From Poland to Fatima on foot with no money
221 days, 3,500 miles, 10 countries, carrying a rosary in hand – that’s quite a pilgrimage to make on foot. Jakub Karlowicz, a 23-year-old man from northeastern Poland and a barber by profession, reached the shrine in Fatima on February 24.
He offered his pilgrimage and constant prayer on the way for peace. Since the beginning, his trust-filled trek could be followed on his Facebook page, Under the Care of God, viewed by thousands of people every day.
Under God’s care
He set out on July 17, 2022. He didn’t take food or extra clothing for the journey, nor did he take money or credit cards. He entrusted his pilgrimage to Mary, and placed it under the patronage of St. John Bosco, whose slogan, “a sad saint is no saint,” is close to his heart.
He believed he was walking “under God’s protection” and didn’t worry about what he would eat or where he would lay his head to sleep. During the 221 days of his pilgrimage, he never went hungry and never ran into situations that could convince him to turn back. On the contrary, every day, in every country and in the smallest village he visited, he experienced tremendous selfless kindness, hospitality, and support.
In one of the videos posted on social media, he recalled a situation in a French province when an expensive BMW suddenly stopped, and masked men got out and opened the trunk – it turned out that they had a large bag of food in there. Touched, he stressed that these men, who sound more like something from a movie than reality, provided him with food for three days.
