p r e s e n t s Pilgrimage to Assisi & A j o u r n a l b y S a n d r a D u n n London

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We came together for eight wonderful days in October of 2008 for a pilgrimage to the land of St. Francis and the . Twenty-two people traveled from their homes, met in New York and landed in to begin a spiritual quest. What does it mean to be a Catholic Christian? Where did St. Francis live? Where does the Pope live? What was it like in the early days of Christianity? Do the teachings of the have any relevance for my life today? We went back to our homes enriched from this life enhancing experience. Sandy,one of our fellow pilgrims from Wisconsin and a Catholic Religious Educator wrote in her journal every day. We are most grateful for her. Enjoy!

SOUTH ATLANTIC OCEAN p r e s e n t s Pilgrimage Leo Corr, ever playful and fun-loving, shown here sticking his tongue out at me, the trigger-happy photographer. We were blessed to have Leo and his to Assisi family on our pilgrimage. He passed away peacefully & Rome on April Fools Day 2009 at the age of 87 years.

A journal by Sandra Dunn

October 2nd to 10th in 2008

Preparation time! Many things to do before we leave on the journey of a lifetime. Arrange for our pets, stop the mail, pack the suitcase—and then take out the items that we really don’t need. The packet arrives from Inside the Vatican magazine offices with airline tickets; invitations to the Anniversary Dinner; Our hotel in Assisi was next to the of St. Francis. information needed for the trip; and now it is time to make our Me, the photographer, D.S. McKinney, is shown under way to Newark where the group meets and the trip begins. the awning at the front door.

Our hotel in Rome was just a few steps from the Basilica of St. Peter and .

Gerald Giblin, Father Boyle, Wanda Scott, Dr. Robert Moynihan, Judith Conger, Bill Freas, Leo Corr, Amy Corr, Catherine Corr, Maurita Freas, Candace Corr, Richard Corr, Glenn Shrader, Charlene Corr, Val Grieve, Chris Corr, Deborah Tomlinson, Sandy Dunn, Deborah McKinney, and Daisy Neves. (taking the picture and not shown, Jonathan Levine) We gathered at the Castel de Gandolfo on day two.

~4~ Friday, October 3, 2008  Early morning arrival in Rome and travel to Assisi  Tour Basilica of Saint Francis  Tour Basilica of Saint Clare  Walking tour of Assisi  Dinner at Hotel San Francesco  Overnight in Assisi at Hotel San Francesco Dr. Robert Moynihan with the microphone and Jonathan Levine at our first stop for a Deborah Tomlinson of Inside the Vatican magazine quick lunch on our way to Assisi in Italy. Walking up the hill to our hotel in Assisi

ctober 2 turns into October 3, 2008 We come from Seattle, Jacksonville, Los Angeles, OWashington D.C., New Orleans, St. Augustine and various places in Wisconsin, Ohio and Illinois. Val comes from Great Britain and joins us in Rome where we also meet Dr. Robert Moynihan and Deb Tomlinson to begin our journey.We truly will become ‘companions on the journey’ as the days go by. Baggage collected; much needed bottles of water provided; and we board our bus for the ride to Assisi. Dr. Moynihan gives background on where we are headed and what we are seeing along the way.A short stop for a Our room in Assisi We could open the windows to the fresh air. little lunch gives some of us our first glimpse of Italian names for food and how to pay in euros. Luciano, our driver, also becomes our friend. He becomes invaluable at maneuvering the big bus through the traffic and hills of Assisi and then the busy streets of Rome—getting us safely to each destination. Assisi is up on the hilltop. Our bus could only go so far so they had someone come for our luggage and we trudged up the hill to our hotel. What a festive atmosphere among the shops, the crowds and all that goes with celebrating the Feast of St. Francis—our arrival being on the Eve of the Feast Day. Our hotel is just as lovely as the pictures—nestled right in the heart of things and right in front of the Basilica of St. Francis. We check in at the Hotel San Francesco, find our rooms to be quite adequate—after learning how they number floors in Italy. Some of us scramble to find a bank for changing our dollars into euros—an unpleasant task given the value of the dollar these days! We meet up with a very pleasant Franciscan who gives us a very detailed tour of the Basilica of St. Francis, pointing out all the beautiful artwork and the frescos on the walls depicting the life of St. Francis. Then we meet our guide for Assisi—a very lovely and knowledgeable The Gates of the city of Assisi—Jonathan, Val and The view out our Hotel San Francesco window to the ...the view to the right at St. Francis Basilica. Gerry look back. left up the street... See Sandy sticking her head out the window, too!

~6~ (please, continue) ~7~ (continued from previous page) You can see our hotel from the Basilica and the wonderful woman who walks us through the main street right up mountain-side community. the hill to the Church of St. Clare; pointing out who lived in the buildings on the way; relating the stories about the people, the buildings, the history; and traditions of the area. What a glorious view from the piazza in front of the church—one of the first of many, many Kodak® moments! A tent held homemade cheese for the tasting Jonathan Levine and and the buying. Those of us from Wisconsin like me, We gathered in front of our hotel for a Deborah McKinney, son who pride themselves in knowing good cheese, were walking tour of Assisi and mother in front of St. Francis Basilica. very impressed with the quality and the delicious flavors. After a tour inside the Church of St. Clare and having the highlights of her life and mission pointed out, we were free to roam on our own back to the hotel for dinner. Each of us had our own plan for exactly which shops we were planning on stopping by on the trek back down the hill. Italian shoes were so tempting as were the shops full of extra virgin olive oil— especially since we had just learned on the way up the hill about how this region of Italy is so well known as the very best producer of olive oil in the world. We learned also that know exactly how many olive Deborah Tomlinson and Robert Moynihan listen as Friar trees are in Italy because each tree is registered with the Franco explains the nature of our tour while Val stands by government so the authenticity of the olive oil can be certified by the registration number of the tree. Roses are sometimes grown with the olive trees because if the roses don’t produce well, they know that the olive trees are in danger, too. Dinner at the hotel was our first real Italian meal and what a treat it was! Since none of us were driving, we pooled our euros to buy bottles of wine and truly enjoyed the meal, the company and the atmosphere. Most of us went up on the rooftop after dinner to check out the view—it was worth the climb up the steps. But with some of us, the travel, the walking, the good meal and a little wine combined with a slight breeze, was catching up with us and found ourselves ready for bed after the first of what would become such wonderful days ahead.

Basilica di San Francesco e sacro convento is composed of two churches built one above the other, the lower one dates from 1228 – 1230 and the upper one from 1230 – 1253 and a crypt dug in 1818 which houses the Saint’s tomb. The Lower Basilica was decorated by some of the greatest painters of the 13th and 14th century: Cimabue, Giotto, the Lorenzetti brothers and Simone Martini. The Upper Basilica is adorned by Giotto’s frescos illustrating the life of St. Francis. There are also works by Cimabue, Virgin with child, four angels and St Francis by Cimabue. These were three special doors in this ancient city. Gerry in front and Glenn looks a sign explaining the Cavallini and Torriti in the Upper Basilica. Lower basilica of St Francis. renovations of precious old architecture.

~8~ (please, continue) ~9~ Breath-taking views from this mountain-side city with registered olive trees in the fore ground. Basilica di Santa Chiara is an example of Italian Gothic architecture and was completed in 1260, five years after her canonization. The pink is from the iron oxide in the stone.

Street performers with donation cups prepare for the celebration of St. Francis.

Dr. Moynihan, editor, journalist and celebrated orator, gives a talk and a blessing before we eat.

History collides! The Roman Temple of Minerva dating from the 1st century, the 13th century Plazzo del Captiano del Popolo, the Torre del Popolo, completed in 1305, and the 14th century Plazzo dei Priori. The Roman forum is located below Piazza del Comune and encompasses the original Roman paving and the base of the temple of Minerva. Jonathan strikes a pose, Deb turns to make a call.

From our hotel roof, you can see the stage We don’t have hills like this in flat Florida! performance for St. Francis’ Feast Day Celebration.

~10~ ~11~ Saturday, October 4, 2008  Celebrate the feast day of St. Francis of Assisi  Mass celebrated in the Basilica of St Francis  Tour the Church of St. Mary of the Angels  Travel to Rome  Inside the Vatican magazine’s 15th anniversary dinner at Ristorante Venerina  Overnight in Rome at Hotel Columbus

arly to bed, early to rise. Out our window we watched as dozens of Franciscans and nuns in Ehabits made their way over for 7:00 a.m. Mass. Breakfast at the hotel was scrumptious—just a little bit of everything you could imagine to eat and drink and presented in a beautiful layout. Sitting down to breakfast with other guests of the hotel proved to be delightful to some of us as we met new friends from Ireland, Great Britain and elsewhere. Exchanging addresses, we said good-bye to some lovely new acquaintances. Looking out our second floor window to check the weather, a very pleasant surprise was to see the street below us filled as far as the eye could see with first herald trumpets, then colorful banners from every town and province in Italy—ready for the grand procession into the Basilica of St. Francis on his great feast day. Mass was being celebrated by the Patriarch of Venice with hundreds of Franciscans accompanying him. We aren’t used to having state and church celebrate together—but this is a national holiday celebrating the Patron Saint of all of Italy—St. Francis. Surely celebrations are being conducted all over Italy but here we are right at the center of it all in Assisi. With cameras clicking and eyes wide with wonder and awe, we truly enjoy being in the middle of it all. Some didn’t make it into the church but not to worry—a huge video screen was in the plaza for the large crowd to also ‘be at Mass’. One slight disappointment is that they didn’t bring communion outside the church but—we were with the Lord in every other way. With just a short time to absorb what we were encountering and do a little more shopping, it was time to make our way down the hill again to meet Luciano and our big bus. We took a short trip to the bottom of the hill and stopped at St. Maria de Angela

~12~ (please, continue) ~13~ Glenn, Deborah and Val walk, talk and chew gum. Bob suggests we continue (continued from previous page) walking down the hill to the city—some gasp and turned away at the idea.

Church—a used long before that so well known in the city of angels—Los Angeles, in southern California. This is the very large church built around and over the chapel that St. Francis built, stone by stone, that he attained by begging all around the area. To those of us Bob and Glenn think about walking down who have had long associations with Franciscans, it the hill to the city. was very emotional to touch the stones and meditate on the life; the struggles; the holiness—of one of our greatest Saints. Lunch in Italy seems to be only a few steps away The walk down the hill to the city below from wherever you happen to be and so we were is about 5 km. and Bob make treated again to simple sandwiches and a few gelatos it down the path. before boarding the bus back into Rome. Latecomers to the bus were drenched by a sudden rain storm. With little brown rosaries just blessed by one of the The Porziuncola Franciscans, Leo leads us in the Rosary on the bus back to Rome. That was nice. Arrival at our hotel for the week—the Columbus Hotel on Rio Del Conciliazione, just as the publicity states, only a very short walk up to the entrance of St. Peter’s Square—was very momentous for those of us who had never been to Rome. There it was—the Basilica of St. Peter right before our eyes! What a sight No buses allowed inside the hilltop city. and what a feeling—to be right here at the heart and soul of the church we have loved with our very own hearts and souls for all these years. Hearts must be full of the wonder and awe God so graciously gives to us as pure gift. Saturday night approaches as we unpack and find those special outfits we brought along for the dinner celebrating the 15th Anniversary of Inside the Vatican magazine. The walk to the Ristorante Venerina on the Borgo Pio is just a block or so away. Inside, we pilgrims Constructed between 1569 and 1679, Basilica di St. Maria gather at two round tables as Dr. Moynihan and degli Angeli encloses the Porziuncola, the nucleus of the first Franciscan monastery and the Cappella del Transito where St. Deborah Tomlinson greet the other guests coming Francis died on 3rd October 1226. from the Vatican and from the journalistic community. The room is crowded with celebrities, pilgrims from the States and Great Britain and Inside the Vatican staff and supporters but one guest stands tall among the others even as short as she is. St. Margherita Marchione, an 86-year-old nun who has spent years crusading for the recognition of Pope Pius XII for his work in saving the lives of many Jewish people during World War II. How honored were we whose table she

View of Assisi from the city below. ~14~ (please, continue) ~15~ (continued from previous page) Back on the bus, coming into Rome!

found to join! What a delightful woman! And, what lively conversation flowed between Jonathan, a young man just graduated from University of Southern California, 86 year old Sr. Margherita and all of us in between. Sister’s research on Pius XII has resulted in a book just published and we were invited to the book signing on Wednesday evening. She shared pictures of relics and artifacts from her studies. Dr. Moynihan was certainly correct when he told us on the way to dinner that we would be meeting a saint. Fortunately,we would meet her again before leaving Rome. Many friends of Inside the Vatican spoke glowingly of Dr. Moynihan and his work with the magazine— some relating funny stories and others very serious. Delia Gallagher, an on camera Vatican reporter for CNN, gave a great impromptu talk filling in for the main speaker who became ill and was unable to attend. As Ms Gallagher walked with several of us back to our Magnificent dome of the Basilica di S. Maria degli hotel, we told her she was so good, she should be Sandy and Leo examine some of the goodies we were Angeli designed by Alessi. working for Fox News. She laughed and said she hears provided for our pilgrimage. that often. Another full and wonderful days ends as sleep comes the minute our heads hit the pillow.

The two Debs head for Inside the Vatican magazine’s office in Rome through Bernini’s beautiful colonnade. Bob explains how to get to the Anniversary Dinner celebration and a few more details about our evening.

Leo and Bob enjoy a quick refreshment before the Anniversary dinner.

We gathered in the lobby to organize and for It’s just right over there... room assignments.

~16~~16~ ~17~ ~18~ ~19~ ~20~ ~21~ Sunday, October 5, 2008  Tour ancient Rome: Coliseum, Roman Forum, the arches and ruins  in Chains, a minor basilica in Rome, Italy most famous for housing Michelangelo’s The glorious view statue of Moses as we step onto the  Private tour of Castel Gandolfo street in front of and gardens our hotel.  Private mass celebrated at Castel Gandolfo  Private meeting with Cardinal Erdo at the Vatican  Dinner at Hotel Columbus  Overnight in Rome at Hotel Columbus

unday we are up and ready to go bright and early—our day to explore ancient Rome. Luciano Sgreets us along with two more guides: Anna, who will be with us all week and Rachel, who with her little pole with colored ribbons attached keeps us all in line Rachel, our and wonderfully informed of all that ancient Rome was illustrious tour guide in Rome. and is today. The Coliseum, the Roman Forum. the arches and the ruins—all exactly as they fell or were taken apart to build into something else. Not like in the States where monuments are enclosed in well-groomed parks, this is as it was—rubble, weeds, dirt paths and cobble stones—very authentic. Nearby is the church of St. Peter in Chains where the actual chains that the angel loosened to enable Peter to escape from prison have been preserved. We will see the Mammertine Prison up close and down under a little Having a tall person in later. Another tiny street side cafe with delicious the group works almost sandwiches and on board the bus again for our next The first of many, as well as the ribbons stop—who among us could have imagined what lie many steps on a pole as a locator ahead for the rest of this incredible day? in Rome. for your fellow pilgrims. Out of town a little ways and up a hill, but only half way up the hill because again, the busses are only allowed so far. Sometimes transportation comes in unexpected ways and as some walked slowly up the hill, others flagged down cars, asking to give several in our group a ride up the hill. Good people always come through and with a little help from complete strangers, Camera held over my we all made it to the top—Castel Gandolfo. Where have head and pointing we heard of this place? Why, it is the summer home of backwards as we enter the ! A majestic little village nestled beside Lake the Coliseum—Daisy Albano which is atop a volcano. We gather in front of and Jonathan captured the Pope’s residence and meet our host for the day—the in the moment. Pope is not at his summer home today—Fr. Richard Boyle, SJ. He is the Vatican Astronomer who is a good

~22~ (please, continue) ~23~ Roman Coliseum, originally the Flavian Amphitheater, began construction between 70 and 72 AD under emperor Vespasian and was completed in 80 AD under Titus with more modifications made during Domitian’s reign (81-96). The Colosseum was used for gladiatorial contests and public spectacles seating 50,000 spectators.

Some have estimated that about 500,000 people and over a million wild animals died in the Colosseum games. It indeed felt like hallowed ground.

~24~ ~25~ Some of us continued to climb stairs while others explored more accessible regions. Bob is shown here waving to us as he stands next to Sandy, Wanda and Cher.

No wonder not many people bothered to read—letters in all caps (yelling), no spacing between the lines or The Roman Forum words, the “u” was a “v” and it probably took a long time to carve out of stone. The Arch of Constantine ~26~ ~27~ Palintine Gates

The Arch of Constantine

The Roman Forum

The Arch of Titus ~28~ ~29~ (continued from previous pages) Bernini’s tomb for Pope Urban VIII, a Pope Looking out from the building where Peter from the Barbarini family. The horns on the head of was imprisoned. Moses represent rays of light or the halo.

friend of Dr. M and has the castle to himself today. He welcomes us wearing his Boston Red Sox ball cap. We walk through the town and downhill a little and come to the entrance to the Pope’s own private gardens. A little tussle with the guard but he is finally convinced that we have all the proper permissions and in we go to what has to be described as paradise. What an absolutely beautiful place on earth and surely breathtaking when you realize that these same paths you are walking have been trod by their Holinesses: Benedict XVI, John Paul I We encountered a wedding party! and II, Paul VI, John XXIII and how many more. What spirited and holy conversations with God have taken place under these trees and beside these beautifully planted bushes and flowers! What words of truth from the mouths of Peter might have been decided right here on this same sacred ground where we—pilgrims from the States and Great Britain—now stand and try to comprehend what brought us here. Hearts just have to be full to the brim and beyond. Pictures are taken but ever so discretely and finally The chains that held Peter. a group picture is permitted but with the devout promise that they remain private for all eternity. We make our way through the olive trees—these probably aren’t registered since this is not Italian soil—and on to the farm where we view all sorts of fruit trees, vegetable patches and even the cows for milk. Walking back we are taken down underground to the very crude area where hundreds of Jewish people were protected from the Nazis by Pope Pius XII. This brings us back to the crusade of Sr. Margherita to bring recognition of his work and to the Mass on Thursday with Pope Benedict XVI which will be in honor of Pius XII. We really don’t want to leave the beauty of the gardens, the fabulous view of the towns below and the The literal gates of Rome. Mediterranean Sea beyond but time it is to walk back up to the Castle, to see where the Popes give their blessings to the crowds and to celebrate Mass. After all, it is Sunday and we haven’t been to Mass yet although it seems we have honored the Sabbath in a small chapel. This tends to be a more casual Mass than we are used to. Several of us are asked to proclaim the readings and communion distribution is a little bit self-service. But Mass it is and we are all renewed and nourished with the Word and with the as always. We gather out on the terrace and are treated to another spectacular view of Lake Albano and the vista

Astronomer and Jesuit Priest, Father Boyle met us at the gate. ~30~ (please, continue) Bob doing his best Roman greeting. ~31~ (continued from previous page)

Emperor Domitian (80-96 A.D.) ordered his beyond. Many pictures are openly taken in this architect, Rabirius, to build him a villa on the ruins of the town of Alba Longa, on the edge of a crater picturesque spot! With a quick tour of the Astronomy overlooking the Tyrennian Sea. Domitian was so Study and a little info regarding an astronomy camp they content in his residence on the Alban Hills, he sponsor for serious astronomy students and combined lived there most all the time. After his death, no efforts the Vatican astronomers have with the University one wanted to live in his villa. A thousand years of Arizona, we are inspired, informed and nourished as later in the 12th century, the Gandolfi family we descend the hill and happily greet Luciano at the bus. (Genoese origin and St. Gondophus) built a castle on the same site. In the 13th century, the castle Thanks be to God for such an incredible day—but oh, it passed to the Savelli family who gave us two Popes: We make our way down the Piazza della Libertà in front isn’t finish yet! Honorius III and Honorius IV. Around 1596 for of the Pope’s summer residence. Traffic reminds those of us who live near tourist 150,000 scudi, the purchased places that Sunday evenings are when everyone is going Castel Gandofo and it became Church property. back home and that seemed to be the case getting back into Rome. Daisy leads us in the Rosary on the bus back into town. Some were tired from the full day and gladly returned to the hotel for dinner. Nine of us, ever eager to experience whatever lie ahead, walked over to the Vatican, in the back door so to speak, to a beautiful new residence built by John Paul II for the Bishops and Cardinals when they come to town on business. We were ushered into a meeting room and moved a few chairs

(please, continue) Pope Urban VIII vacationed first in 1626 and restoration of the palace was designed by Carlo Maderno.

Val from Great Briton, at home in a garden

Val from Great Briton, Mike from Ohio.

Pope Urban VIII’s favorite nephew, Taddeo Barberini, bought part of the ancient Domitian Villa and cleared the land for a new garden that included olive groves. In 1773 Pope Clement XIV We were not supposed acquired adjacent Villa Cybo. Villa to take photos, so Glenn did Barberini, Villa Cybo with the papal his best impersonation of a summer palace became about 55 garden gnome. hectares. 1870 marked a demise of the but with the of 1929, Castle Gandolfo became again the Pope’s summer residence. ~32~ ~33~ (continued from previous page) Pope Pius XII had Emilio Bonomelli rearrange the gardens from 1930-32 into a circle convenient for conversation and waited. We into classic-style— Giardini all’Italiana learned more about each other as we waited and then the Cardinal from Bosnia came in to greet us and give his blessing. He didn’t speak English so he didn’t stay around. Soon after came Cardinal Erdo from Hungary. He was so gracious and warmly welcomed us all. He is the president of the leaders of the Bishops from all over Europe and is often cited as a very possible next Pontiff. Most of us don’t regularly have casual conversations Charlene from Ohio. with Bishops and Cardinals and so it is absolutely understandable that we were very nervous along with feeling so honored to have this important man of the Church take time to greet us. Dr. M began the conversation—this Cardinal isn’t comfortable in conversational English so he spoke in Italian and Dr. M translated beautifully everything that was said. The state of the church and Christianity in Hungary,vocations, etc. were discussed and by this time, as he put us all at ease, the religious educator in the group couldn’t help but ask about the faith formation of the children in his country. It is a sad story because of the restrictions of the communist control and the fact that Catholic teachers were forced to renounce their faith. He proudly told us Wanda from New Orleans. The park is divided into 16 square lawns and of efforts he had made to establish a college for Catholic embellished with magnificent specimens of educators in order to improve the formation of young We wondered if these olive trees were registered. Mediterranean and exotic trees. people today. We applauded him for this effort and he Deborah from truly seemed to appreciate our interest. We talked at Virginia. great length on this subject and he had a big smile on his One of the original four nymphaea ornamenting the wall supporting the upper terrace. face when told that we would pray for the faith of the children. He gave us his blessing, posed for a group picture and greeted each one of us individually as we left. What a gracious man to give us his time and what a positive note for the future of the church if, in fact, he does come to the chair of Peter some day. Walking back out of the hotel our feet weren’t anywhere near touching the ground, we ran into another man of the church who knew Dr. M —the Archbishop Holy Cow! The pope has live stock. from Kazacstan. He also greeted us warmly and gave us Sandy wanted to take a closer look his blessing. So, thrice blessed, we literally floated back to the hotel and happily greeted the rest of our group in Daisy from Bellevue, Washington. Sandy and Judith —we all became fast friends as the dining room. A question is often raised with children we shared in the glory of our beautiful journey. in religious formation activities when they have done something special: “Do you know what you have just done?” Did we really know just what we had done on this very special day? Since it was after 9:30 p.m., we finally realized that it had been quite a while since lunch and we were indeed hungry! Can any day ahead be better than this day? Hold on, you haven’t any idea what lies ahead...

~34~ ~35~ The bee was a symbol for the who gave us Pope Urban VIII and the Gardens of the Castle Gandolfo.

Multi-level streets of the hillside city as we head back to the Palace.

When we returned from the gardens, Father Boyle let us inside the courtyard of the Pontifical Villas at Castel Gandolfo and we caught a glimpse of the roof-top observatory. As you enter the great wooden doors of the Palace, to the left is reserved for the Pope and ; the wing to the right, except for the audience The cryptoportus—a vast tunnel on the third, lowest hall on the third floor, is dedicated to the Observatory. level and part of the original design by Rabirius. This There is a plaque to Pope Clement XIV above the area is thought to be where Pope Pius XII hid Jewish entrance to the main staircase seemingly dividing the people to help smuggle them out of Italy during Papal wing from the Observatory wing, where the Jesuit World War II. astronomers live and work. Pope Clement suppressed the Jesuits in the 18th century. Catherine the Great refused ~36~ to obey the Papal decree. ~37~ On our way to the roof-top observatory, we were able to see The library at Castel Gandolfo has more than 22,000 Lake Albano out the Jesuit’s kitchen window. volumes and includes rare antique books by Copernicus, Galileo, Newton, Kepler, Brahe, Clavius and Secchi.

~38~ ~39~ One last glance down the Plaza della Libertè at the Church of St. Thomas of Villanova and the fountain, both designed by Gian Lorenzo Bernini. Cardinal Erdo from Hungary met with us.

It was late when we headed back to our hotel, but we Cardinal Puljic from Bosnia gave us his blessing. noticed Pope Benedict’s light was still on.

The Archbishop Peta from Kazacstan Goodbye fortress built by the Gandulphi family, 30 km We headed back down the hill to meet our greeted us as we were leaving Vatican City Back at Hotel Columbus, we caught up with our fellow southeast of Rome. bus back to Vatican City. under the cover of darkness. pilgrims in the dining room.

~40~ ~41~ Catherine Corr and Cardinal Tomko in his residence. Monday, October 6, 2008  Private meeting with Cardinal Tomko at his residence  Private tour of the Vatican Gardens  Visit the Governor’s Palace in Vatican City with quiet moments to reflect in the chapel in the Governor’s palace  Tour Basilica of St. John Lateran, Holy Steps, Basilica of Saint Mary Major, Basilica of Saint Paul’s Outside the Walls  Private Mass celebrated by Monsignor Barreiro at Basilica of Saint Paul’s Outside the Walls  Dinner at Da Roberto  Overnight in Rome at Hotel Columbus

arly morning, greeting of friends over breakfast and off we go down the street just a Eblock, into the apartment building of Cardinals where we are ushered into the apartment of Cardinal Tomko, introduced to us as a close and personal friend of , John Paul II. He greeted us one by one, asking each of us where we were from and we gathered in his study which is filled with artifacts from his travels over the world—many items from Africa. He proudly showed us a tabernacle from a small African village which looked like a small wooden hut. His remarkable warmth put us at ease and it was easy to see how he would be so close to John Paul II. He shared how honored he was to have been consecrated as Bishop and Cardinal personally by John Paul II. Again, we were so privileged to have this wonderful man of the church take the time to welcome us into his home. He seemed to appreciate the sentiment when told that the young There was a long line to get into the Vatican Museum people in America were so inspired by his good friend, but we were allowed special privileges. Pope John Paul II. Isn’t this the normal way ordinary people start their day—being blessed by such a close friend of the former pontiff?! How can our hearts take much more of this?! Now we are off to the entrance to the which is a good walk around the walls of the Vatican. Lines are long but because of our ‘connections’ we skip most of the lines and enter the main lobby where tickets are issued and our new guide, Simonette, hands us our earphones for the tour of the Vatican Gardens. This seems like a tour ordinary tourists could enjoy but as we go through the gardens, it becomes quite obvious that the only other people we see are those who work or Simonette, our guide in the white sweater, arm wrestled the guard so we could go to the front of the line. ~42~ (please, continue) (continued from previous page)

have business at the Vatican. This is a private tour. Simonette is very good at pointing out the highlights of the various fountains, monuments, buildings, etc. The beauty of this place with the dome of St. Peter’s ever present is amazing. When we come to the Government Palace, we are greeted by the governor’s A monument to Saint Peter in the shadow of the dome, previously stood in the courtyard of the Vatican Museums secretary and invited in. This is where the paychecks Fountain “dell’Aquilone” (of the eagle) designed by and was originally destined to end up on Rome’s Janiculum for Vatican employees are written and details of Vasanzio at the request of Pope Paul V (1605-1621). hill in commemoration of the . running the affairs of Vatican City are overseen. We are grateful to find bathrooms as well as to see the Monument to Saint Peter beauty of the chapel inside the Palace. Timing is everything—right? Well, timing is critical here as we are just about to the end of our tour just as the Bishops and Cardinals are ending their session at the Synod taking place to study aspects of Holy Scripture. The Swiss Guards aren’t at all happy with this coincidental timing as we are quickly ushered out of the area where Benedict XVI is about to exit, but they do put up with us—pointing out quite definitely that this isn’t a show —as we stand around the area where all of the Bishops and Cardinals are coming out of the session. Again, we are greeted by several Cardinals we now know such as Cardinal Erdo, who again was very gracious, but also ones we know from our own Dioceses such as Cardinal George from Chicago and Cardinal Wurhl from Washington D.C. Others stop by and some just look our way,smile a greeting and go on their way. Pictures are again taken, maybe to prove to the folks back home that this really is happening—it’s not just an old fish story to impress our friends! Our next adventure is to visit the major of Rome—St. John Lateran with it’s significant history The Vatican Gardens cover about half of the 44 hectares as the house of Popes for a thousand years and the that make up Vatican City. holy steps where it is said that walked to his trial. The only way allowed to go up these steps is on your knees so some strong bodied pilgrims prayed their way up the steps on bended knee and others watched from below or used the other stairs to see what was on top and prayed in their own way. The Basilica of is too beautiful to describe. What a lovely church to honor the Blessed Mother of our Savior, Jesus. Prayers asking our Holy Mother to speak to her son in our behalf must be so powerful offered in such a holy place. We must have all had There are about 27 gardeners that work daily keeping the Palazzo del Governatorato, the building which houses the Vatican Gardens in order. central administration of Vatican City State. Fountain of the Sacrament. ~44~ (please, continue) There are 97 fountains in the gardens. ~45~ (continued from previous page)

special people and needs to be remembered here in this spectacularly beautiful church. As we approach St. Paul Outside the Walls, it is very different from the others. This is in a park like setting and beautiful from the outside as well as the inside. Some churches in Rome are not so impressive Simonette and Gerry practice their synchronized from the outside but once you enter, you are amazed swimming moves on the steps of the Palazzo del by the beauty of the art surrounding you. We have Governatorato while Anna tries not to laugh. some time to roam on our own before we have Mass celebrated in a little side chapel by Msgr. Barreiro. This, on the extreme other end of the spectrum from Mass at Castel Gandolfo, is a very conservative Latin Mass. Thanks to those among us who led us in the Latin responses so easily forgotten from our childhood days. Msgr. Barreiro came with us on the bus back to the hotel and would also say Mass for us again tomorrow.Dinner was at a little restaurant not far at all from the hotel—enjoyed by all. Goodnight again with hearts full and souls and stomachs well nourished.

A topiary of the papel coat of arms for Benedict XVI includes the pilgrim’s shell with its triple symbolic value: the immersion in the “indeterminate abyss of the divinity” as preached by St. Augustine, the pilgrim people of God and the coat of arms of the ancient monastery of Schotten near ~46~ Regensburg in Germany. ~47~ Robert introduces us to another friend who works inside Vatican City, Michael Waldstein.

Archbishop Wuerl from Washington D.C. talks with Gerry.

Deborah Tomlinson and Michael Waldstein compare Robert is pleased to see his friend the Archbishop of D.C. manicures while discussing the way out.

Since 1506, the Helvetians or have defended the Church’s freedom.

~48~ ~49~ Doors to the Basilica of St. John Lateran

Richard and Catherine Corr

The Holy Steps

St Matthew and Maurita Freas.

~50~ ~51~ Like any large city, Rome has it’s share of beggars.

St. Paul’s Outside the Walls

~52~ ~53~ Home of a series of medallions which depict all the popes throughout history.

It was wonderful to be here in October of the Pauline year 2008.

Richard Corr, Charlene Hyland, Leo Corr, Michael Corr, Christopher Corr, Amy Corr and Catherine Corr.

Gerry, Monsignor Barreiro and Deborah Tomlinson Maurita Freas, Candy Corr, Sandy Dunn, Wanda Scott, Gerry, John McCafferty, Robert Moynihan, Monsignor Val’s arm, Daisy Neves, Judith Conger and Bob Freas. Barreiro and Glenn

~54~ ~55~ Tuesday, October 7, 2008  Tour the Catacombs of Callisto  Private Mass in the Catacombs celebrated by Monsignor Barreiro  Walking tour of Baroque Rome: , , Piazza Navone  Visit the Casa Santa Maria—graduate center for the North American College in Rome and meet Monsignor Francis Kelly, the superior  Private visit with Archbishop Malcolm Ranjith, Secretary of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments  Dinner near the Vatican  Overnight in Rome at Hotel Columbus

t is only Tuesday and we are off on another adventurous day.Now we are headed out of town to Ithe Catacombs of Callisto. As Dr. M is again treating us to background on where we are, we pass a church that These sheep near the Catacombs of St. Callixtus reminded S. Trinita dei Monti church shown above. Shown below are has the fish symbol and he asks us what that means. We me of the parable of the lost sheep. the Spanish Steps which have been made famous by fashion stumble around with some ideas but finally come to the photographers and Glenn strikes a pose. Column of Immaculate Conception. On December 8th each conclusion, verified by the guide at the catacombs, that year, the Pope crowns Mary with a garland of roses. the letters for fish stand for, “I believe in Jesus Christ, Savior, son of God.” Some are anxious about going underground but we all seem to survive. We see the spot where the remains of St. Cecilia were found. It seems as though several of us have a special devotion to St. Cecilia. Several layers of burial places are viewed and walked past. Msgr. Barreiro prepares for Mass in one of the tiny rooms where families would gather to pray for their loved ones. This is also a Latin mass but Judith, the cantor in our group, leads us in several appropriate Marion songs as it is the Feast Day of the Rosary and sings Ave Maria during the Communion Rite. It makes for a beautiful celebration—crowded as we are in this underground room. Coming out to broad daylight is a pleasure for some. Back on the bus, Sandy, a Director of Religious Education back home, asks to lead the Rosary. She explains how Pope John Paul II, when he introduced the New Mysteries of Light, had encouraged us to adapt the Rosary to different groups, ages, and situations in order that it be prayed more often. She said that we would only be saying three Hail Marys between the mysteries instead of the usual ten because we were under a time constraint. She also added a component to each Mystery Our fearless leader pays his respects to the We learned about the Catacombs but could not take The English poet John Keats lived and died in Rome. Now a local police. photos once inside. museum, the Keats/Shelley House is at the Spanish Steps.

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of Enlightenment that she uses with her students in which an ‘imagine if you will... is added to make the story more personal and then adds... and ponder this in your heart as we pray... This was a different way of saying the Rosary for many in the group—maybe troubling for some but very enlightening for others. Anna, our Methodist guide, especially seemed to appreciate the Horses in the city. personal touch to the prayer. A symbol of days gone by... Lunch at another little restaurant was delicious and nice to sit down for a meal rather than grabbing a sandwich as we had been doing for lunch. Today we are Down this street and to the right is the world head quarters in Baroque Rome—the fountains, the piazzas, etc. We of the Knights of Malta. were close enough to the Spanish steps to include them on our way. Dr. M and Rachel pointed out so many interesting items on our way from one place to the next. We all threw coins into the Trevi Fountain. It was wondered what it meant if the coin didn’t reach the water—maybe instead of insuring your return it meant that you couldn’t leave Rome! We stopped at the North American College where we met Msgr. Kelley.There are priests from two of our dioceses studying for their doctorate in Canon Law. Msgr. Kelley promised to give both of them our greetings from home. Finally we make We really needed our ear pieces and directions from Rachael the guide to find each other around Trevi Fountain—the largest Baroque fountain in Rome. our way to the Navone Piazza. Art was on display in the piazza and gelato was plentiful. You can see why people gather here at night to socialize but for the daytime, it was disappointing that the main fountain was under construction or being cleaned and completely closed off to the public. Bummer! Some energetic pilgrims walked back to the hotel but a few of us weary travelers waited for the bus and wouldn’t you know it - the walkers got home way ahead of the bus travelers! Before dinner, Dr. M took us over to meet with Archbishop Malcolm Ranjith from Sri Lanka, who is the general secretary for the Vatican group which governs liturgical practices for the church. He was, as have been each Cardinal and Bishop we have met, very pleasant and hospitable. We gathered in the conference room where liturgical matters are debated and when he came in and sat in his chair, he invited us to all move up close to him and he had us go around the circle, each telling him our name, where we are from, what we do for a living and what our passion is in life. Totake the time for 21 people to do this was impressive in itself. We had a great discussion with him on the state of liturgy in the In the Church of Sant’Andrea delle Fratte is the chapel of church, the lack of reverence in general, the problem the Mondonna of the Miracle where on January 20, 1842, Mary appeared to a young Jewish man, Maria Alphonse Ratisbonne, converting him to Catholicism.

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with bishops and priests who don’t comply with regulations for good liturgy, where liturgy might be headed in the future and how their committee affects such groups as ICEL—International Commission on English in the Liturgy—and publications such as GIRM —General Instruction on the Roman Missal. When asked if the Tridentine Mass might someday become the Ordinary Form rather than the Extraordinary Form, he told us probably not as it is, that there are two things about the New Mass Liturgy which needs to be included The Trevi Fountain in any Ordinary Form. He believes that the Liturgy of stands 25.9 meters the Word in the New Rite is better when the people of (85 feet) high and the assembly understand what is being proclaimed. He 19.8 meters (65 also stated that he likes the idea of participation of the feet) wide, it is the assembly in the New Rite. On the other hand, he feels largest Baroque that the Eucharist should be received on bended knee fountain in Rome. and so the Communion Rail would undoubtedly be coming back and certainly, reverence for the Word and for the Eucharist must be improved from the current practice in many places in the world. We would all agree with that. Wonder and awe in the presence of our Lord in the Word and the Eucharist needs to be ingrained in

Deborah Tomlinson speaking with Father Griffin of Washington, D.C about continuing her scriptural studies in Rome at the Casa Santa Maria.

Dr. Moynihan introduces Monsignor Francis Kelly to Dr. Leo Corr an honored guest in our group.

~60~ (please, continue) ~61~ (continued from previous page) The entrance to the Pantheon. The worlds largest concrete Dome and it is 142 feet high.

all who come to Mass. Thanks be to God. What an incredible discussion with someone who makes a difference to Catholic people all over the world! Whatever our own personal opinions are regarding liturgical practices, this was an important discussion. Back at yet another Italian restaurant, we are all absorbed in continuing the discussion we just had with the Archbishop. What began as table talk was ‘brought to the forum’ by Dr. M as he heard Judith say, “If I had A halo suddenly appeared over Jonathan’s head! to make a choice today on whether for the rest of my life I would go to Mass as it was with Msgr. Barreiro at the St. Paul Outside the Walls chapel or with Fr. Richard Boyle at Castel Gandolfo, I would choose the casual Mass with Fr. Boyle.” Dr. M asked Judith to stand and repeat what she had just said. She was a little dubious but had the conviction to repeat it for all to hear. Of course she emphasized that given the opportunity, she would do whatever she could to bring more reverence to “Temple to all the gods” was built by Agrippa in 25 BC. the casual approach. This opened the discussion to all It was destroyed by fire in 80 AD, but was rebuilt by the and with some on one side and others on the absolute emperor Domitian. The second Pantheon burned in 110 opposite side, a very spirited and passionate debate AD. The emperor Hadrian rebuilt the temple during the followed. All were very respectful of other opinions but period from 118 to 128 AD. Hadrian honored Agrippa convinced of their own. If one middle of the road by repeating the inscription that appeared on the original temple. conviction was stated and agreed upon by most, it was that however we receive the Eucharist, whatever language is used, however responses are done, whether singing is included or not, the most important thing is to be sure that reverence and understanding be the key components in all forms of liturgy. What a wonderful discussion. Did we change anyone’s viewpoint? Who knows—but it was certainly good to get all of our ideas out on the table. We all remained respectful of each other and seemed to be the better for the discussion. What a way to end another awesome day.

M(arcus) Agrippa, son (F) of Lucius (L), Consul (COS) for the third time (Tertium), built this ~62~ ~63~ Dr. Moynihan and Deborah Tomlinson on the roof of the Holy Cross University run by Opus Dei. A group of us climbed to the roof for a panoramic view of the city.

Piazza Novova one of the most beautiful places in the world.

~64~ ~65~ My room in Hotel Columbus.

Gerry discusses world academic developments with two top Bob with his friend, Jesus Colina the founder of Zenit administrators from the school joined us for dinner at a restaurant near the Vatican. Below: Val using her best Italian gestures, explained the secrets of the Eternal City to Glenn, Jonathan and Daisy.

~66~ ~67~ Wednesday, October 8, 2008  Papal audience  Tour Vatican Museums, and Basilica of St Peter  Private Mass celebrated in the oldest chapel inside the Vatican, St Pelligrini  Dinner in Trastevere at Ristorante Galeassi  Private Mass celebrated by Monsignor Barreiro at Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Wall  Overnight in Rome at Hotel Columbus

beautiful day in Rome—blue skys, slight breeze. What a day for an audience with the APope. We find a spot close behind the aisle where the Pope mobile will come on his entrance through the crowd. Here he comes! Here comes the Pope! You can tell where he is by the cheers and the commotion of the crowd as he passes by. Surely, as he passes by he has such a warm and sincere smile to all. Pictures are taken by pilgrims from all directions and from all parts of the world. This is the man—who succeeds Peter—who unites us all. Pope Benedict XVI gives his homily, readings are proclaimed—all followed on the two very large screens to the right and to the left. Groups are introduced from various Pope Benedict coming to greet us. countries with similar language and then he speaks to them in their language. As groups from the English speaking countries were introduced the best was saved to the last as we were introduced as pilgrims celebrating the 15th Anniversary of Inside the Vatican magazine. We cheered loudly and proudly! What we were all waiting for came as now all the Rosaries, medals, key chains, crosses, etc. etc. are held out to be blessed by the Pope and proudly brought home to our loved ones. Now we know what it means to

(please, continue) Candace Corr gets a closer look at the Pope.

Bob Freas looks fashionable in his shades.

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say, “This has been blessed by the Pontiff himself, Benedict XVI.” How glorious this is! We have a little time for lunch, shopping, writing post cards, etc. before we gather again for our visit to the Vatican Museums. We have a little confusion about where or when to meet but we eventually get into the lobby, get our tickets and meet our guide—a proud German woman who was bound and determined to get us to the Sistine Chapel in time to adequately explain it in detail. So hurriedly we rushed through the museum halls, pausing briefly for explanations of various statues, paintings or tapestries. Once inside the Sistine Chapel where it was supposed to be quiet, we were in a very crowded room, repeatedly hearing the admonition for “Silencio.” The guide did her best to explain each panel of Michelangelo's most famous work and it seemed like most of us already knew a great deal about the artwork itself so it was a good visit. It did seem a little difficult to picture all of the Cardinals inside this chapel at a conclave working hard to elect a new Pope. We all left knowing we had been in a place where decisions Our leisurely tour of the treasures of the Vatican Museums important to every one of us are made. Some might find were led by our very gracious and gentle guide. it a challenge to comprehend all this small but so famous chapel means to our Roman Catholic faith. From the Sistine Chapel to the Basilica of St. Peter—how impressive! Impressive doesn’t even begin to express the size or the significance of the basilica. It is huge—and so beautiful. So many artistic touches at every turn. The Pieta, even back behind the glass enclosure, is magnificent. The large dimension of Mary—symbolizing the Mother church and the smaller dimension of Jesus—as the child of Mary, not necessarily the grown man, brings so much spirituality to this incredible work of art. Again, wonder and awe in the face of God’s presence is such a wonderfully The Pope mentioned our group during the Papal audience. faith-filled gift from the of God. Much of the central part of the basilica is blocked off from the public because chairs are already in place for the special Mass tomorrow honoring Pope Pius XII. Even so, there is still much to see and to take into our hearts and minds. For some, the bronze door of the Jubilee of 2000 is exceedingly special. For others, it might be the statue of a certain saint or some other work of art special because of some significance in one’s experience. The ray of sunlight shining diagonally across the stained glass window behind the altar was certainly something stored in the memory bank of our (please, continue) ~70~ ~71~ Scenes from the halls of the Vatican Museums

(continued from previous page)

minds—to be pulled out for future pleasure. All meeting again at the obelisk at the center of St. Peter’s Square, we walk over to the St. Anne Entrance and enter the gate to the neighborhood where the Swiss Guards live along with other actual citizens of the Vatican. They have their own parish church, grocery store, post office, bank, etc. and this is another area of the Vatican where ordinary tourists usually don’t get to enter. We enter the chapel of St. Pelligrini where the Swiss Guards pray and meet Msgr. Pascerno, who will say Mass for us. He is also head of the which we will visit tomorrow.Msgr. Pascerno speaks Italian but has made notes for saying Mass in English especially for us. He asks for volunteers to proclaim the Word, lead the Prayers of the Faithful and to lead the singing. This is a beautifully celebrated liturgy - probably the best middle of the road we who come together from left and from right have experienced. Some receive the Eucharist on the tongue, others in the hand. All seem to be spiritually moved by the liturgy. What a blessing. It is such a gift to be touched by the power of liturgical action. What will we each carry home with us after celebrating in such a variety of ways - but all with the power of the Spirit of God so present. After also taking a moment to peer inside St. Anne Parish Church, we commandeer some taxis and proceed to the Trastevere neighborhood for dinner. On the same piazza as our restaurant is the extremely beautiful church of St. Mary de Trastevere - some say one of the most beautiful churches in Rome. We wait at the fountain for all and then take our places at a lovely outdoor restaurant. The food is delicious as usual but the atmosphere and the company are key. By now, we are not only companions on the journey, fellow pilgrims, Michelangelo’s sorrowful Pieta inside of St. Peter’s Basilica. but also good and dear friends. We are joined by Sr. Jacinta and Sr. Judith. Sr. Jacinta will meet us again This elegant shot of my nose hair is actually an illegal photo tomorrow as we visit the Vatican Library where she of the . works as a secretary.This dinner includes a guitar player who not only serenades Catherine on her birthday but follows through on some requests for “O Sole Mio” and “Arrivederci Roma.” We have a great deal of fun following his lips so we can sing right along with him. He thinks we are great singers! Taxis take us back along the Tiber River to our hotel to end another great day. Now we are down to one more day. What will it bring... Goodnight.

~72~ A special beam of light shone down on our group of pilgrims. ~73~ Dr. Moynihan talks a bit about the chapel and reads the historical Latin inscriptions. Below, dinner in Trastevere. Candace, Wanda, Catherine and Charlene enjoyed a musical serenade.

Mass at the oldest chapel inside Vatican City, the Church of San Pellegrino, which is the special chapel used by the Swiss Guards.

~74~ ~75~ Thursday, October 9, 2008  Private tour of Vatican Library  Private walking tour of the grounds of the Vatican  VIP seats for the in the Basilica of St Peter  Lunch at La Vittoria  Free time for the afternoon and dinner  Overnight in Rome at Hotel Columbus Sr. Jacinta shows us through the stacks of the library, and library staff show how books are preserved by the world's most important manuscript library.

fter breakfast we are back at the St. Anne entrance gate to make our way to the Vatican ALibrary. We pass the church, the Swiss Guard dormitory, the Vatican Bank, the building where the Pope lives and Dr. M tells us that he has the whole top floor and then points out the windows to his kitchen. Through some arches and across a parking lot and we are facing the building which houses the Library and the Archives. Library tours are usually routine but not these days as it is closed for three years for re-construction. Not even scholars are getting in— but here we are. The entranceway into the inside While we wait for the proper permission routine, we Vatican City. Dr. Moynihan explains that usually only world- take pictures of some Italian workers up on the class scholars have permission to enter the Vatican Library. scaffolding who seem to enjoy posing for us. We finally get in, meet Sr. Jacinta and are quietly led up the stairs and through row after row of stacks of books and other articles. We come into the room where prints are kept and meet Dr. Barbara Jatta who seems to be brilliant in her knowledge of and familiarity with these artifacts. She shows us a 500 year old print of the Coliseum and tells us of prints housed here which are 2000 years old. We are informed of the collections handed over from families and also how to see many parts of the collections by going on the Internet. Of course, nothing can be touched and no pictures are allowed—completely understandable. We have many more questions but time is again telling us we are finished here because we must get over to the Basilica in time for the Mass with Pope Benedict XVI. Thanks to Dr. Jatta and down we go again to the street level. Dr. Jatta actually offers to drive her own car to take several in our group who have trouble with long walks—what a nice woman. Coming into the lobby,we meet the woman who is head of the Archives. Her domain is under the tomb of Peter. Those of us who are walking are led by Dr. M through arches, down tunneled driveways, into very private parts of the Vatican and come out in back of the

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Basilica where we come to the door we recognize from our previous tour as that in which the Pope enters and exits. Sure enough, that is the door we enter, along with the Cardinals, Bishops and other important dignitaries coming for the Mass. As we are seated in the seventh row of chairs on the side of the altar and right under the dome, we realize that we are just five rows behind the Cardinals and closer to the altar than anyone seated in front of it. The Cardinals and Bishops walk right past our chairs and many of them stop to greet Dr. M and he introduces us as pilgrims from the States. We discretely take pictures—who will believe where we are otherwise? We are treated to a wide array of not only Swiss Guards in full regalia but also ushers in full tuxedos and Knights of the Holy Sepulcher in their impressive outfits. Everyone takes their role very seriously and reverently. Here we sit waiting for Mass to begin—this special Mass celebrated by the Pontiff himself in honor of the work Pope Pius XII did during World War II to save the lives of hundreds of Jewish people who certainly would We took our seats just to the left of the main altar after have been killed by the Nazis. What is going through entering through the back way into the basilica. each of our minds as we are filled with such awe at being here in this place? We have had so many incredible experiences all week long and now here we are at the end of the pilgrimage readying ourselves to hear the Word and receive the Eucharist just like we do at any Mass but this isn’t just any Mass. The music of the Entrance Procession fills the air; we can see by the entrance of the cross and the very tall candles that behind that large line of Cardinals is His Holiness, Benedict XVI. Emotions must be filling our hearts as we contemplate what is happening. The Pontiff stops before he gets to the Altar for the Liturgy of the Word but we can see his cross and his white head of hair. The word is proclaimed in a language most of our group probably doesn’t understand—but we do understand that his homily is about Pope Pius XII. Now the gifts are presented by a variety of people and then the Pope proceeds up and around to the altar. We easily see him now as he incenses the altar and prepares for the consecration of the bread and wine into the body and blood of Jesus Christ. No cameras now— this is serious, holy and reverent. We receive the body of Christ and before long he is back in front of the altar for the final blessing and then proceeds down to the crypt Deb and Glenn in foreground shortly before Mass began. of Peter where prayers are undoubtedly said at the tomb We sat beneath a beautiful sculpture by Paolo Campi of St. Juliana Falconieri—founder of the Third Order of the The alabaster window shows an image of the Holy Spirit as a dove at the very back of the basilica, in the Servants of Mary (Servites). Chapel of the Throne of St. Peter by Gian Lorenzo Bernini (1598-1659). The four gigantic statues of Doctors (please, continue) of the Church are: St. Ambrose, St. Anthanasius (left); and St. John Chrysostom, St. Augustine (right). ~78~ (continued from previous page)

of Pius XII. And the Mass is ended—we will certainly go in peace to praise and serve the Lord. The Cardinals are now leaving and many stop by again to greet Dr. M and us. Carl Anderson, Supreme Deputy of the Knights of Columbus stops by to say hello. Greetings are sent to the husband of one of us who is celebrating his 50th year in the Knights. We are thinking that if we stay right where we are, maybe His Holiness will come by this way but this time the Swiss Guards rule and out we go! He probably is heading our way! Little black cars with drivers looking for their Cardinal or Bishop are filling the area outside ‘our door.’ We walk through the arches one last time and head down the street to another little restaurant for our last meal together in Rome. Some priests stop by to lead us in grace before we eat and then in comes dear Sr. Margherita who walks around to each table to bid us each farewell. She is such a delight. She is heading back to her convent in Connecticut so some of us use our As cardinal and bishops walked into the basilica from the unchanged dollars to help her on her trip. She expresses back they passed by us and spoke with us. her gratitude—but it is we who are grateful to meet the likes of her. Several of us will undoubtedly purchase her book upon our return to the States. The pilgrimage is in a sense over. We return to our hotel to spend the last several hours however we choose. Some make the evening memorable by going to one of the piazzas for shopping, visiting and dinner. A tour of the college where many of our seminarians are studying is also enjoyed. Some of us, however, stay back and use the time to pack, to buy those last minute gifts for those at home, to write post cards or to catch up on journaling. Dinner is wherever you catch it. We find that the streets near St. Peter’s Square close up shop after dark and Cardinal Francis George of Chicago, while Wanda, Leo and things are quiet on the Via Del Conciliazione on our last Richard watch intently. Our seats were wonderfully close to night in Rome. the main altar.

~80~ ~81~ Pope Benedict incenses the altar and celebrates Mass a few feet away from us at the main altar of St. Peter's Basilica, which is situated directly above St. Peter's tomb

Dr. Moynihan in characteristic pose

Deborah, Judith, Val, Dr. M and Jonathan walking back to hotel along the . Judith and Jonathan have their infra-red, night-vision on. Below are Angels sculpted by Bernini on the Ponte Sant’Angelo. Each angel bears one of the instruments (here, a spear and the cross) used during Christ’s crucifixion.

Richard and Val lead us out of the Vatican ~83~ Join Robert Moynihan on a pilgrimage to Friday, October 10, 2008 Rome and Assisi to  Bag of Italian goodies for celebrate 2010 breakfast March 29 – April 8, 2010  We make our way home Together we will celebrate Holy Thursday,Good Friday and Easter reakfast this morning is in a Sunday in Rome with our Holy bag as we greet Luciano one Father. On our spiritual journey Blast time to head for the we will celebrate special Masses, airport for our flight back to the visit historical sites, listen to guest States. Dr. M asks Sandy to lead the speakers and visit many special Rosary one last time on the way.Very places in and around the Vatican. willing and with the help, as always, of the Holy Spirit, she puts it together. 1-904-699-0960 pilgrimage@ Three Hail Marys—Dr. M likes that idea! The Joyful Basilica of St. Francis in Assisi, Italy insidethevatican.com Mysteries lend themselves to the end of our pilgrimage. The first mystery, The Annunciation reminds of us Gabriel coming to Mary to announce the birth of her son Go inside the Vatican and attend the Inside the Vatican magazine annual dinner in Rome

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Mary’s journey to visit her cousin Elizabeth for comfort e

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h h and support. We journeyed to this great place and were g t

t indeed comforted and supported by all we experienced. r o u t t Mission Statement The third mystery, The Nativity is about birth and here d To defend the Christian faith and h n a we are in the city where the birth of our church took to y message in our time, together with the cit place and where the birth of spirituality often takes place other Christians and all men and women of good will, by doing all in the hearts of pilgrims. The fourth mystery is about that is in our power to “speak the The Presentation in the Temple and how many prayers truth in love” and build up a were presented to our Lord in these temples—these culture of life throughout the world. churches by us. And the fifth mystery—Finding Jesus in the Temple talking to the Elders. How many times did Vision Statement we find ourselves in the temples talking to the elders of In the belief that “the pen is mightier than the sword” and that our present day church with Cardinal Erdo, Cardinal the “culture war” of our time is a Tomko, Archbishop Ramjith. Incredibly,our pilgrimage war of ideas, building on the success has been full of the mysteries of our faith. Hail Mary,full Trevi Fountain of Inside the Vatican, we plan to of grace. The Lord is with you. Blessed are you among expand our reach and scope through women and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus. Holy Our “voice” may not be as “loud” as that of a books, concerts, lectures and Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the major media outlet worth billions of dollars, conferences so that we can help foster the unity of all Christians and hour of our death. Amen. Amen, Alleluia, Amen! What a but our mere existence, our continuous better understanding between publication of Inside the Vatican magazine blessed pilgrimage. Thank you Lord. people worldwide. and other communication initiatives, we Thank you, Dr. Moynihan and Deb. Happy and safe believe, has an important, and very positive, flight home for all. Arrivederci! cultural and religious impact in defense of the traditional values of the Christian west. If you agree with us, please help us to prosper and to spread our message widely. We count on your support for the continuation and development of our mission “to speak the truth.” Remember us in your will, subscribe to our publications or just send a donation of Portrait from Cardinal Tomko’s private residence. whatever you can. Thank you! Dome of St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome ~84~ ~85~ Zürich

Bern

All roads lead to Rome! Trento Udine Ljublijana We hope you enjoyed our pilgrimage to Italy.Photographs, Bergamo Trevisio Trieste most captions and design of this To Assissi Brescia Vicenza Milano Verona Padova journal were provided by Rijeka McKinney Levine Studio, Inc. Venezia Torino Contact information found at: Allessandria McKinneyLevineStudio.com. Parma Ferrara The fonts used were from the

Berkeley and Trade Gothic Genova Bologna family. Thank you and many Zadar blessings to you, too. Pesaro Firenze Nice Pisa Cannes Split Antibes Vatican Gardens Città del Vaticano Perugia Assisi Colosseo Foligno Bastia Spoleto Holy Steps Terni St. Mary Major Pescara St. Peter in Chains St. Paul’s Outside the Walls Catacombs Roma Fiumicino Porto-Vecchio Campobasso Latina Foggia

Bari MEDITERRANEAN SEA Napoli

Sassari Salemo B

Aeroporto me Te e Taranto iu ver Leonardo F da Vinci

Cagliari G Lamezia Terme Cantanzaro

Palermo Messina

© Communications and McKinney Levine Studio, Inc. September 2009. Urbi et Orbi Communications, an American nonprofit organization, is dedicated to publishing and distributing accurate and balanced M information about the Christian faith and tradition worldwide. Urbi et Orbi Communications is the publisher of Inside the Vatican magazine, a monthly journal on Roman Catholic Church affairs. Tunis ~86~ ~87~ www.InsideTheVatican.com N www.McKinneyLevineStudio.com