Scottish Catholic Observer

Corinne Barber, 42, from Leith, Edinburgh, who was determined her heart condition would not stop her pilgrimage, returned on Monday elated after experiencing a ‘journey of a lifetime.’

Ms Barber said the experience had left her feeling ‘more energised and more focused than I have done in years.’

She made the pilgrimage with her mother Irene Barber and her husband Andrew and spent the week in the Vatican City. The trip, which was made possible by well-wishers from her GoFundMe page and the office of the Archbishop of Edinburgh, included a private tour of the Vatican and a Papal audience with Pope Francis himself.

“The whole experience has been beautiful and extremely emotional,” she said. “I have had the honour of seeing the Sistine chapel, the Apostolic Palace and have been brought to tears visiting the chambers under the Basilica and seeing the bones of St Peter. But, of course, the highlight of my trip was receiving the blessing from Pope Francis.”

Archbishop Leo Cushley said he was ‘thrilled that Corinne finally made a pilgrimage to the Vatican and also that she received an audience with Pope Francis. “It’s a dream come true or, rather, a prayer answered and we were delighted to play our part—along with many others—in making it happen,” he said.