the ending to the pilgrimage part of my visit to Australia.
The rain started to sprinkle. I headed home with a huge grim on my face. Tomorrow is a new week.
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