Austria and Rome Collide
Austria and Rome Collide! No, I'm not talking about an anticipated meeting of futbol teams, nor am I talking about WWIII. I'm talkin grads and undergrads.
This last week, I joined the Franciscan University kids studying in Austria for their tour of Rome. They came over on a little University-sponsored trip. This, of course, meant a lot of walking around - a lot - and mostly to places I've already been. But the distinct advantage is that we get information as we go, because they are actually getting tours, with like, guides! We have had no tours, no guides. So, we have sorta been wandering around the streets, making up our own history to various buildings and churches. But this time, the sheep had a shepherd, and I can't tell you how much it changes the experience when you actually know what you are looking at.
So there are literally hundreds of churches in this town, and every single one is just beautifully adorned, even the humble ones. In fact, I'd say the smaller ones have turned out to be my favorite. We saw some of these little churches on our tour:
St. Praessede
Probably my favorite. First, because you can walk into a room made entirely of mosaic. And second, because there is a large part of the pillar that Christ was scouraged on, supposedly.
St. Clementine
This church has two more churches buried beneath it that you can tour for a couple of Euro.
St. Peter in Chains
This has the chains St. Peter was bound in - uh, hence the name. One set from his imprisonment in the Holy Land, the other from his imprisonment in Rome. Apparantly, when they brought these chains together, they somehow merged into one great chain.
St. Maria Sopra Minerva
This one has St. Catherine's body. Now I know what you're thinking...St. Catherine's body is in Mary Sopra Minerva...right? which is what I just said. But I mean, literally, it has her body, just her body. Her head is in Siena. Interestingly, her head is incorrupt but her body is not.
The Pantheon
Formerly a pagan temple, it was converted into a church. But it is just one huge dome with a big hole in the ceiling. Since I've been in Rome, some things have just hit me as awesome, and others, even ones I would expect to hit me, have not (like St. Peter's Basicila oddly enough). Anyway, the keyhole I mentioned before was one of those awesome things, and so is the Pantheon...I guess maybe because it is not in the traditional shape of the Church. The walls are 12 ft thick, our tour guide said. Apparantly, no one could figure out how to construct a dome that big again for like another thousand years. On Pentacost, they rain down thousands of rose pedals through the giant hole in the ceiling to symbolize the tongues of fire. So cool!
It was a very fun trip. We saw some undergrads we know and love, and the ole Frannies came to Mass at the Basilica of Sts. Cosmas and Damian, which is where we live in. Unlike our usual Masses there, with over a hundred undergrads, it was distinctly a Franciscan University style Mass. It was in English, with the oh so familiar Mass parts popular only in Steubie, and of course, the characteristic arms raised to the sky...we definitely haven't seen that since we've been in Rome! I don't think the charasmatic renewal has quite made it over here yet.
Father Mike (Rome) and Father Dave Pivonca (Austria) meet up in St. Peter's square.
This last week, I joined the Franciscan University kids studying in Austria for their tour of Rome. They came over on a little University-sponsored trip. This, of course, meant a lot of walking around - a lot - and mostly to places I've already been. But the distinct advantage is that we get information as we go, because they are actually getting tours, with like, guides! We have had no tours, no guides. So, we have sorta been wandering around the streets, making up our own history to various buildings and churches. But this time, the sheep had a shepherd, and I can't tell you how much it changes the experience when you actually know what you are looking at.
So there are literally hundreds of churches in this town, and every single one is just beautifully adorned, even the humble ones. In fact, I'd say the smaller ones have turned out to be my favorite. We saw some of these little churches on our tour:
St. Praessede
Probably my favorite. First, because you can walk into a room made entirely of mosaic. And second, because there is a large part of the pillar that Christ was scouraged on, supposedly.
St. Clementine
This church has two more churches buried beneath it that you can tour for a couple of Euro.
St. Peter in Chains
This has the chains St. Peter was bound in - uh, hence the name. One set from his imprisonment in the Holy Land, the other from his imprisonment in Rome. Apparantly, when they brought these chains together, they somehow merged into one great chain.
St. Maria Sopra Minerva
This one has St. Catherine's body. Now I know what you're thinking...St. Catherine's body is in Mary Sopra Minerva...right? which is what I just said. But I mean, literally, it has her body, just her body. Her head is in Siena. Interestingly, her head is incorrupt but her body is not.
The Pantheon
Formerly a pagan temple, it was converted into a church. But it is just one huge dome with a big hole in the ceiling. Since I've been in Rome, some things have just hit me as awesome, and others, even ones I would expect to hit me, have not (like St. Peter's Basicila oddly enough). Anyway, the keyhole I mentioned before was one of those awesome things, and so is the Pantheon...I guess maybe because it is not in the traditional shape of the Church. The walls are 12 ft thick, our tour guide said. Apparantly, no one could figure out how to construct a dome that big again for like another thousand years. On Pentacost, they rain down thousands of rose pedals through the giant hole in the ceiling to symbolize the tongues of fire. So cool!
It was a very fun trip. We saw some undergrads we know and love, and the ole Frannies came to Mass at the Basilica of Sts. Cosmas and Damian, which is where we live in. Unlike our usual Masses there, with over a hundred undergrads, it was distinctly a Franciscan University style Mass. It was in English, with the oh so familiar Mass parts popular only in Steubie, and of course, the characteristic arms raised to the sky...we definitely haven't seen that since we've been in Rome! I don't think the charasmatic renewal has quite made it over here yet.
Father Mike (Rome) and Father Dave Pivonca (Austria) meet up in St. Peter's square.
posted by Amy at 12:41 AM
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