Italy Pilgrimage 2015 - Rome - April 13&14-2015

We traveled to Italy with Fr Vince Lampert, pastor of Saints Francis & Clare for a 10 day pilgrimage. The trip included Rome, Subiaco, Tivoli, Siena, Florence, Pisa, Milan, and Turin.
Over the next few days, we'll try to recount our journey.

Today - Travel and First Day in Rome 

Rome - Happy travelers! Fr Vince & his sister Caroline see their luggage on the carousel!

Barb & Terry, Cheryl & Bill 

Beth & George joined us from New Albany

Sally & Vanessa look more like sisters than mother & daughter

Sue, Bob & Fr Vince

Amy & Julie - unfortunately, Julie's trip was cut short by a couple of days when we learned of her Brother's death.

Our carriage from Atlanta to Rome

Dan & Vicky joined us from Cincinnati. (They also came up for the pre-trip dinner we had a few weeks prior to departure - Vicky brought a deliciouso tirmisu!)

Tony & Sandy joined us from nearby St Barnabas parish

Once in Rome, we linked up with our guide and companion Patrizia.  We know her from previous pilgrimages and were happy to see her again!
We boarded our big tour bus and headed into Rome and the Vatican Museum.

The old entrance to the Vatican Museum

Not the longest escalator in the world, but pretty tall!

The courtyard outside the visitor center has a nice view of the dome of St Peter's

This building (the Pinacotheca) contains an art gallery of the museum.

Our guide explained the frescoes of the Sistine Chapel and a little of it's history in the courtyard.

Bev, Zach, and Renee are three generations!  Zach is in the Army and is stationed in Italy, so he met us at the museum and stayed with us the majority of the trip.

Photography and tour guide descriptions are not allowed inside the Sistine Chapel

The wall of the Sistine Chapel contains the "Last Judgement"

Other details of the frescoes were available here on this picture board

Once the talk was over, we walked fairly briskly to the Sistine Chapel but had to pass through the main part of the museum where there are some fabulous pieces of art

While this piece (and all in this corridor) look 3-D, it is actually 2-D with shading to make it look 3-D

Tapestries - here the ascension of Christ

The slaughter of the innocents

 

More 2-D / 3-D art

We exited the Sistine Chapel through an alternative route and were just a few steps away from St Peter's main entrance

We will return to the massive plaza tomorrow for the papal audience

On the top of St Peter's are statues depicting Jesus and the apostles. Each apostle is depicted with the instrument of his martyrdom. St Bartholomew is holding a flaying knife.  More on him much later in the blog (Milan cathedral)

The size of this church is indescribable! The canopy ("Baldachin") you see in the background is just under 100 feet tall!

The beauty of Michelangelo's Pieta cannot be described and photos don't do it justice.

The right side aisle

The new chapel of St John Paul II

The bronze statue of St Peter sits at the right side of the main aisle

The faithful (and the tourists) line up to touch his foot or kiss it. the front several inches of the foot is worn away - by people's touch! 

The massive Baldachin by Bernini frames the stained glass with the dove indicating the Holy Spirit.

Blessed John XXIII

Swiss Guard

After the Vatican tour, we stopped at a nearby trattoria for a bite of lunch.

Patrizia gives the agenda - an hour free for lunch or whatever!

Steve and Sharon

Barb and Ruth

Bill & Cheryl

Cindy and Nancy

Amy and Sue

A short walk from St Peter's is this Church of the HolySpirit where we had mass. The Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy (St Faustina's order) are custodians of this church and the Divine Mercy image is prominent. 

We were blessed to have our first mass in Rome in this beautiful church

St John Paul II canonized St Faustina and was recently canonized himself.

The Divine Mercy image is prominent

Fr Vince celebrates the mass in vestments adorned with the Divine Mercy image

Following mass, we get back on the bus to find our hotel. Along the way, we pass the Castel Sant Angelo . . . 

. . . . as well as the Sacro Coure del Sufferagio (Sacred Heart of the Suffrage) is dedicated to the Holy Souls in Purgatory

Sid and Deborah from California joined the group at mass. They had come early and had been in Rome several days

At the Twenty One Hotel, we were impressed with the facilities - especially the bath!

 Tomorrow - Back to the Vatican for a Papal Audience. Then across town to ST John Lateran, the Holy Stairs, and mass at St Mary Major!
Ciao!