(If You want Pictures in the Next Three Weeks you are going to have to WhatsApp me, Samahani)
…And other things you have to learn from experience if you are Claire Montowski. Sorry this post is taking longer I didn’t get back to my room till after midnight every night I was in Rome and left by seven every morning so my opportunity for writing was limited. I suppose I could have written it the one night I drank half a bottle of wine and couldn’t fall asleep but the update would’ve been very different.
After going through the grueling ordeal of navigating Rome at night I woke up in the morning with a set plan-go to the Colloseum and tour it. I only got lost twice on my way there. Turns out Rome is designed specifically to thwart my navigational skills. It took me a while to even figure out how to use Google Maps there which is really depressing. After playing Crossy Road IRL several times I did eventually find the Colloseum. If you get there a half an hour before it opens your odds of getting a day of ticket are pretty good. (Now that being said every other time I had to walk by it, it was the equivalent of a zoo of tourists who have no interest in walking and don’t seem to be going anywhere.) I didn’t get a guided tour but there are quite a few signs within the Colloseum and you have an opportunity to learn a lot. Did you know that the colloseum got its name becase it was next to a statue of Collosus? Or did you know that tickets were free. (I wish they’d do that for movie theaters these days or trampoline parks which are basically the equivalent of gladitorial rings.) After the Colloseum I went to the Forum. This was cool for about 45 minutes. There is so much history and if you close your eyes you can really picture yourself in Ancient Rome. I got to hang out where the Vestal Virgins lived and tended their fire thousands of years ago. That’s pretty cool. I got to see ancient temples. I got to see numerous columns and arches because this is what emporers built when they (and by they I mean their armies) one great victories. The problem is after 45 minutes it all starts to look the same. Even better it’s hard to escape. At one point I heard a little British girl ask her father, “Why are we even in this boring old pit?” and while my sentiments weren’t that strong the point still stands.
The Palatine hill this time of year was beautiful. There were purple flowers in bloom and oranges on the trees and everything smelled wonderful. This area was more dedicated to later centuries who tried to imitate Rome and return to the idyllic lifestyle that the Romans surely lived. Nonetheless the view from up here was beautiful.
After this I decided it was time to see some churches as a Catholic should probably do in Rome. San Clemente is one of the oldest churches in Rome and there are records going back to 100 A.D. of mass being celebrated–underground of course in this case. I didn’t stay here long because there was a massive amount of restoration doing which typically does need to be done on an absurdley old building. Then I tried to go to San Quattro which was locked. Feeling discouraged I accidentally wandered into a university that I definitely was not supposed to be in. I guess I still look enough like a dead eyed college student and not enough like a stupid tourist. After wandering a few more places I had no intention of going including the Sacred Steps where a very exasperated Italian immediately cornered me I found a church that I actually could go into. St. John Lateran is technically the Popes Cathedral (The Bishop of Romes Seat) This is where the Popes special Cathedra is. It felt a little more like a tourist destination than a church but the wall was lined with larger than life marble statues of the Apostles. My personal favorite was Bartholomew holding his own skin.
How did St. John Lateran come into existence? I’m glad you asked. When Constantine decided that Christians should have their own above ground place to worship he built them a church. Unfortunately, he put it in a spot they didn’t like-so he built them a second church St. Peters (you may have heard of it.) The other church became St. John Lateran.
I went to lunch with Chris at the Irish College. There I got to meet the priest that sent us on the hike of Giuwant and I got to pretend once again that I’m not horribly allergic to pesto. The school itself is beautiful. While it is very close to St. John Lateran the courtyard feels very secluded. There is a swimming pool, soccer field, and little fountain with turtles. It’s kind of excellent Everyone was super friendly and nice and probably way smarter than me. While I like to spend some of my free time studying I also like to crash bikes and talk to chickens.
After lunch I determined to go to The Holy Cross church but I got lost several times on the way, when I finally got unlost the church was closed until 3:30. I think at that point I nearly cried. What was I doing in a city where I had never been to, I didn’t speak the language, and I had no one to help me? It was hot, I was out of water, and I’d just hiked a mile and a half to a church that wasn’t even open. So what did I do? I went and saw Mary’s church. St. Mary Major was one of my favorite churches. It is the church that the pope goes to before he travels and according to local legend Mary called down snow to show people exactly where she wanted her church which is pretty sweet. It was a little gaudy for me but I do my best not to criticize another womans things. I spent a long time there as it was the Annunciation and prayed a rosary.
Then I took a minute-what is a pilgramage about? Or more specifically what was my pilgramage about? Was it about seeing as many churches as possible and running from place to place? Is it about having mystical visions and life changing experiences? Is it about being somewhere you’ve never been before? No it was about listening and opening myself up to God’s mercy. I didn’t need to see everything I just needed to take my time with where I was at.
After Mary Major a much more calmed Claire found her way without getting lost back to the Sacred Steps. This is the part where I shouldn’t tell you that all you have to do is follow one road and you are led right to them but I’m known for being a pillar of honesty.
For those of you who don’t know the Sacred Steps are the steps moved by my girl St. Helena from Jerusalem to Rome and were the steps Jesus was dragged up and down. (Oh yeah St. Helena is Constantine’s mom so that family kind of got around) Climbing the steps is done only on your knees in silence and you can meditate on each step on the Passion of Christ. It probably would have been a better Holy Week activity but it was still amazing. Not many others were there so I took my time. (The steps themselves are covered so you climb on wood but there are holes for you to reach through and touch the steps.) Climbing the steps I considered how much I’d like to go to confession and what do you know at the top there was a priest doing confessionsin English. “Courage” he told me to have. Well we are trying to have that going to places where I don’t speak the language and get miserably lost.
The Sacred Steps are not recommended to be climbed in a tight skirt. So thanks Dad I am very glad you sent me with a sewing kit I will be needing it.
After this I went to grab Chris who was done languishing in class-well actually his classess sound really cool but I have to pretend to be superior in someway. It being the Annunciation we went to mass back at St. Mary Major. It was a small afair with only one full choir and organist, six bishops, canons, and enough insence the room clarity changed. All in all it was beautiful in every way. They sang my favorite Ave Maria and at the endwe all got to sing the Regina Caeli together. That’s the cool thing about Latin songs I might not know basically any Italian and the Italian church ladies might not be fluent in English but we could all sing that song together.
The only true way to celebrate this was by getting Carbenera. It was out of this world good. We also had tiramusu which was pretty excellent. The food here was pretty darn fantastic. Of course when we ordered Chris did it in rapid fire Italian-which I don’t actually know how good it was but it sounded fancy. I then got to stumble out my reply in bad English because apparently I can’t talk. Chris and I also decided that one bottle of wine wasn’t that much for two people. While Chris did fine with this I was very dizzy, giggly, and talkative. I hope I didn’t spill too many family secrets to Chris but if I did I can burn that bridge when I get there. We walked back to where I was staying and because it’s Rome there were ruins complete with cats (Maddie if you are reading this I hope you appreciate) lit up at night. That was pretty magical to me until I remembered that Chris is definitely a student and I had no idea what time it was.
In the morning I hopped on a bus to go see some catacombs. Well let me rephrase that. I tried to hop on a bus and just missed it. Luckily there was a church right by the station that I now had a half of an hour to look in. This one is right behind the Wedding Cake monument which was actually built to kind of cover up the church. This church also has the bones of St. Helena, remember her from earlier? Even better this church had real beeswax votive candles. Rome is making the move towards battery powered candles but that just doesn’t feel as holy. So was everything about this church great? No… Whoever built the church decided that the entrance should be up five million-I’m exagerating only slightly-stairs. This is so by the time you get up the hill you are begging for God’s Mercy or contemplating suffering. Or if you are an Italian in excellent shape you run up it look around a second and run back down.
If you were wondering I did pay for my bus ticket today. When I got to San Sebastian it appeared very closed. The sign on the door even said it didn’t open till 10 A.M. This was a little concerning as my tour was for 9:30 A.M. My only companion was a disgruntled Italian having a morning smoke and I just exude the energy that I don’t speak any Italian.
The tour did happen at 9:30 A.M. I’m not entirely sure it was planned because I was the only person on it and the tour guide seemed a little confused that I was there. He also seemed confused that I didn’t ask more questions and so just to be sure I understood everything repeated everything twice. This was actually very helpful because it gave me the opportunity to really think about what he was saying.
The San Sebastian catacombs are several layers. Originally they were a stone quarry, then a rich Roman family bought them and built a Mauseleum. After this early Christians used it to bury their dead building the tunnels as cremation was not practiced so they needed the space. The quarry was also conveniently outside of city walls which at the time all cemeteries had to be because of disease prevention. The Christians would celebrate mass down in the catacombs as it was a convenient place not to be found. They would often do it on top of the graves of martyrs. In the walls of the catacombs you can see ancient etchings of christian symbols such as the fish or the anchor. These catacombs reportedly housed Peter and Paul for a period of time.
Saint Sebastian is infact buried in, well techinically on top of the catacombs as his remains are in the church. I quite like his story. He was the perfect Roman soldier except for one fact-he was christian. Even better than that he was very evangelical trying to spread the message to his comrades. In defending Christianity he was strung up and shot full of arrows by his fellow soldiers. Then he was left to die. When a woman came to bury him she discovered that he wasn’t actually dead. She nursed him back to health and then he doing the smart thing marched right back to the emporer who had had him killed. The emporer not to pleased by this made sure he died this time.
After San Sebastian I walked along the Appian way to Quo Vadis church. This is another one of my favorite stories. Peter when escaping Rome came across Jesus trudging to Rome with a cross on his back. “Quo Vadis Domino” Peter asked. (Where are you going lord?)
“I am going back to Rome to be crucified again.” Peter realized that this was a subtle way of Jesus telling him to turn around and go die for the faith and did just that. He was crucified upside down and his brother was crucified in an X. I personally think it’s a really good thing there wasn’t another brother because the Romans were running out of shapes.
The Church itself is very small and off the beaten path. There was some beautiful artwork in there and also relics of JPII and the Divine Mercy Icon. I’m not sure I can every escape them. Of course this church is under the charge of the Polish which might explain a thing or too. In the ground are a marble cast of Jesus’s footprints and it’s a very good place to sit and ponder where are you going?
At that particular moment I was going to St. Paul Outside the Walls where a lesser saint is buried. You might have heard of him? His name is St. Paul. While in theory it was a good idea to walk it was two miles through various neighborhoods of Rome and when I wasn’t afraid of getting lost I was in fear of being run over. I guess if I’d been hit I could have stopped thinking about where I was going.
St. Paul Outside the Walls was a very difficult church for me to find the entrance too. Similar to St. John Lateran it has the larger than life statues of the apostles which I just think are awesome! It also has a beautiful courtyard out front where people hung out in the shade and relative peace of the area. I did get to Pray with and read one his letters right in front of where his bones are which was-I’m going to say it again, pretty sweet.
Cause I’d just seen Paul I went to get on a bus to go to St. Peters. Well I tried to get on a bus. The Roman busses are not the most reliable things. It took an hour after schedule for it to show up. Then when I got on I couldn’t figure out how to pay and so I went back to my criminal ways and wedged myself in a back corner behind everyone else and prayed that an inspector wouldn’t come on my bus. I think being a criminal in a place where you don’t speak the language is even worse and I had scenarios ranging from paying for my ticket to life imprisonment for my misdemeneour.
St. Peters is really impressive. Everyone and their brother thinks so too. Apart from the Colloseum this was the busiest place I went. I considered hopping in the prayer line and talking my way through by shaking one of the several Rosaries I had on my person. My conscience, however, already guilty for not paying for the bus knew I was there for a tour. This brings up an interesting moral dilema. Is it a sin to cut in line to get into Churches? While in line I watched an older lady sigh, step out of line, bend over her cane more than she had been a second before and just walk up the side of the line and straight through security. No one is going to stop an old Italian Church lady.
The seminarian leading my tour was from Wisconsin. He described Krakow in the best way I’ve heard it described thus far-Catholic Disneyland where JPII is Mickey Mouse. The tour itself was good and bad. The Seminarian was very knowledgable about the artwork, the tradition, and why things are where. There are certain mosaics for example in certain parts of the church that are there because people who are looking at them will be doing certain things. There is a painting of people dying because they lied about giving everything in front of where the priests process out for mass reminding them that they truly must give everything and die to self to be a priest. Everything in St. Peters is pretty much a mosaic as they were A easier to clean and B much harder to steal when Rome got sacked which happened fairly regularly. Michael-the seminarian also knew a lot about different Popes that I hadn’t heard very much about.
There was a Pope Innocent which is an ironic name considering his story who with his families help bribed and murdered his way to Papacy. These are qualities we really want to see in our Pope. However, when he was elected and his family started calling in favors he refused stating that now that he was Pope he probably should do a better job. He died mysteriously 20 days later. I’m not postive but if I had to hazard a guess it wasn’t natural causes.
Now here is the unfortunate part of the tour. No one else I was on the tour with was Christian. The problem here is that they were not familiar with church stories. So when the seminarian would point to a picture and say that’s Noah, or Moses, or the Blessed Virgin Mary, they had to ask who those people were and what they did. I am very glad that they were so curious and wanted to learn but it meant that the tour just kept going. Michael looked exceedingly more stressed and harried and I applaud how well he answered all the questions he’s going to make a good priest one day. My personal favorite question that was aksed is why no one sits in the giant Chair mounted 20 feet up a wall.
I didn’t have a ton of time after the tour to spend in St. Peters, techinically I had negative time as Chris was already waiting in the square. I went down and visited the Papal Crypt where there are many many many popes. Speaking of dead popes you know that when a pope dies he is tapped on the head with a hammer three times to make sure he is dead. I really wonder why they started that tradition.
You know whose a Pope who doesn’t get enough credit? Pope Benedict XVI. He was wicked smart although not as great as JPII-I’m not biased. I did get to stop and Pray with JPII who was upstairs in the main church. To go by his tomb you had to convince a guard that you were there to pray. I watched them chase down and drag several people away to make them prove that that was what they were there to do. A rosary however, is a very effective way to show you mean business especially one with a JPII medal which I definitely don’t have.
Chris and I walked along the old wall that the Pope would run along when Rome was being sacked. It leads to a very impressive looking fortress where the Pope would be safe. Across from this is a bridge that leads back across the Tiber a river so clean that if you touch it you get a skin rash. The Tiber is very picturesque from a safe distance and probably a close distance in a hazmat suit.This bridge has angels on it who hold parts of the crucifixtion so like the crown of thorns, the cross, the pillar. Everything was done so intentionally it’s very impressive.
Chris and I prayed and walked through several more churches. St. Agatha was very cool to see her skull was actually out on display which is one of the very few relics where you can actually see a few on skeletal structure. There was a church run by the French where you could see some of Carvagio’s works. This was a less great place for prayer as the main focus was seeing the paintings. A very clever money making strategies is the side chapel with the famous Carvogio’s in it had to be lit up by sliding Euro’s into a slot machine. You either had to be willing to be the one to pay up or be patient enough to wait for someone else if you wanted to sit and stare at the Carvagio’s. We saw Catherine of Sienna’s tomb. This church was really cool because A it was Gothic which most Churches in Rome are not and B you got to write a letter and leave it on Catherinne’s tomb. This is much closer than they will let you to most Saints relics.
The Jesuit Churches have really interesting ceilings. As a result there are mirrors that tourists line up to look at so they don’t have to crane their heads. Honestly, I think they should make it more of a tradition for people to just lie on the floor if they want to see the 3D ceilings. In Saint Ignatius of Loyala the church builders got the bright idea to instead of admitting that they didn’t build a dome paint one on the ceiling that only looked normal from one perspective. Of course I couldn’t tell what was wrong with it until Chris told me so maybe it works better than I think. In this church there were also playing Yoga music which was a little odd-it just doesn’t quite fit inside a baroque style church. (See how fancy I’ve gotten I know about different types of churches.)
Dinner that night was supposed to be at the Irish College but Chris got so excited about a Pizza place that we ate there instead and this was well worth it. Of course instead of the pizza I ordered Pasta which had something that I was definitely allergic too. Now that I’m an EMT I have a harder time denying when delicious food is making me have an allergic reaction. Thankfully Chris let me permanetly borrow some of his Pizza which was very very kind of him. Then we walked to the Piazza Novana Square which is supposedly a hopping place. Maybe if we hadn’t spent 2 and a half hours at dinner it would have been. But honestly, it was kind of nicer eating gelato that had been recommended to me by an Italian guy and looking at the lit up fountains and churches then if the Piazza had been crowded. This was another very magical experience. Imagine eating the best ice cream you have ever eaten in your life, sitting out in a square that is all lit up with fountains and churches, and it not being terribly cold out (Realistically night time in Rome is just the prettiest and the company wasn’t half bad either) I once again did not pay attentio to what time it was and felt a little guilty that I am single handledly destroying a students sleep habits. Ah well, my lovely suprise for when I got back was being yelled at by a nun for hanging my clothes I’d washed up to dry in my room.
Wednesday was my last full day in Rome and also the day that the Pope does his audience. While we had ticket seats are not assigned and so I got to be back at St. Peters by 7 A.M. the next morning. Honestly early morning is another good time in Rome so it wasn’t too bad. Chris taught me the ways of Italian lines which are if you see an opportunity to cut do it. We looked for the St. Andrews kids from Helena but there are if you couldn’t guess a lot of people at the papal audience.
When you are sitting there waiting you hear people speaking every language under the sun. That was pretty cool. You also got to see the Swiss Guards out in force which was also very cool. While we were sitting there waiting I started examining the newly weds dresses from afar. If you’ve been married for under a year in the Catholic church and go to an audience than you can sit up top with the Pope. While I was examing the dressess I noticed a Bishop who was getting pictures with one of the couples. We were not close to the front so I couldn’t see him well but I could have sworn his manurisms were very very very familiar. I turned to Chris, “Who is that up there?”
“Oh that, that’s Bishop Vetter.” (The Bishop from the diocese of Helena). Chris was not at all fazed by this turn of events because I think he’d known all along he’d be there. I on the other hand had thought I was going crazy. Well of course he just happened to be in Rome at the same time I was. Even crazier the couple he was taking pictures with was someone my sister had gone to school with. It’s a small world after all. Or perhaps Rome was just the place to be on Wednesday.
The pope road around waving and giving blessings and I really wanted to experience this so I didn’t take any pictures. He looked pretty exhausted and not super well. The car he rides around in literally drives up the stairs to where he gives the audience which he gives and then it is given in several different languages because we don’t all speak Italian. Then we sing the Our Father in Latin he blesses us and that’s the audience. The Popes message was on Fortitude and facing the evil in the world-standing up to injustices and not just being passive.
Chris had a morning class so we did the equivalent of running across Rome while still having the dignity to not technically be running. As his teacher is the Papal Theologian he wasn’t sure if being at the Papal Audience was a terribly good excuse for being late to class. I did feel vindicated about my not being a college student when I got to drink a Cappuchino in a park and he had to be in class. I ordered in Italian which I was very proud of until the stand owner started complaining about Americans to his friend. (I understand more Italian then I speak.) He was friendly enough towards me when he turned to ask how I wasn’t freezing so I guess he got his angst out talking with his friend. The day itself was beautiful and sunny and slightly breezy. Apparently too cold for a Mediteranean spring day.
I had time before lunch for one more Church so I went to San Bartholomew. This Church is on an island which has a funny origin story. Apparently there was a Roman leader that the people hated so much that they through him in the river. He got stuck and silt built up and formed an island.
The church itself is home of relicts of modern martyrs-so people who have died for the faith in the 20th and 21st century. The most recent dated to 2014. Each side altar was dedicated to a different continent or in the case of Europe against Nazism or Communism. There were letters, crossess, bibles, notes. The youngest martyr represented in there had been 12 and at mass when he died. Kind of puts in perspectivethe things I complain about. This was also a very respectful church. Even people who aren’t going in there necessarily to pray are much quieter than in other churches out of respect.
Lunch at the Irish College devolved into a philisophical debate which I enjoyed listening too and mostly just celebrated the fact that I hadn’t gotten lost at all that day yet. We said a Rosary and went to the Vatican Museum that afternoon. Chris knows a scary amount about paintings and was an excellent tour guide as he touched on stuff that was interesting and wasn’t afraid to walk by other stuff rather quickly. The rooms in particular that I liked was the room with the School of Athens painting in it and the room with the Transfiguration painting in it. Yes I got to see the real thing which kind of blows my mind. I think it really helped in these rooms that Chris was so passionate about these exhibitis and knew more about them. When someone is passionate about something it definitely draws you in. What I didn’t know about the School of Athens painting is that it’s actually part of a bigger set. I don’t think I’ll explain this very well so look it up.
The Cistine Chapel is at the very end of this tour and by the time you get to it your neck is so sore that you have not a lot of desire to look at the ceilings. Unlike the Jesiut churches there are not mirrors on the ground so everyone is resigned to craining there necks. It is I will say a very very impressive bit of artwork. It is truly beautiful.
The last thing we did before dinner was go to Church so I could finish off my pilgramage with some prayer. Of course we just happened to go to a Church that had the Divine Mercy Image as a Front and Center Focus kind of perfect.
Because it’s Chris we got invited to dinner with the Bishop and St. Andrew’s kids and Fr. Bart. Chris and I had been talking about how much we’d missed Fr. Bart just a couple days before and here he was turned up in Rome where we got to see him. Earlier in the day when I’d found out he was going to be there I sent him a cryptic text saying, “See you at dinner!” I then left him to ponder this all day until Chris and I showed up 15 minutes late to dinner we got a little lost thanks for Google Maps and Church grounds being closed. It was absolutely wonderful when I ran into him and he just gave me a big hug being rightly confused by the fact that I was halfway across the world from where I was supposed to be.
I also got to see Brett Rotz one of the seminarians I’d known briefly at Carroll. I even got to throw a smashed croissant at him. I think my favorite reunion though was getting to see Chris and his sister. Maria’s whole face lit up and she was so happy she could barely speak it was kind of awesome in the best way. The bishop took a while to remember who I was but he got there. He also told Chris that he was getting ordained next week after a hair cut. Which I personally think Chris’s hair is fine but I’m not the Bishop.
Fr. Bart insisted that I sit by him and Maria and Chris were very put out until we had the bright idea that we could all sit together. It was a wonderful wonderful wonderful dinner. I’m actually not going to write too much about it because it felt a lot like a very special family dinner and that in my mind is a weird thing to write about.
It was a very good evening that Chris and I had a hard time escaping from. This is how we ended up getting to walk across 3 miles of Rome at 11 P.M. If you remember anything I wrote earlier though you’ll remember that this is the prettiest time to be out. St. Peters square at night is really gorgeous and it’s very funny to watch the Police chase everyone out at 11 P.M.
I think I broke Chris a little bit because he was limping but he didn’t take up my offer to amputate his leg. I have no idea why I could just use a plastic knife fished out of the garbage and be done lickety split. Chris dropped me off at my new location for the night a very sketchy hostel and said goodbye. I will definitely miss him he was a very wonderful person to spend time, very smart, enthusiastic, and enough of a goofball that I didn’t have to resort to making jokes to myself. But I was tired enough that I had no desire in a long goodbye and yet agin Chris had class in the morning. But yeah shout out to Chris for helping me be a little less lost and wander down the wrong streets less often.
The new location I was staying was a Hostel that smelled vaguely like sewage. Everything was in American and there were quiet a few people drinking and rolling joints. Exactly like a convent. After I checked in which took quiet a while because Italians cannot be rushed to finish chatting with friends which I kind of admire but less so when I’m tired.
I don’t have much else to say about Rome. That was kind of a speed run of it and I hope it wasn’t to dull to read. This morning I got up and walked to the train station. The only thing of note that happened is because I’m me I couldn’t figure out how to walk through a gate. (All I had to do was get a little closer to it.)
Words of advice on Rome don’t ever walk by the Colloseum unless you have to. It’s a little bit congested to put it mildly. Street Performers do play along this entire section which is kind of cool until you come by two hours later and they are singing the same song-but honestly kind of working smarter not harder. On to Tanzania and Volunteering. I’m hopeful that this will be more intentional interactions with others and learning about things in the blog but we will see its kind of an adventure.
Quote of the Post: “All we have to do to see the Pope closer is A. Have a baby B. Get Married or C. you become a Bishop which doesn’t do anything for me.”
Song of the Post: A Thousand Dreams -I’m pretty sure a Violinist plays it on repeat along the road to the Colloseum
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