For tonight we thought we would offer you a few spiritual nuggets from Msgr. Caserta's talks today. His conferences are very rich and practical. 

Today we focused on the virtue of charity and then the vow of chastity. Monsignor, quoting St. Augustine, said "You have loved me O God and So have made me lovable." In his characteristic Brooklyn accent he said, "we have no right to feel unlovable. We have been loved by God. We are a result of a thought of God." Knowing we are loved by God we are enabled to love others. Mission comes from this knowledge. 

We are propelled to love others through the nuptial giving of ourselves to God through prayer.  This prayer transforms us until every fiber becomes spiritual motherhood.  Monsignor reminded us that St. Teresa of Avila, while speaking of the soul caught up in spiritual perfection in the 7th Mansion, teaches us that the action of this love finds its expression in love of neighbor.  When there is nothing but God, the soul is moved to love of neighbor.  Finally, we end this evening with a quote from our beloved Pope Francis, "We do not just open the doors of the Church, we walk through them in service to the poor."  

Sister Mary Hanah, RSM writes about her experience in Rome:

What has continued to leave the greatest impression on me is the sense of the Church through the 2000 year history of our faith.  Visiting the Churches with a priest who is a very knowledgeable spiritual guide helped me to become aware of the richness of the faith in a way that I had not seen before.  In the midst of this, one of the graces of this time for me has been the opportunity to reflect upon my own identity as a religious woman and my place in the Church, and to respond to my vocation in a more authentic way as a creature before my Creator.

We have had gifted and remarkable priests who have guided us through this time together.  Their love and knowledge of the Church, the spiritual life, and religious life has shaped this time.  It was my experience that the faith of the early Christians we witnessed in the tombs of the martyrs and confessors, and those who built the magnificent 430 Churches in Rome, was exemplified in a poignant and living way through the faith in Christ and love for His Church that the priest presenters shared with us.  Their presence gave this time a deeply ecclesial character.

One would be remiss not to mention the delightful time we have had together as a group composed of 11 Sisters from five different CMSWR communities.  If only we could share with you the laughing and playful teasing that has gone on at our dinner table in the evenings!  We have truly enjoyed one another.  I am grateful to have come to know these Sisters who love their vocations deeply and radiate the joy of dedicating one's life to the Lord.

Blessed Feast of St. Ignatius! We forgot to tell you that the Pope will be celebrating Mass at the Gesu this evening. The Gesu is about a 5 minute walk from where we are staying. Unfortunately we were not invited, but who knows, we may see him drive by!

In Honor of the Feast of St. Ignatius, here is his Suscipe:

Take, Lord, receive all my liberty,
my memory, my understanding,
and my will,
All that I have and possess.
 

You, Lord, have given all that to me,
I now give it back to you.

O Lord, all of it is yours, dispose of it according to your will. Give me love of yourself along with your grace,

for that is enough for me.

(This translation is found in the
Chapel of the Passion in the Gesu)
 

Crucifix in the Chapel of the Passion, Church of Gesu, Rome
 

Today, Tuesday, July 30th, we continued to be blessed with holy Mass and conferences from Monsignor Thomas Caserta.  Today, Monsignor focused on the theological virtues of hope and faith as eschatological signs that we, as religious, are meant to be for the world.  

Hope is the theological virtue that orders our activity towards the kingdom of heaven.  The witness of religious life makes visible the face of Christ. In this way we should offer hope to all whom we meet. You can imagine the examination that goes on in each of us when we hear this. Monsignor stressed the need to know who we are in relation to God, quoting St. Augustine who prayed often, "Novarum te, novarum me," "Let me know you, and let me know myself."  

Monsignor then gave specific examples. He said our vocation is not about our specific work. Our vocation is to belong to the Lord. This is our call. He then said that the vows don't address specific behaviors, they address personhood, from which flows certain behaviors. We have to interiorize the rules, not just follow them. We do what we do for the love of God. Monsignor cautioned us against compliance rather than obedience, sighting that the biggest failure is to do the right thing for the wrong reason.  This life is not about ourselves and we are happiest when we are living for others; self-absorption  leads to depression.

In the afternoon, Monsignor continued with religious life as a sign of faith in the world. He quoted Hebrews 11 to define faith.  He further quoted the Catechism (par. 1314), which states that the virtue of faith is that by which we believe in God and all that He has taught us and all that the Church proposes for our salvation, for He is truth itself. 

Faith is about handing over (or entrusting) our whole lives to the Lord. This was demonstrated by the Lord Himself from the Cross:  "Into Your hands, Father, I commend my spirit."  We are "betting" our life on Him "who can neither deceive nor be deceived."  This gift of self-surrender to God is given through our vowed life.  As religious, we need to point beyond this world clouded with empiricism to the reality of things unseen.  Monsignor reminded us again of the witness of the external signs of our religious life.

Faith is first and foremost a love relationship with God, and we therefore have the responsibility to be joyful and enthusiastic in living out our vowed life of faith, witnessing to that which springs from a life lived in love for God alone.  Because all baptized in Christ must give of themselves to God, we need to point the way by living out our own baptismal promises.  Because a religious entrusts herself to God, others are more inclined to do the same.

In summary, it is our love that witnesses to the world, a love that is totally self-giving.  Catherine Doherty, founder of Madonna House, said it best:  "A nun is a woman in love. A nun is a woman on the other side of the Cross."

For those of you who have had the privilege of hearing Monsignor Caserta speak, you know how he illustrates his points with stories.

We ended our day by getting gelato! The store owner down the street knows us now. It was a pleasant night to be out since it was almost 10 degrees cooler today (low 90's).

You will begin to see each Sister writing something about her Rome experience. These will be published as they are submitted. We hope you enjoy them.

First up is Mother Marie Julie who is the Superior General of the the Sisters of Charity of Our Lady Mother of the Church.

Mother Marie Julie

It was a great gift to me that when I spoke with the General Council of the Sisters of Charity of Our Lady, Mother of the Church about sending one of our Sisters to the CMSWR  Summer Program at the Domus in Italy, the Council responded that I, as General Superior, should accompany Sister!  At first I refused: sending one Sister represented a financial outlay that, while reasonable, was nonetheless significant; sending me seemed like a lavish gift.  But the Mothers of the Council insisted, so, here I am, already beginning the third and last week of an extraordinary program that has more than exceeded our expectations. 

There have been eleven Sisters in addition to Sister Mary Kathleen, RSM (the Director of the Summer Program), and we have become a praying community that reminds me of the early Christian communities, of whom it was said, “See how they love one another!” Most of us had never met the other Sisters, but the spirit of mutual respect and love, care and concern for one another has been a true experience of “Church.”  We have taken turns leading the rosary according to the custom of each individual community, and have prayed the Liturgy of the Hours in the same way. Gregorian chant, celebrations of various patronal feasts, and visits to Roman churches that have special meaning for the Sisters has provided us with the richness of the various forms of community life present in the Church in the United States. Studying one another’s charism has not only enriched our understanding, but has, in some mysterious way, deepened our love for our own charisms.

The Priests who have accompanied us on this very spiritual journey have been informative, prayerful, reverent, awe inspiring, challenging, and, in the words of one participant, mystics. Daily Liturgies, whether at the Domus or in Churches in Rome, holy hours each evening, participation in processions, and the wonderful privilege of seeing and hearing our dear Papa Francesco at the Sunday Angelus, deepened our love for the Church and for our own precious call to religious consecration.

I suspect that another group of Sisters would experience this program in its own way, as the Spirit breathes where He will, but in the end it would truly be a moment of grace as it has been for us. Whatever sacrifice must be made to permit any member Congregation to send one or two Sisters to this CMSWR experience would be more than justified. I believe I am speaking for the other Sisters  in our group when I say that these weeks have enriched our spiritual life in ways that only God can measure, and which will surely bear fruit to the profit of the whole Mystical Body. May God  be praised for this opportunity.

Mother Marie Julie, SCMC                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              

Today Monsignor Thomas Caserta arrived from New York. Although he arrived this morning, he offered Mass and a conference after lunch.

In his homily he reflected on St. Martha. He said that persons can only love us in the capacity that they have and we have to accept that, even if it is not what we want. Likewise, we can only love God and others in the way we are able and we should not try another way (this does not mean we cannot be stretched at times). 

He will be offering us reflections this week on Religious Life as an Eschatological Sign. Our first conference focused on what an Eschatological identity is. The theology of religious life makes clear that we are to be signs of the Kingdom and thus we need to remember who we are. He said we live on the border of eternity and this why people think of heaven when they see us. 

Monsignor offered us 4 Scripture passages that tell us about the kingdom:

1. 1 Corinthians 2:9 "Eye has not seen..."
2. Revelations 4 and 7: Describe the Heavenly Liturgy
3. Revelations 12:10 and following: The great battle between the         angels; and
4. Revelations 21: The New Order--restoration of the right order of     Creation.

Monsignor also tied the vows in with the representation of the Kingdom on this earth: Obedience is not an authority word, but a service word. Chastity is professed because we are taken by love, a love that can only be experienced by sitting in loving Adoration. We are chaste because we have found much. Poverty is a living reminder of what is really worthwhile. It is not what we take, but what we give. He said this contradicts the narcissism and attitude of entitlement that is prevalent in our culture.  

As you may be able to tell, our final week is almost like a retreat. Monsignor will be offering Mass and two conferences a day. Additionally, the Sisters can meet with him individually if they want.

Please be assured of our prayers.

Sunday, July 27 was another free day. We began with Mass at Santo Spiritu in Sassia, a church very close to St. Peter's. This Church offers a 10am Mass for English speaking pilgrims, which is sponsored by the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of the New Evangelization, in collaboration with the Bishops’ Office for United States Visitors to the Vatican, and the Pontifical North American College. We also attended Mass there last Sunday. We met several people from the United States. Some were from Denver and Nebraska. The world truly is small. For more information about the Council and Mass view this link: http://www.annusfidei.va/content/novaevangelizatio/en/news/11-09-2012.html

After Mass the Sisters did various things. Overall everyone took a quiet day for rest and prayer. However, in the evening a group of us attended the Solemn Celebrations and processions in honor of Madonna Fiumarola. This was an amazing experience in seeing the devotion of the Italian people to Our Blessed Mother, the immense crowds, and the Catholic culture.

We watched the Blessed Mother arrive by boat on the Tiber river. From the boat a priest was leading Marian hymns and a litany to the Blessed Mother. He would would then exclaim "Viva Maria!" and we would respond by saying "Viva Maria!" and then everyone would clap! When she was brought to shore fireworks went off. As she was carried up to the street confetti was shot into the air. As we processed to St. Maria in Trastevere there was a stop at a choir who sang to her. When she arrived at the Church fireworks (like our 4th of July Fireworks) were set off.

It was beautiful to process with all the Italians. Some elderly people were being pushed in wheelchairs and walking with canes. One man was 95 yrs. old and his grandson was pushing him in his wheelchair. His grandson said he was proud to bring his grandfather and Maria (i.e. The Blessed Mother) was helping him.

After the procession we stopped for gelato! We had a wonderful time and it was a special way to end our Sunday.

We will post some pictures that we took, but we also found a link that has a brief explanation of the tradition and some professional photos here: 
http://www.demotix.com/node/2302057

Here comes Mary down the Tiber!

This is where Mary will dock. Notice the band in the crowd.

Maria coming up to the Street...notice the blue confetti!

Notice the gold confetti!

Sister Mary Kathleen and Mother Marie Julie in the Procession 

Sister Sarah and Sister Dorcee in the Procession 

It is hard to tell, but to the left is the choir singing to Our Lady and on the right you can see her statue.

Sister Mary Hanah and Sister Cecilia in the procession

This is the 95 year old man being pushed by his grandson. 

Maria before she entered the Church

Mary in Santa Maria in Trastevere

As we told you last night, today has been a free day. We have all been doing various things. A small group of us went up to the top of the dome in St. Peter's Basilica. We left at 6:45 this morning to walk to St. Peter's. It is better to get their early so you can beat the crowds, especially to get through security. We were also able to attend a Mass in the Crypt of the Basilica this morning. We did not have anything scheduled with a priest, but if you wait outside of the sacristy you can ask a priest coming out if you can attend his Mass. We found an Italian priest that allowed us to follow him. He was a character to say the least!

We had an inside and outside view of the Basilica from the top of the dome. We were able to look into the Vatican gardens and had a great view of the city. We even saw the monastery where Pope Emeritus Benedict is living.

Here are some pictures below for you to enjoy.

Looking down into St. Peter's

Going up the stairs to the Dome

This the the view from the Outside of the Dome, the very highest point we can go.

The monastery to the left is where Pope Emeritus Benedict lives. On the right is the Our Lady of Lourdes grotto.

Coming down from the Dome

We are on the roof of the Basilica, at the level of the
statues of the Apostles. 

We had an email requesting to know (from one of our first posts) what it means when someone in early art has a square halo. Thanks for asking the question! It means that when the piece of art was completed, the person was still alive.

On the Far left, his halo is square, meaning he was still alive when the mosaic was made. This is St. Clement's Church.

Our Group with Father Bechina. He is a member of  Das Werk (The Work) and has been with us this week.

We just completed our days with Father Bechina. One common theme (there were a few) he stressed was the importance of seeing, in faith, how God is working and present especially in situations that seem devoid of God. He underlined the importance of living our lives joyfully in faith and love. In this way we will make Christ present in the world and will attract others to Him. 

He gave us so much that it is hard to condense it here. Overall he passed on a strong sense of joy, faith and hope. He also possesses a strong commitment to live in unity, which is part of the charism of Das Werk. 

If you are interested in looking up his community, here is a link: 

http://www.thework-fso.org/english/index.php

Our time with him was an experience of the complimentarity between the Ordained Ministry and the Religious Life. We are grateful for his zeal and generosity.  

Tomorrow we have a free day. See you at the end of it!

We started the day with Mass celebrating the Feast of St. James.  In his homily, Father Bechina focused on the question asked by the mother of the Sons of Zebedee, asking Jesus that her two sons sit at His right and His left in the kingdom.  Father pointed out that her request might not have been one for prestige or power, but a request of love--because when you love someone, you want to be close to them.

When we went to the Basilica of St. Paul's Outside the Walls, we were struck by the holy water font (pictured above).  One of the Sisters is rereading Story of a Soul and was struck by this quote of St. Therese which seemed to describe it perfectly: "Our Lord [showed] me that a soul in the state of grace has nothing to fear from the devil, who is a coward, and will even fly from the gaze of a little child."

This evening we had the great privilege of visiting S. Paolo Alla Regola in which is the room where Paul was held under house arrest for two years.  We spent an hour in prayer there and read from Acts 28:16-31 which describes Paul's arrival there, his preaching to the Jews, testifying to them from morning to evening.  It is likely that Paul wrote his letters to the Colossians, Philemon, Ephesians and Philippians while he was there.

The marble slab on the left reads: ". . . it is because of the hope of Israel that I am bound with this chain" (Acts 28.20).  (Notice in the mosaic above, Paul's left arm is chained.) On the right it reads: ". . . but the Word of God is not chained" (2 Tim 2.9).  Amen!

Our time together in Rome has taken a different pace. We began our day with Mass at 7:15am with Father Bechina here at the Domus. After that the Sisters were on their own. Some stayed home and completed various projects and others went and explored the city. Many of us returned to places we had visited with Father Landry and then also visited new sites.

A couple of us visited Santi Apostli, which is where St. Philip and St. James are buried. We then walked to the Trevi Fountain and tried to get into Santi Vincenzo e Anastasio e Trevi (Saints Vincent and Anastasius at Trevi) where the embalmed hearts of 25 popes are preserved (from Sixtus V to Leo XIII). Unfortunately, the Church was not open.

Father Bechina arrive at the Domus around 3:30pm to hear confessions. At 4:30pm we had a conference on the Sacrament of Penance followed by holy hour and dinner. He will return tomorrow morning for Mass and to hear confessions in the evening.

In his conference, Father spoke about confession being a dialogue with God. After confessing our sins there should be a dim light or a morning star. It should bring joy. He said that an exaggerated sense of guilt lacks a personal, loving relationship with God.
He also said that the Sacrament of confession re-establishes communion among all of us. He spoke about some misunderstandings regarding the Sacrament of confession. Oftentimes we may formulate our sins in such a way that we actually disguise our sins, we may give long justifications, or be "psychological" about them. Confession must be done in faith. However, even if we have this kind of attitude, our sins are still forgiven! 

Trevi Fountain

Santi Vincenzo e Anastasio e Trevi. You can see that it is facing the Trevi Fountain. 

Today, Tuesday, July 23rd, we began our day with Holy Mass at the chapel of La Madonna del Parto (Our Lady of Childbirth) in the crypt of St.  Peter's Basilica.  Father Bechina was our celebrant who gave us a beautiful homily on the Holy Family, reminding us that we are all members of this "holy family" called the Church.  We then ate a quick breakfast at a nearby café, after which we proceeded to the Congregation for Education where Father Bechina holds the position of Undersecretary for the Congregation. 

Our time with Father at this meeting was very informative. He explained the history behind and the distinction between the Holy See and the Vatican States. The Holy See is wherever the Holy Father is. For example, when he was in Avignon, that is where the Holy See was. Vatican City is the geographical entity where governmental business takes place.  All diplomatic relations are between the Holy See and the particular nation.

As Father completed this historical presentation, he described those who assist the Pope.  In addition to the Secretary of State, there are nine congregations that help the Pope fulfill his mission of serving the Church by strengthening unity and faith among Her members. The head (or prefect) of each congregation is a Cardinal, under him is the secretary, the undersecretary, and then other departments according to language and offices.  In addition to the congregations there are eleven councils. 

While discussing Catholic Education in the United States, Father discussed with us the importance of strengthening the people of faith in universities since we cannot change or force wills. He spoke about how ONE person of faith in difficult situations can have an amazing effect. The Saints are good examples of this.

The rest of the day we were on our own. We met together for our daily holy hour at 4 p.m. followed by cena. Discussions at cena are inspiring and uplifting.  The sharing that is done among us truly "strengthens the brethren."

This morning we met with Cardinal Stafford at the Pontifical Council for the Laity at Palazzo San Calisto.  From there we went to Santa Maria della Scala, and ended the day at Santa Maria in Trastevere.  

This morning, Cardinal Stafford spoke to us about the spirituality of St. John of the Cross, and his assent to faith.  He spoke to us of suffering for the love of Christ, which reminded us of Msgr. Osborne who first gave us the idea that suffering is the only road to Heaven.  Each of us took our own thoughts and graces from this talk.  What you now read is from the heart of one of us.  Cardinal Stafford spoke of the need for beauty to inundate our lives, in order to find God, and he challenged us to find the meaning of faith in our everyday experiences.  

At Santa Maria della Scala, we were escorted into a small chapel where we celebrated mass.  This chapel contained the relic of the right foot of St. Teresa of Avila!!  Cardinal Van Thuan is also buried there.  

We enjoyed Pranzo with the Cardinal at the Domus where we talked about Religious Life and the Church in the United States.

In the evening, we began our conferences with Fr. Bechina, who is a member of Das Werk and works at the Congregation for Education.  He gave us an excellent talk, and again, you are at the mercy of two writers!  Father reminded us that when we love someone, we are sensitive to them.  This means that we should be sensitive to the way Our Lord communicates and reveals Himself to us in the day to day.  We have expectations of how we want Him to reveal Himself to us, yet, it is better for us to learn to find Him in the daily visitations of His will revealed in the ordinary circumstances of life.  

Tomorrow we will meet with you at the Vatican crypt for Mass.  See you there as the Body of Christ together at the altar of God.  

Sunday, July 21st, Day 9 in Rome--

Today we had Holy Mass in English at a church dedicated to the Holy Spirit just one block from St. Peter's Basilica.  In this church there is an altar dedicated to Blessed John Paul II with the relic of his blood procured from a nurse who worked at the hospital where he was treated.  Also, there is an altar dedicated to St. Faustina with her relics there as well.  Following Mass we walked over to St. Peter's where we awaited Pope Francis' appearance and Angelus message on this 16th Sunday in Ordinary Time.  It was a very inspiring experience to be at St. Peter's with thousands of pilgrims from all over the world. 

We had a wonderful Sunday dinner of veal, carrots and Italian pasta.   At 5 p.m. we gathered in a small room off the chapel and had our first official spiritual conference given by Father Cassian Folsom, OSB.  Father is the prior of a Benedictine monastery in Norcia, birthplace of St. Benedict (If you are interested, here is the website to their monastery: http://osbnorcia.org/).  Father spoke for one hour on private or personal prayer and liturgical prayer addressed to Christ, to God as Father, to the Holy Spirit and to the Triune God.  In summary, when one of the Sisters asked what Person or Persons of the Trinity would be the most perfect form of prayer, Father Cassian responded that the more perfect prayer is the one we do our best to pray.  A holy hour followed Father's conference and the day ended with a light supper and preparations for our time with His Eminence James Cardinal Stafford, who will be with us tomorrow.

Father Cassian Folsom, OSB and Sister Mary Patrice, RSM

Angelus with the Holy Father 

Sister Mary Mark, S.C.M.C. reporting.  So Sr. Dorcee and Sr. Sarah saw our Holy Papa.  Sr. Cecilia and I saw Our Lady.  Going out for a short evening stroll, we discovered that there was a band playing somewhere and streets cordoned off, so we figured, "Something must be going on."  And it was!  So we followed the crowd and took in the drama.  There was a procession of Our Lady of Mount Carmel through the streets and entering into the church just down the street from us.  There was music, gun salutes and shouts of "Viva, Maria!"  The drama surrounding the procession was both inspiring and impressive.  Two bishops and several priests, as well as many third order Carmelites, led the procession into the church.  There is no doubt in our minds that the Italians love their Lady of Mount Carmel.  Viva Maria!  And we caught it on video.

Sr. Sarah and Sr. Dorcee reporting in.  We expected to have a fairly uneventful day as our tour with Fr. Landry had finished yesterday.  So the two of us took off this afternoon to go back to some churches we had visited already.  Sr. Sarah wanted to stop at St. Mary Major to pray before the icon of Mary before which Pope Francis prayed the morning after his election.  When we got there, we noticed that the chapel of the icon was not open, but there was a chair placed directly in front facing it.  We started to suspect that something special was happening, especially when we saw numerous secret service types standing around.  We were directed to sit down by a bishop who kept repeating, "Sancte Padre, Sancte Padre." Yes, we ended up seeing Pope Francis!  He came to St. Mary Major to pray before the icon before leaving for World Youth Day.  No one knew he was coming!  We ended up being six feet from him when he processed in.  Everyone was crying and clapping. He prayed for about 45 minutes and then came out to address all of us.  As he processed out, he came right over to us because there was a mother with a five month old baby boy standing right between us. Pope Francis came right over to put his hand on the baby's head to bless him.  We could have reached out to touch him.  What a blessing for us, for all of us here, and for all of you.

Today Father took us on a walk with the Saints. The focus was less on history and architecture and more on the lives of the Saints. 

Today was also our last day with Father Landry. We have been blessed to have him as our pilgrimage leader and have enjoyed him thoroughly. As one of our group members said, "His instruction has been like sipping out of a fire hydrant!" However, we each have drunk our fill and are left with an abundant font from which to draw for reflection and prayer. 

We will briefly list the Churches we visited and the Saints that are buried there:

1. Chiesa Nuova. This is the Church where St. Philip Neri is buried.
2. Basilica of Saint Augustine. St. Monica is buried here.
3. Basilica of St. Agnes. This is built on the site of her martyrdom.
4. St. Andrew. 
5. Basilica of St. Maria in Sopra Minerva. Catherine of Siena is buried here (except her head!)  
6. Pantheon. This was built in 37 BC.
7. Basilica of St. Ignatius. St. Robert Bellarmine, St. Aloysius, and St. John Berchman.
8. The Gesu. St. Ignatius and the arm of St. Francis Xavier.

Here are links to 5 articles on the Scavi Tour by Father Landry:

http://www.catholicpreaching.com/discovering-the-roots-of-our-faith-the-anchor-april-11-2008/

http://www.catholicpreaching.com/the-church-literally-built-on-peter-the-anchor-april-18-2008/

http://www.catholicpreaching.com/the-search-for-st-peters-bones-the-anchor-april-25-2008/

http://www.catholicpreaching.com/hidden-treasure-the-anchor-may-2-2008/

http://www.catholicpreaching.com/paul-vis-and-the-churchs-happy-news-the-anchor-may-9-2008/

We learned about this young girl named Antonietta Meo who suffered from bone cancer and died short of her 7th birthday. She is buried at Santa Croce and wrote over a hundred letters to Jesus. Her cause is being considered in Rome. You can learn more about her and read her letters here: http://nennolina.it/

Father Landry also wrote an article about her: 
http://www.catholicpreaching.com/precocious-sanctity-the-anchor-january-25-2008/

 Today we began with Mass with Fr. Landry. Father spoke of our need to be "yoked to Christ". He compared this to being in a three legged race. If you do not stay in sync with the person you are tied to, you cannot move. This demonstrates our need to always be yoked with Jesus and be able to move with Him. He further explained that each of our yokes is especially designed for each of us.

We continued our pilgrimage with a more in depth visit to St. John Lateran and Santa Croce. We also visited the Baptistry at St. John Lateran. This Baptistry is the oldest in Christianity next to the Jordan River. This was the only baptistry in Rome for centuries. Ironically, the holy water font was dry. Father promptly emptied a water bottle into it, read the rite of blessing, after which we renewed our baptismal promises. Of note, many Saints were baptized here.  

Next we went to the Scala Sancta (the Church of the Holy Stairs) and witnessed many pilgrims going up the stairs on their knees. It was quite moving. There was beautiful art and is a wonderful place to contemplate the Passion.  

Lastly we made our way on the bus and on foot to the Catacombs of St. Callisto. St. Cecilia's body was found there incorrupt. They have a statue at the place of her tomb that shows exactly how she was found. This was a special gift for Sister Cecilia. 

Lastly we stopped at the Church of Domine Quo Vadis. This is supposedly the place where Peter met Jesus as he was fleeing Rome. It was here that Peter asked Him, "Quo Vadis Domine?" to which Our Lord replied "I am going back to Rome to be crucified again." Father encouraged us to ask the Lord the same question for our own lives. 

We then returned home, had holy hour together, dinner and then Father took us out for Gelato! We are now exhausted, but spiritually refreshed. 

We will continue to pray for you and your intentions. Please send any prayer requests you may have. You can leave them as a comment on this blog.

One of the best parts of this time in Rome is our common life together. We begin each day with Morning prayer and Mass. Father Landry celebrates a beautiful and reverent Mass with inspiring homilies. 

It has been a pleasure getting to know each Sister and her community. Everyone is participating to the full whether they are praying, eating, socializing, doing the dishes, cooking or helping out in other generous ways. There is a comradery that is developing in the spirituality of communion between all of us.

Today Father took us to St. Peter's. We began in the morning with a tour of the Basilica and ended with a Scavi Tour in the evening. We were able to pray at the tombs of Bl. John XXIII and Bl. John Paul II (to name a few). Father continues to open the Scriptures to us as he leads our tours, as well as give us very interesting bits of history. 

The Scavi Tour was profound and moving. Father led us through the underground tombs that eventually took us to the tomb of St. Peter. Father unfolded the history not only of the early Christians, but also of how St. Peter's tomb was discovered. Pope Pius XII was responsible for the excavation under the Basilica that led to the discovery of the bones of St. Peter. 

The Catholic Church is literally built upon Peter. It was quite touching to see how reverently the early Christians guarded Peter's bones and tomb. To experience this tour with Father was a privilege. His love for Holy Mother Church, St. Peter, his amazing ability to convey history and the Word of God, draws us in and brings everything to life. We are being spoiled! 

Be assured of our prayers for you and your intentions as we continue to visit these holy sites and tombs of the great Saints who have gone before us. Enjoy a few pictures below.

In the Piazza of St. Peter's.
Some of the Sisters and Fr. Landry

A group of us in front of St. Peter's. This was a photo opportunity for other pilgrims  They either want to take our picture
or be in one with us. We have met many interesting people.

Sister Sarah had to have this picture taken with her U of M hat in front of St. Peter's.
Those who know her know there is a story here!

Father Landry preparing us for the Scavi Tour

Right before our Scavi Tour

Today Fr. Landry took us to a number of churches and sites: Sant' Andrea delle Fratte, the Spanish steps, the Capuchin Convent ("Church of the Bones"--more about that later), Saint Mary of Victory, Saint Mary of the Angels and the Martyrs, the Basilica of Saint Praxedes, Our Lady of Perpetual Help.  We then returned to St. Mary Major, and  lastly to St. Peter in Chains.

The "Church of the Bones" was inspiring in an unconventional way.  When the Capuchins had to move in 1631, they also moved the cemetery, which consisted of 300 cartloads of deceased friars.  One of the monks oversaw the arrangement of them in their new monastery, and as you can see, he was quite creative.  It is definitely a meditation on death.

As a special highlight for our Carmelite Sisters, who are celebrating the Solemnity of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, we were able to pray before Bernini's St. Teresa in Ecstasy in the Church of our Lady of Victory.

Saint Teresa in Ecstasy by  Bernini

The Basilica of Saint Praxedes is built over a house church where the early Christians would gather to worship. Both Saint Praxedes and her sister were the daughters of the senator Prudens, who hosted Saint Peter when he was in Rome.  You can see the two sisters in this mosaic with Peter and Paul with their arms affectionately around their shoulders. Do you know the significance of the square halo on the figure on the far left?

Interesting fact: Fr. Landry in addition to being a very spiritual priest,  has a photographic memory which makes him an excellent tour guide.  He once memorized 450 pages of lecture notes and could recite them back verbatim to his teacher.

Today we visited Saint Paul's Outside the Walls. We were able to pray at the tomb of St. Paul. Many Sisters mentioned that they brought your intentions with them there.

At the Basilica there were two side chapels that were particularly meaningful. In the Chapel of St. Stephen, St. Ignatius and his brothers professed their vows. In the Chapel next to that one, St. Bridget of Sweden used to pray. Once while she was praying, the Corpus on the cross turned and looked at her. The people in the chapel with her at the time also saw this miracle.

The time in Rome has been a gift. We have had two wonderful tour guides. Yesterday it was Monsignor Osborn and this week we have Fr. Roger Landry. Both are bringing Scripture to life at each holy site we visit.

Be assured of our continued prayers.

Saint Paul's Outside the Walls 

Saint Paul's Outside the Walls

Side Chapel inside the Basilica.
This is the ancient Crucifix that turned and looked
at St. Bridget of Sweden.