today we all. Piled into the us again, the same grumpy driver doing everything he could to redeem himslef. He took us by a new and much better route onto the autostrada and off we went towards Tagliacozzo,malmost two hours' drive. We drove up into the Alban Hills, covered with trees and with bare rock coming through dramatically. Tagliacozzo is a small hill top village in what is now the ski resort area (or will be when it snows) but is also the resting place of the body of Thomas of Celano. francis' first biographer. When we arrived, finally but after a good ride, we walked up the narrow cobbled streets through the small piazza and on up to the 13 th century friary at the top of the hill. There the guardian greeted us, as friendly as he had been inprevious years and, truly or not, gave every impression of remembering we three which is always nice. After a quick look round we had the two lectures, on the sources for Francis and the sources for Clare and there was a very lively discussion at the end which was also nice. We had Mass in the church wirh the body of Thomas of Celano lying in his iche in the wall. he too seems mostly incirrupt in that the face, hands and feet yousee are his actual ones. His feet, turned up at the bottom of the glass case, looked rather flattened, more like flippers and his face was a dark greyish brown colour. We wondered what he thought of his grey conventual habit, it is a convential church! Andre gave the homily about thr power of words and then of The Word, and we prayed for all writers which was nice.
Then we progressed to the Hotel Mariana for the lunch of the year. We had a mere four courses with several side sihes ending with a pale of choice desserts each, a profoterole, fresh with real cream, a small pot of ice cream, and a sort of white tiramisu but when we asked him what it was called he said it was not tiramisu but a speciality unique to his house and, we suspect, his mother since although pretty ancient, she is clearly the queen of the kitchen! We were all overfull, just what I ahe come determined to avoid, and took some scarmoza home as a soggy bag. Scarmoza is a delicious dih of cheese which would not be difficult to do, it is not unlike the hot cheese we used to have in Arundel, but thr slices are thin, dipped in flour and the fried in olive oil until the have browned a bit,
Finally really fulll ans cheered by the fact that one of them got locked in the loo but was fianlly rescued, we piled sleepily int the bus. The driver had had the same lunch and was not at all grumpy. He said he made what sounds like a ery nice onion chutney that he called marmalade, and tomorrow he is going to give me the mrecipe. Encouraged y this he then said he had made a specail liqueur and if we brough glasses, we could try it. So tomorrow we will climb in the bus armed with 16 bicchierini and see what happens!!!
So now i am more or less up to date. Tomorrow is a lexture on prayer,mwalk to St Peter's for the Sunday audience, bqck for pranzo and off to Rieti in the coach. So my toothbrush is packed and this is more or less up to date. Andre had two cousins up from the south and here for supper last night, so he invited Murraya nd myself to sit with them ober supper as they speak nnenglish, though the older one Marissa, says she reads it but is baxd at speaking. So i have invited her for a crash course in Hollington! We shall see! Love to all ft
Saturday, 17 September 2016
16 September with large groups on either side singing loudly in some unknown to gue! However this year, we made our way straight to John XXIII as soonas everyone was through security and had walked throug their second holy door
I got, up an hour early by mistake so thought I would continue with this and try to catch myself up before we leave Rome.
On 16 September, we had the great St Peter's day. This always involves an early start as they like to have the Masses finished before theyoen the doors to pilgrims and worse. So we had Mass scheduled for the tomb of John XXIII though until it happens, you never know if it will happen. But this year it did. The last coupld of years we have been bundled into an underground and airless chapel but this year we were in luck. So as soon as everyone had been through security and walked through their second holy door in two days, we all made our way to the tomb of John XXIII for Mass at 8.00. There was the usual crowd but the pilgrims were very adroit at seizing a seat on the two benches as soon as one became free. Then we saw Murray vested in red making his way from the far off sacristy preceded by a minute server who cant have been more then ten and who had Murray firmly under control! We had a lovely Mass and a beautiful homily from Murray about thenincarnation and how it is happening all the time in us, ending with a poem from Simeon the New Theologian,who died in 10something about how the reality of the incarnation is such that when I look at my hand, i am looking at Christ's hand and that this is truth not fantasy which has the power to transform the way we see ourselves.
After Mass ther was a break because tour style visits cant start until 9.00. Although all this organising is a biit of a nuisance, you can se ehow they are trying to make this central church available to all and still keep it as a place of prayer even though some thousands pass through it every day. No small task.
Andre gave his usual excellent presentstion which takes over an hour. We hire headphones so he speaks into a small microphone, there were dozens of such groups going round in dozens of languages and all on a sllightly different wave length of radio so we dont hear each other. Very clever.
Almost as soon as we had entered St Peter's, the rain poured down in gallons, but by the time we came out, it had stopped, good timinng going on somewhere! After Mass, Murray appeared ina smart white T Shirt with the year of Mercy logo on. He said he had got soaked and dripped all overe the marble floor of the sacristy and had to buy a new shirt! The sisters who run the sacristy all came to his rescue and toook his shirt to dry during Mass. He then went back to Tra Noi. The pilgrims had time on their own in the basilica and then pranzo out on their own. I went with Michael, pne of the pilgrims, to he hom sort put the SIM on his phone as well as dping the same for myself and also to put money onAndre's phone. I did this first then Michael the Australian pilgrim took all te wind out of our sails by going up to the clever ypung Chinese lad at the counter and addressing him in fluent
Mandarin! So I left him to it as he was clmearly ok! The clever lad could not do my phone as it was a different server, Wind not Tm. So I took a taxi to another shop, waited half and hour only to be told they did nt do Wind either. So i began dolefully to walk to the next one, almosta mile up the hill in heavy traffic when, much to my relief, it began to rain so I decided to go home. On the way I went into a panneteria and bought two fresh panini, some cheese and olves with chilli in which the woman kindly made into two big baps for my lunch. This cost me 3 euros, about £2.50, and included two pars and some grapes and I had a lovely lunch Listening to music and relaxing.
It was a free afternoon, i did some trabslati for CTC about the earthquake in Italy, some of the Poor Clares have had massive damage and are in dire financial straits as they have not yet paid for the last lot of repairs from the previous earthquake,i also spent some time reading up about Margaret of Cortona as we are going to her shrine instead of the capuchin place at Le Celle where the parking has become so difficult. I am sure somethi else happene but it eludes me utterly.mso sorry. Love to one and all ft
On 16 September, we had the great St Peter's day. This always involves an early start as they like to have the Masses finished before theyoen the doors to pilgrims and worse. So we had Mass scheduled for the tomb of John XXIII though until it happens, you never know if it will happen. But this year it did. The last coupld of years we have been bundled into an underground and airless chapel but this year we were in luck. So as soon as everyone had been through security and walked through their second holy door in two days, we all made our way to the tomb of John XXIII for Mass at 8.00. There was the usual crowd but the pilgrims were very adroit at seizing a seat on the two benches as soon as one became free. Then we saw Murray vested in red making his way from the far off sacristy preceded by a minute server who cant have been more then ten and who had Murray firmly under control! We had a lovely Mass and a beautiful homily from Murray about thenincarnation and how it is happening all the time in us, ending with a poem from Simeon the New Theologian,who died in 10something about how the reality of the incarnation is such that when I look at my hand, i am looking at Christ's hand and that this is truth not fantasy which has the power to transform the way we see ourselves.
After Mass ther was a break because tour style visits cant start until 9.00. Although all this organising is a biit of a nuisance, you can se ehow they are trying to make this central church available to all and still keep it as a place of prayer even though some thousands pass through it every day. No small task.
Andre gave his usual excellent presentstion which takes over an hour. We hire headphones so he speaks into a small microphone, there were dozens of such groups going round in dozens of languages and all on a sllightly different wave length of radio so we dont hear each other. Very clever.
Almost as soon as we had entered St Peter's, the rain poured down in gallons, but by the time we came out, it had stopped, good timinng going on somewhere! After Mass, Murray appeared ina smart white T Shirt with the year of Mercy logo on. He said he had got soaked and dripped all overe the marble floor of the sacristy and had to buy a new shirt! The sisters who run the sacristy all came to his rescue and toook his shirt to dry during Mass. He then went back to Tra Noi. The pilgrims had time on their own in the basilica and then pranzo out on their own. I went with Michael, pne of the pilgrims, to he hom sort put the SIM on his phone as well as dping the same for myself and also to put money onAndre's phone. I did this first then Michael the Australian pilgrim took all te wind out of our sails by going up to the clever ypung Chinese lad at the counter and addressing him in fluent
Mandarin! So I left him to it as he was clmearly ok! The clever lad could not do my phone as it was a different server, Wind not Tm. So I took a taxi to another shop, waited half and hour only to be told they did nt do Wind either. So i began dolefully to walk to the next one, almosta mile up the hill in heavy traffic when, much to my relief, it began to rain so I decided to go home. On the way I went into a panneteria and bought two fresh panini, some cheese and olves with chilli in which the woman kindly made into two big baps for my lunch. This cost me 3 euros, about £2.50, and included two pars and some grapes and I had a lovely lunch Listening to music and relaxing.
It was a free afternoon, i did some trabslati for CTC about the earthquake in Italy, some of the Poor Clares have had massive damage and are in dire financial straits as they have not yet paid for the last lot of repairs from the previous earthquake,i also spent some time reading up about Margaret of Cortona as we are going to her shrine instead of the capuchin place at Le Celle where the parking has become so difficult. I am sure somethi else happene but it eludes me utterly.mso sorry. Love to one and all ft
15 September San Francesco a Ripa and St John Lateran
Dear All
We have had a full few days and it is already hard to remember them. I keep hoping to get into a regular pattern but so far have not managed it.
Three days ago we have our first full day with a morning visit to San Francesco a Ripa which is the only church in Rome dedicated to St Francis. it is built on the land of Francis' great friend and supporter, the Lady Giacoba dei Settesoli, and as we drove there past the huge Circus Maximus we saw the tower which is all that remains of the great Settesoli palazzo. arriving at the church we had Mass celebrated by !Murray, homily from ft on the cloud of witnesses that go with us, and historical visit by Andre. Then back into the bus to return to Tra Noi for Pranzo. As usual we asked the bus driver to return past the Gianicolum where the view of the whole of Rome is so spectacular. However he did not want to for some reason so he said he did not know the way. This is the equivalent of a London taxi driver not knowing where Buckingham Palace is! It did not get him very far since Andre said firmly that it did not matter bevause he knew the way well. Anyhow we went and the view was as spectacular as one could wish but the driver got his own back by saying he was not allowed to stop and let us off. this is possiblh true but has never been a problem before! Anyway we drove around and this little confrontation was lost one the pilgrims fortunately. But as we had this driver for the next three days, it did not bode well. In fact after pranzo when the bus came to take us to St John Lateran, there was a different driver and a general air of pouring oil around!
St John Lateran was as impressive as ever, and much more enjoyable now we dont try to have Mass there! So we had a peacful historical visit but before that was the door! Prior to leaving Tra Noi we had a short ritual based on going through a holy door, with a scripture reading and a short reflection, then when we got there, we gathered outside the door and said three short prayers and then, in silence, walked through the door. The huge doorway of St John Latern was decorated with flowers (artificialI am sorry to say but very colourful) with the inevitable armed guard discreetly nearby. But as I walked through the door, I was overwhelmed, to my total surprise, by a sense of doing something momentous and important and full of grace. So you never know! Then we took them round the interiror, as big as one and a half football pitches, and saw the tomb of Innocent III as well as Leo XIII? Ther was time then to look around and take more photos of the amazing floor, like the one at the head of this blog. After supper i think some of the energetic went down to St Peter's again which is not all that far and people dont want to miss a thing though you cant get in at that hour. This is not because it is shut since it is open but the queue to get in is all the way round the piazza and takes ages to wend its way through security. We had also had the group photo taken at St John Lateran this year because, owing to security, you cant easily get a group out of St Peter's for a photo and back in again.
I think I will post this and then tell you about St Peter's and Tagliacozzo separately. i am getting messages that this system is working OK for most people, I,hope that is true and not a fantasy.
Love to one and all, i remember you all in almost everywhere!
We have had a full few days and it is already hard to remember them. I keep hoping to get into a regular pattern but so far have not managed it.
Three days ago we have our first full day with a morning visit to San Francesco a Ripa which is the only church in Rome dedicated to St Francis. it is built on the land of Francis' great friend and supporter, the Lady Giacoba dei Settesoli, and as we drove there past the huge Circus Maximus we saw the tower which is all that remains of the great Settesoli palazzo. arriving at the church we had Mass celebrated by !Murray, homily from ft on the cloud of witnesses that go with us, and historical visit by Andre. Then back into the bus to return to Tra Noi for Pranzo. As usual we asked the bus driver to return past the Gianicolum where the view of the whole of Rome is so spectacular. However he did not want to for some reason so he said he did not know the way. This is the equivalent of a London taxi driver not knowing where Buckingham Palace is! It did not get him very far since Andre said firmly that it did not matter bevause he knew the way well. Anyhow we went and the view was as spectacular as one could wish but the driver got his own back by saying he was not allowed to stop and let us off. this is possiblh true but has never been a problem before! Anyway we drove around and this little confrontation was lost one the pilgrims fortunately. But as we had this driver for the next three days, it did not bode well. In fact after pranzo when the bus came to take us to St John Lateran, there was a different driver and a general air of pouring oil around!
St John Lateran was as impressive as ever, and much more enjoyable now we dont try to have Mass there! So we had a peacful historical visit but before that was the door! Prior to leaving Tra Noi we had a short ritual based on going through a holy door, with a scripture reading and a short reflection, then when we got there, we gathered outside the door and said three short prayers and then, in silence, walked through the door. The huge doorway of St John Latern was decorated with flowers (artificialI am sorry to say but very colourful) with the inevitable armed guard discreetly nearby. But as I walked through the door, I was overwhelmed, to my total surprise, by a sense of doing something momentous and important and full of grace. So you never know! Then we took them round the interiror, as big as one and a half football pitches, and saw the tomb of Innocent III as well as Leo XIII? Ther was time then to look around and take more photos of the amazing floor, like the one at the head of this blog. After supper i think some of the energetic went down to St Peter's again which is not all that far and people dont want to miss a thing though you cant get in at that hour. This is not because it is shut since it is open but the queue to get in is all the way round the piazza and takes ages to wend its way through security. We had also had the group photo taken at St John Lateran this year because, owing to security, you cant easily get a group out of St Peter's for a photo and back in again.
I think I will post this and then tell you about St Peter's and Tagliacozzo separately. i am getting messages that this system is working OK for most people, I,hope that is true and not a fantasy.
Love to one and all, i remember you all in almost everywhere!
Wednesday, 14 September 2016
Dearest All, I have just spent half an hour writing up our doings for the last two days, then pressed the wrong button and lost the lot! Ah well, as they say, what a pity!
Just briefly to bring you up to date. On 12th we had a bisy day and went up to Assisi to collect pilgrims
Handbooks from the office there, to shop for the Christmas Pranzo in Rieti, to contact Sr Ectorina at the Cabrini Centre in Rieti and confirm dates, numbers, times of arrival etc etc etc. All done.
On the way back we stopped at the Springs of Clitunno near Assisi, at my request. I had been before but they are so beautiful and tranquil, water gushing n many small springs from beneath the rock of Subasio into a wide shallow lake which is always clear because the water is always n the move, gently but un mistakably. I am very interested in the long tradition of healing n that area. San Damiano was a lace of healing which is why the chapel was dedicated to St Damiano, and before that, in pre Christian times, to Cosmas and Damian, the two Roman gods of healing. There are also other springs higher the flank f the mountain near San Damiano which have been healing springs again from Roman times. So the tradition which connects Clare with healing has a long root.
Yesterday we did very little. Andre is still n jet lag, he reckons a day for every hour's change of time which is a useful rule of thumb.murray, who is lactose intolerant, ate an ice cream and forgot to take his pill because we were having so much fun, had had stomach cramps all the previous night. I am in my usual crude good health but felt tatty in sympathy. Also the pilgrims were due the next morning. At that stage, nobody wants them to come but by the time we have been at the airport for a bit, the excitement begins to build and the sense of starting a work, which simply grows as they turn up one by one. This was all the more so as everyone had their luggage and all seemed younger than sometimes with no health issues except one lady who turned up pushed in a wheel chair. to say we were struck dumb is a mild account! Pilgrimage is called the prayer of the foot, so how do you do that in a wheelchair and, even louder, how were we going t do it for someone in a wheelchair. However, i had a few words with her and so did Murray and it seemed she is more mobile than appeared. Anyway she walked spunkily to the far end of the airport and managed the coach with no fuss, and found her room, came to dinner, all normal. Sighs of relief from the staff thinking of some of the places and all the steps!!! Now everyone is having some riposo and we hope they turn up for the first session at 5.00pm. I must go down to the shops and sort out y Italian phone as some other staff person must have used it and gobbled up all the credit and also let the SIM not working. Charming. I know there was a guilty Other as the messages included one from the server saying Welcome to France' and another saying 'welcome to USA'! I know they were not me!
It is extremely hot here and the cicadas are blasting away like car alarms making it sound hot as well. However your true Romans have got their jackets on because it is September and there might be a draft! All for now, watch this space ft
Monday, 12 September 2016
Day One. After a good flight, more or less on time and not at all bumpy, I arrived in Rome where I was met by Fr Murray and F Andre. We set off back to the centre of Rome, stopping a the autgrill for a snack on the way. It ws 1.30 by then and my spoon or two of Muesli was a distant memory. Easyjet do not pamper you with meals and anything y u have you need to buy. Desperate, I had a mug of coffee which was, foretunately, quite nice since it cost me 2.20 sterling. I cant find the pound sign!
Shown my room which is on the seventh floor, a sort of very mini penthouse suite, I peeled my anti thrombosis stockings off with great difficulty and had a shower. The temperature must have been in the upper eighties and very soon there was a massive crack of thunder which rumbled on for nearly 15 minutes before the rain began. There are two parakeets nearby making their unmistakeable call and almost invisible in the tips of the acacia tree outside. The room has a splendid view onto, of all the surprises in central Rome, a field! It might be a park, more likely and if there is a chance I will try to find my way to it alond a road I can see round the back.. Also if I can solve te technology, I will try to send a picture of the view.
i gatherJohn Cella ofm is in town tonight and we are going to join him for supper. John is the director of the Franciscan Pilgrimage Programme so in a real sense, our boss! He does the hiring and firing too! However he can always be counted on for a good and generous meal, so that will be nice. I shall be starving by then, muesli and salad having vanished over the horizon!
tomorrow we shall work at the papers, medical snags, bookings etc etc, have our own post mortem on last year and get everything as ready as possible. The next day will probably be shoppng for the Christmas pranzo and going to Assisi to collect things like the pilgrim´s handbook which is distributed at the start of the pilgrimage here in Rome. Tuesday is a rest day and Wednesday the pilgrims arrive and the show starts.
I am typng this on the portable keyboard which we once bought for something else, but which was so light that I brough it along as a possibility. It is working a treat and in fact it is easier to type on this than on the iPad itself, though the latter can be done of course. Very high tec ' it connects magically by blue tooth which is so mysterious it might as well be magic!
Love to one and all
Ft
Two days later
That first day we were all very tired, Andre had flown overnight from the States and had no sleep, I had had an early starttoo and felt tired enough to lie down after dinner and fell asleep, not waking until about 5.oo, juat in time to get ready to be taken out by the boss. We went to his favourite place, the restaurant by the sea, but by the time we got there it was almost dusk and threatening rain so we sat inside and considered the menu ' all fish and sea food. They offered plate of assorted fish caught that day which is what I chose and was given a plate with about ten fish on, mostly small, six inches or so,all beautifully coooked, fried actually, and crunchy. I am afraid I did not eat the heads though probbably could have done. Murray had turbot, the first time he said, and a huge fish came, white and beautiful. John and Andre had mussels and spaghetti, a great Italian favourite, and Nancy had salmon. Naturally everyone tried evrything except that I kept off the shellfish, remembering how sick I was after the same dish in Greccio two years ago. Sad as they are delicious.
Afterwards we were cheerfully full and had a lemon sorbet to wash it all down, just right, cool and sharp. The afternoon thunderstorm had not cooled things off much and it was extremely hot in spite of the sea breezes. Then we made our way back having helped John spend the programme´s money in that friendly way. The next mornng Murray and I took him to the airport, leaving at 7 and avoiding the worst of teh rush hour. As a resut of this early start we were back by 8.30 and without getting lost though we did take one wrong turning but managed to extricate oruselves without having t seek help of any sort. The traffic in Rome is incredible and very noisy and on the whole most people ignore the rules of the road.
The rest of that day was spen going through the lists, checking eveyrthing and making a few planse, sharing out the work etc etc ' all the usual stuff. Tomorrow, Ruesday, will be full as well and ten a rest day before the prilgrims attive on Wednesday, but I will make this another letter as i want to try out the blog and see how I amgoing to do it and whetehr anything arrievs at yoru end. If it is not a nuisance, I would be reassured by a short email saying OK or something )or not! Love to one and all
Ft
Shown my room which is on the seventh floor, a sort of very mini penthouse suite, I peeled my anti thrombosis stockings off with great difficulty and had a shower. The temperature must have been in the upper eighties and very soon there was a massive crack of thunder which rumbled on for nearly 15 minutes before the rain began. There are two parakeets nearby making their unmistakeable call and almost invisible in the tips of the acacia tree outside. The room has a splendid view onto, of all the surprises in central Rome, a field! It might be a park, more likely and if there is a chance I will try to find my way to it alond a road I can see round the back.. Also if I can solve te technology, I will try to send a picture of the view.
i gatherJohn Cella ofm is in town tonight and we are going to join him for supper. John is the director of the Franciscan Pilgrimage Programme so in a real sense, our boss! He does the hiring and firing too! However he can always be counted on for a good and generous meal, so that will be nice. I shall be starving by then, muesli and salad having vanished over the horizon!
tomorrow we shall work at the papers, medical snags, bookings etc etc, have our own post mortem on last year and get everything as ready as possible. The next day will probably be shoppng for the Christmas pranzo and going to Assisi to collect things like the pilgrim´s handbook which is distributed at the start of the pilgrimage here in Rome. Tuesday is a rest day and Wednesday the pilgrims arrive and the show starts.
I am typng this on the portable keyboard which we once bought for something else, but which was so light that I brough it along as a possibility. It is working a treat and in fact it is easier to type on this than on the iPad itself, though the latter can be done of course. Very high tec ' it connects magically by blue tooth which is so mysterious it might as well be magic!
Love to one and all
Ft
Two days later
That first day we were all very tired, Andre had flown overnight from the States and had no sleep, I had had an early starttoo and felt tired enough to lie down after dinner and fell asleep, not waking until about 5.oo, juat in time to get ready to be taken out by the boss. We went to his favourite place, the restaurant by the sea, but by the time we got there it was almost dusk and threatening rain so we sat inside and considered the menu ' all fish and sea food. They offered plate of assorted fish caught that day which is what I chose and was given a plate with about ten fish on, mostly small, six inches or so,all beautifully coooked, fried actually, and crunchy. I am afraid I did not eat the heads though probbably could have done. Murray had turbot, the first time he said, and a huge fish came, white and beautiful. John and Andre had mussels and spaghetti, a great Italian favourite, and Nancy had salmon. Naturally everyone tried evrything except that I kept off the shellfish, remembering how sick I was after the same dish in Greccio two years ago. Sad as they are delicious.
Afterwards we were cheerfully full and had a lemon sorbet to wash it all down, just right, cool and sharp. The afternoon thunderstorm had not cooled things off much and it was extremely hot in spite of the sea breezes. Then we made our way back having helped John spend the programme´s money in that friendly way. The next mornng Murray and I took him to the airport, leaving at 7 and avoiding the worst of teh rush hour. As a resut of this early start we were back by 8.30 and without getting lost though we did take one wrong turning but managed to extricate oruselves without having t seek help of any sort. The traffic in Rome is incredible and very noisy and on the whole most people ignore the rules of the road.
The rest of that day was spen going through the lists, checking eveyrthing and making a few planse, sharing out the work etc etc ' all the usual stuff. Tomorrow, Ruesday, will be full as well and ten a rest day before the prilgrims attive on Wednesday, but I will make this another letter as i want to try out the blog and see how I amgoing to do it and whetehr anything arrievs at yoru end. If it is not a nuisance, I would be reassured by a short email saying OK or something )or not! Love to one and all
Ft
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