Last days

Well I'm in the home straight now and while I have had a wonderful time, I think I am ready to come home.
Last time I wrote we were getting ready to visit the Vatican museum. The night before we went I did a presentation on the Sistine Chapel. This is one place that gives so much more if you know what then plan is and how the different pictures play off each other. One good place to learn is the Vatican Museum website - regarded as one of the best web sites in the world. Though I had prepared material last year and was able to use it, I ended up taking the group through this website and supplementing the information. They found this helpful for the next day's visit.
We arrived early - about 1 1/2 hours before it opened. Even though we didn't have booked tickets, we got in only a little behind the groups that had paid extra to book. Even then they had to wait in line for quite some time. One piece of advice I gave was that if you wanted to see the Sistine Chapel well go directly there and try to see the other things later. The ones in our ggroup that followed this advice found themselves in the chapel with about 20 people. Those who didn't found themselves in pandemonium. Cattle act better than the crowds who were there. They took no notice of the requests for quiet and not to take photos and I really wonder why they were there. For one thing, the photos they took were useless, one was much better off getting postcards. I honestly think if you want to see the chapel, go in winter.
For myself, I wanted to see the Modern art Collection and was delighted with what was on display. Last year, little was on view, I presume because of renovations. They seem to be renovating something somewhere here all the time. But I suppose that is the nature of life in a building over 4 centuries old. One thing that amazes me with the renovation is how discretely the necessary additions of the the modern world - electricity, smoke alarms, security devices - are worked into the fabric of the buildings.
But this year with one of the sisters, Teresa Jackson, I slowly went through the collection. Lots of stuff, good stuff was on display and it was a pleasure to have someone to share it with. As it turned out a number of our group were interested in that display. It was largely the legacy of Pope Paul VI and it is a wonderful selection of the best of 20th century artists. There is a bronze casting of Vat II that fills a room and which delighted all of our group that took time to wander around the walls, looking at all the groups of cast people.
In the painting section of the gallery, I was taken, last year, with a painting of St Matthew writing the Gospel and was pleased that this year there were a number of posters etc available of this painting...and that a number of our group enjoyed this painting as well.
The day after we went to Monte Cassino, the place were St Benedict founded a monastery and were he and his sister, Scholastica are buried. It is a wonderful sight and it is quite something to go up the mountian,back and forth across curves and 7 switchbacks. The monastery is the property of the Italian Government, like most houses of religious in Italy. Even though 20 monks live there it is largely a 'historical monument'. For Italians, visiting historical monuments is the stuff of holidays and while we were there a number of groups went through. But surprisingly to us, when Marcia was negiogiating the parking arrangements for the bus, the officials could hardly believe that we wanted to spend three hours there! We had a tour, were given time to pray in the room that Benedict wrote his Rule, pray in the Church and crypt and then spent time going through the excellent musuem. It is very well done with an amazing number of pieces - vestments, manuscripts, etc. I do wonder though if someone ever said to the sacristan or the abbots - "I think we have enough jewelled chalices." There are some many and just how many do you need.
After Monte Cassino, one of the highlights of the program for the landlocked Americans - the seaside near Sperlonga! This year our bus driver took us to a much better beach than last year - a long free beach, where people could change easily and get drinks without having to climb over 150 steps.Once again it was like taking toddlers to the beach they had so much fun. I tried sand sculpture for the first time, making a dolphin and a starfish and a little fish and I protected this from the traders who push there carts of goods up and down the beach constantly, but then one of our group, Ann, walked right into it and gave the dolphin a lobotomony - so no picture for the blog. The bus driver we had this day and the week before was so pleasant, we are going to request him for our trips next year.
On Friday I did later Monastic Women and that went well. Once again I was grateful for the teaching of Nola Smith. Even though I had a lot of material, I felt that I was in control of it and was able to get through most of it, on time....well only five mintues over time.
Since then we have been having reflections days bring together the threads of the program. We had to change the timetable as the Italian transport had a strike of part of the train system - ON A SUNDAY. Whoever has a strike on a Sunday and then only part of the system.
The G8 meeting was held here recently and it was quite a difference to when George Bush was in town. The securuty doesn't seem to have stopped the city to quite the extent that Bush's visit did. Mind you, we don't really seem to be following the news that much - but then when three helicoptors went over during Vespers last Friday, the Americans did know that that was Obama and his family flying out.
This coming week will be busy, the troops leave on Tuesday, we have much to pack and a report to write. I am really looking forward to having time with Leo and Cathy's family in Perth. I'll be there just under a week and then home, home to space, sea and the glories of Central QLD. It is good have come here and it will be good to go home.

Oh, O, Orvieto

What a wonderful few days! Marcia and I went to Orvieto for a three day weekend. Orvieto is a hill city with rampart built on the cliff faces all the way. While many of the buildings within look medieval when viewed closely we could see that they had been mostly renovated to modern standards of comfort. For most of the time there we visited the venues associated with the Cathedral, the Brizio Chapel, totally decorated with frescoes, the Papal palace, now an art gallery, the Emilio Greco exhibition and the San Agostino church – a now disused church in which there is a sculpture exhibition – all on the one ticket of 5 euros. An bargain. The rest of the time we mostly viewed the Cathedral – one of the best in Europe, or wandered the city itself.
The first amazing thing was that I got up the ‘funicolare’ – the vertical railway- without needing a valium milkshake. The memory of going on the one at the Blue Mountains when I was a small child still rates as one of my nightmares. But I was able to go up and down even taking pictures

– for your benefit of course – what I will do for those I love.
The next was the cathedral itself with its striped brick (which I first thought ugly and then found works to lighten the building inside) and colourful facade totally covered with mosaics. Inside the art is mostly devoid of baroque as is most of the city. The city’s art work rarely went beyond the Medieval and Renaissance. I found this such a relief.
The next is the size of the city – one could walk at a brisk pace from end to end in about twenty minutes. But of course we never went briskly, there was so much to see that was so different to our home experience – the medieval town, the ceramics, the plazas and the churches.
On the first night, we went to the ramparts for our tea – saving our pennies, we had bread, cheese, olives, cheap local wine (very good) and couldn’t have feasted better. In this view, we watched the setting sun.
In this view we watched the rising of the almost full moon amongst clouds set red by the sun.
And in between we saw this view glow golden green. (I didn’t take photos at the time as I though they wouldn’t come out.)
And we talked and talked. Just before 10pm the lights in the small church nearby went on and so as we passed we looked in. Saturday Evening Mass for families! No wonder there were so few in the Cathedral the next day.
On the next day we did the first three of the venues on the Cathedral ticket but the best came on the last day. Down at the end of town, tucked away at the end of a recommissioned church was the most wonderful Annunciation scene. Two sculptures by Francesco Mochi of Mary and the Angel. The pictures on this internet site do not do them justice of course.http://www.wga.hu/frames-e.html?/html/m/mochi/index.html

Mary is a strong young woman, rising from a chair. Her body is moving forward into the decision she has to make, while her face fully shows all the disturbance the Gospel speaks of. In contrast, Gabriel is full of energy and movement and his face is utterly determined, consumed by his mission. http://www.wga.hu/frames-e.html?/html/m/mochi/index.htmlMarcia reckons they are as good as David. How theses sculptures can be so little known mystifies me. But it was to our advantage. We could walk all around and up close with hardly anyone else there. For your information, Mochi did the statue of St Veronica in St Peter’s Basilica.

There was more, much more to see in Orvieto. But less is more. We came away utterly happy with what we had seen. I do hope to go back, that Annunciation scene is drawing me!

Subiaco

On Thursday we went to Subicao for a day's reflection. This is the area to which St Benedict fled as a young man and lived as a hermit in a cave for three years. It is a beautiful area, heavily wooded with steep mountainsides. The monastery built around his cave is literally built onto the cliff face. The weather was glorious this year and as we went up the path, through the trees, the singing birds, the gentle breezes, we thought we were in for a quiet day......

Alas, maintanence even needs to be done in 'heaven on earth'. These men had abseiled down the cliff and were jackhammering into the rock face ini order to shore up the foundations. They must have been enormously strong and with no fear of heights. You don't want to know what wasn't below them. The jackahmmered for 3&1/2 hours, Most of us went off and found a quiet place nearby. They did stop for siesta so some of us had a few hours quiet in the monastery around the cave. Then we went down the hill.

At the lower monastery we had a look at the 'book' display. Subiaco had the first printing press in Italy. As well as that they had an extraordinary number of ancient books and manuscripts. Their oldest piece is about second century. An eldery monk could see were interested and he bought out this 10C copy of the Rule of Benedict that came from France. Underneath in that glass case are sheets from the first printed book in Italy. Converstaion with him was difficult as we had no common language but we found a way. A Ugandan sister who we had brought with us, knew French as did he. So we conversed through her. But it does say something about the education systems of Aust and the US that we, the highly educated group had no-one who could speak either Italian or French.

In this display area was an old olice press. This is huge!

We then had a tour through the lower monastery and came home through a great storm. It seems that that day the Abruzzi region had another earthquake. L'Aquila used to 'belong' to the monastery of Subiaco and is quite close. But we didn't feel a thing, maybe the jackhammering men set it off.

As we go down into places like that I can't help thinking how vulnerable we would be in an earthquake.

The other day I had an incident with a thief. We were getting on the train at Termini - our Citivecchia line - all tired out. Two fellows were handing out pieces of paper and distrating most of the group. As I got on, a third fellow put his hand down into my lunch bag. Mechtild from Jamberoo saw it and without thinking jumped over and smacked his hand out and then took a assertive pose from her youth group leader days and the fellow jumped back very quickly with both arms up showing he had gotten nothing. Still the three fellows hung around. When I made a quip that had all of us laugh they went off. Seems laughing at them hurt their pride but it did not stop them. A few minutes later we saw one of them running quickly away from the carriage further up. You cannot be too careful of thieves here in Rome. This was our second incident this year.

Today I'm going off to Orvietto for just over 2 days. At this time we encourage the group to visit some other part of Italy to get that experience. And Marcia and I are going for a rest. There is a magnificnet church there...and St Patrick's well - a place built to the people would have a water supply in time of siege but Marcia well knows that I'm not accompaning her down the 450 steps to the bottom to see where they collected water.

Churches!

The last two days have been church tour days. On Tuesday we went to St Sabina's, a very beautiful, very ancient church on the Aventine hill. The church was restored in the 20th century in line with its original simplicity so one senses are not attacked in a riot of baroque opulence. The light in this church is extremely gentle and comes from lattice worked windows. The look most unusual but when you discover that the 'glass' in them is not glass but rather think sheets of mica, it all makes senses - the small sized of the sheets and the softness of the light. The church has been for centuries a Dominican church and has one of the best-priced gift shops in Rome especially for Dominican cards and pictures. After looking at the ancient structure of Roman churches we went up the Rome to Sant' Anselmno's, the 'study house' of the Benedictines and were given a tour by the Abbot Primate's secretary, Fr Henry O'Shea, though a monk of Glenstal Abbey in Ireland, we could never quite work out if he was Emglish or Irish, the sense of humour and view of Europeans seemed closer to eccentric English. We concluded the day with a tour of Santa Maria in Cosmedin - another ancient church. Not such a successful tour as we had to contend with hordes of teenage groups who had come to the church for the relics of St Valentine!
Yesterday was the the Parish church of rome and the Mother of all the Churches - St John Lateran. Of the major basilica's of Rome I think this is my favourite. When one is in the body of the church there is a sense of lightness and space. The apse mosaic is very beautiful and I like the scenes of paridise at the bottom - little figures below Christ, Mary and the saints, boating, fishing resting aloneside the river of life that flows from the Holy Spirit through the jewelled Cross. We took time in the adjoining cloister, saw the ancient vestments and then went down the road to San Clemente. But this time my body was thorougly tired os steps. Up, down, down up. So when the others when down the ancient basilica and mithrium beneath that, Istayed up in the church and took time out.
Much as I learn from the ancient churches I find the fixation on them bordering on obsession. The imagery in the mocaics and other art works can be a way of bordering our horizons and deepening our faith but that dynamic doesn't seem much in eividence. It just seems to be a glorification of the past. 'This is x number of centuries old and we must go Ahh how wonderful.' Yet when you look at the the works you can see that the people of the past did not respect the earlier works -eg some of the best mosaics have been covered over with baroque arches in a way that would now be called vandalism.
Unfortunately some of the modern art that is in churches is modern ugly.
Studying these churches really makes me ask where are we putting our energies as members of the church for example, how much goes into maintainng the past, how much into understanding the present, how much into tranlating what the gospels are about into a language for our time.

Meeting of the tribe

Today we went to St Peter's from the Mass of Sts Peter and Paul. This is the ceremony at which the new archbishops of the world receive from the Pope their pallium - like a special stole symbolic of thier pastoral service. There were 34 archbishops from around the world receiving their palliums and given the applause, all had some from their diocese, except perhaps the new archbishop from Indonesia. It was a meeting of the nations - many, many languages but one in belief.

We had good seats in the northern nave - the best of the second rate seats - much better than we were expecting. I haven't got good photos because from the photo below you can see what it was like whenever anything happened. And besides I had really gone there for a photo shoot but rather the celebration of the Mass.

We each got a booklet which had everything printed in it - in Latin and Italian, unless it was another language being used - like Swahili or Thai - or even English. Then the Italian translation was given. Italian seems to have taken over Latin as the default language of the Church. The music for singing was also included.

The organsiation was superb but mind you there seems to be so many different groups in uniform doing different things. I counted 8 and that was before you got to ecclesiastical groups. Where we were, we had swiss guards, security in suits, security in uniforms - about 3 kinds, ushers in white bow ties and tails (some elderly with lots of medals for service) then emergency services (blue uniforms with yellow reflector tape)... need I go on? Then all the varieties of clergy, religious and groups. What a kaliadoscope. Teresa, from out group said she felt underdressed.

We were in the north nave and afterwards we went around the back of the church to go out. So finally I got to St Peter's chair and the Spirit window close up.

As we all milled out Sr Margaret Carmody met a priest she had known when she worked in Sout Africa. Knowing a few local words she make friends with a few others. These women with Marg come from Namibia.

Finally all went out into the Piazza for the Angelus and the blessing for the feast.

This afternoon I took, with some others, the last chance to see the Giotto exhibition. It was excellent. If it had had half the pictures it would have been more than worth the entrance fee.

Multi-cultural day

What a variety of cultures we had today. We have been having lectures from Sr Manuela Scheiba a German nun from near Berlin. She has been giving outstanding lectures on the Rule of Benedict - an amzing mixture of scholarship and down to earth spirituality. Interspersed in the lectures she had us dancing to Egypt music and Jewish music. Well, that set the Indians off and for Vespers we sang the Our Father in Indian with Sr Alice doing an Indian dance of worship.

Then us Aussies went out for tea in the local suburb of Pisana at a Italian restuarant run by Chinese. Then we went for gelato up the street. These signs come from the shop next door. Well you have all heard how Italy is a centre for art, beauty, culture...

..

What can I say!

Who are we?

I thought I should say a little about the group. There are 29 Benedictine women from Australia, Canada, India and the US. We range in age from 38 to 73 years of age and come from quite a variety of community backgrounds, from contemplative with a focus on prayer, to communities with a strong ministerial bent. We have women who work as pastoral associates, in liturgy both in their communities and in dioceses, who teach primary school and college university level. We have one women who has just finished being a principal of an inner city girls high school in Chicago, which had an interesting ethnic mix. Most of the US sisters come from the mid-west and I have been surprised how many comment on working with immigrants, for example from the Sudan and other African countries. I hadn't really thought of migrants going so far inland in the States, as that is the exception to our experience. Some sisters come from communities that are very large by Australian standards with extensive buildings and their job back home would be looking grounds or buildings/plant. One sister run a home for pregnant single women. One of the Indian sisters is the superior of a community that has a hospital (200 bed), aged care facilities, a creche etc. The other Indian sister is administrator of a Nursing School that her community is establishing.
Quite a variety of work and backgound and yet 'work' is only mentioned in passing. What we really have in common is our Benedictine spirituality which amazes me in what a differnt expressions it takes in our cultures.

Ahhhh, Umbria

Today we went to Norcia, the birthplace of Sts Benedict and Scholastica. Situated in a magnificant valley up in Umbria we had a day that, if it had been better we would have been in heaven - perfect weather, a good driver, and wonderful company both amongst ourselves and in the people we met.

We travelled up from Rome through widing roads cossetted by steep cliffs often on either sides. We first visited the Place of Sts SPes and Eutizia (???spelling) This old building has layer upon layer of different ages but this fountain and pond delighted me. There were fish in it!!!

We travelled down to Norcia the only fully walled town in Italy - or so we were told. This is a most beautiful place. Readers of this blog know how it delights and it was a joy to see the sisters today take to it. Like me, they are so glad to be in a place that is clean and in which the people take such great pride.

IT prides itself on so much of its history - the Etruscan tombs, the heritage of Benedict and Scholastica, the tradition of good food - boar, truffles etc. But today there was another side. Outside the museum was a antique collection of Lanzi cars. The petrol heads in the Harris family will get the complete collection of photos. I even got to play the horn on one of the most ancient.

We prayed in the crypt of the church of St Benedict, the traditional place of his birth.

Then I took some time wandering through the town. Thursday is market day but this time there were no local cherries. I had to content myself with apricots. This is the one time and place that I can buy local, fresh stone fruit. I make sure I get out to this little market to check out the local produce.

Then back to visit one of the pastry shops. Superb pastries and excellent coffee are two things of the few things that are cheaper than in Australia and rarely have I come across pastries as good as what you can get in most pastries shops.

A group of us wandered up to the Monastery of St Antony, the home of a group of Benedictine nuns who serve us lunch on this trip each year. On the way, we noted each church, used or abandoned, on the way up. In the space of about 250m we must have counted about 6 churches. They were closer that every street corner. I annouced that I felt I was on a ABC tour - one of the group asked what's and ABC tour - Another Bloody Church tour. (I feel some of the group are getting tired of Baroque - time to take them to the Korean church next door to here!)

When we finally arrived at the monastery, we were served as usual another stunning meal. Two courses of simple pasta, a lettuce salad, fresh raspberries and ice cream. The pasta was home made, the lettuce and fruit home grown. A simple plain meal but what they eat in heaven surely. Simple, fresh, done well cannot be surpassed. We were are very happy group. If laughter was the sign of wealth we were rich indeed.
After that we went out to the Church of St Scholastica, which is a closed church at the cemetary. This is most likely the place where she lived her monastic life 1500 years ago. The church is is an awful state and is normally locked - we pay to have it open. In the midst of the ruins we prayed again and renewed our vows. Then studied the various frecoes on the walls. Here's yours truly below a double frescoe of Benedict and Scholastica. In about the 15 century frescoes of Scholastica's life were done on the wall, then 30 years later they were plastered over and a life of St Benedict went on. The building is in a awful state and parts of the wall have fallen off. In this place a picture of St Benedict faces a picture of Scholastica from the earlier cycle.

Then we went home. If this sounds like we had an idylic day, we did. Thanks be to God!

St Maria in Trastevare

Last night was wonderful. We went to Vespers with the Community of Sant’ Egidio at the glorious church of St Maria Trastevere. Most of this church only dates from the 11C. The mosaic on the front of the church has Our Lady breastfeeding Jesus, flanked on either side by women holding lamps – representing virgins and widows. Inside, the apse mosaic is of Christ and Mary seated on thrones, with Christ having his arm tenderly around Mary. Flanked below are a series of mosaics of the life of Mary by Cavallinni. All very lovely and well worth seeing but last night’s delight came unexpectedly.
This year, for the first time, we got into the chapel of the left of the altar which contains the picture of Our Lady of Clemency and frescoes of the Council of Trent. While we were trying to ‘read’ the frescos, a more than kind and even more that knowledgeable man – Joseph – took over and explained, in quaint English, the symbolism, then told us about how the Our Lady of Clemency was painted. An Egyptian technique, beeswax is spread across boards and the image is painted into that. This painting dates from around the 6th century and is the largest of its kind.
Then he drew our attention to the frescoes on the ceiling done by a disciple of Michelangelo. He made me stand on the black diamond on the floor closest to the altar and from there I could see on the ceiling, in best perspective, scenes from the Life of Mary, then he moved me to the other diamond on the floor and there I could see lower down again, in best perspective scenes, from the Life of Christ. He also showed us some other features of the church that one would never discover just with a guide book. But we never did find the ancient mosaic of ducks feeding on snails that is somewhere in that church.
This type of kindness to strangers does so much for the people receiving it. As a traveller, a pilgrim, one does feel alienated. We feel like strangers looking in, because we are. But when someone takes the time to show what is special, what is beautiful in ‘their home’ you feel welcomed and are made able to appreciate the place far more than if you found that information from a guide book. For us in Australia this is something worth remembering as we too are a tourist destination. Those few moments given to a stranger can have a glowing effect for the rest of their day….and the information we might give away costs us so little yet can mean so much. This man transformed that night for us. It was the best visit to this church that I had had.
Vespers was lovely. I think the music must be distinctive of this particular group. It has a very attractive lilt that continues inside you for some time afterwards. Vespers is each evening, and they provide books and translation facilities so that visitors can follow the homily in their own language The community are a group of lay people who began meeting in the late 1960’s for prayer and service to the poor. They have now grown to a world wide community of over 50,000. Their commitment to the poor is expressed in different ways in Rome. Food to the homeless, language classes for migrants, solidarity with the Roma people (gypsies). They have also been involved in peace making, ie brokering peace between waring factions in different parts of the world.
Afterwards we wandered through the Trastevere district for a little while – always good for people watching and for good cheap food. If you even get there go to the café just outside the church that had oranges outside in its windows. It is supposed to serve superb fresh orange juice. But I had a gelato that was huge and he gave me a discount…and to others in our group he gave away oranges. (After being ripped off near the Trevi fountain on Sunday night I feel even more well disposed to good traders.)
Therese reckoned that Marcia and I could get jobs herding cats when this programme is over.
Then our happy group travelled and laughed all the way home and some gave a Country Music concert on the train, very good fun. They were amazed at my lack of knowledge of Johnny Cash songs!

The art of different ages

On Sunday we went to the churches of St Prudentiana and St Prassede. Tradition has it that these two sisters of the senator Prudens collected the blood of the martyrs after their death and ensured the proper burial of their bodies. The church of St Prudentiana has the oldest apse mosaic in Rome. An apse mosaic consists of pictures done in coloured stone and gold. The pictures use religious symbolism to tell the Essential Christian story. There are a number of symbols used that have multiple meanings. You are supposed to sit and ‘read the story of faith’ from the symbols. Certain symbols are repeated and as you read the story from church to church you can appreciate the difference between the way the people of different eras understood their faith. In the apse mosaic of St Prudentiana, created around 370, Christ sits enthroned, the only person to have a halo. Around him in a pleasant courtyard are the apostles, enjoying the heavenly banquet. Behind Sts Peter (always with a full head of hair) and Paul (severely receding forehead) stand two women, placing victor’s (leafy) crowns on their heads. The women can be Prudentiana and her sister Prassede, they can also represent the Gentile and Jewish Christian churches. In the background is Jerusalem and possibly its new Churches that have been built since Christianity had been made an official religion 60 years before. There is a huge gold and jewelled cross behind Christ, perhaps represented the discovery of the cross in Jerusalem. There is a sense of relaxation and ease. The time of persecution has passed but is still recalled by the victor’s crown and by the extraordinary inscription on the book Christ is holding. The words read “Preserver of the Church of Prudentiana”. Normally such words in Christ’s book would be a section of the Gospel, especially John but here Christ is called the preserver of the Church of the one who ‘preserved’ the martyrs.
Around the corner is the church of her sister St Prassede. Rebuilt in the 9C it has even more mosaics. The side chapel of St Zeno is extraordinary but I’m not going to describe it here. The central mosaics have Christ in the centre as usual but standing on either side of him, in a more formal arrangement than at St Prudentiana’s church, are Sts Peter and Paul with Prudentiana and Prassede on either side. The apostles have an arm around the shoulders of the two women, a very friendly gesture and in appreciation of the service the women had given the church.
Above the high alter is a 17th century painting of the collection of the blood. The central figure has her eyes fixed on heaven watching little angels. In the background we see martyrs being killed, in the middleground two women pointing at the sisters impressed with their actions, and in the foreground the two sisters with calm faces doing their heroic action.
Now at the back of the church is a statue that fascinates by its ghoulishness. Here, made in what looks like paper mache, is St Prassede kneeling, weeping, while she wrings out a cloth dripping with blood. There is no sense of Christ and the martyr’s victory, only of the disaster of violent death. Yet this is a statue that attracts devotion, shown by the ‘votive offerings, in the glass case protecting the statue. These votive offerings are ‘silver hearts’ placed their by someone who has had their prayers answered.
Four different centuries, four different ways that the story is presented. My own fair is fed more by the early mosaics that by the later art.

Today we had the Abbot Primate for Eucharist - he couldn't stay for lunch as there was a celebration back a San Anlsemo's for his birthday. To night we take the group to the churches of St Prassede and Prudentia, two early martyrs of the church, believed to be the daughters of the senator Pudens who offered hospitality to both Sts Peter and Paul. The mosaics in both churches are stunning. A little known treasure of Rome
After that we go to the Trevi fountain - a place who beauty and attractiveness has be promoted by the person who gets to clean the coins out of the fountain each evening. That place is not only overrated, it is very overpopulated by people going there because if you go to Rome you go there. Yes, yes I know I'm going there but there has to be some sufference in this line of work.
By the way storms are around and we may get drenched. At 8pm Michael Kelly, one of the monks from Arcadia is meeting us and we hopefully teach us how to buy drinks in a bar here. We try to give all aspects of educations. PArt of the gruop going to the Borgese Gardens Gallery got to see a drug deal and police bust on the way. All cultures included in this program.
Mind you the sister who spotted this has worked with some dysfunctional people so what she saw this sweet innocent probalbly would have missed. Or rather at least the first part. I was told that the police bust was made with maximum public viewing.
Last night's dinner conversation was nteresting. We have two sisters from the Grace and compassion Congregation of Benedictines. This group started in England in the 1950's caring for poor and neglected elderly. There aim was to have a religous community caring for them as though they were a family. The community did it all by doantion and at the last I heard refused government funding. Sr Alice was telling us how 3 years ago the group opened a Nursing school in India. Till now their work has been in Aged CAre, children with disabilites etc. The Nursing school if a new venture into education. Alice, herself, like a number of her sisters did her nursing training in Ireland and the UK. Even though she is qualified for those countries, and probably our own, she and her sisters cannot practice as trained nurses in India. India refuses to recognise the nursing qualifications of nearly every other country. Even though her UK training was longer than comparable Indian training. So Alice can only do the equivalent of work of an enrolled nurse. Another challenge they have had as regards training was that the congregtation had their religious formation in tEngland, then they would do their nursing training and go home. The could not retrain as in India you cannot start any tertiary studies if you are older than 24 years.
So now the sisters do their formation in India and start studies ver soon after entering the congregation. They are now beginning to have some of their sisters trained as doctors.
Sr Alice is administrator for the Nursing school. That way she can use what she knows but not really in the way she would like. You know she loves nursing. One of her disappointments is the attitude of many of the students. She says very few come to be 'like florence Nightingale". Rather at the interivews for getting into the school, the paretns are present and obviously see nursing as a way for the daughter to make money without having to do demeaning work - mus to go the others are leaving

Photo

This is the photo that didn't get uploaded into the last blog. L to R Marcia, Karen and Me outside the apartment in the wall at the North American Seminary. The sisters had previously had the top floor of a building that had the finest view in Rome of the Vatican at night. Now all window looks out onto the wall into which they have been built. On the other hand the apratment had been refurbished by a benefactor two years ago and is beautiful!!! What they lack in views is made up for in appointments. Still I'd go for thepreivous views

Vatican Scavi

Today is a quiet day of reflection for the group and well do we and I need it. I have had three days of lectures in the past week and in between that we have visited various sites around Rome. This coming week we have mostly lectures on the Rule of Benedict from two German sisters: Sr Aquinata and Sr Manuela so in the coming week I’ll try to describe some of the places we have been to.
Beginning with yesterday. We went to the ‘Scavi” the excavations under St Peter’s which I think is a superb tour. We had a seminarian from Mobile, Alabama as our English speaking guide. He knew his stuff very thoroughly and built up the story about the discovery of what are believed to be the bones of Peter as we were guided through the Roman necropolis, under the floor of the 6th century basilica built by Constantine. He wove the ancient historical story into the 20th century story of the excavations, complete with all the interesting details – like the fact that the excavations that took place during the German occupation of WWII were done at night without power tools and the dirt brought up was conveniently incorporated into the Vatican Gardens which were redone at that time. The fear was that the Nazis would find out about what was happening and take anything found back to Germany. As I have said before on this blog, I am very impressed with the blend of modern technology and ancient excavation under St Peter’s. You are walking through a Roman graveyard, going through hi-tech Perspex doors, into places where the temperature and humidity are carefully controlled. I would strongly recommend this tour to anyone going to Rome but you do have to book months ahead – the numbers are limited to control the temperature and humidity. There are guides available in English – you state what language you want the tour in. In addition you get to speak officially to the Swiss guards and go into the Vatican proper. Since last year they have begun a cleaning the buildings and it is quite a contrast between the dirty and the new. The colonnades are also being cleaned but the change is not so apparent.
When we went to the North American “Seminary’ when we first came, Sr Susan took this photo of Marcia, Karen and I. I include it so you know what the people I’m working with look like.

Thank God for Nola Smith! Today I had a full day’s teaching and the morning’s classes went especially went, even as well as I could have hoped. Thanks to what Nola taught me before I left Yeppoon, I was able to get through all the material, clearly, smoothly and on time! I was even heard by everyone. I feel so relieved. The group were very happy with today’s input. I was giving an overview of early monastic history, trying to present what was important in the early teaching without getting too bogged down in details.
This evening we had an outdoor meal with the Casa Sisters and it was a very happy affair. We have people from so many different countries, continents and communities. The weather was delightful, the food good, the conversation lively.
Tomorrow we go to Sant’ Amborgio, the place where there was a community of nuns for over 1400 years before Napoleon expelled them, then we visit where the Jewish Ghetto was and then on to the Church of St Cecilia. The rest of the day is free for people to visit other parts of Rome. But I will be coming back here to get ready for Friday’s class.
The Sport Club across the road is in full swing tonight – no not with gym classes but with a rock concert with sing a long. Hopefully the noise will stop soon. If this was home noise pollutions laws could be invoked.

Well the programme is well and truly underway. This is a great bunch of people, enthusiastic, keen and delighted to be here. On Saturday morning we took them into Rome to St Peter’s and to orientate them to the transport. For most of the Americans this is their first real experience of using public transport and even the most basic of procedures needs to be pointed out. But this group picked it up very quickly.
The time in St Peter’s was short but most went back on Sunday. For all, the visit there was the dream of decades. No matter what their age or what continent they came from, the awe and sense of privilege was simply lovely. For myself, I am finally not being so overwhelmed. This was now about my 6th or 7th visit to St Peter's and I was able to begin to appreciate the various details and how they fit together. Baroque art so easily appears to me as a barrage on the senses. Who knows by next year I might even start to like St Mary Major.
We went yesterday to what would have been St Benedict’s parish church and his lodgings as a student in Rome. On both places there has been further excavations since last year and new frescoes have appeared. We all returned exhausted. It is not the walking but the walking on cobble stones that seem to strain every muscle in one’s legs by the end of the day.
Today I gave my first classes and my lessons with Nola Smith, a wonderfully gifted Yeppoon Speech and Drama teacher bore fruit. I was loud enough for all to hear without a microphone! Thanks Nola. To me I sounded LOUD but not to them and they are the ones that are doing the hearing. In the first session I did Rome in the New Testament, which focussed on how an understanding of Roman culture enhances our appreciation of the New Testament. In the second session I gave a potted history of Rome. What ever way we look at a history, we do it through a chosen ‘lens’ – political leaders, economic aspects, military advances etc. For this session I used the history of the nuns of Sant’ Ambrogio, who were a community in Rome from 353 till their expulsion by Napoleon in 1810. The group loved it. It was such a delight to speak to such a receptive group about what is a passion in my life – the history of nuns, how religious women have lived in their differing societies and ages.
This afternoon we went into the area where there are the major ancient ruins of Rome, to Sts Cosmos and Damian to see the 6C mosaic and then the Colosseum. The mosaic has extraordinarily vibrant colours. No doubt it has been restored at some stage, but the colours just jump of the wall and ceiling.
Again this year there was a wedding taking place in the church – of an older couple and a rather drab affair. We all agreed that we thought little of the bride’s dress. But we said this very softly when we were well out of the Church.
The group we brought home tonight were well and truly exhausted. I must say I feel just a little satisfied. On the weekend they were so jumping with ‘What’s there to do, where can we go?” Now it was, can we have Compline early so we can go to bed!”
Ah tomorrow I get to stretch their brains for the day and then tomorrow night we have a picnic tea with the Sisters who run this pensione.

All the chickens in the nest!

Yesterday, Karen Marcia and I went out to dinner to celebrate the beginning of this year's program. We went into St Peter's to do some business for the program and some posting (Hint 2 on posting with Vatican Post. Do not use sticky tape to fasten parcel - you must use string to tie it up! With all the different regulations I asked a long time Rome resident, if this was an obstacle course in which the rules were only released as you passed each stage of an ever difficult quest.) Anyhow my parcel to Geoffrey in Greece has gone. I have sent only half of what I bought and will wait to see if he gets this first parcel before the next goes.
I finally got into the Icon shop after three times in Rome. I didn't buy any mounted Icons - far too dear but bought a lot of lovely pictures to mount on card and will get some posters to mount when I go back with a tube. Worth the trouble of finding.
The traffic lights in the city seemed to have been set 'on hold' and at every intersection there was a phalanx of police (of the multiple varieties that the Italians specialise in) directing traffic. The main road that we had just come down was totally without traffic during peak hour. We wondered what was going on. Then helicopters, police on motorbikes, police in cars, police in vans, then luxury vehicles with dark tinted windows, more police, an ambulance, more cars and more police then a white s-t-r-e-t-c-h limosene flying green flags, then a reverse repeat of what had preceded the limo all travelling at speed. I wondered if Obama had dropped into town. Marcia asked a policeman who it was, and he looked at her as those he was asked to disclose sensitve information to a terrorist. So she asked a chef standing by watching the parade. It was all for Gaddafi. And to be quite honest I think it was all for show both for him and the Italians. I was waiting for the 100+ scooter riders who were chaffing at the throttle to be let free!!! They were not impressed by the show.
We went to have a meal near Campo de' Fiori - a plaza where there is a fruit and vege market each morning. It was much more civilized last night and we eat in a street nearby. Excellent meal. I am becoming addicted to deep fried zucchini flowers. Once I regarded such as the epitome of silliness - no more. I have now had them three different ways. Last night's was stuffed with cheese.
Nearly all of the sisters arrived today....even the two Indians sisters from Tamil Nadu who recieved their visas less that 48 hours ago. Literally the visas came through, they packed and left for the airpost, 4 hours away. They are so delighted to be here as we are to have them. They will have another perspective to add.
It is a younger group than last year's and they all seem to be ready to go. I'm glad as I want to incorporate more discussion into my material and this looks like a group that would be responsive to that. Let the fun begin!
So dear loved and interested ones, my peace to you all.

Here I am!

Well dear family and friends, I have finally fully arrived – I’ve moved up into the room that I will have for the duration, have had a good day’s rest and prayer on Trinity Sunday and finally been given a network cable so now I can access hi speed internet from my own room. And wait there is more. The Benedictine Tutzing sisters, who run this persione which we use each year, have renovated the ensuites in this part of the house. No more the hip bath which I never really did work out how to use properly. Yes, I was very clean from the knees down, but always felt dubious about the rest of me. Now a nice modern shower, and still there is more, the rooms have been painted!
The trip over was good, even though I got very dehydrated. The first leg of the flight wasn’t fully booked out and I had a spare seat next to me. The second leg, I had a delightful mother and child. And I have no complaints about the food. It never ceases to amaze me that 350 plus people can be feed so many kilometres up in the air.
Dubai, I found fascinating. It looks as though every ethnic group in the world is walking through the place, but the strange thing was how quiet they were. It is now one huge shopping mall with many upmarket brands having a store. Nearly everyone was carrying a shopping bag, and milling around looking for more to buy. There was no background music, just occasional quietly spoken announcement. Even large groups would only be speaking gently amongst themselves if at all. What made them so quiet? I noticed something similar waiting in the Passport queue at Rome airport, and wait we did. No body spoke, or hardly did. Even those amongst family or friends said little. Is it because we do not know the dominant language, we are reluctant to allow our voice to be heard. (Hint: Never get in the queue next to the EU passport queue. That queue moves much quicker and there are a regular number of non EU passport holders who ‘accidentally’ make the mistake of taking the wrong queue and when they get to the top, instead of going back to the end of the line, just move across, or rather push in, to the head of the adjoining queue. There that betrays my Aussie/English origins!)
I’ve been into St Peter’s already – no, not to pray but to use the Vatican postal service. The only place to post in Rome – but then they wouldn’t let me. The parcel I had to post to Geoffrey in Greece was over two kilos which is their limit. So I’ll break up the parcel and try again tomorrow. (Hint 2: Keep your parcels small for the Vatican service, and at all costs avoid the Italian system.)