Santa Croce in Gerusalemme
This was our first stop. To name a few, there are the relics of St. Thomas' finger that probed the wounds of Christ, and also a piece of the placard that hung over the cross of Christ.
Skulls of SS. Peter and Paul at St. John Lateran
Then, we walked to the Mother Basilica of the Universal Church. We stood in awe at seeing the Baldacchino, which means canopy, that is above the ornate reliquary containing the skulls of SS. Peter and Paul.
Basilica of San Clemente
From here, we went to the oldest Basilica in Rome, San Clemente. This is our only photo, since none were permitted inside. Here we communed with the Christians of old as we descended below the current basilica, returning in time to the fourth and then into the first centuries! It is said that St. Peter celebrated Mass in one of the rooms that we stood in! Underneath our walkway were the charred remains of the fires in Rome set by Nero, in order to incite hatred of the Christians and their eventual persecution, as he attributed to them the setting of these fires. This took place in 64 A.D. We stood by the tomb of St. Cyril, patron of the Slavic nations. Guess who came to visit this tomb?
Ceiling at St. Mary Major
Our final stop for the day was St. Mary Major! We learned that the gold in the ceiling at St. Mary Major was brought from the new world by Christopher Columbus, presented to King Ferdinand and Isabella, who in turn bequeathed it for the construction of the ceiling at the Basilica. This happened because full financial responsibility had been entrusted to them as patrons of the basilica. We also learned that Bernini is buried here, as well as St. Jerome and St. Matthias!
Obelisk, in front of St. John Lateran, brought to Rome from Egypt that we are certain was seen by Moses!
Join us tomorrow as we continue our pilgrimage throughout Rome!
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