Words cannot even begin to explain what we just experienced—something truly unfathomable. Just an hour and a half ago, I returned from Saint Peter’s Square, where over 100,000 people gathered to pray the rosary together for our Holy Father, Pope Francis.
Having this opportunity to revisit Rome, and to do so during the Jubilee Year, is truly a privilege. I must say, this trip was not the original plan—but as usual, God had other plans. When my mom tore her Achilles tendon in her right leg, requiring surgery, our planned trip for October 2024 had to be postponed. Hoping to reschedule the trip for Divine Mercy Sunday, I tried to see how far out we could push the dates. (Side note: never use CheapoAir—you get exactly what you expect!) The best option available was the second-to-last week of February. Not ideal, but pazienza—patience.
Yesterday was basically a wash. When we arrived in Tel Aviv, we immediately went to see the Mediterranean Sea. I barely remember the majority of the day as I was deep in jet-lag. Today, though, was much better. Here’s a little video of the sights we saw:
I was asked numerous times what my favorite part of my trip to Rome was, even with just being home less than ten hours. In my exhaustion, I was unable to answer. What makes me able to answer this after just four hours of sleep, I have no idea.
Today was our final day in Rome. A portion of our group traveled to Ostencia. This is where St. Augustine and St. Monica lived. We had the opportunity to visit the remains of the city. There is a huge Roman city that was excavated. These ruins of the city are mostly destroyed, yet there are some structures that are still very well preserved to this day.
Today started with mass at St. James and John Basilica. It was the stational mass of the day. Most the people that attended this mass were English-speaking people, so it was nice to have a part of home here in Rome. Yes, I know that I’m on my way home in just a few days, but it was an enjoyable experience of being able to worship with other English-speaking people here in Rome. It truly reminded me of the universality of our church.
Today, seminary went to Assisi Italy. Assisi is about a 2 1/2-hour drive South of Rome. With a full house, we departed Sant’Anselmo at 7:30 this morning. Upon our arrival in Assisi, we had the opportunity to wander the town. I really like Assisi. The town is beautiful and reminds me of what I expected it will be to look like.
Today, we had the opportunity to either attend mass at St. Mary Major Basilica, or we could take the morning to rest. My body decided that I needed the rest, and so therefore I did not make it to mass this morning at St. Mary Major. I took the opportunity to sleep in and enjoy my morning without any rush.