Friday November 27, 2009

On Friday we grabbed the infamous 64 bus from outside our convent to Statione Termini and walked to Santa Maria Maggiore for Mass. Unfortunately the tomb and chapel of Pope St. Pius V was being renovated and was closed off to visitors. We still were able to venerate the relics of the Sacred Crib of Jesus. Also in this Church is a terrific relief sculpture by Pietro Bernini, the father of Gian Lorenzo Bernini. It’s easy to see that Pietro passed his trade on to his son Gian Lorenzo and his son quickly surpassed his father in artistry and ingenuity. Gian Lorenzo himself in buried in Santa Maria Maggiore. His burial site is marked by a simple stone in the floor to the right of the altar that says “Gian Lorenzo Bernini brought honor and beauty to Rome.”

Next we walked around the corner to Santa Praesede. This small tucked-away church contains part of the column at which Christ was scourged. It was also the original area for Praesede’s home where she collected relics of the martyrs and expressed a sponge that she used to collect their blood. Later Pope St. Callistus brought the relics of more martyrs from the catacombs to this church for proper honor. St. Felix is also buried here.

Afterwards we walked down Via Merulana to St. John Lateran. This is the cathedral church for the Bishop of Rome and was surrounding palace served as the papal residence up to the Avignon Captivity.

From there we walked quickly down to Santa Croce in Gerusaleme to venerate the relics of the Passion. St. Helen brought soil from the Holy Land and spread it around and then built a church on the site. Just before we got to the Chapel of the Relics, there was a shrine to Antonietta Meo. She was a six-year old girl who died of bone cancer in 1937. The Vatican has officially opened her cause for canonization, which would make her the youngest individual the Church has ever considered for sainthood. Her shrine displayed some of her letters, which are absolutely incredible. The letters are on the same paper that all first graders use and her words unmistakably show her perfect child-like devotion to God. Check out her website here. “Unless you become like this child, you will not enter the kingdom of God.”

This time the area around the relics was closed off and you could only see them from about 15 feet away. It seems like there were many subtle security measures added in several different churches since the last time we came to Rome. Before we left the church, some of the students wanted to sing a few hymns. One of the Cistercians of the Church heard the kids warming up and ask if the students wanted to sing in the Relics Chapel. Of course we said yes and the priest took us to the Chapel and opened the gate so the students could approach the reliquary and see the piece of the true Cross, the Nails and the Thorns up close. The choir then sang several songs. The priest brought the rector of the church to listen. The priests, along with a few Italians, were very impressed and enjoyed the performance. Teenagers singing polyphonic hymns is a rarity in any country these days.

We took the metro up to Termini and lunched in small groups. Some of the kids couldn’t resist going to McDonald’s. With the Euro conversion, we’re talking $8 for a regular sandwich. After lunch we took metro to the Spanish Steps. There were tons of tourists there. Then we walked to the top and headed for the Villa Borghese and the Borghese Museum.

If you can to only one museum in Rome, go to the Borghese Museum. The Borghese has four major Bernini sculptures and several important Caravaggio paintings. Perhaps the most striking Bernini sculpture is the group of Aneas and his father and son. Bernini did this sculpture with his father when he was fourteen. It's clear that the sculpture is more than Pietro Bernini ever accomplished. The piece is probably the best example of classical piety, which boils down to filial piety.










The best Caravaggio shows the Madonna crushing the head of the serpent with the child Jesus' foot on top of hers.