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