"The Lord is risen! It is true!

Happy Easter Everyone.

After the Vigil last night, it was a late night. The Easter Vigil lasted 3 hours - 9pm to midnight. After the Vigil we all returned to the Casa O'Toole where some traditional Italian sweet bread and digestivi (assorted liquors) were waiting for us.

This morning, it was ack to St. Peter's Basilica for Easter Sunday morning.

Here are a few pictures of the before and after. There were no pictures during the Mass.

The main aisle created across St. Peter's Sqaure leading up to the altar. A message for Ray Galuska: There are some great ideas I picked up for future decorations.

Inside St. Peter's Basilica. It is strange being in there with no crowds. As I was making my way to the Blessed Sacrament Chapel to vest for service as a Eucharistic Minister at the Mass, Fr. Joe Porpiglia got this photo of me standing many feet away from the high altar under which is the tomb of St. Peter. 

A closer view of the high altar decorated for Easter.

The Mass was a beautiful celebration. The piazza was filled. Seminarians who were in the crowd said that the crowds went all the way back to the Tiber River along the Via di Conciliazione. This is the lasrge avenue that leads into St. Peter's Square.

After Mass we were passing through the basilica as the Holy Father was moving to take his position in the loggia above the main door of the church for his traditional "Urbi et Orbi" Easter message. (translated as "city and the world")

After Mass, I returned to the Blessed Sacrament Chapel to return the ciborium with the hosts, and to return the Vatican issued surplice and stole. That is when I was detained in the basilica to wait for the Holy Father to pass. When I was allowed to exit the basilica, I went to a place in the square to wait for the pope to come out onto the loggia.

The Holy Father greeting the crowds at the end of Mass. He generally does not give a homily during the Easter Mass, but waits until this time. He gave his Easter Message and then his tradition Easter greeting, "The Lord is risen! He is truly risen" This message is given in dozens of languages from all aver the world.

Here are a few other views of the square from where I was standing.

The facade of St. Peter's Basilica and the Pope in the loggia.

Some of the crowds in Piazza San Pietro

View into St. Peter's Square.

The Swiss guard with the crowds behind.

After the festivities at St. Peter's I returned to the college with the other priests and seminarians for pronzo. There were several tables of guests, mostly family memebers of the seminarians who had come to Rome for an Easter visit.

After pronzo, I took my reposo. It had been a short night of sleep and three-hour Mass was exciting but tiring. At around 6PM went to the room of one of my colleagues. He has one of the rooms with a balcony. This has become a usual spot for a bit of happy hour before dinner each day. We gathered there while the sun went down with a great show of color. The view to St. Peter's from there is breathtaking.

The view from Fr. Mike Carter's balcony.

Sunset on St. Peter's and Holy Week 2011.





Happy Easter Everyone.
My prayer for all of you is that the blessings of this Holiest of Weeks, The triumphant entrance of Jesus into Jerusalem, his passion, death and resurrection, remain with us always.