To Rome Again - May 2007

We have the possibility of another trip to Italy. TRS 2120 Christian Faith in Art is on the schedule for Spring Semester. If enough students register, we will blog weekly about sites we anticipate visiting, and then take off in mid-May for another 10 days of enrichment and spiritual growth.

Coming home

We've now been home from Italy for over a week. We're back at school, and life is so busy already that it's sometimes easy to forget that it wasn't so long ago that I was in Rome, walking along The Tiber with my friends or staring at the gorgeous mosaic on the dome of St. Paul's Basilica. But--despite the hustle and bustle of college life at St. Scholastica, my last semester before graduation--I will never forget my trip to Rome over winter break.

For the first time in my life, I was immersed in a foreign culture. And I saw works of art that I never expected to have the opportunity to see, certainly not this early in my life, and maybe not ever. I will never forget seeing Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel at the Vatican Museum in Rome, or his statue of David in Florence. I stood for the longest time staring at Leonardo da Vinci's "Gift of the Magi." I could have looked at these works of art all day without getting tired of them.

All of the churches we visited were rich in history. Almost every inch told a story. It is difficult to imagine all the people who have walked before us on our journey, but I know that many will follow us to Rome, in many ways the center of Christianity.

Our trip to Rome was about much more than simply exploring and studying art and architecture. As great as that part of it was, it was a chance for me to build memories that will last a lifetime. It was a chance for me to see a part of the world beyond my little niche in Duluth, Minnesota.

While in Rome, I hope I did as the Romans do. I ate four course meals at supper at 7:30 p.m. I got used there not being a Target just down the road. And I saw some amazing things: boaters on The Tiber, worshippers on the Holy Steps, and the unforgettable Assisi landscape in the morning. These are experiences that will stick with me as I continue my "regular" life in Duluth. These are the memories I will take with me. And I know that one day I will feel compelled to go back. I already do.

Angie

Saints in Rome Poster

Saints in Rome Poster, originally uploaded by cssrome.

I was taken with a phrase in Kayla's post: it sounded like an excellent slogan for one of those motivator posters for our journey. So I created one on Flickr. Anyone who wants to get a print of this, you can download it and have it printed any place that makes digital photos.

Final Thoughts

As strange as it seems, I'm not in Rome any more! Since we spent so many days there, coming back from our side-trips it honestly felt like we were going "home" as we crowded back into the Domus Carmelitana. Now we are all truly at home again and we can only look back at this trip; luckily, the memories are good! I loved this trip: the way it was structured, the people on it, the cities we were in... pretty much everything about it. It was truly a pilgrimage, and there were many moments where I felt that we had an edge on all of the other tourists there. It was a learning experience as well, because as I go through my pictures it becomes clear that I have a lot to say about each one. All of the people were so wonderful that I think some sort of picture-sharing reunion may be necessary. May we all carry the new knowledge with us and maintain the new relationships between us!


Ciao,

Kelsey

Home Again

Hello everyone! As you know we are now back in the United States!! It feels good to be home again but I'll miss the excitement of seeing new places and all the fun times we shared. Our journey home started at 4:30am with a wake-up call (about 9:30pm in MN) from there we left for the airport at 5:30am. Once there we had plenty of time to get through security to our gate. But once we arrived in Munich it was a little more rushed but not bad. Then there was the long flight to Chicago. At Chicago things got a little more hectic what with the different customs we had to go through, getting our luggage and rechecking it, then traveling to the other side of the airport, and another security checkpoint. By that time we all just wanted to be in Minnesota. But other then that the flights went well and we arrived in MN at about 6:45pm ( about 1:45am in Rome).

Overall it was a trip full of new places, ideas, and friendships and I wouldn't trade a second of it for anything. We began the journey just short of two weeks ago and have now made it full circle. We stood in places that people have stood in for thousands of years, we visited churches that people have prayed in for thousands of years and we've come away from that with a new outlook. We were presented with new ideas and ways to look at both art and faith. We met new people and each had our own unique experience that we were able to share with a group of great people. It was an amazing experience I'm sure none of us will soon forget.
~Kayla~

Comments Now Open: In Rome Together

A lot of folks greeted me today with, "Thanks for the blog" - it seems that quite a few people shared our journey to Rome with us. The map shows 1770 direct hits on the blog, and we know others who are reading via news aggregators.

This blog was experimental. We wanted to see its effect on students' experience of their journey and its meaning for them. We also wanted to explore this method of building community within CSS -- could we find a way to offer a shared experience? We think it has been successful at this too.

We turned off the COMMENTS feature of the blog while we were in Italy as a safety precaution: our photos and travel plans were posted. Now that we are home, we are turning on the COMMENTS feature - feel free to leave us a note here (publicly) or by e-mail if you have thoughts or questions.

(Sister Edith)
ebogue@css.edu

Travel Home

Wednesday was our day for traveling home. It began with wake-up calls for all at 4:30 a.m., and a departure by bus - one more trip with Eduardo, who had been so effective at getting us from one place to another. We arrived at Rome's airport with plenty of time for check-in. There we separated, and others will have to tell you about the trip from Rome via Munich and Chicago to Minneapolis. My travels took me to Frankfurt (and a real adventure, where I got to do what OJ Simpson did in the old commercials and run the length of the airport - but made it in just before they closed the door of the aircraft).

Our travels are over, so now begins the opportunity to reflect, pull out the important details and learning experiences. It was a wonderful trip; everyone said they were glad to have gone.
(Sister Edith)

The Great Journey FROM Rome ... and Back Again

It's not the walking that kills you, it's standing still. When you walk here, whether it is in Rome, Assisi or Florence, you are constantly thinking of something else, the street name, where you are going, how much time you have, etc. etc. But when you have to pause, even for a moment, for a speaker or a rest, that is when it comes creeping upon you like a shadow in the night, a slow agonizing account of all your aches and pains. Your feet, your arms, your thighs, your back, name a body part and I swear, it aches.

And you know when your grandparents (or parents) always reply to your complaints with "Well, I had to walk to school uphill both ways," and you scoffed? Obviously you've never been to Assisi.

Don't get me wrong , Assisi is a wonderful place. It was there and in the surrounding area that we were able to see the very roots of our St. Scholastican Heritage. But the HILLS! You DO end up going uphill both ways to go anywhere. The city streets seem to wind this way and that, up and down, sideways, zigzag, and upside down and backwards. But the view was worth all of it, and seeing where St. Francis did much of his life's work.

We saw a few of the churches and he rebuilt with his own hands. When we saw where St. Benedict stayed for three years and the back of the actual cave he stayed in, it was like looking through a window into history. There is so much about CSS and the story behind the sisters that we don't know that I don't even know where to begin and I've had the intro here!

Florence in general was ok, but I prefer Rome. I thought it was awesome to see David in the Academia, but they do not allow pictures and are really strict about it, to the point of making sure that your cameras are out of sight. The Uffizi Museum was a nice place to visit. It was in the Uffizi Museum that I saw my first portrayal of Christ being taken off the cross. It was kind of interesting and somewhat of a shock, as I had never seen one before. I liked the presentation of the baptism of Christ that was there. There are so many little details you see when you look long enough. That and the painting of the annunciation were worth the trip to Uffizi, not to mention Boticelli's Birth of Venus!

Once again art and history overload fried my senses so that I was glad to return to Rome and begin more adventures in a city that is more well known to me.
(Sunnah Maki)

Saying "Goodbye" to Rome

Well, this will be my last blog.

Yesterday we toured a few churches and saw many cool things. We started in Sant' Anselmo with Fr. Gregory and went around to a few others. We learned about the shape and style of a basilica and what each part is used for.

I had read in Heaven in Stone and Glass about how churches are shaped in the form of a crucifix. The heart of the church, where the priest often presides over Mass, is the area where the crucifix crosses. This is, for me, an indication that the church intends to offer Mass at the place where the heart of Christ would be positioned on the cross. It makes the word of God much more personal.

It will be so hard to say goodbye to a place that has been so extraordinary. As this is my first experience out of States, I have to say: it was a good place to start. I love the people, I love the food, I love the scenery. This was definitely a good idea. I hope everyone in their lifetime has a chance to have as good as an experience in a different culture as I have had.

Thanks to everyone who has followed us in our pilgrimage. Special shout out to Cedar girls and my family (all of whom I know have been on this page almost everyday). Thanks for reading!
Nina

(Nina is the last person on the right in the photo from Sant'Anselmo)

Saying Goodbye to Roma

Buon Giorno!

Today is our final full day in Rome. Tomorrow, the bus is going to be here at an early 5:30am to whisk us away to Munich! There are so many things I'm going to miss here: hearing the Italian language everywhere, watching German television, walking almost everywhere, and crossing the street knowing no one will hit you! It is going to be sad when I go home and can't say, "Let's run over to the Colloseum quick!" or "What kind of gelato are we going to get next?". I'm going to find limited opportunities to say the small Italian phrases I have learned through the course of this trip, too. It is going to be quite an adjustment going back to the US, but I am excited to see my family and friends again. This experience has been a once in a lifetime opportunity and I have to thank Father Graham and CSS for making it possible. What a great way to take a religion course! Going abroad for a course is a choice that needs a lot of consideration and effort, but it is worth it.

Ciao!
Amanda Barras

Group Photo: House Where St. Benedict Lived as a Student

We began the day at Sant'Anselmo, the university operated in Rome by Benedictines, with a lively and interesting presentation by Fr Gregory Collins, OSB, who teaches there.

His presentation had us trooping through the streets of Rome, visiting many early churches and learning about the stational aspects of liturgy.

One of our stops was at the house where St. Benedict is reputed to have lived - briefly - as a student in Rome. He became disgusted with the licentiousness of student life, and fled from this house to the cave in Subiaco that we visited earlier.

Fr Gregory is visible in the photo, standing beside Fr. William Graham.

(Sister Edith(

And finally...the Colosseum!

Finally, on our second to last day in Rome, we toured the Colosseum, one of the oldest buildings in Rome. We actually paid for a tour guide this time, and it was worth the extra Euro. Nothing inside was labeled, so it helped for the guide to point out some of the things we otherwise would have missed. For instance, she told us where the emperor sat and where the gladiators entered the arena. Afterward, after hiding in a cafe during a downpour, we toured the Forum.

Tomorrow is our last day in Rome, and we have it free to spend however we choose. We've seen everything on our high priority list, so it will be nice to relax a little bit and just see where we end up. The trip has been exhausting but extremely enjoyable and educational. I'm also very grateful that we were able to see Florence and Assisi. This trip has truly been an experience of a lifetime!

Angie

Ancient Rome!

We've spent quite a bit of time exploring the origins of the Christian church, discussing Constantine and the like. So today, after doing our final sweep of churches this morning with the wonderful Irish priest Fr. Collins, five of us decided a visit to the city that predates Christianity was in order. Although we'd been in the vicinity of the Colosseum and the ancient Forum, we hadn't taken the time to thoroughly explored the area. Today, braving the raindrops that oscillated between "sparkling" and "downpour" we got to take in Rome the way the ancient Romans would have.

We began our journey at the Collosseum. Although a bit suspicious of the people standing outside the ancient arena, offering tours, we decided to take them up on their offer and I'm very glad we did! The guide pointed out things I never would have noticed, such as the holes in the walls which were created by people pilfering iron for other buildings. Much of the building's marble is missing as well, but can still be viewed in the town's churches and palaces.

Included in our guided tour was a tour of the Forum. Due to the day's rain, we witnessed not one, but two accidents on the road along which we were walking to the Forum. What the cobblestone streets have in longevity, they certainly lack in safety!

I was very excited to stroll through the Forum, which was made possible through an irrigation system the ancient Romans devised that, according to our guide, translates into the "asshole of the world." We took lots of pictures, especially around the Temple of the Vestal Virgins. Nothing like headless statues to really make you feel good about yourself!

One day left in Rome. We're not sure what we're going to do in our final hours here, but I'm sure we'll find something spectacular as we have every other day. Ciao!

One Day Left

We're back in Rome after our trips to Assisi and Florence, and we've already seen a lot more of Rome we hadn't seen before. Today we toured a bunch of basilicas with Fr. Collins and learned about the history of the Catholic basilica. He gave very interesting talks on the different aspects of the churches we visited. We saw a lot of historically signficant things, like the doors that are believed to be the oldest carved-wood doors in the world, which were absolutely amazing. We also saw an orange garden believed to be the same plants as those originally planted by St. Francis and St. Dominic. All the churches we visited today were a welcome change from the palace-like churches we've seen thus far. They were much more simplistic, though still filled with beautiful symbolism and architecture.

Then, our small group decided to visit the Coloseum. We withstood a downpour of rain (actually we hid inside a cafe) after taking a guided tour of the coloseum. Then we took a tour of the Roman Forum, which was incredibly interesting, as we learned a lot about the history of ancient Rome from our tour guide, a gentlemen from New Zealand, who had a wonderful sense of humor! It finally dried up for our walk back to the hotel, but outside the internet cafe right now, it is once again pouring rain. We can't complain too much, as the weather for the rest of our trip has been impeccable.

We have a free day tomorrow, so we hope to get a little more shopping done, and see any last minute things before we head back to the States. It's been a fabulous trip and I've learned a ton about the Catholic faith and Italian culture as well.

Ciao!

Donna :-)

The Colosseum, Vespers, and David

Today I toured the Colosseum. A lot of the ruins (such as the marble seating) has been removed over time to rebuild other structures. The floor no longer reamains and it is difficult to imagine 50,000 people sitting there watching gladiators, wild animals, and public execuations. Beneath the floor there are still structures where animals where kept and could be raised by use of an elevator unto the floor of the arena above. It is mind boggling to imagine how old these structures are!

Last night we attended Vespers at St. Paul's outside the walls. Vespers, evening praise of the liturgy of the hours, is song and praise in Latin. This act allows Christians to participate in a holy experience which connects them with God. It is considered an act of homage and praise. Christians partake in Vespers to praise God for everything He has created and to gain intimacy with Him, while they can feel the presence of God and grow in their love for Him.

On Saturday while we were in Florence we went to see the David (by Michelangelo) at the Academy. There was also a fake David outside the Uffizi, but it did not do the real one justice at all. The true David was breathtaking, standing 13 feet tall and chiseled with more detail than thought imaginable. It looked like a real person trapped in stone. Veins stood out in his hands and arms, muscles were visibly flexed, and the furrowed brow and distinction between the iris and pupil gave David a truthfully worried appearance. It is the best piece of art I have ever seen.

Ciao!
Sandi

Good - Bye Italy.

Unfortunately today it is raining. However, we did get to start off with a great morning with a wonderful tour of San Maria and a couple others. We saw some great mosaics, it is just amazing how much work that must have been put into those. The pieces are so tiny and works are so very large. In St. Peters Basilica everything that appears to be a painting is actually a mosaic, except for in the small chapel, there is one painting in there. It is just so awesome, we see all these paintings and wonder how long they must have taken, but to see all those mosaics everywhere, on the floor, the domes, and the walls, its quite amazing, as many things here are.

As the day carried on we got a good amount of rain, which led a lot of us to a nap. I wish it would not have, but a lot of us needed the sleep. Tonight we will be going out as one large group for the last time. When we first got here I thought this trip was going to go slow because of all the things we were doing, but it is surprising how fast it went. I am excited to be home, but this has been a great experience. I feel like I have made a couple of truly good friends and I have created many memories which I will never forget. Tomorrow will be our last day and hopefully a great one, if the weather permits. But all in all this has been a great experience and I am extremely thankful that I had this oppurtunity. ( Brynn )

A Reflection on the Christian Artwork

On the close of our trip I would like to reflect back on the experiences that have moved me the most. The point of this class was to explore the idea of art as a tool in the Christian faith and I feel that I've learned so much by being immersed in the fabulous churches here in Rome. A particular experience that sticks out in my mind is our visit to St. John Lateran's. This basilica/cathedral was immaculately decorated with extravagant frescoes and mosaics accompanied by an elegant baldacchino. Upon entering the church, I was overwhelmed at the intricacy of the artwork as well as by its omnipresence. Even more moving, though, was when a choir began singing during mass. It made me feel as if the church itself was encompassing me and it was a very moving experience for me. It put into perspective how I think the creators of the church would have wanted one to feel while standing in it. The intricacy of their artwork astounds me because I cannot begin to fathom how much time, effort, and most importantly, love for God that was needed to create this atmosphere. It still strikes me to think that someone could be so moved by their religion that they want to elicit this same faith in the people that see their work. It is no wonder to me why the people here in Rome seem to care so much about their churches and their faith. I will be truly sad when this trip is over because I've enjoyed seeing these churches and sites and gotten quite used to the extravagance of the churches here. Oh, well. I guess all good things must come to an end.

Ciao!

Amy

A peaceful moment.

While standing in St. Pauls Basilica yesterday, I got a ture feeling of how large and wonderful all these churchs are. Even though St. Peters Baslica is quite larger than St. Pauls Basilica i felt its magnitude much more. We went to St. Pauls later in the evening to watch vespers, being there late like that we got to experience a much quieter church. Without so many people, as there is in St. Peters, you really understand how large and powerful all these places are. When I was standing up on the alter I could look out and see this huge empty church, there something about it when there are no people. Without tourists standing everywhere it feels much more peaceful and I get a greater sence of what it would have felt like to stand in one of these massive churches hundereds of years ago. I would love to have to oppurtunity to walk in to an empty St. Peters, that would be a truly powerful experience. ( Brynn )

Rain, Rain Go Away!

On this rainy day in Rome we managed to do some pretty neat stuff. This morning we meet up with Father Gregory Collins, and Irish man. He was very interesting. Father took us to three different churches around the area and was very entertaining. He had the most interesting information about the little churches such as one church has the oldest wooden carved doors in the world! Also, he taught us things about old traditions and little things here and there. It was a really nice tour he gave us this morning. After we left him I went down in to the tombs under St. Peters Basilica. All of the Popes are buried down there and it was really moving to see them and the people that go to see them. It seems that right now Pope John Paul II is the most popular grave sight. After we has been throught down there we escaped from the rain in our hotel for awhile! Hopefully it will not rain for the remainder of our trip! We have had such beautiful weather up until now.

Yesterday we went to mass and then vespers at St. Pauls church. During the day a big group of us went to the trevi fountain and then the Hard Rock Cafe: Rome. It was really great to have a little bit of a taste of America! I have seen so much on this trip and it is almost overwhelming to think about the gravity of some of the things I have seen here. It is going to be a trip that I will think about and remember for the rest of my life. I probably wont stop talking about it! Bravo to Father Graham for putting his all together for us! and also Sister Edith for this blog for everyone to see!

Samarah

Basillica

The word basillica has been used in many different contexts throughout history. Today during our tour, we were informed about it's meaning and given a brief history.

In the past, basillica has meant a meeting place. Most of the architecture of the ancient churches were based on the Roman courts, which were large enough for a gathering of people. Before Christian churches, the Pagens would have gather places of worship, but they worshipped differently. The pagens would come to the church and give their offering to the priest. Christians wanted a place for people to gather and worship together, so they needed something larger than the Pagen churches. This is why most of the historical churches have a large center aisle with two aisles on either side.

In Rome, there are only four papal basillicas: St. Peter's, St. Mary Major, St. John Lateran (which is also the Pope's main cathedral), and St. Paul's Outside the Walls (which is the only papal basillica outside the old Rome city limits). Being a papal basillica means the Pope does mass there at least once a year.

I hope I have been able to tell you a little about basillicas and their history.

Kelsey M

SHOP

Throughout this entire trip I have spent most of my afternoons with the same people: the other Kelsey and both of our moms. Other people join us sometimes, yes, but the four of us are together through it all. More than anything else since we've been in Italy, we've shopped. There have been plenty of churches, don't get me wrong, but we don't seem to be able to just walk past all of those cute little stores. Each city has had something different to offer, so for those of you back home wondering where all the money is going, here's an overview.

Assisi was a great place. It was quaint, clean, and peaceful. There were no shortage of small shops there, offering Assisi's special embroidered cloths, Rose liquour and cheeses, and pottery. The stores were all small and there was a lot of variety, but this was better shopping for the moms than it was for the Kelseys.

Florence was bustling, much bigger and busier than we had anticipated. Its main offering in the shopping department was its outdoor market with street vendors stretching for blocks and blocks from just outside our hotel. The stuff here was very inexpensive, but I think everyone bought tons of stuff to make up for the low prices, so tons of money still got spent. The main purchases were scarves and leather items.

Then there's Rome, which is in a league of its own. They have it all here, from the vendors on the street to the Gucci and Fendi stores by the spanish steps. And we've shopped it all, although we didn't let ourselves go into the extremely expensive places. The thing that Kelsey and I are really excited for is our free day, when we can explore all of the great clothing stores near the Barberini Plaza.

Happy spending to all the other travelers, those at home just be excited for the gifts :) Tomorrow's the last day...


Kelsey

Pickpocketing in Florence

Buon Giorno!
As Nina mentioned earlier in one of her blogs, somebody from our group got pickpocketed. That was me! I can just sense my family having a heart attack right now. Don't worry! Nothing was stolen and I caught them. What happened was this. Nina, Sunnah, and I were on our way to see the statue of David in Florence. I noticed a young Italian couple behind me, but I didn't think they were theives. To be cautious, I put my hand on my camera in my pocket. They were still with us after a few blocks so I got suspicious. I turned to look and they were right behind me. I kept walking and I tried to call Sunnah and Nina's attention, but they were too far ahead of me to hear, as usual. We were walking on the sidewalk next to a bunch of parked cars so looked in the reflection of the cars and I could see the young woman behind me going through my bag! I turned and confronted her and put my bad in front of me. I called out to Nina and Sunnah and only Sunnah heard me. The couple was still following me! Finally, I glared in their direction and called them theives. They crossed the street, but still followed us until Nina's glare frightened them away. Thankfully, I had nothing of value in my bag and my money is carried in a little passport protector. I'm glad having that thing finally paid off because I look like such a dork with it around my neck! Hopefully, that is the only encounter our group has with pickpockets while we are in Italy!
Amanda

I'm loving it!

Today started off with a pretty cool headstart, went to breakfast, then we went to St. Susanna for mass and after that we went to the Trevi Fountain. During mass today there were a lot of people there because of Epiphany. It was pretty cool to see that many people there and just hearing at the end about St. Susanna.

Trevi Fountain is such a cool place. We got there and took a couple of pictures then after that instead of going back to the hotel, we decided to stay behind and shop a little but we all got hungry so then we decided to go eat at Hard Rock Cafe. This is my first time ever going to Hard Rock Cafe and that being my first time and in Rome was a plus plus. Being able to eat American Food like cheesburger and french fries and drinking pepsi tasted so good. I mean Italian dish are really good to but you know, just being able to taste a little American food made my day a good day. After eating at Cafe, went back to the hotel so that we can catch the bus and go to Vesper. After a long long long walk we finally made it back to the hotel, rest a little and then went to Vesper.

Vesper tonight was at St. Paul outside the of the wall. Even though I didn't understand it the cool thing about Vesper was that it was in Latin. After Vesper we went walking around the church and we found that there are 17 spaces left for 17 Pope before Jesus comes down. I felt better after knowing that! hahaha. But yeah anyways, I have to get going to take care everyone and see you guys soon!!! Ciao

mao

2 days left :(

Well here we are, we knew it would come, sadly the end is only a couple days away. It's so hard to imagine that we only have 2 more days before we have to head off to the airport again. It's been such an amazing journey and I know we'll end it with a bang.

Today we started off with mass at St. Susanna, another gorgeous church, that luckily for us is the American church here in Rome. It was a good service and the people were fun to talk to afterwards.

We then headed for the Trevi Fountain, which is spectacular! It's so big and it's always fun to throw a coin in and hope that one day you'll come back to Rome. Some of us then headed out for the Hard Rock café. It was a bit of a walk and we became distracted by more than a few clothing stores, but we made it there in good time and it was awesome and a bit comforting to have American food in an American atmosphere, if only for a little bit. By the time we got back to the hotel it was time to go to Vespers at St. Paul's outside the Walls.

It is an amazing church. I know we have seen a lot of beautiful churches by now but this has to be one of my favorites so far. It was a little bit simpler then most of the other ones which was its greatest appeal to me. I'm still not used to all the brilliance of the cathedrals here, they still overwhelm me, but St. Paul's was simpler compared to the others yet still gorgeous. We got there and Vespers had already started so we went and joined them right away. It was a very interesting experience especially since it was all in Latin. It made it a little harder to follow along but it was so beautiful to hear that it was easy to just go along with it. It was a great experience.
So far this has been an amazing trip full of amazing and new experiences. I can't wait to see what the last 2 days have in store for us :-)
(Kayla)

Back in Rome...

Well, we made it back to Rome and the bus ride was very nice, in my opinion, just because we could nap. When I was awake I did catch some amazing hillsides and scenery. Even the tunnels we went through were pretty neat...too long to hold my breath through, though.

Today was spent at mass and then a trip to the Trevi fountain. Father Greg at St. Susanna was humorous. His tour was short and to the point which was good. The Trevi did get one of my coins today, I will admit.

Again, we went shopping after our wonderful meal at the Hard Rock Cafe. I think it was unanimous that the flashback to American food was much needed. The walk back is always interesting and today, that meant the map was brough out several times and we walked past many more stores that we probably would've needed to. "I really want to come back here," is one of the most common phrases during these times of the day.

I was ready to sleep after our so so so long walking journey but it was off to St. Paul's Basilica. It looked like any church we've seen so far, beautiful columns outside and many statues surrounding, but I was really impressed with the inside. The pictures of all the popes circles much of the walls with some empty spots. I learned today that it is said that the end of the world will come and Christ will return when all the spots are filled with pictures of the popes (we counted 17 spots left so we figure the next few generations don't have to worry about themselves). Listening to the vespers in Latin was very interesting. It felt very peaceful and I took some time to sit and reflect. Faith is a powerful thing and my belief has taken on new meanings after learning some history of Catholoicism, even though I am a Lutheran. I am really enjoying our time spent here and am very glad I got the opportunity to come.

Emily

Santa Susanna

Today, we were able to worship at the American parish in Rome: following the U.S. ordo (so today was Epiphany again!) and using familiar prayers and language.

Santa Susanna is one of the oldest churches in Rome; people have been worshipping on this site for 1700 years, since the martyrdom of Susanna herself. The current church is built over the ruins of the original church (which was itself restored more than once).

After Mass, we were give a tour by Fr. Greg Apparcel, rector of the church.

After studying the story of St. Susanna in the paintings, we were allowed to descend below the altar into the ancient church, and see the site where the first prayer and worship occurred on this site.

(Sr Edith)

Sunnah's Photos

Sunnah shared some of her photos.

Check out the set "Sunnah's Photos" on our account at Flickr.

To go to our Flickr photos: click on the link or the photo box at the right to get to our photo account.

Notes on Our Journey

SUBIACO

We were privileged to visit the birthplace of western monasticism in the company of a good guide, a Benedictine of St. John's Abbey on loan to the Monastery of St. Scholastica: Fr. Franciso Schulte. Check out the photo of our group gathered in the monastery courtyard around the statue of our patron, St. Scholastica.

FLORENCE

Here's a good read for the art and architecture crowd: Brunelleschi's Dome: How a Renaissance Genius Reinvented Architecture, by Ross King (Penguin Books, 2000). This is the story of the construction of the world's largest dome over the Cathedral Church in Florence. It's a great story and an excellent book.

MODELING WHAT WE READ

Our dinner table reveals that students may have already read King's book. Like the Florentines, our students seem to have "placed great faith in the wholesome properties of wine. Drunk in moderation, it was said to improve the blood, hasten digestion, calm the intellect, enliven the spirit, and expel wind" (page 52).

A DEPORTMENT REPORT

Ours is an extraordinary group. They are intrepid pilgrims with adventuresome spirits and are excellent ambassadors for CSS abroad. Not only that, it is great fun to travel in their good company.

fr wcg

Carravagio

Today we met at 9:30 and went to a couple of churches and saw Carrivaggio paintings of St. Matthew. We went to another church and saw the Ecstasy of St. Teresa. They were both beautiful, however, my favorite thing was the catacombs of St. Sebastian. It was amazing being in there, they are so old with so much history behind them. They contained 500,000 buried Christians. during the fall of the Roman empire the bodies were moved and people dug threw everything looking for "buried treasure". after they hadn't found anything the catacombs were forgotten about for hundreds of years. It was just crazy being underground near these catacombs that had been created thousands of years ago.
We ended the day and the Coliseum, which was also quite amazing. We ended the day with a nice long walk back to the hotel.
(Brynn)

St John Lateran

(From early in our journey, posted now)
Today I saw many beautiful things including the Basilica of St. John the Latern and the Roman Forum. Both places were absolutely beautiful, so full of history.
I think it is amazing when I am standing in these old places that thousands of years ago the people were seeing or building some of the same things. Everything feels so full of life, I just wish my camera could capture what I see.
The best thing about being here is every time I turn down a different road there is something new to see. I can only imagine what the rest of the trip will bring.
(Brynn)

Florence, Assisi, Subiaco, and more...

Well, this is the first chance I have gotten to sit down and blog after the three day trip to Subiaco, Assisi and Florence. It has been beautiful. In Subiaco, we had the chance to see where the Benedictine branch of Catholicism started. It was cool to see the foundations of our school. Following that, we went to the Santa Scolastica Abbey to see and hear about Scholastica. Lunch was fun; all of us sat together and ate some simple sandwiches and chocolate and drank some wine.

Assisi was indescribable. The sun was setting as we got there and it created a great photo op from our deck. Visiting the town was great. Fr. Schulte led us around and pointed out things that were made before the time of Christ. Now that is old! Some of the highlights of the trip was visiting both St. Francis and St. Claire. After watching Brother Sun, Sister Moon, it was too cool to actually see where all of this took place. It was amazing to see how many people were praying to St. Francis at his tomb; it seemed so personal that I felt like I was somehow invading, but yet I was invited to stay. Later, we traveled to see the small church withing a church that St. Francis rebuilt after hearing a plea from God. Again, there was so much feeling that I was overwhelmed with awe. Watching people pray in the miniature church was so personal, it was almost comforting.

Florence was busy, full of people, and absolutely the best place to shop ever! After heading over to the Uffizi to see many religious artwork, we went to the Baptistry to see the golden doors on the east side. There are ten panels on the doors, each of them depicting a different story from the Bible. Next we went to the Academy to see David; he is SO TALL. It made me wonder how Michelangelo did it. Then we went shopping! (Those of you who are reading this and know you are getting gifts, Florence is where I got them!) It was very fun until one of my friends was pickpocketed! She caught them, nothing was taken. SCARY! We departed for Rome that night.
Today, we went to Mass in Santa Susanna. After Mass we headed over to the Spanish Steps and the Trevi Fountain. After a breif visit to both, we headed back to the hotel. Sunnah has been kind enough to pass her illness to me and Amanda seems to have hurt her foot on the trek to the Trevi. So we are all under the weather. I am not sad or disappointed; I have been fortunate enough to see all that I wanted to see while here. If I can make it two more days before getting deathly ill (like Sunnah is now), I will be utterly greatful to those above! Will blog soon!
Nina

On the Menu

Since we've been in Italy, I don't think that anyone has taken the time to write specifically about the food. Everyone knows at least a little about Italian food and most people like the familiar items: pizza and pasta! But really, it has not been anywhere near that simple. Food is very important to the Italians and to everyone really, so who better to hear from than the pickiest eater of them all: ME.

Breakfast is probably the least frightening meal of the day. Our hotels so far have always had breads and pastries as well as yogurt and juice. In Rome breakfast gets a little strange when you put milk on your cereal only to find out that it is not straight-outta-the fridge like at home but at room temperature instead. They had some decent pieces of fruit which helped to make up for this slight problem. Other than that you can usually find something to eat and people tend also to stash packs of crackers in their pockets for later.

Lunch is different because you really have some options available. This is the meal that we eat on our own, outside of the hotel which means freedom to not only choose a restaurant but also see a menu first! There are more than enough options available here, anything from a sandwich right from a street vendor, to a pizzaria with tables out in the piazza, to whatever type of sitdown restaurant you can find. The group I've been eating with has tried all of these, with the most interesting probably being the Argentinian restaurant we happened into. Lunch has definitely been fun.

Then there's dinner, which for us has been a very long, elegant experience. The restaurants we've gone to have been very nice places with multiple courses brought out one-by-one. This, most of the class was not prepared for. If we are getting a full meal -- as we did at the Roman hotel -- dinner starts with an appetizer-type course, something very small usually such as cheese, lunch meat, or a petite sandwich. The next part -- first course -- is usually a pasta, in smaller portions than we are used to getting at the Olive Garden. Still, after this, most people are full because we are used to pasta being the meal! But the second/main course is the next to appear, the meat and usually a vegetable as well. These have tended to surprise us, being prepared in ways that may look unusual but end up being delicious. The odd thing is that the salad comes next, rather than being prior to the meal as we would expect. And finally, the grand finale, what we've all been waiting for: desert! Our meals always came with something sweet at the end, in the form of fruit the first few days until they realized our overwhelming desire for chocolate. An example: provalone and bread with spinich pesto and a cold onion(?) salad on the side; rigatoni with marinara sauce; breaded pork with a vegetable of some green sort; salad with vinegar and oil; and peach halves and pineapple.

Each of the courses has brought at some point a completely unfamiliar food, but being brave has been key; trying it shouldn't kill me, whether I end up liking it or not. I ended up making many of my table-mates happy with the foods I rejected but they enjoyed! In the end it has all worked out and no one on this trip is malnourished by any means. Whatever happens with the meal, there's usually a gelatto place to be found just around the corner.


- Kelsey

Some thoughts on Assisi, Rome, and Florence

Today we're in Florence and I didn't realize how cold it is up in the mountains. This morning we got up really early and went to the Uffizi Gallery. We saw some famous artworks like "The Birth of Venus" which was incredible. Then we looked at the Duomo from outside (it's a Holy Day of Obligation so we can't go inside). The Duomo is the fourth largest dome in Europe. It's beautifully decorated on the outside. It was quite a sight! I'm very excited for tonight, though, when we return to Rome because it oddly feels like home to me. I can navigate quite well there and there aer so many beautiful and historical sites to see there. I've missed it since we've been in Assisi and Florence. I found Assisi to be a gorgeous city with some crabby people in it. Store owners do not like it when you touch their items before paying for them. It was very strange when compared to the niceness of the people in Rome. Assisi did, though, have a rich variety of historical churches that St. Francis built himself or was buried at. The people there are very fond of him, and with good reason, too. Hopefully when I return to Rome I will be able to finally see the Trevi Fountain and the Spanish Steps. Until then, ciao everyone!

Amy

Hello Florence!

Greetings from Florence! We have been traveling for the last two days and we will be returning to Rome this afternoon! Oddly it kinda feeld like we will be gong home because we have already spent so much of out time in Rome! We were in Assisi yesterday and it is a truly beautiful place! There were amazinf views everywhere you looked! After some time we were able to just wander around and we went shopping! We ran into a really cranky Italian, but that is the first time that has happened so far! We are in Florence today and we went to see the Uffizi gallery! There are all kinds of Leonardo Da Vinci works there and it was amazing ot see them! I have found that in Florence way more people speak english than in Rome! I thought it would be nice to hear more english, but it is kinda odd because then you get the people who yell things at you! Anyway, Italy has been really great to me so far! We have done so much walking, but it is really good for us! Everyone thinks they have lost weight between the walking and different meals! Last night was had a really great dinner, it was the first time I have felt full since we got here. I have seen so many amazinf things in this country. Words can not describe how fantastic it was to see the little church where St. Benedict lived in a cave or three years and his order was founded! Hard to believe there is so much still to see!

Samarah

La Befana - January 6

When we arrived in Rome, we encountered little dolls of witches on sale everywhere, and were told she is La Befana, and is celebrated at Christmas. Many of the dolls look more like American decorations for Halloween, so it was hard to understand why she is so beloved. Today, I found out. Today, the Feast of the Epiphany, and the journey of the Magi, is the day of Le Befana. I had the good fortune to meet La Befana on the street, distributing sweets to children. (I will post her picture later.) Here is the story of La Befana:

As legend has it the three Wise Men were in search of the Christ child when they decided to stop at a small house to ask for directions. Upon knocking, an old woman holding a broom opened the door slightly to see who was there. Standing at her doorstep were three colorfully dressed men who were in need of directions to find the Christ child. The old woman was unaware of who these three men were looking for and could not point them in the right direction. Prior to the three men leaving they kindly asked the old woman to join them on their journey. She declined because she had much housework to do.

After they left she felt as though she had made a mistake and decided to go and catch up with the kind men. After many hours of searching she could not find them. Thinking of the opportunity she had missed the old woman stopped every child to give them a small treat in hopes that one was the Christ child. Each year on the eve of the Epiphany she sets out looking for the baby Jesus. She stops at each child's house to leave those who were good treats in their stockings and those who were bad a lump of coal.

May we each search for the Christ child this year, carrying joy and celebration with us as we go. Buona Festa!

Sister Edith

Oh my goodness!

Well, I have been enjoying Assisi and when we got into Florence I was feeling pretty good. All the scenery is amazing and I am kinda disappointed that I can't get the pictures to show what it looks like in person.

We visited a lot of historic religious sites today and it's an experience to be in the place where a lot of important events took place. The walking today included many hills and I have learned to wear comfy shoes. I actually bought some shoes today at one of the shops and I am really excited to wear them.

Walking around is still an adventure because the cars do not slow down for you, even if the streets are the length of two small cars. I really like that about these towns. They are so pretty with the small cobblestone alleys and tiny sidewalks with all the little cars zooming past. They don't even stop for ambulances, which amazed me. Everyone seems very laid back and I like that atmosphere. I definitely do not like the fact that everyone smokes, though. It seems like a way of life here and I can't understand the desire for it I guess. We went to a cute pub in Rome and it was really nice because there wasn't smoking allowed inside. As soon as we stepped outside, however, with all the tables outside, it was like a cloud of smoke seeping into your pores and our jackets all smelled of smoke. I have aired out in the past few days though :) haha. Anyway, I will write again soon. I am really looking forward to the shopping here in Florence!

Emily

Assissi and Florence!

Oh my gosh Assissi and Florence are so pretty. I am in love with the two cities. Being able to explore and see where St. Scholastica started was so cool.

So far we've seen places where St. Francis decided to dedicate himself to God and where he died and churches that was dedicated to him or he made from scratch and let me tell you it is pretty interesting what I've seen so far.

I've also enjoyed the place where St. Benedict put himself in for three years, which was a cave in Subiaco.

After seeing place of both Saints including St. Claire, we then came to Florence which is a beautiful city. Our hotel is called "Hotel Corona" and it is on a street with so many cool shops. I just can't wait to go shopping and explore more of Florence. Although we only have one day to spend in Florence, it will be worth it. Seeing all the places where the Saints come from makes me wonder about religion. Well I have to go explore now so take care everyone and see you guys soon!!! Ciao

mao

Group Photo Saint Scholastica Abbey

Group Photo Saint Scholastica Abbey, originally uploaded by cssrome.

Here we are in front of the statue of Saint Scholastica, in the cloister (courtyard) of the only one of Benedict's original monasteries that is still standing. Thanks to Fr Francesco Schulte for doing the photography so we can all be in the picture.
(Sr Edith)

Assisi!

While yesterday was dedicated to the Benedictine tradition, last night we rolled in the hilly town of Assisi to investigate the life of St. Francis, the patron saint of Italy. The town itself is a lovely break from Rome; finally, a bit of calm! Our first impression of the town was watching the sun set behind the mountains in the distance in a raspberry-colored sky -- definitely not a bad way to begin!

Assisi definitely lends itself a little better to window shopping than Rome does. This can largely be attributed to the fact that you needn't worry quite so much about being run over, backed over, broadsided, etc., by passing traffic, as you have to in Rome. It's a fun mix of religious souvenir shops, bottegas, and speciality stores in Assisi. My favorite store we stumbled upon was an art store selling bright rendering of Assisi and nature, where the artist quietly sat in the back, working at her bench. It's always nice to be able to see exactly where your money is going, and as I placed my euro in her paint-splattered hands, I certainly felt that I was helping someone else do what they love in life.

This morning Fr. Schulte gave us a tour of the churchs and sites in the city significant to the lives of St. Francis and his female counterpart St. Clare. It was fascinating to see churches St. Francis repaired with his own hands, as well as the place where he died so symbolically. Especially intresting to hear was the story of how St. Clare defended the town of invading Muslims by standing on the balcony of her church and holding the Holy Sacrament over her head.

Now we've arrived in Florence, which seems to filled to the brim with English speakers. It will be fun to see what stories we will hear here. I'm excited for the Uffizi and Duomo tomorrow!

Now in Florence!

Today we explored Assisi and saw the church St. Francis rebuilt, where he was born, where he died, and the church that was built to honor him (and where his remains are). We also were able to see the church built for St. Claire.

Before going on this journey we watched a video about St. Francis which enabled us to be more well informed of his doings and let us better visualize what he did in Assisi and how God told him to try to fix the corruption in Christianity. This tour through the town is one of the most interesting aspects of this pilgrimage so far. Assisi was a lot easier to naviate through than Rome and it had many interesting shops to visit.

After a couple hour bus ride we have arrived in Florence! We have not been able to explore the city yet, but did have the opportunity to try some lasagna and meet people from Wisconsin. We will wake up early tomorrow and go to the Uffizi (and hopefully get into it!), see the Cathedral Duomo, and the convent of San Marco. Afterwards we will head back to Rome for our last 3 days!

Ciao!
Sandi

A piece of CSS history

Yesterday we got a little bit of a break from all the walking and took a bus to Assisi, a smaller town north of Rome. It was fun to see some of the Italian countryside - green hills, steep mountains, and even some small vineyards along the road. Life outside of Rome is so much calmer and quieter!

On our way to Assisi, we went to Subiaco, where St. Benedict founded his order, Fr. Francisco Schulte led a very interesting tour and we all saw how the Benedictine tradition began. The chapel there is built right into the side of the mountain, and we prayed in the same cave that St. Benedict lived in for three years while he was pondering God's plan for his life.

Our traditions at the College of St. Scholastica have their roots right at this very place, as St. Scholastica was St. Benedict's sister. The history of the Benedictine tradition would not be complete without both of these influential religious figures.

Visiting the santuary made that tradition come alive; it made these saints seem like real people for maybe the first time since I've been attending St. Scholastica.

Afterward, we traveled to Santa Scholastica Abbey, which has a beautiful church and statue of St. Scholastica in one of the courtyards. There, we had a group photo taken.

Last night was spent roaming the streets and visiting the shops of Assisi. It is a quiet and beautiful city, and we were able to see the sun set against the pink and blue sky from the balcony of our hotel. It was gorgeous.

A few hours ago, we arrived in one of the places I've been most anticipating - Florence. Some of the world's most famous works of art rest in the Uffizi Gallery where we will go Saturday before returning to Rome. The days just keep flying by here in Italy. Ciao!

Angie

Firenze

HELLO!! We just arrived in Florence, dropped off our luggage at the hotel and headed out for some dinner on the town. We stopped at a lovely little pizzeria and had some delicious lasagna and Coca-Cola. We met some people from Wisconsin while eating...they had overheard us talking about the restaurant Culver's, of all things, and had to stop and say hi. We also met a couple from England who said the trek to the top of the dome here in Florence was quite the experience...even longer than in Rome.

Earlier today we were in Assisi learning all about the extraordinary life of St. Francis of Assisi. We visited several churches dedicated to him, including two that St. Francis himself built. We also visited the church dedicated to one of St. Francis' followers, St. Clare. Then we moved on to the church that contains St. Francis' tomb. It was a beautiful church and full of visiting pilgrims. Assisi was a welcome retreat from bustling Rome. It was much more peaceful, less crowded, and full of quaint little shops which we made sure to stop in!

I'm now looking forward to our day in Florence. We plan to visit the Uffizi Gallery and get as much of a taste of the city as we can in our short time here.

Ciao from Firenze :-)
Donna

Sacro Speco, Assisi

We had a wonderfully spiritual tour of Sacro Speco, the churches with St. Benedict's holy cave -- with wonderful photos -- but (unfortunately) no uploading possibilities in this Internet cafe.

Yesterday (Thursday) we spent exploring Benedict's spirituality, both his attention to an ordered way of life and the way of love in community. Today we are in Assisi, experiencing another of the great charisms of the church: that of St. Francis and St. Clare. Their lives of poverty, and of joy in all of creation, are evident everyewhere in this medieval town. We visited San Damiano, the church which St. Francis rebuilt stone by stone, and the Cathedral of St. Clare. Like Subiaco, there is too much here to see (or take in)in one day. We will have much to chew on for months to come.

(As soon as I can get better access, the photos from Subiaco will be posted on Flickr with a linke here)

(Sister Edith)

Getting Back to Benedict

After experiencing a bit of sensory overload in the bustling city of Rome, we packed our bags yesterday and boarded the bus to head for the Italian countryside and the town of Subiaco. It wasn't long after rolling out of Rome until we were greeted by mountains topped with little townships. Although it's winter here, the grass is still so green and the trees so exquisite that it's easy to overlook this fact.

While I suppose I've been a part of the Benedictine community for the past four years, ever since beginning at the College of St. Scholastica, never before have I felt so connected with the Benedictine tradtion as I did yesterday at Subiaco. While studying abroad in Ireland with CSS in 2005, I had the opportunity to visit Kylemore Abbey, run by Benedictine sisters in the Connemara region of Ireland. There, I not only had my eyes opened to the truly global connections St. Scholastica has due to its Catholic faith, but also purchased a copy of Benedict's Rule, ironically enough published in Collegeville, MN!

The stories of St. Benedict and his twin sister, St. Scholastica, are always in the air at our Duluth campus, but for me, it wasn't until we visited Subiaco that I realized how truly amazing and influential these two people were. This town hosts the cave where Benedict spent three years contemplating his faith, eventually emerging to form his order. Looking at the height and treacherous nature of the mountain on which the cave rests, I could only wonder how anyone would be able to find the dedication to remain in such a remote place. To think that a lowly cave could lead to the founding of a religious order that has spread across the world, from Subiaco, to Ireland, to Duluth, is simply astounding, displaying the power of individual faith in a way I had never before considered it.

Rome, now Assisi

We have done many exciting things so far in Rome. I have especially enjoyed seeing St. Peters, especially since we had learned about it before. I even climbed the 320 steps to the top of the copula yesterday. The catacombs were very interesting and very large! There is an unbelievable amount of beautiful churches everywhere, it is almost too much to take in. The Sistine chapel was beautiful and the Vatican museum contained so much that we only saw a small portion. There is so much to see!

Today we ventured to Sacro Speco and Santa Scholastica, and now we are in Assisi. It seems like a very interesting town and very hilly---like Duluth! Tomorrow we will travel to Florence. It has been fun to see some of the countryside and to not have to walk everywhere.

I enjoy observing the culture here, it is so different than the U.S. There are no real grocery stores and everyone eats delicious gelatti all the time.

Back to exploring Italy...
(Sandi)

Ciao from Assisi!!

We're having a blast here in Italy. We left Rome this morning and visited Subiaco and saw the Sacro Speco Santuary where St. Benedict was a hermit for 3 years. It was an absolutely amazing church built on the side of a mountain on top of the cave where St. Benedict stayed in the 500's. We also visited the St. Scholastica Abbey and had a wonderful tour of the church and the courtyards by Fr. Schulte. The view from both places was fantastic, though the bus ride up the mountain was a bit precarious. I had to close my eyes a few times.

Rome was magnificent as well. We visited so many places and rang in the new year in style, watching fireworks over Castel Sant' Angelo. We also made the trek up 320 stairs to the Copula at St. Peter's Basilica and took in the view over the city of Rome. Another highlight for me was visiting the Trevi Fountain and throwing a coin over my shoulder signifying that I will once again travel to Rome.

Hi to all back home. I hope you are having a great start to 2007!!!

On our fourth full day in Rome, we visited the Vatican Museums, with a guided tour by Fr. Graham. Although it was somewhat crowded (this is still the Italian holiday season, and there are lots of Italians who have come to Rome to see the sights!) we were able to spend time with Michelangelo's Pieta, and to be immersed in the richness of the Vatican collection.

Walking in Rome

Walking in Rome, originally uploaded by cssrome.

We have been having beautiful weather - a few mornings with drizzle, but then clear skies and warm temperatures.

Rome has hundreds of these tall trees -- they seem to be some type of evergreen -- with the greenery only at the very top, with the limbs making a variety of intricate designs.

I could not resist capturing the deep green against the blue sky yesterday. This is a gorgeous city!

St. Mary Major

Yesterday, Kelsey, her mom Kim, my mom, and myself went to St. Mary Major's church. This is the only one of the four basilicas that the class is not seeing, so we decided to see it on our own.

This church is absolutely huge! In relation to the other four basilicas it is about average. However, since the US and especially Minnesota, doesn't have many large churches, everything looks big! When you walk into the church you are just overcome with beauty. Everything is covered in gold and looks so ornate.

There is a baptisimal area off to the right of the main area. This to me was really interesting since it is so different than what we see for baptism today. People used to be submerged in water for their baptism and they didn't get baptised until later in thier lives as adults. The baptisms used to happen in large, ornately decorated pools that were in the churches. Now, most of the baptism areas have a smaller tub placed in the center to represent where baptisms used to be done.

The alter dedicated to Mary is absolutly breathtaking. There is a lot of gold around, making everything look very ornate and delicate. There were also lots of red and gold poinsettas around, decorating the alter area. This church had so much detail that talking does no justice. I'm very glad that we visited St. Mary Major to see to last of the 4 basilicas.

Kelsey M

view from the top

Today we spent the entire day at the Vatican. By 8:30 we were in line to get into the Vatican Museum, which ended up being quite an overwhelming yet still stunning experience with so many things to take in. From there we grabbed lunch from one of the vendor's stands and went to wait in line for St. Peter's security. Luckily we got through quickly and got to lounge for a while in the near 60 degree sunshine! Father Graham gave us a great tour of some of the highlights of St. Peter's, making that portion of the day significantly more digestable.

After all of that there was still more of the cathedral to experience, in fact the very worst and the very best parts of the day. We got into a reasonable-looking line to get up to the top of the dome, but ended up moving -- very slowly -- from one line to the next for well over an hour! We stood and waited and almost left.. but finally made it to the front of the line to find a shockingly high price of 7 euros just to get to the top. First came the cramped but fairly quick 3 floor elevator, then the less bearable narrow, slanted steps, and finally the tiny & winding stairs to the very tip top (320 steps total, to be exact). The view was unbeliveable! No photograph could ever do justice to the sight of a sunset over the city on one side, St. Peter's square by Bernini to the front, and the moon rising over the city and distant mountains to the other side. I promise to get my pictures up here as soon as I can, just to give a taste of the sights. As if that isn't enough, we also got a much closer look at the decorations on the inside of the dome, decorated by Michelangelo himself. We stood there for so long, just gazing at the spectacular pictures and listening to the evening mass as it happened below. I could not be happier that we chose to take the long journey to the top!

Losing Sight of the Big Picture and Looking at the Parts to Get it Back

There is so much to say but such a difficulty to express everything in words or even thoughts as opposed to feelings and understanding. Today we went to the Vatican Museum and the Sistene Chapel. It was so overwhelming that you begin to just waltz by magnificent objects and works of art not really caring as you did in the beginning. That is the way it is in the entire city of Rome and with this whole trip, you can only take in so much and as the day goes on things lose meaning and significance that they would have had in the morning or on another day. So I will talk of one thing at a time and hope that you will all hold the enthusiasm that you should have when thinking of what has to be said. When I got overwhelmed in the Vatican Museum, I just went to the Sistene Chapel, sat in the back and focused on two things, "The Last Judgement" and the painting of the Last Supper. It was just fascinating to actually take time and disect the paintings and see all they had to offer. I personally had not done in depth research about these paintings, so seeing the contrast of colors and objects in the paintings to make you think on their meanings was just a treat. When I noticed the little demon on Judas' shoulder in the last supper and the dark cloud behind the crucified Jesus in the window shown in the back right of the painting, made me look at the whole picture a lot differently, made me notice other things because of the connotation of the things I saw before. The Last Judgement is just overwhelming as a whole, it just never seems to stop. There seems to be paintings withing the painting, just too much to go over in such a place as this. Perhaps another blog, by another blogger.

St. Peter's and the Vatican Museum

Okay, so today we toured the Vatican Museum and St. Peter's. They were so big and overwhelming that my neck hurts from looking up. Nothing a goodnight's rest won't cure!
At the Vatican Museum, we left the hotel around 8:20. There was a line about 1/3 mile long just to get in the front door. It went fairly quickly (thank the Man Upstairs), and we got in after about 30 minutes. Then we booked it to the Sistine Chapel. It wasn't too packed when we arrived so we had time to look around. It said no pictures or talking...so of course there were pictures being taken and talking going on. Ah, we did our best to appreciate what we could get.
For our assignment, we were asked to find five representations of the Crucifixon, the Baptism, or the Last Supper. I picked the Baptism of Christ and found, on my own, a total of three representations (guess I picked the hardest, either that or I was looking through closed eyelids). One was on the wall while going down the stairs. It was very small and done in orange and blue. It was done in a geometric style. John the Baptist is pouring one single stream of water from is palm onto Jesus. It is stunning even though it is small in size. Another representation was in statue form. About a foot tall, it has just John and Jesus, John holding a small plate over Jesus's head. The third one I found was in the Sistine Chapel. It was at the left as soon as I walked in. It fit in with the depictions around it quite nicely.
At the Museum, we saw a painting with a man being crucified head down. At first we didn't know who it was. Later, at St. Peter's we found out from Father Graham that it was St. Peter. He didn't feel worthy enough to be crucified like Jesus. Sometimes, that's how I feel here. Some things I don't do because I don't feel like I am worthy enough. Some people say that is crazy, but now I can say, "Look at what St. Peter said! He didn't think he was worthy either!" It gives me a security blanket.
So, it was an exciting day. Tomorrow we depart for Subiaco, Assisi and Florence. Will write when we are back!
Nina

Another beautiful day in Rome

Buon girono!
Today is the first chance I've gotten to blog. Today we got up early to wait in line at the Vatican Museum. There was so much there! Too much to look at, in fact. Nina, Sunna, and I mainly looked at the Modern Art Exhibits, the Christian Art museum, the Ancient Egypt museum, and the Sistine Chapel. It is indescribable and the pictures that were taken can't do it justice. I myself didn't take any pictures, but plenty of people were ignoring the signs stating that there were to be no photos, no flash photography, or any talking. Sunna and I spent hours sitting, just taking in the beauty of the ceiling and the walls.

Next, we visited the Vatican. After a brief wait in the security check line, Nina, Sunna, and I found our way beside the Basillica of St. Peter. The basillica is amazing from ceiling to floor. There were so many things to look at, but the thing that caught my eye the most was a painting of a sister praying at a window; she can't see is that Jesus appears right before her. This doesn't sound extravaggant but light from a nearby window was falling on the mosaic, right onto Jesus' head and halo! It was one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen, and that means something after I have just seen the Peita and the Sistine Chapel!

Holy Year Door with a Small Child, St John Lateran

Holy Year Door with a Small Child, St John Lateran, originally uploaded by cssrome.

Nina took this amazing photo at the Cathedral of St. John Lateran. The small child lets you see just how immense these doors actually are.

This is one of five doors into the church. These particular doors are only opened during a Holy Year, such as the Jubilee Year 2000.

(Great work, Nina!)

Yay for Rome!

Hey everyone,

Internet time obviously hasn't been very high on my to-do list. I am having so much fun here! Rome has been an amazing experience so far. All the walking makes me feel less guilty about all the gelatos (ice cream) we've been buying. Usually we're so tired by the end of supper that we start nodding off before dessert.

It has been interesting with crossing the streets, Mao trying to learn Italian phrases, and getting lost in the tiny streets throughout the city. We have learned that window shopping is best for our bank accounts. However, those poor things will probably be drained by the time we compare prices and return to the stores for the fifth time.

All of the different churches and all of the history we're learning about the city is overwhelming at times. I am learning a lot, though, and I'm getting some great pictures. I am really excited to go home and get them all printed.

We saw the Pantheon a couple days ago. I am glad it hasn't rained much at all since we've been here. That could've gotten interesting.

We went to see the bones of 4,000 friars at one of the churches today. They didn't allow pictures, but I did get a postcard of it. It was kinda funny to see all the intricate work and name all the bones on the walls. The Caravaggios were amazing too. I really liked the Ecstasy of St. Teresa. Let me just say that pictures do not do that statue justice.

A few of us paid a little extra today to take a tour of the Colosseum, Paletine Hill, and the Roman Forum. It was very well worth the little extra. Being at the sites while learning their history makes it so much easier to remember. I think that has been the highlight of the trip so far for me. It doesn't come far behind the excellent plane ride sitting near Kayla, Mao, and Aaron. Sorry for waking you guys up so much...haha. I just hope that someone will be able to push me back onto the plane home. A flight over the ocean, I've discovered, is not my cup of tea. Anyway, I am really looking forward to Assisi and Florence!

Arrivederici!

Emily

Rome Day 4!!

Hello from Italy!! It is day 4 over here and so far it has been great!! It has been an interesting 4 days full of walking, looking around, and more walking

Today we went to see lots of art and bones. First we started off seeing 3 of Carravaggio's paintings of Saint Matthew. They were gorgeous.

Then it was on to see The Ectasy of St. Theresa sculpture by Bernini.

After that we went to The Crypt of the Capuchins. It is a church which has 6 crypts that contained art by the Capuchin Friars which they made from the bones of their deceased brothers. It was very interesting to say the least.

Then it was off to see the catacombs at San Callisto. We went down to the second level (which was far enough at 30ft down) and it was a very different and interesting experience.

Then we were dropped off at the Colosseum where we paid a little extra and got a tour of the Colosseum, the Palatine Hill, and the Forum. It was well worth the extra money to know what everything meant.

Then it was time for another gelato (so far I've had chocolate, Bacio, and now Raspberry :)), it was excellent!! So far we've had an awesome time even with the slight language barrier and narrow, similar looking streets :).
Until next time, Ciao! Kayla

Fourth Day in Rome!!!

Hello (Ciao) everyone!
Rome is a beautiful city, it is worth visiting. I like it here a lot. Besides the people, the structures, churches, and food are really good.
The Coliseum, skull church (Santa Maria della Concezione), and Catacombs are amazing to see. All I can say is that it has been a wonderful time here.
All the walking has tired me out, but it is worth it because there are so many beautiful things you can see here.
I can't wait to go to the Vatican and hopefully see the Pope one of these days. Well if I was rich I would buy everything here because they are so nice. Everything here is super duper great!!!!
Ciao Ciao! Mao

Catacombs of Saint Callixtus

Catacombs of Saint Callixtus, originally uploaded by cssrome.

We toured the Catacombs today. Photography is not permitted; this photo is from the web site of the Catacombs of Saint Calixtus.

Capuchin Crypts: Memento Mori

A previous group of students studying Christian Faith in Art asked that a trip to the Capuchin cyrpts be included in the tour. These crypts represent a spiritual work of art, designed for its impact on the emotions and the soul. Fr. Graham found these crypts to be a powerful experience of the connection between faith and art, and has included it in every trip since.

Capuchin friars, hundreds of years ago, desired to express the Christian belief that death is not the end of life, but its beginning - leaving behind the temporal (including our bodies) for the eternal. They also wanted to keep that reality foremost, to avoid any strong attachment to the things of this world.

They chose to work in a most unusual medium: the bones of the deceased members of their order. They received permission to unearth the remains of 4,000 of their confreres, and use them to create works of art.

These are truly artistic works. The monks had an eye for the natural curves of the human structure, and developed designs based on these curves: borders, patterns, and more. Each of the six rooms is different, filled with intricate patterns.

The primary purpose, though, is the spiritual impact. Several of the rooms include a skeleton, dressed in his Capuchin robes, standing as though to work, walk, or preach. In the last room, three skeletons stand to one side. A small sign, printed in several languages, reads:

"As you now are, we once were. As we now are, you will one day be."

Bernini - St. Theresa in Ecstasy

Students in TRS 2777 had read about Bernini's sculpture - how he tried to capture the richness and the sensuality of St. Theresa's mystical experience of Christ. Several had written short papers on the subject - but had never seen the sculpture itself.

Today, we were able to visit the church where this magnificent piece of art is housed. The church itself is not well known, nor does it house any other art works that are highly regarded. Yet it receives a steady stream of tourists, all come to see this one piece.

I have posted a small picture of the statue itself, but it simply cannot do justice to the experience of seeing it in person.

More information is available on Wikipedia .

Caravaggio

Next time I teach this class, here’s a new(er) book we’ll read: Caravaggio: Painter of Miracles, by Francine Prose (HarperCollins, 2005). We’ll go off tomorrow to the Church of San Luigi dei Francesi to see three paintings done by Caravaggio who was much reviled in his own time, the 1600s, and not discovered and appreciated until the 1950s.

We’ll see The Calling of St. Matthew¸ another depicting Matthew’s martyrdom, and a third entitled The Inspiration of St. Matthew. About this last one, Prose writes that the saint kneels at his desk, “writing, and turns to find an angel suspended in the air, hovering over his shoulder, distracting or reminding him of something that belongs in his gospel” (8). Prose had watched a tour guide speak about these paintings, suggesting that they notice that the gesture of Jesus in The Calling of St. Matthew recalls God’s gesture in Michelangelo’s Creation of Adam, but adds “There is nothing she is telling them that they need to hear, and the power of the paintings is drowning out her voice (9).

We’ll stand before those paintings in the morning and consider the power of art to teach, and the power of inspiration which enflames the human heart.

Look at the previous post about Pope Benedict speaking on art and the comment from the Catechism I appended to it. (fr wcg)

Enjoying Rome

We’re finally in Rome! It certainly seemed long enough in getting here, especially with the three necessary flights, but now I’m slowly adjusting to the Italian way of life.

Some things I’m finding very pleasant – gelato, spaghetti alla Carbonara – others, like the crosswalks, are taking a little more getting used to. There’s a bit of culture shock going around, what with a more holistic orientation toward time which means much more time spent at meals than we Americans are used. It’s definitely been a measure of patience as we try to decipher maps, figure out when stores and internet cafes are open (with Sunday and the Holy Day of New Year’s Day it’s been a bit dodgy to find open grocery stores and the like), and struggle with the language barriers.

We’ve done a fair bit of wandering around the city, exploring the many churches and other intricacies of the city. Today we had a chance to walk pass by the Coliseum and the Forum. As with our viewing of the Pantheon yesterday, I’m in awe of how old these things are. After reading so much Greek and Roman mythology when I was growing up, it’s hard to believe that places that honor the ancient gods still remain. One of the most interesting things of note in the city is the celebration of Epiphany, which has filled the Piazza Navona with a Christmas market.

There’s still so much to see and do though. The Spanish Steps definitely need to be visited, as does the Trevi Fountain. The Temple of the Vestal Virgins will certainly need to be inspected a little closer as well. But until then, arrivederci! Ada

Catching Up

Hello all! Finally, a time to sit down and fill you in. The plane ride, my first, was so much fun! The landing in Munich was a little sudden (and scary) because of the fog, but other than that, what a roller coaster! When we got to the Rome airport, I was so tired! I didn’t manage to sleep on the 8 hour 20 minute trans-Atlantic flight, so the nap was well needed.

The next day (Dec. 31) my friends and I traveled all the way to the Coliseum and Ancient Rome. It was so unreal. In the morning, we went to Mass in an English speaking church. It was very similar to Mass at home, but the view was undoubtedly better. Afterward, Father Graham and Father Hentges led us to the Pantheon and the Piazza Navona . The Piazza had their Christmas fair going on; it was so interesting to see all of the vendors and performers. Somehow we went south and ended up right at the steps of the monument of Victor Emmanuel. It was breathtaking. The contrast of the white stone and the red city is so obvious, the building just pops where ever you look. Despite all of the happenings during the day, night and the New Year’s celebration was spectacular. On the roof of the hotel, we could see fireworks from all directions. I could not think of a better way to bring in the New Year.

On the first day of 2007, we ran into some problems. Most of the areas we were scheduled to visit were closed! Sad day! But that didn’t stop us! We trekked over to the Botanical Gardens. They were closed too, but there was a path along side. We stood on our toes and hung our arms over the fence to get great shots of the trees. Coming out of the Gardens, we saw the Garibaldi Monument. Garibaldi fought for the free Republic of Rome. It was so interesting to see.

So, now that I am done checking in (I am okay Mom), I am going to go rest my feet until dinner tonight! Will write soon! Nina

Rome, Day 3

It’s day three in Rome! The jet lag has not completely disappeared but I have been able to explore the Eternal City a bit, sometimes with no particular destination. There is so much to see and do here, but many popular destinations have been closed today and last night for the holiday. Still, we’ve gotten to see the Pantheon, the Forum, and the Coliseum. We need to go back to the Forum and Coliseum for the official tour before leaving the city.

Last night I attended Vespers in St. Peter’s Basilica. It was packed! The basilica is enormous, and being in the presence of the Pope was an almost unreal experience. We have also ventured into various other churches, and the architecture and art has been astonishing. St. John Lateran was on our agenda for today, and we also saw the steps that, according to legend, came from Jerusalem. Pontius Pilot was said to have sentenced Jesus on those very steps.

The culture (and language barrier) has at times posed a problem. It took a while for us to get lunch yesterday – close to two hours for pasta – and we have yet to find a nearby internet café. I don’t remember the last time I’ve gone this long without using the internet! Another oddity of Rome is the lack of public toilets. For the most part, however, Rome has been fantastic. I can’t wait to see more! (Angie)

Group Photo Coliseum

Group Photo Coliseum, originally uploaded by cssrome.

We all visited the Colisseum today. Fr. Jim Hentges took a group photo so we could ALL be in it. Notice the huge smiles on our faces: we are having a great time. (Sr. Edith)

Blog Entry

Rome is a very entertaining place! I have found that many things here find you, even if you're wandering aimlessly. Yesterday, we stumbled upon the old Roman Forum, which was incredible. It's also very fun to walk down crowded streets that are still festively decorated for Christmas.

I'd have to say that the only thing here I don't like is all the street venders, forcibly hawking their overpriced wares wherever you go.

Today was fun. We went to St. John Lateran's Cathedral which was awe-inspiring. The ceilings and frescoes were immaculate. While we were in there, Mass was going on and a choir sang several times. Their voices sounded beautiful in the church; the marble and the high ceilings made the sound carry out in all directions. It really was a moving experience, and I think perhaps the people who built the church would have wanted visitors to feel as encompassed by the experience as I did. I'm just excited now to go to St. Peter's because I hear that it's even more amazing. Until then...Ciao! (Amy)

Day 3 - January 1st, 2007

Today is New Year's Day in Rome. For most of the morning, we toured places such as St. John Lateran and went to the steps they say Jesus walked on. It was really moving to see people going up the stairs one by one on their knees, praying. ù

The Cathedral of St John Lateran was amazing. Mass was going on as we entered and that only enhanced its majesty. With the singing of the choir and the breath-taking art, I was almost moved to tears.

We went down by the Colliseum, which was awe inspiring. It was very neat to see the place that I have heard so much about. Seeing it made it all more real that people had actually done everything we read about.

After the tour, we went off on our own and made our way back towards the hotel, it was an an hour's walk. We stopped along the way and did a little gift shopping. St. Peter's is really close, so after we grabbed a bit to eat, we went to the square and looked around. It made us very excited to go inside. Tonight we have dinner at a nearby restaurant, which should be fun.
(Samarah)

Crucifix in the Pantheon

Crucifix in the Pantheon, originally uploaded by cssrome.

We saw the Pantheon, originally built as a temple to the Roman gods, then taken over as a Christian church; one of the oldest buildings in Rome. This crucifix hangs in a niche beside the altar.

New Year's Eve Vespers

The Catholic faith has Liturgy of the Hours, which has two main "hinges" of prayer, morning and evening. Morning prayer is called lauds and evening prayer is called vespers. Both of these prayers are done on a daily basis becuase they are felt to be important. Basil the Great said that we celebrate evening prayer so that "we may give thanks for what has been given to us or what we have done well during the day."

On New Year's Eve, St. Peter's in the Vatican was having vespers facilitated by Pope Benedict. Along with a couple other people, I attended in hopes to catch a glimpse of the Pope. It was interesting to be present there, since everything is done in Latin. It lasted about an hour and consisted of mostly prayers and singing. On his procession out, the Pope fixated on a small girl about two people away from me. He went up and blessed the child and was within an arms reach of me! It was unbelievable! The little girls parents were so moved that they were crying. I feel so honored to at least have been that close to the Pope. This is definatly an experience I will never forget!

Kelsey M

Arrived! And Learning in Rome

We arrived yesterday, and are well settled into our rooms at Domus Carmelletani. So far, we have not had good luck gaining Internet access. This computer - the only one in the house - will not let us upload our photos. So you will have to make do with our descriptions.

The Illume agent met us at the airport, and we sailed through customs. The weather here is amazingly warm, and we saw date palms everywhere. The Domus is near the Vatican (walking distance) and the Tiber. A religious house of Carmelites, it is now run as a simple hotel. The rooms are clean, comfortable, each with its own bathroom and TV - but clearly remade cells, none very large. Mine has an excellent view of Castel Sant'Angelo, about one block away.

We were served a "simple" Italian supper: an appetizer course of cheese, an eggplant salad, and toast with an asparagus pate spread. This was followed by a pasta course - beautiful al dente rigatone with a delicate tomato sauce. The main course, veal lightly breaded with cauliflower, was accompanied by a salad. Dessert (!) was fruit. If this is simple, imagine a complex meal!

Today, we went to the only English-language Mass in Rome, in a 17th century Jesuit chapel. Fr. Jim Hentges, CSC, gave us a brief tour of the chapel, then took us to the Church of St.Catherine over Minerva (the church of St. Catherine of Siena, where she is buried, was built over a temple to the goddess Minerva), the Pantheon, and a glorious public piazza filled with food and trinket and gift stands.

In Italy, the season from December 8 until Epiphany on January 6 is celebrated as one long holiday. Tonight, the New Year will be greeted. Already, the streets are being closed off as the restaurants set out tables for the feasts that will take place.

We wish you all the best and happiest in the year 2007!
(Sister Edith)

In Flight: Chicago to Munich, and past the Alps

After our long layover in Chicago, we were ready and eager to go. Finally! Europe! The flight was large, so there was plenty of time to snap pictures around the cabin after we got settled. Even to catch each other in the process of boarding.

We have a Flickr! account - a few random photos show up in the sidebar to the right. To see more of our photos, click on the Flickr! badge. We'll keep uploading as we go, and sharing our best shots.

Our flight took us over Boston, up the coast towards Bangor ME and and St. John's, Newfoundland - then across the Atlantic. United Airlines now has an in-flight map in the chairback video screens. We could watch our progress across Europe, track how many miles we had flown, and read how far and how long it was until our landing.

Our route across Europe skirted the boundary of Switzerland. Night had passed and the sun was rising on the Alps. One of our students had the bright idea of capturing some photos of the mountains. Through the wonders of digital cameras and the application of Photoshop Elements, our travelogue includes aerial photography of the alps.

Next stop: Rome!
(Sr. Edith)

one step closer

We successfully made it to Chicago, and now have a looong layover to deal with. Congratulations are due to those travelers among us who successfully survived their first plane ride, problem-free! The anticipation is definitely growing, especially since we just got our final itineraries to look over as we wait. So much amazing stuff awaits us.. only 21 more hours of travel..

We're Off!

The official first leg of our pilgrimage together began with our 12:30 p.m. flight from Minneapolis to Chicago. With no set plan, we converged on our gate at the airport, and were glad to find other familiar faces.

For those of us in Duluth, the pilgrimage began quite a bit earlier - and provided the occasion for fervent prayer. A soft rain fell throughout the night and froze, smooth and slick, on all the roadways in the city. Drivers crept along, carefully keeping their distance; a few cars had already hit the ditch. The 150-mile drive to the airport took us through snow and fog. No wonder we were happy to see each other when we arrived at the gate.

After an uneventful first flight, we're stretching our limbs for the next leg: a 9-hour flight to Munich leaving around 6 p.m. With the seven hour time zone shift, it will be full daylight when we arrive. We have a few hours here in Chicago, time to explore (especially for those who have never flown before) and work out the kinks.

For the students, this is part of the holiday side of the course, but blogmasters and professors keep on working. The 20 students in the course have already written several papers, considering particular works of art which we will see in Rome. Those papers don't grade themselves, so the layover is work time as well.

Look for us again, further along the road.

Thursday as the sun sets ...

See you at the airport; don't forget your toothbrushes!

Subscribing to CSS in Rome

We heard from some soon-to-be loyal readers that they were not receiving any e-mail. The subscription process takes two steps:
* one to subscribe (typing in your e-mail address at right)
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If you have not done the second step, you won't receive e-mail notices about new postings. (Several folks are listed in that pending status right now.)

CSS Subscribers: The Barracuda spam firewall will snap up the confirmation message. Look in your spam box (online) for a message sent by Feedblitz. You will want to whitelist Feedblitz because that is the source of the daily e-mails.

This seems complex - but it prevents pranksters from signing you up to receive blogs you would not want, and spam merchants from flooding you with commercial blogs.

The Pope Speaks to Rome's University Students

Excerpts from Pope Benedict's visit for Christmas with the students of Rome's universities:

I know that for many of you, university students of Rome, it is now a custom ... to go on a special pilgrimage to Assisi, and that many of you took part in the recent one.

Well, were not St Francis and St Clare both "conquered" by the Eucharistic Mystery? In the Eucharist they experienced the love of God, that same love which, in the Incarnation, impelled the Creator of the world to make himself little, indeed, the smallest one and the servant of all.

Dear young people, as you prepare for Holy Christmas, may you nourish the same sentiments as these great Saints, so beloved by the Italian People. Like them, fix your gaze on the Child wrapped in swaddling clothes and laid in a manger (cf. Lk 2:7,12,16).

Learn from the Virgin Mary, the first person to contemplate the humanity of the Incarnate Word, the humanity of Divine Wisdom. In the Baby Jesus, with whom she had infinite and silent conversations, she recognized the human Face of God, so that the mysterious Wisdom of the Son was impressed on the Mother's mind and heart.

So it was that Mary became the "Seat of Wisdom", and with this title is venerated in particular by the Roman Academic Community.

Let the countdown begin

Hi everyone! My name is Angie Johnson and I'm very excited to report that our group will be arriving in Rome on Saturday! As a senior English and communication major at St. Scholastica, I feel that this trip to Rome will be a great learning experience and a much-needed vacation! Many of my friends are also in Father Graham's Christian Faith in Art class, and we can't stop talking about how much fun we're going to have.

This trip is going to be a great opportunity for me. Unless you count Thunder Bay, Canada, I've never been out of the country. I've always wanted to travel to Europe but never thought it was possible, so going to Rome in a few days is amazing! I can't wait to immerse myself in the history, culture and faith of Italy; all of the studying we've done up to this point cannot replace the actual experience of being there and seeing it for ourselves. All the places and people we've talked about do not seem quite real yet. My only regret will be not being able to stay longer and see more of Italy and Europe. But some day I will. I can't wait to toss a coin in the Trevi Fountain -- legend has it that anyone who tosses a coin in this fountain will one day return to Rome, the "Eternal City."

Greetings from Illume

The team at Illume wishes students traveling to Rome an enriching experience! We thank Fr. Graham and other leaders at the College of St. Scholastica for entrusting the arrangements for this journey to us. Travel to places of historical and religious importance inspires participants to personal transformation as they visit places where visionary men and women made history.

We know that you will return home as different people with new perspectives. We hope that you will begin to see yourselves as citizens of the world, leading compassionate and caring lives, preserving our common heritage for yours and future generations!

Buon viaggio!

The Illume Team.

Hello!

Happy Holidays everyone!! My name is Kelsey and I am fortunate enough to be traveling on this wonderful trip! I am a senior at CSS, and will be graduating in a year with a double major in Business Management and Organizational Behavior.

I am really looking forward to this trip!! My mom, Jan, will be traveling with us. I have already been to Europe once, spring break of my junior year of high school. We spent three days in Rome and then a week and a half seeing all of France. My mom has never been to Europe, so we are spending some extra time over there! We are flying out Christmas about 9 pm for Paris and then will meet the class in Rome. After the class is done, we will see a few more cities in Italy before we travel to Zürich, Switzerland.

I can't wait to see everything at the Vatican again!! It is all so beautiful! The symbolism is amazing and everything is done with such detail!! I look forward to experiencing new, interesting things and then sharing it with you!

Preparing for Rome: Electrical Appliances

I'm in charge of taking a laptop computer along, so that we can keep up this blog. The wonderful folks in our IT Dept assured me that this laptop was able to adapt automatically to Italy's electrical system, but I'd need adapters for the plugs.

I believe the IT Dept, truly I do. But I wanted some independent verification, too. The information at About.com made me feel quite secure about the laptop.

It also made me hope that none of us are planning to bring hair dryers, especially without a power converter. The story of the unintended candlelight dinner is sobering.

Here's the link to advice on using power appliances oversease.
(Sr Edith)

Hello!

Hello All, My name is Mao Vang! Only one more week til Rome! I am a sophmore majoring in nursing. I have been waiting for this moment to come to get out of class and go on the trip. I am getting so nervous because I don't know what to pack and just how everything is going to be like over in Rome. After all the researches that we have been doing in class has really made me anxious to go. Man, is this cool or what, going to Rome for break! I have never been out of the country so going to Rome will have to be the best first time out of the country experience. As for the classmates that I am going with, I can't wait to hang out and chill with them. In one week we will be on our way so get ready Rome here we come!!!!

In Rome Now: Crossing the Street

[A new link has been added: In Rome Now, with lots of information about galleries, events, shopping - and SURVIVAL. The following somewhat daunting post comes from the Survival Guide.

We're sure that your mother taught you how to cross the street: wait for the green light, look both ways, that sort of thing. This course of instruction will prove perilously inadequate in the center of Rome.

Let’s say you are standing at the crosswalk on the Corso Vittorio Emanuele II at eleven o’clock on a weekday morning, You look both ways. At eleven o’clock on a weekday morning, the traffic flows heavily on the Corso from both directions. So you wait for a break in the traffic. At eleven o’clock on that same weekday evening, you may find yourself still standing at the same crosswalk, hoping that the traffic will eventually break.

For the novice Rome pedestrian, a better course of action is to wait for a native. Natives cross the street without waiting, and often without looking right-left-right to see what’s about to smash them. They enter the crosswalk in the firm belief that the drivers of the approaching vehicles are in no mood to commit manslaughter. Miraculously, the Red Sea of traffic parts and the native pedestrian almost always makes it safely to the opposite curb.

Protect yourself with such a pedestrian. Cross right along with him or her, preferably to his or her right so that the odd murderous driver will hit him or her first, thus buffering the impact on your own body. Should you be fortunate enough to come across a traffic light, do not rely on the green walk signal. This generally is timed to last two seconds or less, followed by a longer amber warning signal. Cross on amber or you may never cross at all.

New Year's Eve

Since so many people are looking forward to New Year's Eve, here's something to look at: New Year's Celebrations and Events in Italy

Vatican Museums Evangelize with Art

The Vatican Museums have the following inscription placed on the main door: "Ad augendum Urbis splendorem et asserendam religionis veritatem" (To promote the splendor of the city of Rome and affirm the truth of the Christian religion). Closing the year-long celebration of the 500th anniversary of the Vatican Museums - one of the first places we will visit - Pope Benedict XVI reaffirmed this view.

Museums -- though keeping in mind the changed social conditions -- can become places of artistic mediation, links of relationship between the past, the present and the future, crossroads of men and women of several continents, in addition to sources of research and forges of cultural and spiritual enrichment.

Remarking on the "enormous number of people who visit them each day" (which is why we are scheduled to arrive very early so as not to stand in line forever), the Pope said that,

through the different works exhibited, [the museums] offer visitors an eloquent testimony of the continuous intertwining that exists between the divine and human in life and in the history of nations.

We do not usually think of art and museums as sources of evangelization -- yet our pilgrimage and opportunity for reflection may achieve exactly that effect.

Almost there......

Hello! My name is Brynn Weikleenget! I just got done with my last final :), and now I am getting ready to start break! I just started making a list of things I need to bring and I registered my passport. I CANT WAIT to get on the plane and head on our way. This is the most exciting I've ever prepared for and I know it will be a very wonderful experience! Last semester I took a class in Baroque art history and a lot of the things I learned about I will get to see. I never thought while I was taking that class that I would have the oppurtunity to actually see some of it first hand! AWESOME! Taking this class also has taught me a lot more specific things and I just think it is great! I'm nervous, yet extremely excited. I hope I get a lot out of the trip, as I am sure I will!!!!

Only 11 more days!!

Hi Everyone!!
My name is Kayla York and I am a sophomore BioChemistry major and I am extremely excited to be going to Rome!!! This will be my second trip to Rome but this time I hope to explore more on my own (i.e. get lost) and have fun bringing in the New Year in another country. I am also very excited to see the Piazza Navona and people watch! I think this trip will be a wonderful experience since we have already done some research on where we are going so we are more informed than the average tourist. I can't believe there is only 11 more days til take-off!

E-mail Option

There's something new in the sidebar - an option to subscribe and have links to new blog items sent to you by e-mail.

How it works: Subscribers will get one e-mail per day, with links for any new postings on the site.

CSS Rome-ers: This may help your family and friends stay up to date with our travels and reflections in Italy.

Hello!

My name is Emily Machones. I am a sophomore nursing major from Duluth, Minnesota. I am very excited for our trip to Italy! The thought of packing seems to be the most stressful piece of this whole trip. Hopefully it will remain to be the most stressful even after we arrive. I am glad we've been given good sources to research the places we'll be going. I'm excited to see things up close that most people only see in pictures. I think the historical aspect is also amazing. To think about who was there and what was happening at any certain place hundreds of years ago is awesome. I am looking forward to walking around and doing exploring during our free time to really get a different cultural experience and some use out of my passport!

Hello All!

Hi I'm Kelsey Olson. I'm a sophomore this year, nursing major, and it seems like the wait to get to Rome has been forever! Fr. Graham originally tried to get people to go at the end of last year, so my anticipation has definately built up. I don't think that there is a cooler way to meet your Religion requirement for St. Scholastica than this! This will be my first time to Europe. My mom is also tagging along (just like she did when my sister went to Germany...) so everyone will get to know her too. The most exciting part of all of this is probably just how old everything is there compared to here; I thought my 100-year-old house was ancient!! I also look forward to getting to know my fellow travelers and to getting to the tropical Italian weather - it's going to be above freezing!

Way Too Excited...

I'm Donna Ceglar, a senior Biology major/Psychology and Chemistry minor, and I can't even describe how excited I am to be traveling to Italy! Like Sandi, I've been attempting to take this course since my freshman year, so I am just ecstatic that it has finally all worked out. It's my first time going to a foreign country (because Canada just doesn't count when you grew up only an hour away). I really can't pick just one thing that I'm looking forward to, because it's all so intriguing. I think just the fact that we'll be visiting such an ancient place is neat! I've had friends travel in Europe and they have all said that imagining how incredibly OLD and full of history all these places are (i.e. the Colosseum) is absolutely mind-blowing while you're standing right inside of them. I'm also looking forward to ringing in the New Year in Rome! Seriously, who could think of a better place to celebrate? It will be one last hurrah before I have to hit the books hard in med school next year. I look forward to regaling you all with stories of our adventures!

Anticipating Rome

My name is Sandra Riggs and I am a senior majoring in biology pre-medicine and minoring in chemistry and psychology. I have always wanted to travel to Italy and when I heard about this opportunity I jumped at the chance. Actually, I was originally going to go on this trip as a freshmen, then a sophomore, then a junior......but I'm finally taking it now. Next fall I will begin medical school and really want to do some traveling before then. I am excited to see/do everything on the agenda in Italy and then some! I love the fact that about half of the main Cable staff is going since we travel in packs because we cannot function independently. I will do my best to stay hydrated and to be ok with the fact I will not be wearing my usual heels for two weeks. Hopefully I will not order cow intestines for dinner or get pick-pocketed or lost. I have a feeling New Year's will be a little more exciting in Rome than watching the big ball drop in New York on T.V. in my parent's basement in the middle of no-where-land, MN. I can't wait!

Another introduction . . .

Hello all,

My name is Ada and I am a senior English and Communication major. This will be my fourth journey across "the big pond": I have been to London specifically twice and studied abroad in Ireland during my sophomore year, which included excursions to England, Paris and Germany. I have always wanted to travel to Italy and am very excited for our impending journey. Although I tried to learn Italian during my elementary school years -- probably because my mom is a piano teacher and most of the terminology for music is in Italian -- but I ended up with a crude understanding of French, so I'm a little nervous about the language issues. Hopefully, I'll pick up a few Italian phrases before departure and while I'm over there, the Italian people will be sympathetic. I'm especially excited to see Florence, but think all of the trip should interesting and enjoyable. Ciao!

Breaking News - Tomb of Saint Paul

News reports say that a group of archeologists who have been excavating a crypt - long hidden by an altar - at the Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls have concluded that the sarcophagus they found does indeed contain the remains of Saint Paul.

For the past three years, archaeologists have been excavating underneath the altar to remove two huge slabs of marble and now, for the first time in almost 1,700 years, the sarcophagus of St Paul is on public view.

Saint Paul, one of the earliest believers, is known to have traveled widely on missionary journeys both through his own letters - which make up the largest number of books in the New Testament - and through the story of his travels recorded in the book of Acts. His last letters were written from Rome, where he is said to have been beheaded in AD 65 by the Roman emperor Nero.

His sarcophagus will be on public view for the foreseeable future but the church is yet to rule out the possibility that one day the interior itself will be opened and examined.

And to continue the introductions

Hello all,
My name is Amanda Barras, but I've developed the nickname Rookie and probably won't answer to Amanda anymore. I'm a sophomore double majoring in Ojibwe Language and Culture and Elementary Education with an emphasis in mathematics. I transferred last semester from Minnesota State University Moorhead.
One thing I am looking forward to once I get to Rome is getting lost. I know its going to happen! I can't follow maps. I'll get seperated from the group because I get easily distracted. I will probably wonder off to look at something or listen to someone talking in Italian. I can't retrace my steps because I won't remember how I got where I am. But don't worry, I'm taking steps to prepare myself for this/these experience(s). I'll get a card from the hotel, take lots of pictures to help retrace my steps, and I've already got the phrase "Mi sono perso" down (that translates to "I'm lost"). This experience is one that I will never forget and I'm not going to let a few misguided adventures (getting lost) get in the way of enjoying Rome, Assissi, and Florence!

A little intro....

Hey! My name is Kristina Kelleher, but I've adopted "Nina" throughout my years. I am a sophomore at St. Scholastica studying Biology, emphasis in Forensic Science. I have only been to three of the States in my life (I know, pretty sad, huh?), and I have NEVER once been on a plane. So this will be a big leap for me as well.
One thing I am most looking forward to is seeing the Sistine Chapel. In all of my life, I never thought I would be actually seeing it up close. It will be extraordinary to be able to look up and see those famous images right in front of me! I have heard it is requested of all visitors to be silent; one of my high school teachers who has traveled to Rome many times told me about her experience there. She said there were people walking and talking in loud voices the whole time. I hope that doesn't happen to us!
One thing I am most looking forward to that isn't part of the itinerary is people watching. It's fun to do anywhere, but even more fun when you are learning a culture! I can wait to grab a small snack and just sit! Will write again soon! Nina K.

Introduction time......

Greetings! My name is Samarah Zimm and I am currently a sophmore at CSS. I am a native to the Duluth area and this will be my first time traveling overseas!!! I am very excited for what lies in store for all of us in Rome. We have been doing some research on the areas we will be going and it has made me even more enthusiastic about what we are doing! I hadnt realized what a huge help it will be to us to know exactly what we are looking for, which many travelers dont. This trip will, I am sure, prove to be a once in a life time experience that will teach me a lot and that I am sure to never forget. Ciao!

Team Members

CSS in Rome will be a team blog, with posts provided by all the students studying Christian Faith in Art this semester. In the next week or so, we will begin to introduce ourselves and describe something about our plans for this trip.

Blogmasters go first. I'm a Benedictine sister, a member of Saint Scholastica Monastery, who teaches sociology and statistics at our college. This will be my first trip to Rome, and my first trip to Europe in a very long time. (I spent a summer studying at the Sorbonne in Paris when I was in college, in the last millennium.)

I am most looking forward to our visit to Subiaco, where Saint Benedict, the founder of our order, lived in a cave in the first fervor of his religious journey. Other sisters who have been to Rome say that their visit to the Sacro Speco was the most memorable of their experiences. (See the link to Subiaco in the sidebar for pictures.)

Getting Ready for Rome

Here in Duluth, we are preparing for the crunch at the end of the semester. It's hard to believe that, less than 4 weeks from now, our flight will take off from Minneapolis for a 10-day study tour in Rome and environs. Our itinerary will take us to several locations in Rome; to Subiaco where St. Benedict began his life of prayer while living in a cave; to Assisi, where St. Francis renewed religious life with his emphasis on simplicity; and to the art-haven of Florence. (The Locations links in the sidebar are just a preview.)

All of our arrangements have been handled by the staff at Illume. They have arranged for us to stay in religious guesthouses. Along with Sharon LaTour here at CSS, they have handled most of the headaches - hats off!