Italy Day 11 {Monte Cassino}

Main altar at Monte Casino Basilica, Casino, Italy

Bridget and Tim decend to the crypt below the main altar at Monte Casino.

View from the front steps at the Basilica of Monte Casino

Metalwork on the gate leading into the abby

Our Zachary with Pope Saint Zachary at Monte Cassino, Cassino, Italy

Perched atop a rocky cliff above the town of Cassino, the Benedictine Monastery of Monte Cassino dates to the 500's.  However, the structures were largely rebuilt after being bombed in WWII.  Unbelievable beauty greeted us in the Basilica of Monte Cassino; just as we arrived evening prayer (Vespers) was beginning and all tourists were ushered out.  Glad for the opportunity to enter into reverent community prayer with the monks in this holy place, we found seats and shared in evening prayer.  Imagining the thousands of holy people who have worshiped in this place was awe inspiring.  Finding the crypt of St. Benedict in the hidden underground church below the Basilica gave us another spot for quiet and prayer.

Noteworthy:

• Pulling into Rome on the Autostrade on a sunny Sunday evening could mean waits of up to one hour simply to pay the toll and drive into the city.
• Aggressive drivers may only wait half as long.
• Emergency vehicles may use bumper car style driving to literally push other cars out of the way so that their wait is lessened (whether or not there is an actual emergency).

Italy Day 10 pt 2 {Subiaco}

Monastery of Saint Benedict, Subiaco, Italy 

Nestled in the cliff side, towering over the town of Subiaco, the Benedectine Monasteries of Subiaco  brought us right to where St. Benedict lived in prayed in a cave as a hermit for three years. 

The irregular shape of the inside of the St. Benedict Monastery, where the chapels and churches seem to grow out from around the rocks of the cliff-side could not be photographed, as it is protected as a "no photo" area.  The grotto, reserved for prayer and meditation, offered a quiet oasis amidst the crowds visiting this holy place on a Sunday afternoon.  Being one of Zachary's "must sees" in Italy, he hadn't waited til morning to come and visit, he took a short run/walk from our room at St. Scholastica's Monastery on arrival night to get his first peek at St. Benedict's Monastery.

In formation with the Passionist Order in Rome, on retreat at St. Scholastica, Salvadore came to visit in the morning.

Peter and Joseph join a game of soccer in the play area (parking lot) at St. Scholastica.

Tim enjoys the view from the steps leading to our room at St. Scholastica, Subiaco, Italy.

Who knew how much our younger boys would miss playing with other kids?  The looks on their faces when we pulled into the parking area at St. Scholastica, filled with kids around their age filled in the blanks. Within moments of exiting the vehicle, Joseph and Peter had been invited to join the game, and Joseph even scored a goal.  They were the willing daredevils who volunteered to retrieve the ball when it flew over the hedge (a sheer cliff below, but somehow they managed).  The fun and games ended when one of the older boys proudly shared the English (swear) words he knew.  Joseph and Peter took that as a cue to exit the scene.

Noteworthy:

• "Speak Italy" means, "If you want to talk to me, don't use English and your stupid sign language; speak Italian!"
• Being guests at a monastery does not necessarily mean solitude and an escape from the everyday: especially if a group of middle-schoolers are visiting at the same time.
• Joseph was the first male on this excursion to voluntarily do his own laundry!

Italy Day 10 {Cascia: St. Rita}

Family snap shot in Cascia; taken with auto timer on our point and shoot.

St. Rita of Cascia's life is an inspiration to many, and her intercession is often sought for hopeless causes and difficult marriages.  Her incorrupt body is displayed at the Basilica of St. Rita in Cascia, a small town on a small road somewhere between Assisi and Subiaco.  We drove through a 4K tunnel (2.5 miles) en route, and found ourselves on freakishly high cliff-side hairpin turns, one after another, our abdominal muscles sore from the ride.  "We'll have time for a full act of contrition if we go off the road here!" Zac offered on one of the exhilarating switch backs.  Funny thing is, the map showed this journey as a straight line!  All the twists and turns paid off, as our brief visit to St. Rita's Basilica gave us a break for prayer, contemplation and a family picnic with territorial views of the region.

Many miracles are displayed in Cascia's basilica, including two incorrupt bodies and a 700 year old Eucharistic Miracle.  If anyone doubts the Real Presence of Christ in the Holy Eucharist, this Eucharistic Miracle could ignite his faith.

In 1330, a consecrated Host (the Holy Eucharist) was hastily removed from the tabernacle and placed in a prayer book (breviary) by a priest on his way to administer the sacraments to a dying peasant.  After hearing the sick man's confession, the priest opened his breviary to retrieve the Holy Eucharist, and to his astonishment found that the white host has bloodied the pages of his book.   Father knew he had been irreverent and went immediately to Siena's Augustinian Priory to consult with Fr. Simone Fidati of Cascia, known for his holiness.  The Sacred Host was put on display to teach Christians about the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist.  Seeing this miracle was a powerful experience for us, and a call to prayer for Christian unity.

Twisted photo of the backseat gang.

Italy Day 9 {Assisi}

Peter's rash covered skin, shown to the pharmacist for help with medication

April Fools Day in Assisi, and Joseph started things off by pouring laundry soap into the bath tub before Peter's bath.  Perhaps that had something to do with the terrible rash that broke out all over Peter's body?  We found a Farmacia and asked with sign language (pointing to Peter's rash and scratching ourselves like monkeys) for a cure.  Maybe the pharmacist spoke English, but better safe than sorry!  He sold us a little tablet, and told Peter to take half a tablet every 12 hours.  Shortly thereafter the rash disappeared and hasn't returned.

Secluded olive grove at St. Anthony's Guesthouse, Assisi

Digging in!

Picnicking in a shady olive grove overlooking St. Clair's Basilica, we felt right at home at St. Anthony's guest house.  Our fishy Friday meant we sampled thinly sliced salmon (cured?) with our sandwiches.  The butchers, a father an son duo, so very helpful at the local shop, even sliced our bread and cheese.  Fresh fruits and assorted juices rounded out the simple meal.

High energy and over active imaginations fueled the steep climb up to the Rocca Maggiore castle at the top of Assisi.  A typical example of medieval military architecture, the castle had many corridors, spiral staircases, look-out towers and cells.  We also found the chapel where Mass would have been offered.
A highlight involved passing through a narrow (about a body and half width), low ceiling (under 6 feet high) and almost completely dark the entire 100 yard length.  The boys charged through, running and yelling, "For Narnia!"

In the polygonal tower at the top of the castle, we enjoyed sweeping views of Assisi and the entire Umbrian countryside;  commanding vistas, on a beautiful sunny day.  The opportunity to rest in the sun was tempting for Tim and me, but the boys were far too intrigued with the countless possibilities such a position would hold in battle.  Overheard during my short siesta, "I would pay you e100 (100 Euros) if you managed to pee on a coconut bouncing down from here!"

Friar Fabio with the boys outside St. Damien, Assisi

Stopping for gelatto after our descent from the castle, we forged on another 2k straight downhill out of Assisi proper to St. Damien Church, where St. Francis heard Jesus speaking to him from the cross, "Repair my Church."  A friendly friar, Fabio, visited with us in the courtyard after our self guided tour.  Fabio heard his call to the priesthood at St. Damien at age 17, and now has two more years of formation before his ordination.  In parting, he promised to pray for our family, and we for him.  Attending another daily Mass (for First Friday!) at St. Rufino, plus visits to St. Clair, St. Mary Major, and a small chapel at St. Joseph Benedictine Monastery made this a day to remember.

Noteworthy:

• From the top of a castle, the male dominated conversation will naturally turn to how cool it would be to throw things off (coconuts, watermelons, bowling balls, pee, spit).
• Probably best to know what you're ordering for dinner (even if the waitress is rude and rushed).
• Truffle pizza is edible with enough water (snuck into the restaurant in water bottles) but eggplant ____ (something) is just barely palatable.  Maybe better to just stick with cheese pizza on future Fridays!

Italy Day 8 {Reaching Assisi}

Loading up the rental car before we depart Rome for Assisi

Driving in Rome can be terrifying, exhilarating, frustrating and nearly impossible all at once. We had been warned (and have seen first hand) about the road hazards and had hoped to avoid driving if possible but for convenience and budget reasons, we took to the open roads in a little rental car. Our mission: get to Assisi. The challenge: getting out of Rome. Tim really proved his urban skills on this mission. With his faithful navigator (me) and his worthy passengers (the boys) he successfully reached the GRA (freeway) and even found a gas station with diesel (just adding to the excitement, the car was rented to us with 1/4 tank).

Entering the Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi; our first stop in Assisi

A wrong turn isn't really a wrong turn if you can still head in the general direction you need to go. Glad to be off the A1 (super mega toll highway) but detoured by the windy country roads, we made our way to Assisi in a round-a-bout manner. Finding the tremendous city on a hill in the Umbrian country side was both a relief and a very exciting time. We parked the car and immediately climbed the steep hills to visit the Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi, built in the 1200's. Tremendous beauty; such an amazing worship space. Throngs of school children arrived at about the same time, so we were a bit crowded in some spaces.

View from our bedroom window at St. Anthony's Guest House, Assisi, Italy

St. Rufino, Assisi

Driving the narrow convoluted streets of Assisi made Rome driving seem simple! Without an address for our B&B, we took to hunt and peck behind the wheel in the hopes of finding it. By God's grace we landed right at the front gate of St. Anthony's Guesthouse, and our hosts welcomed us with great hospitality (though very little English). The window of our room looked directly out at St. Clair's steeple and beyond. Tranquility quickly replaced the stress from our day of driving, and we walked five minutes to St. Rufino's for 6PM Mass.

Wild boar on the menu at dinner, we visited an overpriced but decent restaurant after Mass. The waitress wasn't going to admit she spoke English, until Tim asked, "Do you speak English?" and she admitted that she did. Still having difficulty paying outrageous prices for tap water, we allowed Peter to slip into the bathroom to fill up his cup a few times. Raising rebels, I know. Dehydration can cause disruption in normal parenting techniques...

Checking out posted menus for prices and selections is all part of the dinner time routine.

Waiting for water...

Noteworthy:

• Gas station to-go sandwiches here are better than most we make at home.
• Being jammed into a compact car for several hours on windy roads gives us a new appreciation for our comfortable transportation at home.
• I've filled an 8G memory stick already with photos and videos; not quite one week into our trip!

Italy Day 7 {Rome: Apostolic Blessing & St. Paul Outside the Walls}

Pope Benedict XVI at the general audience March 30, 2011

Our Papa!

Anticipating our Papal Audience with great excitement, we raced to St. Peter's with throngs of pilgrims in the early morning on Wednesday. Our seats, in the "speciale" zone, were up on the platform not far from Pope Benedict XVI's chair. The wait from arriving at our seats to waving at Papa was about two hours; the weather was beautiful and our neighbors in the crowd shared our enthusiasm (some shared sunscreen, and others offered to email us their photos taken with a D80+Zoom). Once the audience began, our appreciation for the great honor of being present magnified. The holy Gospel of St. John was procliamed in Italian, French, German, English, Spanish, Portugese, and Polish; and the Holy Father's teachings were also given in each of these languages (condensed in all but Italian). Our neighbors in the seats included a contingent from French L'Arche. The unbridled enthusiasm of one their young men was refreshing, and totally unprecictable (Joseph's quote)


After praying the Lord's Prayer together (chanted Pater Noster) and receiving our apostolic blessing, many of the front rows began to empty out. We rushed the stage filled in the gaps, and found ourselves at the very front row to watch Pope Benedict XVI greeting a line of guests, including a very young boy who appreared to be a cancer patient and a long line of cardinals. Still at the front row when Pope Benedict began his motored exit, we waved and even made eye contact! Lifelong memories to be sure...

Family picnic after the audience, back at our flat in the garden

Riding a wave of joy and fulfilled hopes, we enjoyed a picnic lunch in our patio garden at the flat. Sharing our impressions of the Papal Audience and reliving the exciting event in the comfort of our home in Rome kept the afterglow burning bright. Lunch time discussion also included a few decisions about how best to use our remaining days with Zachary before his early return to the US for classes. Renting a car turns out to be cheaper than 5 train tickets to Assisi, so after lunch we visited the car rental agency at Termini station in Rome, en route to St. Paul's Outside the Walls.

Amazing art at St. Paul's, Rome

Metro stop at St. Paul's Basilica

Entering St. Paul's at the exact time an English Mass began in a side chapel, we joined the pilgrims from El Paso, Texas, for the celebration. In white vestments rather than violet (Lent), the priest said a Mass remembering the Conversion of St. Paul.  The Gospel reading was from Mark: go out to all the world and tell the good news! He encouraged us to be bold in sharing our faith and living the Gospel.
Take a virtual tour of this outstanding basilica here.

Noteworthy:

• Mile-long lines at the Vatican museum disappear on a Papal audience morning.
• A high school band entertained the crowd with Amazing Grace, followed by theme songs from Indiana Jones and Blues Brothers in St. Peter's Square before the Pope's arrival.
• Our Holy Father, and shepherd, Pope Benedict XVI, captured our hearts!

Italy Day 6 {Rome: Colosseum, Forum and St. John Lateran Basilica}

A simple cross erected in 1794 by Pope Benedict XIV in the Colosseum reminds visitors that it is sacred ground where many martyrs shed their blood as Christian witnesses.

Colosseum ruins, Rome, Italy

Roman Forum: a breath of fresh air

Like caged animals, our boys miss their natural environment.  Chasing each other on the busy sidewalks, dodging traffic in uncertain crosswalks, doing tricks on the escalators and fighting gravity on trains just doesn't seem to cut it.  But being out in 'the wild' was a huge highlight from their visit to the Colosseum and Forum Tuesday. Joseph wrote in his travel journal:

It was refreshing to be in a place with plants and trees and fresh air, instead of concrete, cars and pollution. That was the highlight of my day.

The crowds at the Colosseum gave it the feel of a professional sporting arena; the wide expansive space at the Forum offered peace, quiet and a breath of fresh air.

St. John the Evangelist

A basilica for the world, St. John Lateran Basilica was built by Constantine as the first church in Rome.  As the cathedral of the bishop of Rome (Pope Benedict XVI), it is also the cathedral for the world.  Our visit to St. John Lateran on Tuesday added immesurably to our pilgrimage to Rome.  The art and architecture alone would be worth a day's visit; add in the sacred space for worship and prayer... it's like a part of heaven on earth.  Visiting the Schola Sancta across the street allowed us an opportunity for prayer and penance, a great preparation for celebrating confession a few hours later at the Pontifical North American College where our Papal Audience tickets were ready for pick-up.

Arriving at the Pontifical North American College, Rome

Peter and Tim wait in line to celebrate the sacrament of confession (reconciliation) at PNAC.

Anytime you can add confession to a family evening out, you are heading in the right direction. 

For us it was an added bonus to our visit to the Pontifical North American College to collect our tickets for Wednesday's Papal Audience.  The offer was far too good to refuse, and we were all able to receive the special sacrament (one after another).  We have seen many active confessionals in the various churches we have visited, offered in many different languages.  What a gift to be at NAC during confession time!  The surroundings are beautiful and peaceful, and Zachary mentioned that everyone we met there seemed very happy.  Someone I know might like to study there someday...

An evening with a new friend with close ties to home capped off another wonderful day in Rome.   She is a theology professor at a pontifical university; outgoing and personable, and a lot of fun to visit with.  She had the inside scoop on where to order good pizza, and to our surprise each personal pizza was as large as a medium family pizza at home (though with a delicately thin crust and moderate, tasty Italian toppings).  We brought home left-overs to enjoy cold the next day.    

Noteworthy:

• Just because you're next in line at the grocery deli doesn't mean you're next in line (must grab a numbered ticket!).
• Standing at the deli waiting to be served without a ticket marks you as a silly tourist.
• When you taste the fresh cold cuts, the other details fade away.