Pictures from St. Peter's (The Vatican)

It was a full day of conferences today, but in between sessions and during lunch (pranzo) I took the 10 minute walk to St. Peter's Square to take the attached photos.  After dinner, I also walked to the square to take pictures of the creche and Christmas tree which really is beautiful at night.  The lighting and sparse crowds in the square really reveal a tranquil beauty.  The photos will be in no particular order since I had so many to choose from.  There will also be photos from inside the basilica. 

I took a route to St. Peter's Square which passes the Jesuit Curia (central offices) on Borgo Santo Spirito which is a stone's throw to the square.  Obviously, I have to include a photo of the entrance to the Jesuit Curia before I get to the rest.  

Jesuit Curia

View of St. Peter's Basilica from the front door of the Jesuit Curia.

Where the Pope lives.

Swiss Guards at their post.

Side altar with tomb of John Paul II

Statue of St. Ignatius Loyola in nave of basilica.

Altar and tomb of Pope John XXIII

Altar and tomb of Pope St. Gregory the Great

Creche inside the basilica.

Baptismal Font of the basilica.

Holy Year Door

Group of Italian pilgrims singing on the steps of the basilica.

And now it is the end of the night for me, and, for Rome, the end of the Christmas season on February 2nd, the Feast of Candlemas.  So for the last time this season, Merry Christmas!  Ciao!

General Papal Audience (The Vatican)

The photo above is Benedict XVI arriving in the Audience Hall for his regular General Audience.  We had reserved seats in the first section, directly in front of the papal throne.  Unfortunately, I did not bring my zoom lens for my camera so the photos of the Pope and the bishops and cardinals at the audience seem at a distance.  However, we were very close to the Holy Father.  When we were introduced to the Holy Father, all of the priests in the sabbatical program stood up and sang the first sentence of the Credo, to which the Pope applauded.  I must admit that I was quite impressed by the General Audience and the warmth of the Holy Father as he greeted all the different groups in the hall.  It was quite inspirational.  Before the General Audience began, I had the opportunity to be introduced to Jesuit Father Frederico Lombardi, the official spokesman for The Vatican and Director of Vatican Radio.  He was with a Jesuit from the Detroit Province, Bob Geisinger, who works at the Curia whom I met on several occasions when I was in Rome at Province Treasurers' meetings.  All in all, a wonderful day!

With Fr. Lombardi (center) and Bob Geisinger.

With Brian Geary from Chicago

Some of the priests in the sabbatical program

A group of Vietnamese women from Belgium who sat next to us in the Audience Hall.

A mariachi band from Mexico playing before the General Audience began.

Cardinal ? from Brazil (center)

Benedict XVI greeting the bishops and cardinals as he enters the Audience Hall.

At end of the audience, bishops and cardinals greeting the Pope.

The Pope having his picture taken with a group of bishops from southern Italy.

Casa O'Toole (Rome, IT)

Greetings, once again today, from Casa O'Toole.  In the midst of a very heavily scheduled day of the program, I popped outside to take a few photos.  Before leaving the building, I asked [NAME and PICTURE, deleted in DECEMBER 2014, at the request of the ICTE employee who was asked to take the photo] to take my picture in the conference room of the Casa where there is wireless connectivity.



My bedroom and study are on the 4th floor of the Casa.

Chapel at the Casa

Dining Room of the Casa

It is not all studies for the seminarians who are playing frisbee on the soccer field of the North American College.