Irish Christian Brothers

In the hustle and bustle of a spirited day in the Vatican, we strode up inconspicuously to the very friendly Eugenio. A grandstand of L’Espresso and Guerin Sportivo magazines surrounded him. Quickly glancing to his left and right, he handed over an unmarked envelope with two tickets inside. Two tickets to the Papal audience this day.

Time helps ease the pain, or at least forget the pain. My first encounter with this Greek tradition called the marathon was…