off to their respective starting points on the Adriatic and the Tyrrhenian coasts. At sunrise, the first runner on each coast dipped a finger in the sea and took off for the middle of the country. Thomas Gramc, a two-time Run veteran, remembers how impressed he and his teammates were with the beauty of the countryside they crossed. “It was amazing,” he said. “I don’t know if there’s a place like it in the United States, where you can go from ocean to prairies and plains to mountains all in a couple of hours.” The seminarians designed the course to follow an ancient Roman trade route, which offered some additional surprises. “You’d pull off the side of the road,” Gramc remembers, “and there’d be the ruins of an ancient Roman amphitheater just lying there, with trees growing out of the rocks.” Not all surprises were quite so welcome. “People got lost all the time,” said Gramc. The official Italian maps were not always a help, either, he said. “There are some state routes that don’t actually exist anymore.”
Deacon Adam Potter ‘16 (Pittsburgh) and Deacon Michael Niemczak ‘16 (Santa Fe) taking in the view after running up a mountain.
This year, the Roman Run raised prayers and money for Christians in Syria facing existential threats amidst war and Islamic terrorism. Phantom roads, mountains and all, spirits were high throughout the day. “It really felt like brotherhood,” said Deacon Michael Niemczak, one of the support-van drivers. “It had all the charm of a road trip,” Gramc agreed.
Some of the best parts of the day, he said, were riding in the van between sections of the course. “You’d grab a peanut butter sandwich and basically chill out for the next three hours.” The best part of that brotherhood, said Niemczak, was that it was fraternity looking beyond itself. “What sealed the deal,” he said, “was taking what was naturally good and making it a work of charity as well.” This year, the Roman Run raised prayers and money for Christians in Syria facing existential threats amidst war and Islamic terrorism. Fr. Lewi Barakat, a fifth-year priest at the Casa Santa Maria, whose family originates from Syria, emphasized how important solidarity with brothers and sisters in Christ is for the Syrian Church today. Zimmerman added: “You see what’s going on and you have to do your little part to help.” The Roman Run is “more than just something fun,” he said, “but rather a way of glorifying God and helping our fellow man.” n
Fr. Scott Emerson ‘15 (Madison) running to complete his segment of the race.
ROMAN ECHOES 2016 • VOLUME 20: ISSUE 3
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