ROME TRIP AND ST. PETERS

CLICK ON PICTURE TO ENLARGE

OK the Rome trip. Being a pilgrim can be hard work but isn't that what it's all about! I got off to a rocky start. My plane out of Lansing kept getting delayed to the point that I was not going to make my Chicago connection. I was calling Charlie and my friends who were already at the gate in Chicago and was even considering going home! What you don't know is I HATE traveling....I love getting there but not the process. There was a man sitting next to me on the floor and he advised me that if I could get to Chicago I should go and figure out the rest from there............so off I went to Chicago. Before taking off I get a text message that our plane had been delayed.......YES! I have a narrow window of making the flight! When I arrived I checked my phone to see that the flight was cancelled! We found another flight which left 2 hours later and arrived in Milan Italy and spent the whole day in that airport so we lost a full day of Rome! Not only that but I did not have my luggage for 4 days! So indeed I was a Pilgrim who had to wash out her clothes and wear the same clothes. I got them just in time for vespers! One doesn't realize who dependent we are on things until we are without them!

Our first morning there we went to St.Peters! The convent we stayed in was right across the street we could actually look out our windows and see St. Peters. Though this is my third time to Rome one could live there for ever and not take in all the sights. There are 300 Catholic Churches and they all have a story. Our second morning in Rome Fr. Ken said mass at one of the many alters and 3 nuns from Alma/DeWitt joined us! What a small world it is. One of the high lights for me was obtaining tickets to go directly under ground of the main alter to see where St.Peter is buried to actually see where his bones are. I felt I was walking on sacred ground because we actually were in a cemetery with Mosiliums and actually walking on the old Roman streets. Present Rome has been built over the old Rome. I prayed the whole time I was down there and was so amazed and it so confirms our Catholic Faith and the role of St.Peter as the first Pope. Because I can't remember details take a look at this video. It's called St.Peter's bones. Only two groups or 14 English speaking visitors get tickets each day so thanks to Fr. Ken's connections we were very blessed!

On New Year's Eve we waited in line for Vespers and I ran into Gary and Todd from my parish in Fowler! They are studying for the Priesthood. I could not think of their names so I was yelling "Fowler Boys". They told me to give their mom a hug! We were able to see the Pope as he walked buy us and I think I got him on video. My friend Glorie got a great picture and I will post it when I get it. Afterwords while we were outside the Pope went buy in the Pope mobile and I got another good look at him. We had a blast New Year's Eve but I'll talk about that later.

We had tickets for New Year's Day mass with the Pope but it was pouring down rain and by the time I went it was standing room only. My friend Glorie and Fr.Ken waited in the rain and actually got special tickets that put them only three rows from the Pope. Now I did go to mass the night before because we brought in the New Year with a New Year's Eve mass with Sister's from Lowell MI. It's is such a small world. These nuns are actually friends with Fr.Robert Sirico. The priest who married us! I feel so blessed to be Catholic and to have so much wonderful history! I will post more later!

One more detail since 911 one has to go through security to get into St.Peters. So the lines at times were very long. But when we went in at 7am there was no line. Another new thing are the big screens outside of St.Peters. This is so that not only can one hear the Pope when he's presiding over a mass etc but can watch him if you are outside. This is a neat addition!