Ask anyone who has been there Assisi is a special place. The events in the lives of Francis and Clare seem to have charged the very rocks with a power that can still be felt today. Our guide, Father Roch Niemier, is intimately acquainted with the places so close to the saints of Assisi Rocca Maggiore, San Damiano, the Porziuncola, San Rufino, La Verna, Greccio, Maddalena, the Piazza Comune and the streets of Assisi. His exploration of the spirituality of place makes even the armchair pilgrim understand the meaning of these locales, and provides an unforgettable remembrance for those who have made the journey themselves.

ROCH NIEMIER, O.F.M., is past president of Franciscan Pilgrimage Programs, a position he held for nearly a quarter century. He was recently honored by the citizens of Assisi for bringing pilgrims from over fifty nations to tour the holy places of Francis and Clare.