Monday morning we had Mass at the Basilica of St. Mary Major followed by a visit to the Basilica of St. John Lateran and to the Catacombs of San Sebastian. We were able to attend Mass every day with the exception of Wednesday night, when we attended a Holy Hour for the Diaconate candidates at the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls.
On Tuesday, we traveled by bus to Assisi. We visited the beautiful Basilica of St. Francis and prayed in front of his tomb. I absolutely adored Assisi! Compared to the hustle and bustle of Rome, Assisi was so tranquil and quiet. One day in Assisi was certainly not enough.
Wednesday morning was a much anticipated day for us. We were escorted to St. Peter's Square for the Papal audience. Our seats were fantastic and the Pope was so close to us when he passed in his pope mobile. Seeing him in person was an awesome experience! During our visit, those of us in Kevin's group were treated to two very special tours. The first took place on Wednesday afternoon when we visited the tomb of St. Peter directly beneath the Papal Altar in the Basilica. We actually walked in the footsteps of the first century Christians.
Thursday morning was the momentus day that we had come for to Rome. Our group was blessed to be with Kevin and his family on this special occasion of Kevin's Diaconate Ordination. This was the highlight of my trip! The two hour Ordination Mass was so powerful and beautiful. As you can imagine, the liturgy, music and rituals of the Mass were quite impressive. However, the most beautiful sight to behold were the smiles on Kevin's and the other young men's faces. They were priceless and it is something I will never forget. Equally exciting was that our pastor, Fr. Keiser, concelebrated the Mass with dozens of other priests. We were so happy that he was able to be a special part of this Mass at St. Peter's.
On Friday, Kevin had his Mass of Thanksgiving at the Angelicum University Chapel where he attends classes. Fr. Keiser, Scarlet, and I then headed to the Vatican Museum to see the breathtaking Sistine Chapel. That afternoon we were guided past the Swiss Guard for tour of the Papal Palace, our second special tour. Can you believe that we actually stood staring down the hall at the door leading to the Pope's apartments? I had to pinch Scarlet just to make sure we weren't dreaming. :-) And no, we weren't!
Saturday morning, Scarlet and I left the hotel at 6:30 in the morning and walked to St. Peter's. After an hour or so in the basilica, we ventured up, by foot, 370 steps to reach the top of the dome of St. Peter's. What a breathtaking view. We were looking into the Vatican City State and out over the city of Rome. From there, we just started to walk without a route mapped out. Every church we passed, we would stop in to pay a visit. It was a very relaxing day for the two of us, one that we both immensely enjoyed. Although, we didn't get to see and do everything we hoped to, we both agreed that we saw and did exactly what God had intended us to see and do.
As for the food, momma mia! It was fabulous. The Italians are never in any hurry when it comes their meals. Our dinner reservations were at 8 o'clock every night and we didn't leave the restaurant til about 10:30. Of course, I tried all of the food placed in front of me. Along with the great wine, desserts and liquers. I immensely enjoyed the Italian pizza and their ice cream, which they call gelati. Fortunately for us, we walked everywhere we went in Rome.
Even though every day was uniquely special, I have to say the company I was with made the trip a memorable one. I want to thank Kevin and his family for allowing me to share this incredibly perfect trip with them!
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