Christian Rome

Our last day in Rome!

Today we saw several churches before lunch followed by a tour of the Roman Forum and the Colosseum.

The tomb of Fra. Angelico

Caravaggio's call of St. Matthew.

A beautiful sculpture of Mary, St. Ann, and the infant Jesus.

Enjoying the tour of the Forum!

Our fearless leader

Inside the Coliseum

Canonization Day

Thanks to an extreme lack of sleep, this post is delayed. Below are photos from the group of us that went to the Forum area to view the canonization. People from our group tried to get into the St. Peter's Square. Two were successful, others left due to the crowds and stress. Some decided to stay at the hotel and watch in a bit more comfort.

When we first arrived, things were quiet. There were just a few Polish pilgrims camped out.
We found a spot where we could sit on a ledge with a great view of the screen.

By the start of the Mass, there were just a few more people.

The group that left the hotel at 4 am and braved the rain!
 

Saturday at the Vatican

Today was a day surrounding the Vatican. The streets were jammed with people carrying flags, banners, and backpacks full of gear. As we are leaving for the canonization at 4 am and it is already after 9 (and it takes 45 minutes to upload a few photos), I'm keeping this short.

Here are some highlights of today:

Listening to our tour of the Vatican Museums

This globe is the same as that little globe on the top of St. Peter's.
 

Molly, Joe, and Paula - new friends! 

Mass at St. Paul's Outside the Walls.

Time to Wander

Friday was our free day. We celebrated Mass at St. Peter's in chains. Then I led a group to the catacombs at St. Callisto. Following, people split off on their own to enjoy the opportunity to see more of Rome (and eat some gelato).

A view of St. Peter's Basilica from the Bridge of Angels

In the square outside the Pantheon we were entertained by a band of priests.
La Bamba was a popular with the crowd!

These are the chains that bound Peter.

Fr. James at Mass at St. Peter in Chains

Only in Rome does an elephant carry on obelisk on his back in front of a church.

The Basilicas of Rome

I do apologize as there are dozens of more photos I would love to post each day to give you a better taste of our adventures and prayers. However, the hotel wifi is slow at best. There will be additional postings upon our return.

On Thursday, we ventured out at a far more reasonable hour. Our morning Mass was at St. Mary Major. From there we were taken to the Travestere area of Rome and given some time to wander, find lunch, and enjoy a bit of time on our own. Next was a whirlwind tour of the major basilicas - St. Paul Outside the Walls, St. John Lateran, and back to St. Mary Major.

Fr. James reading the Gospel at Mass. We were at a side chapel of St. Mary Major.

A beautiful window of St. Mary Major

Listening to our tour guide as she shares information at St. Paul Outside the Walls

Within St. Paul's there are pictures of the popes, Pope Francis is highlighted with a spotlight.

This statue commemorates where St Francis camped out when he and some companions came to Rome and waited for the Pope to meet with them.

The facade of St. John Lateran

The "Made in the USA" ceiling of St. Mary Major.
This is gold that Columbus brought back from America.

Wednesday afternoon - the Piazzas of Rome

The afternoon following the audience we had Mass then saw the major squares of Rome.

Forgot to put this in today's first post - we had a great view of Pope Francis!

The Trevi Fountain

The Wednesday Audience

Yesterday we had a very early start. The hotel was kind enough to open breakfast early for our group so we could venture forth to the Papal Audience. We spent a damp morning in the square before we headed off to lunch.

Waiting to enter the square.

Waiting for the Pope-mobile!

Enjoying some conversation while we wait in the rain.

A sea of umbrellas from around the world.

Lunch time was enjoyed by all!

Safely Here!

We arrived safely here yesterday, late in the afternoon. We stopped briefly in the Vatican area so as to purchase items so that we could have them blessed at today's audience with Pope Francis.

Today we will be leaving in an hour at 6:30 am to head to St. Peter's. There we will enjoy the audience prior to lunch, Mass, and seeing the major piazzas of Rome.

Below are just a few of the photos of our group (slightly tired) at our first moments in Rome.

Ready for Rome

On April 21, a group of parishioners will head to Italy on a pilgrimage for the canonizations of Pope John Paul II and Pope John XXIII.

Keep an eye out here and on our Facebook Page to see posts that include photos and reflections on the experience.

We will be keeping you in our prayers!