We’ve now been home from Italy for over a week. We’re back at school, and life is so busy already that it’s sometimes easy to forget that it wasn’t so long ago that I was in Rome, walking along The Tiber with my friends or staring at the gorgeous mosaic on the dome of St. Paul’s Basilica. But–despite the hustle and bustle of college life at St. Scholastica, my last semester before graduation–I will never forget my trip to Rome over winter break.
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SUBIACO
We were privileged to visit the birthplace of western monasticism in the company of a good guide, a Benedictine of St. John’s Abbey on loan to the Monastery of St. Scholastica: Fr. Franciso Schulte. Check out the photo of our group gathered in the monastery courtyard around the statue of our patron, St. Scholastica.
Florence, Assisi, Subiaco, and more…
Assisi was indescribable. The sun was setting as we got there and it created a great photo op from our deck. Visiting the town was great. Fr. Schulte led us around and pointed out things that were made before the time of Christ. Now that is old! Some of the highlights of the trip was visiting both St. Francis and St. Claire. After watching Brother Sun, Sister Moon, it was too cool to actually see where all of this took place. It was amazing to see how many people were praying to St. Francis at his tomb; it seemed so personal that I felt like I was somehow invading, but yet I was invited to stay. Later, we traveled to see the small church withing a church that St. Francis rebuilt after hearing a plea from God. Again, there was so much feeling that I was overwhelmed with awe. Watching people pray in the miniature church was so personal, it was almost comforting.
Assisi!
This morning Fr. Schulte gave us a tour of the churchs and sites in the city significant to the lives of St. Francis and his female counterpart St. Clare. It was fascinating to see churches St. Francis repaired with his own hands, as well as the place where he died so symbolically. Especially intresting to hear was the story of how St. Clare defended the town of invading Muslims by standing on the balcony of her church and holding the Holy Sacrament over her head.
A piece of CSS history
On our way to Assisi, we went to Subiaco, where St. Benedict founded his order, Fr. Francisco Schulte led a very interesting tour and we all saw how the Benedictine tradition began. The chapel there is built right into the side of the mountain, and we prayed in the same cave that St. Benedict lived in for three years while he was pondering God’s plan for his life.
Ciao from Assisi!!
We’re having a blast here in Italy. We left Rome this morning and visited Subiaco and saw the Sacro Speco Santuary where St. Benedict was a hermit for 3 years. It was an absolutely amazing church built on the side of a mountain on top of the cave where St. Benedict stayed in the 500’s. We also visited the St. Scholastica Abbey and had a wonderful tour of the church and the courtyards by Fr. Schulte. The view from both places was fantastic, though the bus ride up the mountain was a bit precarious. I had to close my eyes a few times.
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