Buona Pasqua (Rome, IT)

HAPPY EASTER

A Visit to the Bellarmino (Rome, IT)

At the invitation of Fr. Scott Brodeur, SJ, [pictured above] of the New England Province, I visited the Bellarmino Jesuit Community where Scott lives.  I was joined by Fr. Jerry DiSpigno (Rockville Center, NY Diocese) who is with me in the sabbatical program at the North American College.  Jerry and I had a delighted lunch and visit with Scott and other members of the community, including Russ Rhode, SJ of the California Province, and Len Atilla, SJ of the Province of English Canada.

Jerry and Scott below a portrait of St. Robert Bellarmine, SJ.

In addition to his full time position as a Professor of Sacred Scripture at the Gregorian University in Rome, Scott is also a member of the faculty of the sabbatical program of the North American College.  His conference on St. Paul includes an 8 day trip to Greece "in the footsteps of St. Paul."  The trip begins on Thursday of the coming week.  The sabbatical priests are looking forward to his conferences and the trip.  Scott has a terrific reputation as both a scholar of St. Paul and as a tour guide.  He has led such tours for many years and has earned very high marks from all of those who have taken his courses and the tour.  Scott alternates the tours so that one year it is to Greece and the following year it is to Turkey, all of which are "in the footsteps of St. Paul."  I now have a reason to take another sabbatical next year so I can join him on his tour of the pilgrimage sites of Turkey!  

It is now late afternoon in Rome.  Tonight I will be attending the Easter Vigil at del Caravita.  The service begins at 9:00 PM.  It will be a long night, compounded by the fact that Europe goes on daylight savings time as of tonight, so it will be an hour's less sleep!  Easter Monday is a national holiday in Italy, so we will have a few days to relax before preparing for our trip to Greece. Scott's course is the last module of the sabbatical program.  Time has gone by quickly!  At the end of Scott's conferences, I begin the second half of my sabbatical as I return home by going around the world.  Stay tuned!

Portrait of St. Robert Bellarmine, SJ

The Jesuit Curia and other Photos (Rome, IT)

This photo was taken on the roof top of the Jesuit Curia by Charles Lasrado, SJ.

I have returned to where I left off before writing about and posting photos of yesterday's Chrism Mass at St. Peter's Basilica.  On Wednesday I visited the Jesuit Curia at the invitation of Fr. Charles Lasrado, SJ.  I am attaching to this posting photos of my visit.  I am also including photos of my visit that same day to the Church of Santa Maria dell' Anima (the "German Church" of Rome) and a few photos of St. Peter's Square as the Pope was finishing his General Audience for youth.

Fr. Charles Lasrado, SJ  (Karnataka, INDIA)

This sign means that the Jesuit Curia is considered to be located within The Vatican State.

Charles Lasrado, SJ and Bro. Anthony Crasta, SJ (also, Karnataka, INDIA) who this year is celebrating his 50 years as a Jesuit.

Private gardens of the Jesuit Curia.

One of the Chapels at the Jesuit Curia.  The mosaic was designed by a Jesuit from Slovenia.

Windows of the chapel, opposite the mosaic mural.

St. Robert Bellarmine Chapel at the Jesuit Curia.

These women are co-workers with Charles Lasrado, SJ in the Treasurer's Office of the Jesuit Curia.

And now back to church! The next series of photos were taken inside the Church of Santa Maria dell' Anima, which is located near the Piazza Navona.

Main altar

Side altar of the Pieta inside the church.

Decorative ornamentation at the corner of one of the memorial monuments on the wall of the church.

The Pope concluded the General Audience, and these kids are leaving St. Peter's Square.

And the adults are headed into the garage to get their cars after the General Audience.

As I complete this posting, it is the end of the night of Good Friday.  These devotional stairs (sacra scala) are in a building next to the Jesuit Curia and just a stone's throw from St. Peter's Square.  Many people climb these stairs on their knees!

Pope Francis I at the Chrism Mass (The Vatican)

I have attached to this posting 2 photos of Pope Francis taken by Fr. Silvano Vargas (Calgary, Canada), one of the priests in the sabbatical program.  Silvano had his camera with him at the Chrism Mass yesterday and shared these photos with all the priests in the sabbatical program.  Although you cannot see me from these angles, I was on the opposite side at the end of the row on the aisle, when seconds after Silvano took these photos the Pope passed by me.  Just in case you are wondering, the guys in the black suits are the Vatican's version of the Secret Service, whose job it is to protect the Pope.

Chrism Mass with the Pope (The Vatican)

I have just returned from the Chrism Mass at St. Peter's Basilica.  What an amazing experience!  It is hard to believe that there was a priest in Rome who was not at the Holy Mass.  There were thousands of priests in the basilica to concelebrate the Chrism Mass.  It is the only time "ordinary" priests are invited to concelebrate Mass with the Pope inside the basilica.  It is also the Mass at which priests renew the promises they made at their ordination.  It was thrilling to be there and concelebrate with thousands of other priests from all over the world.  

As you will see in the attached photos, I was fortunate to have a seat at the end of the row, not far from the main altar of the basilica.  Pope Francis I was so close, I could have touched him as he processed both in  and out of the basilica.  The first attached photo is of the Pope entering, and the second is at the end of Mass as he is processing out.  This time I was smart enough to bring my IPhone to take photos since you are really not supposed to be taking photos, but there were a lot of IPhones being used by many of the priests who, like me, were taking photos of the Mass.

Many of the priests who were processing in at the beginning of Mass.  I was already seated.

You can see the Press Corps on the right side behind the draped area.

The acolytes who were leading the procession into the basilica.

Some of the cardinals.

Pope Francis I (same photo as above).

The Pope is preaching from the main altar.

The deacons are bringing in the Holy Oils to be blessed by the Pope.

A deacon carrying the perfume to be added to the oil of Holy Chrism.

The procession at the end of the Chrism Mass.

The deacons bringing the oils to the back of the basilica at the end of the Holy Mass.

Pope Francis I

The Swiss Guards follow behind the Pope.

The priests waiting to process out.  Since I was at the end of the row in the last of the rows for priests in the main nave, I was immediately behind the Swiss Guards in the procession.

It is now mid-day.  The Holy Thursday liturgy is later this evening.  I will be attending the Mass at the Venerable English College which is renowned in Rome for its liturgies, plus everything is in English!  Otherwise, the Masses in St. Peter's Basilica are, as you might suspect, are in Latin and Italian.

I have not forgotten that I mentioned yesterday I would post the photos I took yesterday at the Jesuit Curia.  If they are not posted today, they will be posted on tomorrow's blog.