Finding Grace - A Journey of Self Discovery with Rocco Rossi

What happens when you step away from the noise, the deadlines and the relentless pursuit of “what’s next” long enough to ask what actually matters?Dave Trafford sits down with Rocco Rossi to explore Finding Grace, Rossi’s first novel and a story shaped by more than two decades of walking the Camino de Santiago. Rossi has completed 24 Caminos and roughly 15,000 kilometres of pilgrimage since his first journey in 2002.Their conversation moves between the remarkable history of the Camino and the deeply personal questions at the centre of Rossi’s novel. Finding Grace follows Tony Bird — Anthony Aucello — a successful corporate executive whose life is shattered by tragedy. When an unexpected act of kindness connects him to the Camino, he begins a journey that forces him to reconsider success, loss, identity, relationships and what he wants from the rest of his life.Rossi explains why the Camino remains powerful in an age of smartphones, doomscrolling and constant distraction. Long-distance walking creates something increasingly scarce: stillness. For Rossi, the Camino isn’t magical in itself. Rather, it creates the time and space for people to rediscover what may already exist within them.The discussion also explores the Camino tradition of Vicarie Pro — walking on behalf of another person — and the real-life experience that helped inspire Rossi’s relationship with that tradition.Ultimately, this is a conversation about pilgrimage as a metaphor for life: stripping away distractions, recognizing the grace already around us and figuring out how to carry those lessons home.Chapters00:00 — Introduction: Rocco Rossi, Finding Grace and 24 CaminosDave introduces Rossi, his new novel and his extraordinary history walking the Camino de Santiago.05:42 — Chipping Away What Isn’t YouThe Camino as a process of stripping away distraction and rediscovering the authentic self.15:05 — Why the Camino Matters in the Age of DoomscrollingRossi discusses the dramatic growth of Camino pilgrimage and why people increasingly seek stillness and disconnection.23:35 — Finding Grace and Walking for Someone ElseThe novel’s central characters lead into the centuries-old Vicari Pro tradition of walking the Camino on behalf of others.32:17 — The Real-Life Story Behind Rossi’s Camino JourneyRossi recounts Mary Catherine Kempton’s death on the Camino and why he returned to walk in her name.41:45 — The Camino Begins When the Camino EndsRe-entry, resilience, finding direction without signposts and why Rossi chose fiction rather than memoir.You can watch OR listen to this episode on our YouTube Channel (Be sure to subscribe!)Follow Dave on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and XAnd you can leave us a voice comment here!For more information go to Dave's website.