Italy

A couple of friends have asked me who is invited to the Vatican to attend the big Blogfest on May 2. Here they are! Because bloggers are invited from around the world, not all of these links will be in English. You can probably find some pretty good reading on this list, though!

(See: I’m Number 71!)

1. Agnieszka Woszczyńska - http://www.teologia.blox.pl
2. Alberto Piccini – http://www.maestroalberto.it
3. Aldo Padovan – http://www.katholisches.info
4. Alessandro Gilioli – http://gilioli.blogautore.espresso.repubblica.it
5. Alessio Jacona – http://www.thewebobserver.it
6. Alfonsus Widhiwiryawan – http://alfoesercizi2010.blogspot.com
7. Allison Girone – http://www.TotusTuusFamily.blogspot.com
8. Andrea Gagliarducci – http://www.mondayvatican.com
9. Andres Beltramo – http://www.e-consulta.com/blogs/sacroyprofano
10. Angela Ambrogetti - http://www.ilportonedibronzo.it
11. Anna Arco – http://www.catholicherald.co.uk/author/anna
12. Anna Spatola – http://ordovirginumsicilia.splinder.com
13. Antonio González – http://catinfor.com/blog
14. Antonio Spadaro – http://www.cyberteologia.it
15. Artur Stopka – http://arturstopka.blog.onet.pl
16. Bohdan Pankevych – http://risu.org.ua/ua/index/blog/~Bohdan+Pankevych
17. Brandon Vogt – http://www.thinveil.net
18. Carol Glatz – http://cnsblog.wordpress.com
19. Carole Brown – http://www.light2nations.org
20. Christoph Gstaltmeyr – http://www.religion.schule.at
21. CM Paul – http://cmpaul.wordpress.com
22. Costanza Miriano – http://costanzamiriano.wordpress.com
23. D. Catherine Wybourne – http://www.ibenedictines.org
24. Daniel Luecking – http://www.medienkonsument.de
25. Daniel Pajuelo sm – http://smdani.marianistas.org
26. Danielle van Lith – http://www.vngmagazine.nl
27. David Ratnarajah – http://www.olirumiraivan.com
28. Dominique Rimaz – http://lesuisseromain.hautetfort.com
29. Dorothy Wolanin – http://wolanka-cojestzazakretem.blogspot.com
30. Dylan Parry – http://areluctantsinner.blogspot.com
31. Eberhard Wagner – http://blog.eberhardwagner.com
32. Edmar Araújo – http://www.medidasdefe.com
33. Elizabeth Scalia – http://www.patheos.com/community/theanchoress
34. Eloi Aran Sala – http://www.elblocdeleloi.blogspot.com www.focnou.cat
35. Eric Le Meur – http://henri.mondion.free.fr/index.php/2011/03
36. Eva Janosikova – http://www.madrid11.com/en
37. Felio Vilarrubias – http://www.siempresacerdotes.blogspot.com
38. Fr Gerard Dunne OP – http://www.irishdominicanvocations.blogspot.com
39. Francesco Diani – http://www.blogcattolici.it e http://www.siticattolici.it
40. Francesco Spagnolo – http://www.esseciblog.it
41. Gabriel Burke – http://www.frgabrielburke.blogspot.com
42. Gabriele Niola – http://sonovivoenonhopiupaura.blogspot.com
43. Georg Feßlmeier – http://www.triff-den-papst.de
44. Georg Schimmerl – http://gfsch.blogspot.com
45. Giorgio Maria Faré – http://www.santuariodivinamaternita.com
46. Giovanna Maria – http://geniofemminile.blogspot.com
47. Guillaume Luyt – http://blog.paixliturgique.fr
48. Hendrick Jolie – http://pfarrer-jolie.blogspot.com
49. Hilary White – http://anglocath.blogspot.com
50. http://santagostinopavia.wordpress.com
51. Imrich Gazda – http://www.ff.ku.sk/index.php?option=com_comprofiler&task=userProfile&user=1750
52. Eric van den Berg – http://www.isidorusweb.nl
53. J.Francisco Jiménez – http://www.forumlibertas.com/frontend/forumlibertas/seccion.php?id_seccion=27
54. James Bradley – http://www.ordinariateportal.wordpress.com
55. James Tucker – http://fireofthylove.com
56. Jane Mossendew – http://thoughtsfromoasisinfrenchcatholicism.blogspot.com
57. Javier Alba – http://familiavidaylibertad.blogspot.com
58. Jens Albers – http://frischfischen.de
59. Joan Lewis – http://www.ewtn.com/news/blog.asp?blog_ID=1
60. Johannes Paul Jacob Chavanne – http://www.facebook.com/pages/Stift-Heiligenkreuz/151746389020?ref=nf
61. Johannes Roger Hanses – http://vita-in-deum.de/blogs/johannes
62. Jorge Enrique Mújica – http://actualidadyanalisis.blogspot.com
63. Jorge H. Luna – http://www.mexico.mg.org.mx
64. José Manuel Vidal López – http://www.religiondigital.com
65. Jose María Barrera Murillo – http://custodiosdesanpedro.blogspot.com
66. Joshua Evangelista – http://reporters.blogosfere.it
67. Jovens Sem Fronteiras – http://jsfronteiras.blogspot.com
68. Juan Alejandro – http://www.padrenuestro.net
69. Juan José Garcia-Noblejas – http://scriptor.org
70. Julio Gomez Sotero – http://www.parroquiadebecerril.wordpress.com
71. Kathy Schiffer - http://kathyschiffer.com
72. Katrina Ebersole – http://thecrescat.blogspot.com
73. Kelvin Frometa – http://www.tucristo.com
74. Klaus Peper – http://kathspace.com/community/Volmar/blog
75. Leonardo – http://www.qualcosadelgenere.com
76. Lisa Hendey – http://catholicmom.com
77. Ljudmila Hribar – http://pensamientosjuanpablo2do.blogspot.com
78. Loub Gerhard – http://www.loub.at
79. Luca Fabbri – http://www.religionereligioni.blogspot.com
80. Luca Paolini – http://www.religione20.net
81. Luca Sofri – http://www.wittgenstein.it e www.ilpost.it
82. Luciano Giustini – http://www.lucianogiustini.org
83. Luigi Coronel – http://prieststuff.blogspot.com
84. Luis Badilla Morales – http://ilsismografo.blogspot.com
85. Luis Fernando Pérez Bustamante – http://www.infocatolica.com
86. Mader Isma Kasia Aga – http://www.franciszkanska3.pl
87. Manuela und Stefan Ehrhardt – http://zeitzubeten.org
88. Marco Fioretti – http://informaticaetica.com
89. Marco Freccero – http://marcofreccero.blogspot.com
90. Marco Sanavio – http://www.famigliacristiana.it/famiglia/un-prete-in-rete/blog/un-prete-in-rete_180211084434.aspx
91. Maria Elisabetta Marinoni – http://genitoriliceoparini.forumattivo.com
92. Marilena Ruah – http://nobell.it
93. Mario Aversano – http://www.iltesoro.org
94. Marjeta Pija Cevc – http://hranazazivljenje.blogspot.com
95. Mark Aurel Erszegi – http://vatikanifigyelo.freeblog.hu
96. Marta Nin – http://www.catalunyareligio.cat/?q=blog/358
97. Mary O’Regan – http://thepathlesstaken7.blogspot.com
98. Marypaz de Mencos – http://loquevale.wordpress.com
99. Massimiliano Badolati – http://tech.fanpage.it
100. Massimo Granieri – http://www.maxgranieri.it/ e http://www.latprov.it
101. Massimo Melica – http://www.massimomelica.net
102. Matthias Suess – http://www.matthiassuess.de/blog
103. Mattia Marasco – http://www.mattiamarasco.it/i-miei-blog
104. Mauricio Viquez – http://ars-parroquiavirtual.blogia.com
105. Mayra Novelo de Bardo – http://www.es.catholic.net
106. Michael Blume – http://www.chronologs.de/chrono/blog/natur-des-glaubens
107. Miguel de la Lastra Montalbán, o.s.a – http://www.buscadoresdedios.blogspot.com
108. Moreno Migliorati – http://www.spiritualseeds.info
109. Mussie Zerai – http://habeshia.blogspot.com
110. Narda Centeno – http://fromthepews.wordpress.com
111. Néstor Mora – http://www.religionenlibertad.com/blog.asp?idautor=145
112. P. Fortea – http://blogdelpadrefortea.blogspot.com
113. Padre Stéphane Jourdain – http://lemessin.wordpress.com
114. Paolo Benanti – http://sinderesi.wordpress.com
115. Paolo Benvenuto – http://www.sguardocattolico.it
116. Paolo Padrini – http://passineldeserto.blogosfere.it
117. Paolo Rodari – http://www.palazzoapostolico.it
118. Pavel Levushkan – http://catholic.baznica.info
119. Pe. Djalma Lúcio Magalhães Tuniz, scj – http://djalmascj.blogspot.com/ http://boccadiroma.blogspot.com
120. Pedro José González Rodenas – http://www.llenadlastinajas.blogspot.com
121. Peter Wurm – http://www.peterwurm.com
122. Philomena Ewing – http://blueeyedennis-siempre.blogspot.com
123. Pierre-Baptiste Cordier – http://peube.wordpress.com
124. Ralph Anderl – http://www.ic-berlin.de
125. Rocco Palmo – http://www.whispersintheloggia.blogspot.com
126. Roderick Vonhögen – http://sqpn.com
127. Rodrigo Gurgel – http://rodrigogurgel.blogspot.com
128. Ronald Glaeser Freelance journalist
129. Rosangela Mancusi – http://mv.vatican.va
130. Rosario Carello – http://www.rosariocarello.it
131. Sandro Magister – http://www.chiesa.espressonline.it
132. Santiago Casanova – http://caballerotrueno.wordpress.com
133. Sara Carlson – http://foryourmarriage.org/marriage-resources/news-blogs/learning-to-say-i-do-blog
134. Silvio Ottanelli – http://www.cercoiltuovolto.it
135. Simone Chiappetta – http://www.laporzione.it
136. Simone Sereni – http://www.vinonuovo.it
137. Sjargej Surynovic – http://bartnicki.livejournal.com
138. Stefano Epifani – http://blog.stefanoepifani.it
139. Barbara Wenz – http://elsalaska.twoday.net
140. Susan Vigilante – http://www.desperateirishhousewife.blogspot.com
141. Susan Windley-Daoust – http://www.ironiccatholic.com
142. Taylor Marshall – http://www.cantuar.blogspot.com
143. Thomas Peters – http://www.americanpapist.com
144. Tim Kelleher – http://www.firstthings.com
145. Vicente Javier Navas – http://www.vecinosdefuenlabrada.blogspot.com
146. Virginia Bonard – http://www.ciudadnueva.org.ar
147. Vito Martinez – http://vocationstory.blogspot.com
148. Vittorio Saraceno – http://isgabrasil.blogspot.com
149. Wagner Moura – http://diasimdiatambem.wordpress.com
150. Xavier Arnaud – http://www.leforumcatholique.org

What a wonder it is! So grand, so solemn, so vast! And yet so delicate, so airy, so graceful! A very world of solid weight, and yet it seems …a delusion of frostwork that might vanish with a breath!…

–Mark Twain, commenting on the Duomo in “Innocents Abroad.”

I just read that the Duomo in Milan—one of Italy’s most beautiful structures—is showing off during this Christmas season with new lights.

On December 8, the feast of the Immaculate Conception, as Milanese Mayor Letizia Moratti and thousands of citizens looked on, church officials turned the switch to illumine the Cathedral’s glorious stained glass windows from within.

The windows will be illuminated throughout Advent and the Christmas season. After January 10, the 68 low-energy light bulbs will be turned on every Saturday and Sunday, and on religious feastdays.

Our family visited the Duomo—the world’s largest Gothic cathedral, and the second-largest Catholic cathedral—on October 6, 2000. I remember the date because it was my birthday, and because it was the first day of our first-ever trip to Europe, a combination family vacation/25^th anniversary trip.

And did I mention, we were at the Duomo?

It took 500 years to complete this masterpiece of pinnacles and spires, flying buttresses and statuary. Construction began in 1386, on a site dedicated to Fourth-Century Milan bishop St. Ambrose, one of the Doctors of the Church. The building was consecrated by St. Charles Borromeo in1577. Napoleon Bonaparte ordered the completion of the façade in 1805, and he was crowned King of Italy within its walls. Mussolini commanded the construction of the 5-manual, 225-rank pipe-organ, which is the largest in all of Italy.

And on October 6, 2000, the Schiffer family– like myriad Christian pilgrims before us– turned the corner in a shopping district, to stand in awe before this architectural masterpiece.