Today was a brilliant, sunny day - chilly but spring-like...a relief after the soaking rains of yesterday. I discovered the happy coincidence of our decision to attend Mass at the Church of Santa Susanna - the "American" church in Rome. Under the care of the Paulists, Santa Susanna provides English langu
age services for the American ex-patriots. The first coincidence was realizing that January 25th meant that we were celebrating the feast of the conversion of Saint Paul in a Paulist parish. The second coincidence was the discovery that today's liturgy concluded the Paulists' celebration of the 150th anniversary of their foundation. Everything happens in "threes" so it was particularly delightful to be reminded that this was all happening in the midst of the "Pauline Year" declared by Pope Benedict XVI. Over the years I have heard from Catholic pilgrims how the experience of Mass on a pilgrimmage can be profoundly more different than when it is experienced as a tourist. I haven't really thought much about that dynamic as I never anticipated the possibility that I would participate in a pilgrimmage (the experience of a month in Rome is beginning to feel very much like a pilgrimmage) - so it came as a surprise to me that the experience of Mass at Santa Susanna began to pull me deeper into the liturgy in ways I would not have anticipated. I particularly focused my thoughts on the Responsorial Psalm of that day's liturgy:
Teach me your ways O Lord. As I thought about the reason I was in Rome for a month, that refrain encouraged me to be more attentive to what the possible outcomes of this month-long conference could mean for the Christian Brothers, for me and for La Salle High School
Knowing that a La Salle alum, Father Greg Apparcel, CSP is the pastor at Santa Susanna, I was hoping to encounter him at Mass. Alas, no such luck. I resolved to return to the parish and introduce myself to him. My research into the story behind Santa Susanna produced a surprisingly entertaining story regarding a property dispute between the Cistercian nuns resident at Santa Susanna and the Paulist community. It involved the changing of locks and other unpleasantries - something one might expect in the Medieval period - however I am coming to realize that Rome is "Rome" no matter what the year. In this case, it was as recently at 1985! You can read all about it at:
http://www.initaly.com/regions/latium/church/susanna.htm
After lunch at the Motherhouse (more pasta!), Brother Bob Schieler, General Councilor for the US/Toronto Region inv
ited a number of us to join him in a "walk" around Rome. It felt a little more like a "forced march" as Bob is quite a brisk walker. While more than a few aches and pains surfaced during the 2 hour hike - it was all worth while. Starting at Villa Pamphilii Park - a magnificent Villa surrounded by acres of rolling hills, the greenery stretched for miles before us - Bob not giving a hint as to how far we would be walking - it turned out to be a maginficent (if achingly painful) walking tour of Rome, ending at the Vatican. By that point, I had had it; so when the others chose to visit Saint Peter's, I happily took Bob's directions to the # 46 bus (you catch it on the other side of the wall from the Pope Paul VI Audience Hall) back to the Motherhouse where a beer and a shower awaited me.
age services for the American ex-patriots. The first coincidence was realizing that January 25th meant that we were celebrating the feast of the conversion of Saint Paul in a Paulist parish. The second coincidence was the discovery that today's liturgy concluded the Paulists' celebration of the 150th anniversary of their foundation. Everything happens in "threes" so it was particularly delightful to be reminded that this was all happening in the midst of the "Pauline Year" declared by Pope Benedict XVI. Over the years I have heard from Catholic pilgrims how the experience of Mass on a pilgrimmage can be profoundly more different than when it is experienced as a tourist. I haven't really thought much about that dynamic as I never anticipated the possibility that I would participate in a pilgrimmage (the experience of a month in Rome is beginning to feel very much like a pilgrimmage) - so it came as a surprise to me that the experience of Mass at Santa Susanna began to pull me deeper into the liturgy in ways I would not have anticipated. I particularly focused my thoughts on the Responsorial Psalm of that day's liturgy: Teach me your ways O Lord. As I thought about the reason I was in Rome for a month, that refrain encouraged me to be more attentive to what the possible outcomes of this month-long conference could mean for the Christian Brothers, for me and for La Salle High School
Knowing that a La Salle alum, Father Greg Apparcel, CSP is the pastor at Santa Susanna, I was hoping to encounter him at Mass. Alas, no such luck. I resolved to return to the parish and introduce myself to him. My research into the story behind Santa Susanna produced a surprisingly entertaining story regarding a property dispute between the Cistercian nuns resident at Santa Susanna and the Paulist community. It involved the changing of locks and other unpleasantries - something one might expect in the Medieval period - however I am coming to realize that Rome is "Rome" no matter what the year. In this case, it was as recently at 1985! You can read all about it at:
http://www.initaly.com/regions/latium/church/susanna.htm
After lunch at the Motherhouse (more pasta!), Brother Bob Schieler, General Councilor for the US/Toronto Region inv
ited a number of us to join him in a "walk" around Rome. It felt a little more like a "forced march" as Bob is quite a brisk walker. While more than a few aches and pains surfaced during the 2 hour hike - it was all worth while. Starting at Villa Pamphilii Park - a magnificent Villa surrounded by acres of rolling hills, the greenery stretched for miles before us - Bob not giving a hint as to how far we would be walking - it turned out to be a maginficent (if achingly painful) walking tour of Rome, ending at the Vatican. By that point, I had had it; so when the others chose to visit Saint Peter's, I happily took Bob's directions to the # 46 bus (you catch it on the other side of the wall from the Pope Paul VI Audience Hall) back to the Motherhouse where a beer and a shower awaited me.
Richard,
ReplyDeleteEnjoy Rome.
I am enjoying your Blogs
Scott Hancock