My apologies for not having written for awhile. Largely it was due to teaching last week. I had three days, on three different topics, all material I hadn’t taught before. I had prepared it largely but needed to do the final shape in relation to this audience. All went well so my thanks to you for your prayer. I have been very conscious of the support I have had from you in your different ways.
What was very heartening for me was the especial interest in the monastic women. I have another day to give on this (oh that I had another week) and this group seem very keen for it.
This group is quite diverse. Over 30 years age range, coming from Mexico, Canada, Australia and mostly the United States. There is a range in educational background but a common desire to renew their Benedictine roots – hence the keen interest in the monastic women. They are very pleasant people and, any of you who had been teachers would die for such a group. Interested, alert, asking good questions, encouraging me to write a book on the subject…need I go on.
The challenge of these lectures was my accent and soft voice! I had to use a microphone for them to hear and understand. I’m learning to speak slower with clearly enunciated consonants.
So bringing you up to date I will backtrack a little over the last weeks over the next few days, with no apparent order.
Early in the week I spent a day on the town tour buses, going around the city trying to get its shape in my head, lest I do what I did to Joan in Singapore, led her in the wrong direction for an hour in the heat. I’m glad I did the trip. It did get the shape of the town in my head, switched my inner compass from southern hemisphere to northern, gave me some basic information and a better idea of the transport – all of which have proved useful in the excursions of the past week.
The highlight of last week was the tour of the scavi – excavations under St Peter’s basilica. These have only been opened since 2000 and are well worth the visit. From about 1930 onwards the necropolis under St Peter’s was excavated by archaeologists with the hope of discovering the bones of St Peter. Many of them hold that some of the bones have been found, but the official sign states that ‘we believe’. The site uses the best of 21st century technology to show part of life of the Roman Empire from the 1st-4th centuries. The tour guides are seminarians who know their material well and can adapt their input to the interests of a group. Of all the things I have seen in Rome, this tour is the one I would recommend to anyone, whether they were a Christian believer or not. It was the best presented piece of history in the city.
Of course, for me as a believer, it had great emotional and spiritual impact. The death of the martyrs expresses something central to our faith and to be underground, looking at the buildings and artefacts that surrounded such deaths was very moving.
For those who may be interested, access to such tours has to be booked months ahead, and in writing. numbers are limited due to the impact of heat and humidity from people going through and the cost is 10 euros – but well worth the money and inconvenience of booking.
How am I bearing up – I nearly ripped my ring finger off going down into the scavi under San Crisogono, having caught my ring in the door jamb, back here I tripped and fell on both knees and shins and sprained a toe, In Rome I have tortured my ankles on the cobblestones of Rome. I’m doing fine. The ring needs mending but I’m grateful, if I hadn’t jerked back I think I would be recovering from microsurgery at the moment. I thought of Dad as it happened. It was all he ever said about rings getting caught.
Except for a day or two of mid 30s the weather has been cool and lovely.