Rome Sweet Rome

Okay, the technical difficulties with the blog seem to have resolved. And I have a few minutes for a quick update. So....

On Friday, Wanda and I went to Torino by train. It has never been my favorite city but it is the resting place for the relics of Pier Giorgio, so I am always glad to go for a little while. I attended Mass at the beautiful Consolata - a place that Pier Giorgio loved to go. Afterward, it was very appropriate to finish the novena in front of his tomb in the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist. The big market was taking place that day, as well, so I milled around there just a bit. By 2:00, we were back on the train for Pollone.

The next day, we went our separate ways again. I have friends and family in the Modena area, so I stopped there for two nights before rejoining Wanda here in Rome. The small town where I stayed was called Castellarano. Lucky for me, they were having their annual festival. It was a wonderful way to spend the weekend. I arrived in Rome on Monday evening, a bit tired after the long day of train travel. But no rest for the weary. Wanda had planned a dinner on her terrace with a French priest and an American seminarian who are both interested in forming some sort of group to promote Pier Giorgio's spirituality here in Rome among young adults. It was a delightful evening. Yesterday afternoon, we met with another American student who is also interested in doing some work on Pier Giorgio's behalf.

The weather here is wonderful and a very welcome and much needed change. I walked to St. Peter's in the morning and caught my first glimpse of Pope Benedict yesterday at the start of the Wednesday Audience. I didn't have time to stay for the whole thing but enjoyed watching him zipping around in the Popemobile to the delight of the crowd on the piazza. A little later, I had lunch with one of Wanda's sisters before she headed out of town. And in the evening, I was able to spend time with a cousin who lives here in Rome. A very enjoyable day from beginning to end.

Now that I am feeling better, I have also been indulging my cappuccino habit. This morning, I went to one of my favorite cappuccino spots: Bar 67 in Trastevere. It's not far from the Basilica of St. Cecilia so I stopped in there to pray awhile in front of the altar where one of the most beautiful sculptures in Rome (in my opinion) can be found. One of the very nice things about Rome is that the churches are open during the day and you can stop in one after another for a moment of peace and prayer. That means lots of opportunities to pray for all of you! Verso l'alto!