Parte di Pasqua due...Easter Part Two

Here it is, Easter Sunday in Rome. The weather last night was miserable. We left St. Peter's Basilica in the pouring rain and had thunderstorms all night. This morning was a glorious day. The sun was shone brightly and it as nice and warm. It feels like Spring and Easter Sunday.

I went to the Venerable English College for Mass this morning. I just needed to hear the English language. I love the sound of Italian, but I only catch a word or two now and then. It was a nice liturgy and the homily was very good.

I am sharing some photos I found online from last night...I wasn't able to take photos because I was distributing the Eucharist at the Vigil. However, from the Offertory until the Our Father I was situated on the side of the altar so that my ciborium of hosts could be consecrated. I was within feet of the Pope...it was great!

Bouna Pasqua...Happy Easter!

Happy Easter everyone! Went to the Easter Vigil at St. Peter's Basilica. It was fabulous! I ran into Justin Wiltse and Michael Steffes two of our seminarians who are studying abroad this semester in Rome...what a surprise to run into them. So here is our Easter portrait. I will share more tomorrow. It is very late because this is the daylight savings time weekend...spring ahead and lose an hour...yuck!

Holy Saturday...we wait.

Good Friday in Rome

Once again I was in St. Peter's Basilica to distribute the Eucharist to the faithful. Unfortunately that meant no photos to share that I took. Besides where we were seated wouldn't have made good photos possible anyway. Here are some images from the World Wide Web.

Holy Thursday

In the Diocese of Rome the Chrism Mass is celebrated on the morning of Holy Thursday at St. Peter's Basilica. When we arrived to vest, I was amazed by the number of priests present to concelebrate with the Pope. (By the way, this is the only Mass in which priests present get to concelebrate with His Holiness.). Over 1600 priests were present. It was amazing. Many were greeting other priests that they knew. I wasn't expecting to find anyone I knew, but that wasn't the case. I ran into a Vincentian I know, Fr. John Maher who works in Rome.

The liturgy was beautiful and Pope Francis' homily was excellent. http://www.news.va/en/news/pope-homily-for-chrism-mass-full-text

For the Mass of the Lord's Supper we went to St. Patrick Church across from the American Embassy in Rome. It was a very quiet liturgy which allowed for private reflection.

Tomorrow I will attend the Good Friday service in St. Peter's Basilica.

Holy Week has begun!

As you may know, I celebrated Palm Sunday in St. Peter's Square with the Holy Father. I had the honor of being a Eucharistic Minister for the liturgy. It was a spectacular day...sunshine, pageantry, and great words from Pope Francis. All these elements have helped my Holy Week to have a great start. The remainder of the week I will be heading back to St. Peter's Basilica for the Triduum liturgies. I will also be attending the Chrism Mass in St. Peter's. The only liturgy I will be heading somewhere else to attend will be Holy Thursday since the Pope will only celebrate Mass at a prison facility. By the way, all the liturgies I attend I will be a Eucharistic Minister.

Yesterday we went to St. Mary Major Basilica in Rome for Mass and a visit. That is the first place both Pope Benedict XVI and Pope Francis visited after being elected. It is the site of an ancient icon of Mary which is revered by the people of Rome.

I hope everyone has a blessed Holy Week.

The Quiet Before...

It is very hard to believe that it will be Palm Sunday in only a few days. . .let Holy Week begin! Although it is quieter here in Rome, it is just the calm before a busy week, although it is going to be a very different "busy" for me. I won't have the joy and privilege of presiding at the Holy Week liturgies at Holy Redeemer Parish (Jenison) as I have done for almost a decade. Yes, I am going to miss presiding at what are my favorite liturgies, but I am going to have the opportunity to celebrate all but Holy Thursday at St. Peter's Basilica. And I am slated to distribute the Eucharist at all of the liturgies I will be attending. What a privilege!

I will be praying for all of you this week, please pray for me!

Here is the official portrait of Pope Francis, with Swiss Guard pictures on either side (just because).

Completing the Circle...

Yesterday I had the privilege of attending and distributing Eucharist at the Inauguration Mass for Pope Francis in St. Peter's Square. It was a beautiful day and the sun was shining brightly. That was such a change from the stormy day in Rome the previous day.

It was a spectacular experience! Not because it was elaborate, but rather because of the elegance gained from simplicity. Pope Francis' homily calling us to be protectors of creation, the truth, and the Church was inspiring. I am not good at estimating crowd sizes, but I would say that the crowd was very large. It really seems that Pope Francis has captured the hearts and minds of so many people, including myself.

And now the Church is once again being led by a shepherd who is calling us to be a better version of ourselves and it is good!

The Weekend is for...

It seems so quiet today...no Sede Vacante, no Conclave, no waiting for smoke (by the way, what religion could get thousands to stand in the rain and wait for smoke signals?), no Habemus Papam. It is time for a relaxing weekend of walking in Rome, and enjoying Roman food and wine. By the way, I am going to be a communion distributor at Pope Francis' Installation Mass....so excited! Until then...