Rome

Immediately We got off the buses and got our stuff from the undercarriages and me and John Paul and Brendan found our room on the third floor. Everyone wanted to get a shour, JP went first. To shorten the story, we got shoured. Then after unpacking the basics we were ready to head into the city. Me John Paul Brendan and Paul and Rob all headed out seemingly later than everyone else. Thankfully those girls didn’t come, they would slow everything down. We got on the bus at Cornelia, on which I saw six or seven people that looked like priests. At first sight I could tell that they were legionaries of Christ and I went to talk to them since I felt like I knew them right away, after having been in their seminary. I also wanted to, at some point during the trip to Rome, visit the Legion seminary. Anyways, that bus took us into the city where we got off at Ottaviano and began walking down the Via Ottaviano towards St. Peters at which point I immediately felt like I was home again. John Paul was telling us about how he knowss certain people that live next to the Pope…Ok. So we continued our exploration leading straight into, once again as on our return from Naples, the center of Christendom, St. Peter’s Square. I felt at home again and we marveled and contemplated. after this we headed out of the south east corner of St. Peter’s Basilica and walked down a small cobblestone road in search of a good place to eat and a good place to have dinner, which John Paul was searching for. This small road was so narrow that we were nearly hit by cars many times. We finally found a small, very small, Piazzolla in which there was a sandwich shop and a small shrine to our Lady. we got some food and eight under the shelter which provided, since it started raining. We continued our walk but this time started heading eastward I saw a funny man with a plastic bag on his head hanging out little trinkets. We walked down that road and crossed the bridge and started heading into ancient Rome we saw a temple looking structure, which looked like a shrine from ancient days. I took a picture of a beautiful flower next to it. I’m disappointed that I cannot remember its name. After this we found the oldest church in Rome and on the outside there was a stone which was carved in the shape of the Roman face. Everyone put their hand in its mouth and it has been worn away. Outside of that we discovered a very strange modern looking telephone booth. It looked like something out of the Jetsons. somehow after this walk, we ended up at the ancient site of the Circus Maximus. It didn’t seem like the Circus Maximus which I had read about in history books, since it was filled with Italian military equipment and a very loud entertaining marching band. we listened to the band for while. and then continued on to discover many interesting tanks, helicopters, planes, and even a demonstration of the latest in Italian military technology with robots-a bomb disarming robot. I continued eastward and began to be fascinated with the planes, new and old. There was a small demonstration shelter which had many posters of these planes. At this point, our backs were starting to hurt and we were tired. at the South East end of the Circus Maximus we made a left on Via de San Gregorio and headed towards the arc of Constantine. It was very impressive and I was once again awestruck seeing something which I had heard about in so many books and histories. We continued on walking towards the Colosseum but were slightly taken aback by a small assembly of people in front of the Colosseum with a very large woman shouting in the unmistakable language of America: Americanese. The election had been over for about two weeks now but as we soon figured out there was a large rally for Pres. Obama, he even had his logo on a poster on the Colosseum. I wonder how he had the money to spend on a post election rally. continuing to walk around the Colosseum, there were a few real-life Roman soldiers smoking cigarettes Roman soldier garb and a couple other interesting people. We decided to get on the subway and head back to the hotel, which we did, since we had to be back to meet in the lobby for Mass. The Schola but I had started was scheduled to saying that night the 545 Mass. There was a group of us that went out from the hotel looking for the church at 5 and we passed it as we later found out by nearly a mile. When we walked back along the wall which was next to the sidewalk small and talked away newer church which had two levels to it. I went straight ahead which led to the choir loft while everyone else went downstairs into the pews. I was worried that Jamie and Claire were not going to show up. Claire forgot that we were singing and Jamie was lost in Rome as we later found out. So it was just Jacob and I. We chanted Mass VIII, which was probably a real shocker for everyone since they had been used to guitar and bass even in Austria. It probably wasn’t the traditional music which shocked them as much as it was the concept of more quiet gentle music and the mass especially since only two of us were singing. This was not ideal, though we had to do it. By the end I was sweating that we had messed up and everyone had heard it because it is very difficult to not have your mistakes heard when only two people are singing. After mass everyone went back to the hotel for dinner. In the dining room area of the hotel there were many large round tables set up filling the entire room for us to sit in. I decided I would sit with some people I didn’t know to meet some new people and get away from the group that was starting to get on my nerves. So I sat down at a table with some brand-new faces which included Nick Rowles and Sam Cam. Sam cam was a very nice guy and we waited for the food to come out while we talked but first more importantly the line came out. Our table finished three bottles of wine before the main course even came out. Of course this is I came to know the frat guys. As we would later find out though it wasn’t just our table which had a drinking problem, it was generally our whole class. We were served a very fine dinner with much food and wine and then flan for dessert. After dinner there were a good bit of announcements explaining our stay in Rome and what we would need to be doing. We went over our tentative schedule for the pilgrimage to Rome from November 7 two November 12. After the announcements we couldn’t wait to go out back into the city. I’m having a hard time remembering right now who exactly I started out with, but I remember ending up in the north east corner of Piazza Navona with Maria, Jen Heaps, Sam Cam and a couple other guys. I got one or two drinks a when I realized that generally everyone else was planning on getting smashed, especially after we just had so much wine at dinner, I started still wander off by myself but Maria said she wanted to come with me she couldn’t find her friend. Soon I found John Feeley and after a while we just headed back to the hotel, especially since we had to get up for a seven o’clock breakfast. After going back to my room I found that Brendan and John Paul were watching Italian TV and I got a shower and got ready for bed. We all went to sleep. We woke up at seven o’clock and went downstairs to breakfast to find that the breakfast was very similar to those we had in Austria. Yogurt, granola, pastries, bread, fruit salad, cereal coffee and uses were on the menu. I scarfed down my breakfast quite quickly and sat with Phil and some other people. then, Brendan and I, who were slightly later, got on the bus to St. Peter’s. we walked down the same street into St. Peter’s Square and made a small video documentary. We waited in line to enter the basilica, after having attempted to enter through the exit by accident. When we were in the right line, we were awestruck by the size of the building and the intricate plaques on the vestibule. I was very much occupied the Latin text written everywhere and was constantly trying to translate it, specifically the plaque dedicated by John Paul II to the unity between the Roman Catholic Church and the Orthodox Christians. Finally we walked down the nave of the Basilica towards the main altar and found a seat for mass in front of the beautiful sculpture by Bernini at 10:30 AM. I had just read the week before, that Pope Benedict had replaced the altar in front of this sculpture, which was very modern and considered ugly, with a beautiful traditional altar. Mass began and immediately I knew due to the music and attitude that this mass should be a model for the rest of the world. The entire mass was chanted with the settings for Mass VIII. after mass, as hesitant as I was, I snapped a few pictures of the dome and headed outside with everyone else for the Angelus with the pope scheduled for 12 o’clock. During this endless and I ran into a bunch of seminarians from the NAC, including Riley Williams. We spoke briefly about scheduling lunch and a tour of the NAC with John Paul. I went back to my group and got a photo and video of the audience, and tried to translate in my head what the pope was saying-then came the English. After the Angeles I grabbed something to eat very quickly and then we all headed towards the right side of the Basilica in order to get in line for the tour of the Cupula of St. Peter’s. It was a long wait in line but completely worth it especially once we started climbing the steps. The steps seemed endless, literally. Finally got sight of day and saw how high we were and then continued climate. When we finally reached the first breakpoint we were on the roof of the Basilica and then we climbed the next set of stairs to the Cupula. This was even longer and when we finally reached the top it was a very small area where it seemed like hundreds of people were crammed on the top around the small ring. We snapped many photos since the site was spectacular, probably the best from any point in room. I got a complete panorama which you should see. Then it was time to go back down and we did.then we got on the subway station and made our way over to Colosseum at which I search for more food since I was hungry. Everyone in the front of the Colosseum in their respective tour groups.

I sat down in the grass and just chilled out for a while. Finally, it was time for our tour groups to get together. I but after changing my mind once or twice I found a group whose leader I thought to be knowledgeable-sister’s group. I was on the side with my back towards the Colosseum, but I cannot hear very well so I switched to the other side and was now facing the Colosseum. About halfway through her talk about the Colosseum there was a small yelp of an old lady and I saw a man sprinting away from her across the street. Immediately I looked back at the lady back, at the man, and saw that he was carrying something against his stomach with both arms around it for about a half a second I considered that maybe it was pointless to chase him but before that thought was over, I was already a quarter of the way to him sprinting along with Nick Winter. I finally reached him and he looked at me, now walking hurriedly and I said “give it back”. He kept walking, I said, “everyone knows you have it”. Then Nick Winter came up behind me, who is a pretty large guy and the guy handed me the purse and ran off with everyone watching. I started walking back towards the old lady purse and saw Sean Cunningham was also on his way. When we got back toward group started clapping but the old lady was screaming at me that I was stealing from a thief and was going to keep her purse. So I gave it to her and she was calm again. Then we continued with our of the Coliseum with everyone smiling at that event. after the details of the Colosseum had been explained to us, we proceeded to the ancient Roman ruins entrance at the forum. We waited around a while at the entrance and a little grove, in order that everyone catch up and that our tickets, pre-paid, could be verified. In this time I and other people grabbed some of the lemons or oranges, we weren’t sure what they were, off of the trees and started eating them and throwing them around. We sat on columns which were thousands of years old, just passing the time. Finally, we were allowed into the forum area crossing down into it through a small path which was located next to an ancient temple which had been converted into a church. we stood around in a group listening to our tour guide explained about the church. We were standing right next to the Temple of a vessel virgins. Everyone down the pathway through ancient Rome towards the Temple of Saturn. I broke off from the group because I felt like I already knew the history of the area from reading in Latin textbooks. the arch of Septimus Severus was explained. So I explored up a pathway about 50 yards and got a great view of the whole city. Then I came back down and we continued on act through the same path we came, which would have been the main road in ancient Rome. We passed the Temple of the vessel virgins,the Temple of justice and the Temple Caesar and then we came to the basilica of Maxentius. Jamie. were wondering at the amazing arches. Then my camera died. we continued on briefly seeing the outside of the Temple of Venus which had been converted into a church of San Francesca. then we came to the arch of Titus, where we made a right and traveled up the Hill you to be more residential area in ancient Rome. This is where although wealthy people with people like Catullus Vergil Cicero and Julius Caesar. This was a very tremendous moment for me being this place, and it was a disappointment that my camera was broken. But then I was able to enjoy it more anyways. At the top of the hill, standing in some important Roman house, we were ableto overlook the ancient arena where the chariots would raise. It was prime real estate in the, and I wouldn’t mind living there today.we continued on through the houses and residential area leaving us back over and around where we just came from towards ancient Rome. There were many bushes which the Roman city tended and artistic designs. Then there was an interesting stairway to send that he’ll grow down to our previous position, where we gathered in St. Cosmos and Damien church for mass. it was quite an interesting day be able to see ancient row.