Day 6 Recap

I apologize if tonight's entry is a bit more succinct than usual.  Not only is the cumulative effect of walking 50+ miles in the last four days catching up with me, we have to wake extra early tomorrow morning for a special appointment (see how I left a little teaser there).

We were officially out of breakfast stuff this morning, so we walked around the corner to a bakery in our neighborhood (ah the benefits of renting an apartment).  We were treated to some hand made strudel pastries, fresh of the oven (I went for the cream cheese, most of the boys chose the apple) and some coffee (a must).  We met the other pilgrim houses and set out for the church of St. Ignatius where we joined up with Fr. Johnson.  The church is the resting place of many Jesuit saints, including Aloysius Gonzaga and Robert Berchmans.  We spent a good bit of time there (about an hour) before heading to the main event of the day - Sant' Andrea al Quirinale.

One of the most significant stops on our pilgrimage is Sant' Andrea al Quirinale because it is where St. Stanislaus Kostka is entombed.  St. Stanislaus is the patron saint of our school and a countless number of times in any given school week we invoke his intercession.  Visiting the rooms dedicated to him and recounting the scenes of his life depicted on the walls was very moving.  We finished our visit of the church around 11am, and got permission to return at noon to celebrate Mass at the altar built over his tomb.  More about that in just a while.

To make good use of the time before Mass, we journey up the street about 6/10 of a mile to Santa Maria della Vittoria.  It's a beautiful little church on its own, but it is most famous for being the site where Bernini's famous sculpture of the Ecstasy of St. Theresa is located.  I have seen the sculpture in pictures, but have never seen it in person.  As they say, the pictures do not do it justice.  After a brief stay we headed back to Sant' Andrea al Quirinale for Mass.  Personally, it was the highlight of Day 6 to have the opportunity to assist at Mass being celebrated over the tomb of St. Stanislaus.  Not only is he the patron of the school, he's a polish saint which has connections for me on my mother's side.  My own grandfather was named Stanislaus.

After Mass, we grabbed lunch.  A few of the boys wanted a change from the typical pizza, and paninis and opted for a burger at Burger King.  I have a strong personal aversion against entering any Burger King in Italy, so I accompanied some of the pilgrims to get hot dogs and fries at another establishment.  I don't know about the burgers, but I can testify that the hot dog and fries were really good.

While we were waiting for the other group to finish, the boys accompanied me in my quest to find a coat.  You may wonder why I am wearing the same dark blue Oxford University sweatshirt in EVERY picture.  Well, it is because I accidentally left my coat on the flight we took from Houston to Amsterdam.  I didn't realize this until our flight for Rome was in the air.  The sweatshirt is not really thick enough for the unseasonably chilly weather we've been having so I have been on the lookout for a jacket.  I didn't find a jacket, but I did settle on a sweater that has done the trick.  (Enough about my wardrobe)

With everyone fed we started to pick up a few items on the pilgrims' "bucket list" of places to see.  We started off at the Roman Forum and the Colosseum, and then split up into three different groups based on interest.  My group went to the Trevi Fountain and then to La Cripta dei Cappuccini, better known as the Church of the Immaculate Conception or Bone Church.  The Church is decorated with the bones of hundreds (if not thousands) of Capuchin monks and others making jaw-dropping (see what I did there) patterns that border on the stunning to the macabre.  The whole place is one, huge, Memento Mori moment.  There were a couple of the boys with whom the meaning of the crypt did not sit well with them, which sparked some good conversations.

We made out way back to our respective apartments to rest up, clean up, and change into some nicer clothes for dinner.  The restaurant we chose has a special significance.  It is built over the site where Julius Caesar was murdered so many centuries ago on…wait for it…the Ides of March (today).  We were not able to reserve the basement (renovations or some other excuse), but a few of the boys snuck off during dinner (I thought they had gone to the restroom) and recreated the scene.

Dinner was followed by the daily gelato and then the houses went their separate ways for evening prayer and the sharing of graces.  I'm going to wrap this up so that I can get at least a few hours sleep before we have to be back on the streets in the morning.

Peace and much love to you all.