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OLM
Parish Reporter IN Rome
An Official Function - Mass on Friday AM at St. Peters
We gathered at the front door of NAC to begin our journey to St. Peters Basilica at 7:10 AM.
The time was not bad and the cool morning air was refreshing. When we arrived there
was a chance while vesting for me to be photographed by a rather large what I call
CANTOR stand which might be an idea for OLM??? We would need larger books though and
probably a larger space in church to put something this big.
When we
went into the crypt to our assigned space for the Liturgy, I was happily surprised
to see that it was a chapel right next to the burial place of St. Peter constructed
in honor of "Mater Misericordia" - Mary, Mother of Mercy. This was a welcome surprise
and what I thought appropriate since I remembered all the OLM community at this Mass
with the others in the program.The picture on the right above unfortunately doesn't
show the true beauty of the Black Madonna resting on the moon with the
sun as her crown and the stars in the rays of the sun. The imae remided
me of the window on the balcony of our church depicting Mary from the Book
of Revelation. This was a welcome surprise and what I thought appropriate
since I remembered all the OLM community at this Mass with the others in
the program.
Post-Mass gathering at a local coffee shop with Group Members
Morning Coffee off St. Peters Square Colonnade.
After a stop at the Vatican Postoffice, a small group of the 38 men on the Institute stopped for a Cappoch.... Coffee and Roll for Breakfast. The small Cafe where we stopped is one of the few that will let you sit and enjoy your repast without a cover charge for the tables. One of the guys said it was probably because the tables were not covered!! A little dry Roman humor?.
After the coffee and trek back up the hill we had what might be called the final meeting of our little orientation. Then it was siesta time after lunch "Pranzo" here in Rome. Breakfast is "breakfast" and dinner in the evening is "Cena". A little trivia about life at the North American College.
Watch these pages for more intrigue on the LIFE AND STUDIES IN ROME of FATHER JOHN.
