From Domine Quo Vadis we moved on to St. Paul’s Outside the Walls. Before visiting the Basilica we had lunch in the park nearby and after lunch Fr. Diego treated us to gelato. As we were eating our gelato, the idea of bringing joy to the rest of lunch-goers around us popped into our minds. Therefore, we sang. We sang and acted out "Vroom Plucky Plucky" and they loved it. Then Fr. Diego "took the stage" and sang in Italian. They loved it so much they wanted more, so he also sang "O Sole Mio" and "Time to Say Goodbye". Now that we really had the people's attention, the true moment of apostolate came, we sang a four-part hymn to Our Lady. With this we left them remembering where our true joy comes from, the loving heart of a Mother, the True Cause of Our Joy. After our little show we then headed to the Basilica to venerate the tomb of St. Paul and visit the chapel where St. Ignatius and his original band of men made their first vows. St. Paul’s is also well recognized as the church which houses the medallions of the Popes. Following St. Paul’s we again loaded the bus and headed for the center of Rome.
Within the city we visited many of the most important churches and saints of Rome. We visited:
La Chiesa Nuova and the tomb of St. Philip Neri
Santa Agnes en Agone and the skull of St. Agnes
Maria Sopra Minerva and the tomb of St. Catherine of Siena, patroness of Italy…on her feast day!
The Pantheon
San Andrea della Valle and the tomb of St. Joseph Tomasi
The Gesu and the tomb of St. Ignatius and the arm of St. Francix Xavier.
(We also made sure to see the Trevi Fountain, for no trip to Rome is complete without stopping by.)
It felt like we were flying through the city, but on our tight schedule we made the most of it and had one of the most complete of Roman experiences in one day. After our whirlwind pilgrim tour we loaded the bus for the last time and made our way to the airport for our return flights to the US.
We are now sitting in the Moscow airport waiting for our connecting flight back to JFK. Most are sleeping although the sun is just rising over the Russian horizon. Pray for our safe return home!
Br. Christopher Etheridge
IVE Seminarian