Today was an early rise. 6:00am. Had to get ready to head down to St. Peter's Basilica to celebrate Mass with our group. After a quick coffee and croisant, we all walked down to St. Peter's Basilica where the altar at St. Peter's Tomb was reserved for us to celebrate Mass. Fr. Wensing, the director of the ITCE program was celebrant. It was an awesome experience as it was every other time I walked into that huge church. We celebrated Mass in the central chapel facing the grave. In a few weeks we will be visiting the excavations under the main altar where the 1st century cemetery was discovered in the 1950's when workers were excavating into a wall to prepare a tomb for Pope Pius XII. They have since discovered a grave that is clearly marked Peter. The evidence is growing to an irrefutable level that it is the actual grave of St. Peter. It was a truly remarkable experience to celebrate Mass there.
To celebrate Mass there was a great priviledge. We celebrated the Feast of the Chair of Peter, although a few days in advance. It is usually on the 22nd. But because our schedule would not permit us to be at this particular altar, we decided to pray that Mass today.
After Mass we all went out into St. Peter's square where we met a photographer hired by the institute to take a group photo in front of the basilica. After that group photo was taken, we followed her to a studio where individual head shots were taken. Our photos will be placed on the wall with the photos of the 200 plus seminarians studying at the North American College. I'm hoping that we can get a copy of that photo since the last time I posed for a photo was several years ago.
I left with two other priests and made our way to a shop on the route back to the seminary. I had to purchase some clerical shirts. I am still waiting for the package I sent ahead of me to Rome over 6 weeks ago.
We returned to the seminary with some spare time before lunch. I took some music and went to the auditorium to practice. I played piano for nearly 2 hours. I went to lunch and back to the room for a bit of siesta. At 4PM, a group of us followed Fr. Wensing on a walking tour to the top of the Gianiculo Hill. I can't believe that I forgot my camera. There are views from up there that rival the top of the dome of St. Peters. We visited several monuments. Some are in the process of renovation before this summer's celebration of the 150th anniversary of the unification of Italy. Until then, Italy was still a collection of small managements by powerful ruling families, including the papacy. Monuments to Garibaldi, the national hero and unifier of Italy, is the primary figure memorialized at the park at the summit of this hill. From the walls and railings at the edge of the hill, views of all of Rome are beautiful, as well as the hills and mountains east of Rome. Some peaks are snow covered. That's the closest we will get to snow around here. We visited a small church which has a chapel dedicated to the site of St. Peter's crucifixion. The actual site was contested for a while. Although the stronger evidence points to the current Vatican Hill, and St. Peter's Basilica, other prominent Roman families and some badly translated literature claim that Peter may have been cruficied on the Gianiculo Hill. While this is no longer contested, the architectural masterpiece that was built is still worth a visit.
On the way back to the seminary, three other priests, and I were talking about going out for supper. We made plans to be present for the 6:00PM collation and then go out together to dinner. We left at 7PM and headed towards Piazza Navona. We checked out a few restaurants on the way and found one a few blocks before Navona. Appetizers and 1st course pastas for €6 each. It was a great deal and great food. Check out their website at http://www.anticatavernamangiabene.it/ After dinner, we continued on to the Piazza Navona. We arrived at this favorite spot of mine to the sounds of a chorus of young women singing. Along side the Piazza was a chorus of French school girls, about 20 of them, singing a variety of songs. A nun stood near and was taking many pictures and speaking to other adults who looked like they were possibly adult chaperones. They sang in 3 and 4 part harmony, in French, Latin, English, Spanish, and Italian. One of the songs they sang was a piece I had performed in my Lowell days - an Italian madrigal that begins slowly and continues to breakneck speed. I sang along with them and went to put €5 note into their basket. I said in a stage whisper, "Ce n'etait pas assez vite." (That wasnt' fast enough.) They all started to laugh. I had a chance to speak to the sister. The school they attend is in Dragignan, in the Var region of Southern France. La Sainte-Baume is not far from there and the sister who is also Dominican, knows it well.
We went into the little gelato shop and had our desert and finally had to leave to walk back to the seminary. It was three long walks today. I will guess about 8 miles total. So I am going to bed and planning on staying in my room a bit late tomorrow.
So good night everyone.
