On the Road: Roma!

After a long but uneventful flight from JFK—and a much shorter-than-expected trip through the TSA screening—we arrived in Rome early this morning. Very early. Around 6:30. We managed to breeze through the passport check, grabbed our bags almost immediately, and quickly made our way to the taxi stand. Why isn’t it this easy in New York?

The morning rush hour traffic wasn’t too bad, and we arrived at our hotel, Casa Bonus Pastor, a little after 8.

[img attachment=”103951″ align=”aligncenter” size=”full” alt=”IMG_5350″ /]

Half the building is a hotel, owned and managed by the Diocese of Rome; the other half is the residence for the seminary.

[img attachment=”103993″ align=”aligncenter” size=”full” alt=”Casa” /]

The place is simple but comfortable—linoleum floors, no carpeting, and towels that have the texture of the kind of tea towels my mother used to collect on vacation.

[img attachment=”103994″ align=”aligncenter” size=”full” alt=”IMG_5295″ /]

There are a number of tour groups here from around Europe, and the place also has two good-sized chapels for Mass (provided you have a priest). We slipped into an Italian-language Mass Monday evening with a nice young priest who gave a 20 minute homily. I hope it was good. I have no idea.

[img attachment=”103995″ align=”aligncenter” size=”full” alt=”IMG_5303″ /]

[img attachment=”103996″ align=”aligncenter” size=”full” alt=”IMG_5297″ /]

My wife decided to hit the hay for a nap, so I went exploring. St. Peter’s is only about a 15 minute walk from the hotel, a straight shot down the Via Aurelia. There were a lot of helpful signs along the way.

[img attachment=”103997″ align=”aligncenter” size=”full” alt=”IMG_5317″ /]

I popped in to Savelli’s, the venerable religious goods store located just off St. Peter’s Square, to load up on trinkets to be blessed during the papal audience on Wednesday. It’s like a Toys R Us for all lovers of Catholic kitsch. You want nativity scenes? No problem.

[img attachment=”103998″ align=”aligncenter” size=”full” alt=”IMG_5321″ /]

[img attachment=”103999″ align=”aligncenter” size=”full” alt=”IMG_5320″ /]

Pope Francis, of course, is very popular.

[img attachment=”104000″ align=”aligncenter” size=”full” alt=”IMG_5319″ /]

The prices overall aren’t bad, and can accommodate any budget. (And if you ask, they’ll give you a modest clergy discount.)

After popping over to St. Peter’s Square briefly—it was around 4 o’clock on a Monday afternoon and there wasn’t much going on—I headed back to our hotel. I decided to make a brief side trip to the nearest parish church: St. Gregory VII. It’s unusual for a Roman church—massive and modern.

[img attachment=”104001″ align=”aligncenter” size=”full” alt=”IMG_5349″ /]

One of the first things that caught my eye: they post the banns of marriage outside the front door.

[img attachment=”104002″ align=”aligncenter” size=”full” alt=”IMG_5348″ /]

The inside is, to use the only word that fits, YUUUUUGE.

[img attachment=”104003″ align=”aligncenter” size=”full” alt=”IMG_5332″ /]

There are a couple side chapels, including a Blessed Sacrament chapel, for private prayer.

[img attachment=”104016″ align=”aligncenter” size=”full” alt=”IMG_5336″ /]

[img attachment=”104004″ align=”aligncenter” size=”full” alt=”IMG_5337″ /]

[img attachment=”104005″ align=”aligncenter” size=”full” alt=”IMG_5346″ /]

I’m sure it’s not to everyone’s taste. But I was impressed. And I was grateful to whisper a prayer in a house of God dedicated to my patron.

[img attachment=”104006″ align=”aligncenter” size=”full” alt=”IMG_5342″ /]

After that, I trudged up the hill back to our hotel and collapsed.

I’m going to try and post once a day; WiFi here isn’t the greatest, and loading pictures is taking forever, with frequent interruptions and crashes. But maybe that’s a sign I should be out and about more—making spiritual and personal connections, not electronic ones.

Meantime, Tuesday is our 30th wedding anniversary. We’re up early to have breakfast, head to Mass at St. Peter’s, visit the Holy Door, try some gelato and pick up our tickets for the audience on Wednesday. More soon, I hope!

[img attachment=”104017″ align=”aligncenter” size=”full” alt=”IMG_5351″ /]

All photos: Deacon Greg Kandra