The Triduum in Rome- a Wonderful Blessing!

Hey everyone! Jesus Christ is risen today! Alleluia! Happy Easter!

I have finished celebrating the most beautiful Triduum of my life in the heart of the church here in Rome. It was absolutely wonderful! Though words really can't express it, I'll do my best to help you get a glimpse of what I experienced here in the last week.


The girls at St. Peter's


We started off Holy week with Palm Sunday Mass with Pope Benedict XVI in St. Peter's square. There were lots of people, and we were somewhere in the middle of a big crowd- but it didn't matter to us- we were all still moved by the beautiful Mass and by seeing and hearing the pope (or ‘il papa’ as we like to call him) speak to us. For most everyone this was their first experience of Mass with the pope. This was my second experience- my first being almost 3 years ago now. I can't even compare the two experiences though- they were both just very wonderful! After a day like this, I knew that Holy week was off to a great start!

We finished up with class on Tuesday, with our two finals. After that, we were free to spend our time soaking in Holy Week in Rome. On Wednesday a few of us stopped by St. Peter's square to see il papa at a Wednesday audience. We didn't attend the audience, but at least got to see him from the outside of the square. :) Holy Thursday we decided to go to Mass at the American Parish here in Rome so we could hear Mass in English. While we were sitting at Mass, one of the hospitality men asked four of us to carry up the gifts- and I was one of them. So I carried the wine that would become the Blood of Christ to the altar- on the anniversary of the Last Supper itself! It was wonderful!

It is tradition in Rome on the night of Holy Thursday to visit 7 churches throughout the city and pray in each one. The churches are all kept open late for this very reason, and so we took advantage. It was the most beautiful experience to walk as a group to these churches- we actually went to 9 of them. We call it our little "church novena." It was a lot of people's highlight for the week- it was the most beautiful Holy Thursday I ever had!

Good Friday was wonderful as well. That morning we climbed up the very stairs that Jesus would have walked up to be condemned by Pontius Pilate. I already explained this holy staircase, "Scala Santa," in a previous blog, so I won't explain again. The experience was again very powerful- and even more so because it was on Good Friday. It was almost surreal. I went to the Good Friday service at the church of Santa Croce in Gerusaleme- this church is built on soil from Jerusalem and contains the relics of the true cross, parts of the crown of thorns, one of the nails from the crucifixion, and the plaque that hung above the head of Christ on the cross. So we venerated the true cross on Good Friday. That night we went to the Colosseum to pray the Stations of the Cross with the Pope Benedict- in the very place where many martyrs died for the faith. It was certainly the most powerful Good Friday that I've had thus far.



Waiting in line for the Vigil Mass

 Saturday was the Easter Vigil- the highlight of my entire semester. I went to St. Peter's square at noon, to wait for 9 hours for the vigil to start! Call us crazy- we know we are! ;) But it was totally worth it. We were one of the first people in line, and managed to keep that spot for 9 hours, though our feet were tired and we were hungry. While waiting, we made plans for when the gates opened. We paired up and decided that one partner would run, while the other would take both of the bags and go through security. I was a runner. :) Jay and I were at the way beginning of the line and ran in and locked down AWESOME seats- aisle seats in the center of the basilica.  



St. Peter's at the Vigil Mass



Words cannot describe the beauty of the Easter Vigil Mass at St. Peter's. The incense, the lights, the sacred beautiful music- it was all wonderful! I had chills in my back several times and I was on the verge of tears as well! When the pope papa walked down the center aisle at the beginning with his lit Easter candle, he stopped in the center of the aisle for a good minute or two- RIGHT in front of us! We were only 3 feet of so away from him for those two minutes, and I'll never forget it. I could see something in his face- something moving. it was as if he was preparing to go into this celebration with all that he had. H was determined and he was going to worship the Lord with all that he was in the next 3 or so hours. I could not believe how easy it was to see this on his face- it was beautiful. At the same time, he looked old and frail- I could see the sacrifice of his life that he was making for the church. There I was, so close to the Vicar of Christ on earth, and so blessed to be there.

Another one of my favorite parts of the Vigil was when the Gloria was sung and more of the lights in the Basilica turned on- my heart skipped a beat. The very church at the center of the Catholic faith was so ALIVE with the praises of the Lord. It was one of the most beautiful experiences of my life. Of course the major highlight was receiving the Body of Christ- the Risen Lord came into me that night just as He has so many times before. But it was extra special to me this night- Jesus was very real to us there!! What a gift!

How can I ever thank Him for this night- this Mass? I really can't thank Him enough- it's all indescribable. It's beyond anything I ever could have imagined. I have discovered the beauty and the importance of Easter and the Resurrection of Christ in a whole new way this year. I remember being so full of joy after the vigil that I just had to dance in the rain with a friend. How GREAT is our God for giving us the gift of His son, for giving us this joy!! My prayer for the rest of the Octave of Easter is that you all may experience this joy too- that God will shower you with His graces in the same way He showered me.



Stef and Shaina making cookies for Easter!



Easter Sunday we all hid 'secret' baskets for one another and went on a hunt for them here on campus. We all laughed a lot and enjoyed the day with each other. We cooked a big dinner in the afternoon all together- like a big happy family here in Rome. Our dinner that night was our last community night- it was bitter-sweet. I am so thankful for the wonderful people and times I've had here, but it's hard to leave it all. I'm excited to come home to you all though, which makes leaving sweet and exciting, too!

We are spending the last couple of days packing, organizing, and preparing to leave. We are seeing a few last things in the city, but mostly we are taking it easy. It's crazy to think I'll be on my way home in less than 48 hours!

Thank you all for keeping up with my blog- I hope you've enjoyed reading it as much as I've enjoyed writing it. I hope the underlying message that came across was the greatness of God- because that's what this entire semester was all about. God has blessed me in ways that I never could have thought of myself- He has given me more than I ever could have asked for. Praise Him!

I look forward to seeing you all when I get back to Bismarck- I'm very very excited to see you all again and to know what's been happening in your lives! See you soon!!

Quality Weekends in Rome



Views of Rome: St. Peter's Basilica



Hey Everyone! I hope April has gotten off to a good start with you all. Hopefully North Dakota is beginning to show some signs of spring? Rome is sure warming up and it seemed to almost happen overnight!

Jodi and her friend, Katie, came to visit for a week and we had lots of fun! I was able to show her around all of the famous sites in Rome. The first couple of days we spent time at the Colessuem, the ancient Roman Forum, the Trevi fountain, and the Spanish steps. We also got some quality shopping time in, which ended up being a lot of fun. I had a pretty rigorous schedule for them the first couple of days and I think they were pretty tired! Later on I was also able to show them the Vatican and Vatican Museums (including the beautiful Sistine chapel), St. Peter’s Basilica, St. John Lateran’s (Rome’s Cathedral), and the Borghese Art Gallery. We also enjoyed some wonderful restaurants and of course, gelato and Italian coffee! It was exciting to hit all of the big attractions again. I continue to be amazed at how blessed I am to be living so near so many wonderful things!

During their time here, Jodi and Katie were even able to experience a transportation strike, which messed with our plans a bit, but provided us with some unexpected adventure at the same time. They were also able to experience what it’s like to wait an hour for a bus, get lost walking around because of my poor navigational skills, and get lost on a bus because of a new bus driver! On their last night we went out a Cecilia Metella- a wonderful restaurant on the ancient Appian Way. After a wonderful bowl of pasta, they headed back to American the next day with satisfied stomachs and many stories to tell.



Views of Rome: The Castle of Sant'Angelo



This last weekend I stayed in Rome and enjoyed visiting some places that I haven’t had a chance to before. I was able to climb the Scala Santa on Friday. The Scala Santa, or “holy stairs” are stairs brought to Rome from Jerusalem and are supposed to have been the stairs of Pontius Pilate’s Palace- the stairs that Jesus would have walked up to be condemned. Pilgrims climb up these 28 steps on their knees, praying on each one. It was such a gift to be able to do this on a Friday during lent. To think that Jesus himself would have also walked up these stairs one Friday so long ago was incredible. I was also able to see some of the relics of the passion of Christ: a nail, two of the thorns from the crown of thorns, a piece of wood from the true cross, and the sign that hung above Jesus’ head saying that He was ‘King of the Jews.’ So many beautiful and powerful relics- it’s so wonderful that we are able to see these things that were so close to Christ Himself!

We are currently in our final week of regular classes, and so the homework the last couple of days has been a little intensified. We’ve been having class outside because of the wonderful weather and that’s been a treat. We are also having our own version of homecoming week, called “Rome Campus Student Appreciation Week.” We’ve been having fun dressing up and showing our ‘school spirit’ for the Rome campus!

 Dr. Hall made it back from Assisi and seems to be doing just fine. He and his wife, Lenny, actually headed back to the states a week ago after we finished up classes with him. Thanks for your prayers for him!



Views of Rome: Inside the Colossuem



Our time here is Rome seems to be quickly coming to an end- only two weeks left! We are trying to soak in all that we can in these last few days. I’ll keep you posted on how everything continues to go. You are all in my prayers!

More of God's Blessings: Pope John Paul II, Wonderful Benedictine Monks, and a Marathon!

Hello Everyone! I hope all is well. Things are continuing to get more busy and crazy around here, so I apologize for the slower updates. Let me start where I left off…in Poland!



Pope John Paul II's room as a Parish Priest



Poland proved to be probably my favorite trip of all so far. There is so much that this country has to offer, and it is so beautiful! We stayed in the city of Krakow, where Pope John Paul II used to be archbishop for some time. We were able to see many sites relating to him. There was a small museum there which included many of his possessions and gifts that he received during his papacy. The apartment in which he stayed while he was a simple parish priest was also part of the museum, which was really incredible. We saw from the outside the building of his residence while he was archbishop. Just across from this was a church that he often prayed in. It was beautiful to pray in the same place he did …to pray to him and ask his intersession in the same place that he once asked for the intercession of others!

We also saw the great cathedral on top of the hill just outside the city center. This was a VERY beautiful cathedral that I was simply enchanted with. The style and art was so much different than the things I have been seeing in Rome and France, and it really had its own unique beauty and charm. Aside from being enthralled with the art, it was almost surreal to be walking in the same cathedral that Pope John Paul II was so involved with….was the archbishop in! Krakow has a rich history with its many kings, and there was a wonderful castle on the same hill, right next to the cathedral. As a result, there were many royal tombs in the crypt of the cathedral which we able to see as well.

My favorite church in all of Krakow and certainly one of my favorite churches in Europe as a whole was the Church of St. Mary in the city square of Krakow. This beautiful church was a place that John Paul II used to celebrate Mass often.  I got up a little earlier than everyone else one morning and walked to the square, soaking in the fresh morning air, to spend some time alone with John Paul II in this beautiful church. It has been wonderful to get to know him in a whole different way throughout my time in Poland and I know that my relationship with this future saint will continue to grow after being so near to him!

We were able to experience Auschwitz one day as well.  It was a colder and cloudy day, which seemed really fitting for the tour. The whole place seemed cold and heartless…you just knew that many lived were taken here. It was really surreal to be in the place that I have heard talked about so much. The tour was very informative and it showed us many different aspects of life in the camps. There were many different exhibits in the different block houses, some of which contained the possessions of the people who once lived there. It was an experience I will never forget, I’m sure.

The last thing we saw in Poland was the Shrine of Divine Mercy. It was amazing to be in the very church where Jesus appeared to St. Faustina so many years ago, and to see the original image of Divine Mercy that St. Faustina described. After seeing Auschwitz, I couldn’t think of a better place to go than to this shrine…it was such a place of great hope and mercy! “Jesus, I trust in You!”

So all-in-all, Poland was a wonderful trip. I could sense the faithfulness of the people in the city….there were so many people-young people- at daily Mass. This is another reason why I think I found Poland so attractive.  It was exciting to see a faith so alive and thriving!



Some of us girls with Lenny, our 'grandma' here on campus



Last weekend we took a class excursion to some different cities around Italy. We were able to see Norcia (the place where St. Benedict was born), Monte Cassino (the place where he built his great monastery and is now buried), and Assisi (home to the great saint Francis). All of these places were beautiful and very enjoyable. In Norcia we were able to have Mass with the community of Benedictine monks there, and it was one of the most beautiful Masses that I’ve been to in my life! The chant, the incense, the Latin, the reverence, the monk habits, and the intense focus on the Eucharist made the whole thing glorious. I’m reading a book about the Mass that describes it as heaven on earth, and when we were celebrating Mass with these holy monks it was easy to recognize that you were seeing a part of heaven!

Assisi was of course wonderful. Assisi is famous for being a quaint and peaceful little medieval city where Saint Francis is from. It’s certainly one of the precious gems of Italy. We were able to see the place where Sts. Francis and Clair were buried, as well as some other important Franciscan sites. My favorite part was probably a hike in the beautiful morning air up to the hermitage that Francis built.



Enthusiastic and Crazy Fans!



In between the trips, my time in Rome is always eventful as well. Among the many things, there was a runner’s marathon here in Rome and one of my wonderful friends, Jen, ran it along with the director, Katie, and her assistant, Jeremy. So the rest of us got all dressed up and cheered like crazy for them all….I think we were by far the loudest fans there!! It was a sport in itself to try to figure out how to meet them along the run as many times as we could. We studied our metro map and ran all over Rome to cheer them on. We had a blast as a group, and it’s all we talked about for a good week here at the house! So congrats to Jen for running a marathon in Rome…one of her life goals!

My dear sister, Jodi, is coming to Rome tomorrow! I’m excited to show her some of the great sites around the Eternal City and share some of the beauty and loveliness that I’ve experienced here with her. I’m excited for some more quality time with the city and I’m also excited for a break from airports and train stations! ;)

I do have one prayer intention to leave you all with: our main professor here, Dr. Hall, suffered a mini stroke last Sunday in Assisi. He is doing very well now and they don’t think he has any permanent damage or anything, but they are still doing some tests and he’s still in the hospital in a town near Assisi. So if you could all pray for a speedy recovery and return for him, that would be greatly appreciated!

You are all in my prayers, as well! Have a great day!

All of us at Monte Cassino

Adventures in France and Austria






Enjoying France!



Hello everyone! Well it’s been a crazy last few weeks for me, with lots of traveling! It’s been wonderful and I have enjoyed every minute of it. I’m excited to share some of the highlights with you!



Our class trip to France was wonderful! It started off with a day trip to Chartres to see the famous cathedral there. We spent that day just looking at the cathedral and enjoying the town at our own relaxing pace.
We spent the majority of our time in Paris. So of course, we were able to see the Eiffel Tower and enjoy the view of Paris right away. It’s one of the most famous paid attractions in the world and it was kind of surreal to actually be there at first! The overall feel of Paris to me seemed to be “classy”! Unlike the orange and brown colors of the buildings of Rome, the colors of Paris are white and yellow. There were many more skyscrapers and large buildings than there are in Rome, which made it feel more like a big American city. Transportation is much more efficient and faster in Paris also, which made getting around a bit easier than it is in Rome!
While we were in Paris we were being guided around the city by our art teacher, Pascaline. So most of the sites we saw were with her. We saw many important and historic districts and buildings. We of course we were able to spend time at and attend Mass at Notre Dame. I really liked Notre Dame- it was much different than I expected walking up to it, but not less beautiful! Notre Dame was much smaller than the cathedral that we had seen earlier at Chartres, but once I got inside, I realized how huge it really was! Being there really made me feel like I was back in the middle ages.
We also saw the famous Sacred Heart Church and spent lots of time at the Louvre and other museums. The Louvre was probably one of my favorite things in Paris. It’s one of the most famous, if not the most famous, museum in the world and holds many famous art pieces, including the Mona Lisa. For an assignment I was required to give a presentation in the Louvre in front of a famous painting, The Dead Christ in his Shroud.  To be able to present in front of the original work in such a famous and prestigious museum was an awesome experience and it was definitely one of the more exciting assignments that I’ve had in college so far!



The Tomb of St. Therese in Lisieux



We had one free day while we were in Paris, and I spent it going to Lisieux to see the place where St. Therese grew up and lived all of her life. St. Therese is one of my favorite saints, and so it was very special to me to be able to see the places where she lived! We saw the house in which she grew up, the parish church which she attended and spent hours in prayer in, and the convent in which she lived and died. We prayed in front of her tomb and walked the same streets she did in the city. It was such a gift to be able to be there!

The last three days of our France trip were spent in Lourdes. Lourdes is the place in which the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to St. Bernadette in the 1800s. Our time here was more relaxed, to help us recover from all of our travels. We were able to see the place where St. Bernadette lived, the chapel where she received her First Holy Communion, and the church where she was baptized. We were of course able to spend most of our time at the grotto where Mary appeared to St. Bernadette. Our Lady asked St. Bernadette to dig in the mud during one of her apparitions, and a miraculous spring came forth! To this day, there is a spring there and pilgrims can wash and bathe in the water. There have been many miraculous cures attributed to the water: the lame have walked, the blind have seen, etc. It is a very powerful place to be in. Not only did I wash my hand and face by the little fountains throughout the grotto, but I was actually able to bathe in the waters. There are certain rooms set up for pilgrims to come and bathe, and it was a very powerful experience for me to be able to do it. Even looking at the other women in the room preparing to bath and seeing the great faith that they had was moving and very powerful!

Well we finally made it back to Rome, and spent a short week here with only two days of classes, before we were off again to Austria for the weekend. There were three of us that went to Austria, and we stayed in Vienna. In Vienna we were able to see two of the places where Beethoven lived and where he would have written some of his music. We were able to hear a Mozart concert in one of the halls that Mozart performed in himself! I enjoyed this so much…it was an experience I never thought I’d have. I already loved Mozart and Beethoven, but seeing the sites makes me have an even greater appreciation for their music!

While we were in Austria we also saw an old palace, the opera house, and two beautiful churches. We spent one day out of Vienna…we took a train to the foothills of the Alps and went hiking in them! The views were absolutely amazing! We even stumbled upon a waterfall and drank fresh mountain water from the stream. The weather was perfect for our hike and we felt so alive and near to our Creator!

I’m back in Rome now…we made it back for community night on Sunday, and we’ve been catching up on homework and things since then. A big bunch of us are off to Poland on Thursday for another weekend trip, so we are in the midst of planning our adventures there, too!

I hope everything is going well back at home. I hope you are all having a blessed Lenten season full of many graces! I’ll pray for you during the holy season while I’m here, in the heart of the Church- in Rome!



A few of us with our Art History teacher from Paris, Pascaline.



A couple of reflections:

Hey everyone! I'm off to Frace for a couple of weeks tomorrow, but I wanted to leave you with a couple of reflections that I wrote up for class on my expereinces here in Rome. I hope you can enjoy them, and I'll write you all when I'm back in Italy again. Ciao!

February 5, 2011

            One of the most beautiful and powerful experiences that I’ve had thus far in Rome is walking through the ancient Christian catacombs. Though I was unsure of exactly what to expect when I arose that morning, I knew that I was about to be in a place that was part of the very foundations of the Christian Church.
            In order to get to our destination, we were able to travel along the Appian Way. The Appian Way, or Via Appia Antica, is the ancient highway of the old Roman Empire. Sts. Peter and Paul, as well as hundreds of other martyrs and saints, would have walked along this road themselves, their light sandals brushing over the dark cobblestones. To be able to travel along this sacred road, following the steps of the great servants of God, was a wonderfully moving experience and a great preparation for what we were about to see at the catacombs.
            Our first steps inside the catacombs opened our eyes to a whole new world. The underground tunnels were dark, damp, and cold. The passage way was narrow with slots lining either side where graves used to be. The size of the catacombs and the number of graves was almost shocking! Our tour guide explained the different symbols that were engraved into the walls and stones to remind the Christians of the ultimate purpose of their lives.
            The thing that struck me the most during my time in the catacombs was the depth of the faith of the early Christians and the power of that faith to still speak to my heart, thousands of years later. These early followers of Christ were willing to take great risks and go to great extremes in order to celebrate their faith. They lived secret lives, building underground tunnels in order to bury their dead and practice their faith. Yet the dim lights and gloomy atmosphere seemed to be considered as nothing to the Christians who looked to the light of Christ with childlike trust. What an incredible experience for me to be in such a holy place and to be inspired to trust in the Lord in the same faithful way as these Christians did! I think that it would be hard to find a place where I would feel more moved to expand my heart for the Lord.
            For me, the catacombs have proved to be a wealth of graces and a great witness of what it means to have a vibrant and living faith.

February 23, 2011

            Through my travel to one of the sights at the heart of the Benedictine order, Subiaco, and my study of Benedict’s Rule, my heart has been opened and enlightened in a new way to the beauty of monasticism.
            At Subiaco we were able to have a special encounter with Benedict himself when we sat in the very cave he lived in for three years. Though the day started with an early morning and included a hike up the side of a mountain, I felt very awake and alive when we reached the monastery. St. Benedict must truly be present in a particular way to those hearts who beg for his intercession in this holy place. As I sat in this special place, I was able to soak in the words of the Benedictine rule, which was being read aloud.
            My eyes were opened to the roots and foundations of monasticism and I came to realize the higher purpose toward which it was directed, which is so much a part of my life also. I learned that monasticism is ordered in a way to lead us to heaven, where we enjoy great unity with God. I realize that that my life should also be led in such a way as to aim toward my final home in heaven. Discipline and order in my life is for a higher purpose. One word of Benedict’s rule that still rests in my heart and probably always will is the word ‘listen.’ It seemed to be a bit easier to listen to the voice of God in the quiet sacred space of the cave. I know though, that the challenge for us students is to learn to listen to the soft voice even amidst our daily lives. Our time in Rome, visiting the holy sites and learning about our faith and our selves, is teaching us to do just that.
            “Listen carefully, my son, to the master’s instructions, and attend to them with the ear of your heart.” What a beautiful challenge that Benedict gives to the heart of each of us studying in Italy this semester.

More Wonderful Stories from the Eternal City!

Hello Everyone! I hope the month of February has been treating you all well...it's hard to believe it's already more than half over. Time seems to be flying by over here!

Last weekend was a wonderful and more relaxing weekend that we spent staying in Rome. On Friday, we visited a church called St. Crisagono, which houses the body of an incorrupt saint, St. Anna Marie Tagi. She was a wife, mother, and mystic. Her body is in nearly perfect condition and it seems as if she is only sleeping! We were also able to visit the Church of St. Cecelia, built over the house where the saint herself lived hundreds of years ago.

Saturday we got up early and were able to have Mass in the crypt of St. Peter's basilica, just feet away from the bones of St. Peter! The beauty of morning Mass at St. Peter's is something that I will never forget! After Mass we were able to visit the grave of Pope John Paul II, who is soon to be beatified. What a gift to be able to pray in front of the grave of so recent a saint! To top off our wonderful St. Peter's day, we were able to go up the many flights of steps to the top of the dome at step outside...what a view! It's incredible to realize how big St. Peter's actually is and how small Rome seems from the top! It's beautiful to see the arms of the square, ready to embrace the world, from the top as well.

We were able to go to St. Peter's again on Sunday, and pray the Angelus with the pope on his usual Sunday morning appearances. We were also able to do some shopping at the weekly Sunday market. There are many little booths set up at the market, with people selling everything from boots and scarves, to kitchen supplies and purses. I have never seen vendors so eager to sell their products! You can hear them from across the area loudly yelling about the good prices that they are offering, and yet still being willing to barter with you and give you the product for a much lower price. I had fun observing and doing a little bartering myself! We had our usual Sunday night community night with Mass and dinner and our usual guests. A few of us girls baked and frosted sugar cookies for our dessert that night, which I think were thoroughly enjoyed by all!

We decided to celebrate Valentine's Day by going to the Trevi fountain, which is well known for being one of the most romantic spots in Rome. A couple of the girls even gave in to the rose-sellers who are always around the Trevi and bought a couple of roses, one of which I was the lucky recipient! The next day a few of us were sent out on a mission to get the tickets for the papal audience the next day. We were successful! I wrote up a special report for class about the papal audience on Wednesday that I thought I'd share with you all! Here it is:



Pope Benedict XVI!



It seems to be something like a dream for a Catholic soul to experience the powerful blessing of the pope, the glory of St. Peter’s Basilica, and the simple beauty of rain falling from heaven onto an upturned face all in one day and in the heart of the church! This dream has become a reality for me, through the grace of God brining me to study in Rome this semester.
            We all gladly got up early in hopes of getting in line early enough to get good seats to be close to ‘Il Papa’…our Holy Father! After fighting off the pressing crowds and running past the Swiss guards, we secured some great aisle seats near the front. After waiting a couple of hours, we cheered like crazy when Benedict XVI finally came out! It is an incredible thing to be so near the Vicar of Christ, the visible presence of Christ here on earth. A gift of this sort is very precious to the growing Catholic heart. We were even lucky enough to get our names read when the English speaking groups were introduced. To hear “The Students from the University of Mary from Bismarck, North Dakota” being announced in front of the pope himself was really thrilling! We were sure to cheer as loudly as we could so that we could enjoy a wave from him and we were met with success! The wonderful audience was completed with a final blessing from Benedict, which I was sure to let settle deep into my soul for the next few moments.
            Just when we thought our morning was complete, we stepped out into St. Peter’s square to find it pouring rain! A couple of us umbrella-less students, filled with the excitement and joy from the morning, ran out into the middle of the square to dance in the rain! To feel the drops of rain on my face reminded me of being caressed by the warmth of God and His grace. Receiving this wonderful gift from God while standing in the heart of the church was something I’ll never forget!  

After such an incredible expereince, our day was made!

The last couple of days we've spent letting ourselves visit some of the wonderful sites over again. We re-visited the Colosseum, the forum, and spent some time in Piazza Navona, my favorite piazza in Rome by far! We were also able to visit the Church of St. John Lateran today, and spend some time praying there. This church is the very heart of the Catholic faith...it's the Cathedral of Rome! The church contains the relic of the table on which Jesus would have celebrated the Last supper! It was wonderful to pray in front of this table, on which the first Mass was celebrated, for the priests of today, who are still offering Masses 2000 years later. The chair that the pope sits on when he makes an infallible statement (statement which the Catholic church proclaims is certainly true) is at the very front of the church. During such a statement he is said to speak "ex cathedra," meaning "from the chair." It's powerful to be in the place where so much of church history took place. The church is also lined with beautiful statues of the apostles...probably some of the most majestic and beautiful statues I've seen!

Thank you all for continuing to keep up with my adventures! It's exciting for me to share them with you all. Have a wonderful day!

Some of the girls, all dressed up for community night!

More Rome stories and a weekend in Germany!

Rome at night, with a view of the Tiber river and the Castle of Sant'Angelo

Hey everyone! I hope everything is going well back home. I know you have all been dealing with lots of snow, so I've been thinking about you and praying you all make it through. You should see the way Italians bundle up in big coats, scarves, hats, and glove for 50 and 60 degree weather! It makes me laugh because I think about you and how they would never make it back in good old ND. So congratulations on being troopers. :)

I've had a full and fun couple of weeks! We've finally gotten into the routine of classes an homework, so that's been keeping us pretty busy. For class we made a couple of excursions in the last couple of weeks to some different sites in Rome. We were able to see the "Ara Pacis," the altar of peace that was built during the reign of Augustus. It's a huge altar with detailed reliefs and images. We were also able to tour Santa Maria in Trestevere, the oldest church dedicated to Our Lady! There are many stories and legends regarding the church and the area over which it is built, which gives the church even more significance. Not far from Santa Maria we visited the chapel in which is the room where St. Benedict stayed while he was a student in Rome. You would never believe how small the room was...it was smaller than a twin sized bed with walls and floors of stone! It's amazing to think that St. Benedict lived there such a long time ago!

A bunch of us visited Orvieto last weekend, which is probably one of my favorite little towns so far. It's a medieval town build high on a mountain. You can still walk on the old city walls and climb down the famous well that was build so long ago. The well is famous for its size and winding sets of stairs leading to the bottom. The view from the city of Orveito is amazing...it's surrounded by fields and mountains in the distance. The city of Orvieto is also famous for a famous Cathedral, in which is kept proof of a Eucharistic miracle. The miracle took place when a doubting priest was celebrating Mass and the host started bleeding during the consecration. The blood dripped onto the corporal beneath it and to this day the corporal with the visible blood stains remains behind glass in the Cathedral in Orvieto. It's an amazing experience to be able to pray in front of such a miracle. Aside from the miracle, the cathedral is just simply beautiful, and probably one of my very favorite churches yet!!

Last weekend, three other girls and I made a trip to Germany for the weekend, and we all had a blast! We were able to spend a good amount of time in Frankfurt, and also in Marburg, a smaller and older German town. The first thing we did when we got the Germany, I must confess, is go to Starbucks! Italy does not have Starbucks, or any flavored coffee at all, so I've been missing my usual flavored lattes and such. A Starbucks stop just seemed essential. :)

In Frankfurt we saw a beautiful Cathedral and a Communications museum. We also saw some beautiful gardens that Frankfurt prizes. At the gardens were several building set up with different climate rooms in each building. It was fun to walk through the different climates and see the different plants and things that lived in each one. My favorite would probably have to be the rainforest room. We spent some time shopping in some places in Frankfurt as well. We climbed a tower-like building and were able to get an amzing view of Frankfurt at night. (on the left)

The second half of the trip was spent in Marburg. We got to go inside an old castle there! The castle is a museum now and had many different articles of clothing and furniture from that era. It was also on a big hill, so it offered to us a beautiful view of the city and countryside. We saw the cathedral at Marburg as well, which is actually the first gothic cathedral in Germany! It is named after a certain St. Elizabeth who used to be buried there, and so I definitely thought of my dear mom, Elizabeth, when I was there. :) It was nice to spend time just walking the streets of the city, because Marburg is one of the few little cities that wasn't completely destroyed during World War II. There were many old building and houses from before the war.
I learned a few German phrases while I was there, and it really made me think of home. After all, Germany is a big part of who I am! There was even a little slush on the ground, which made me think of your snow back home. :) One thing that really surprised me was the difference of the Italian culture from the German culture. After living a few weeks in the chaos of the Italians, I began to think that all of Europe was this way. But Germany was much more ordered, clean, and polite overall. It certianly resembled America more than Italy does. I am now beginning to understand that Italy is really in a league of it's own!

So my first trip out of the country of Italy has been a great success and pleasure. We made it back for our regular community night on Sunday. We were able to watch the super bowl live with you all that night, though it only started at about midnight our time! Many of us ended up going to bed around half-time, but we tried for a while at least! :)
We have been able to finally meet some other students from the USA studying here in Rome at different colleges. We actually are just a few minutes from another Catholic American college, and we have been able to spend a little bit of time with the students there. We were also treated to lunch one day at the North American College by the seminarians studying there from North Dakota.

Today we made a trip to Subiaco and spend the day there. Subiaco is the place where St. Benedict fled the world and lived in a cave for three years and eventually started his first monastery. We just finished reading the life of St. Benedict for class, so it was powerful to be able to see the place where it all started. It was definitely a hike up a mountain, but all worth in the end. The weather was so beautiful up there, and I was able to lie in the sun in my t-shirt and relax and read and pray for a couple of hours. I might have even gotten a little sunburn on my face! :) What a beautiful and fulfilling day!

Well I hope these few little updates can entertain you all a little. I think of you all often, and you are in my prayers!

The four of us in Germany!

A weekend in Florence!

Hello everyone! I hope all is going well back home. I'm excited to tell you a little bit about my past weekend in Florence. I was able to spend all day on Friday and Saturday there, as well as part of Sunday. I had a blast! Here are some highlights:

On Friday, we started out by doing some shopping (I bought a great scarf!) and getting familiar with the city. Our first major site was the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore. This Cathedral has a great dome that Florence is famous for. Michelangelo actually imitated this dome when he was designing the dome for St. Peter's basilica. He is known to have said "I will make it bigger, but not more beautiful." The inside of the dome in Florence is covered with beautiful images. We spent a lot of time looking up at it...until our necks were too tired! (I posted a picture of the dome above) That afternoon we were on a mission to find a Carmelite Convent where the incorrupt body of St. Teresa Margaret is kept. St. Teresa Margaret was a Carmelite nun who lived in the 18th century. She had a great devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and she is a good friend of mine. :) Her body has been miraculously preserved and has not decayed over the hundreds of years since her death. So anyway, we were on a mission to find the convent, and though it took us a while, we succeded! I ended up looking at a map for a half hour with three middle-aged italian men, going into an italian high school to ask for directions and to use the bathroom (the poor guy at the desk was really confused and gave me a shocked look), and following another man right up to the door! After all of the adventures we finally made it and were able to spend some time with St. Teresa! (you can see her picture below)

Saturday was a good day as well...we were able to go to Mass in English at the Cathedral! It was great to have Mass in English and to be there in such a beautiful Church! We also toured another famous church: Santa Maria Novella.  For some reason Florence was just really cold that weekend, so we spent a couple of hours inside a cafe drinking hot chocolate (Italian hot chocolate is VERY different from American hot chocolate by the way...its super rich...kind of like a hershey's bar melted in a cup. :) For dinner that night we picked up some groceries and cooked our own mac and cheese at our hostel. We felt like queens eating our mac and cheese, chocolate chip buns, and boxed wine. :) It was an expereince!

Sunday we saw some more of the city and climbed a HUGE bell tower where we could see all of Florence! It was beautiful (even if we had to climb 500 steps to get there). We made it back to campus for Mass and community night, which was a blast! Everyone is really beginning to bond here, and its exciting!

The week thus far has been a little rough...6 people came down with some type of flu last night and today, so we didn't have class at all. Those of us that felt fine found a lovely park not too far from here and played some ultimate frisbee with one of the deacons that hang out with us often. It was fun...yet a little odd to see such a beautiful and huge park in the middle of Rome!

Well that's all I have for now. Be sure to give me updates from back home and let me know what's been going on!

More Churches, Old Friends, and Tiramisu!

Saturday was our last day with Pasquelline. We were able to visit a couple of more churches before she left to head back to Paris. One church that we saw was called Our Lady of Victory. This church holds one of the most beautiful sculptures by Bernini of the Ecstasy of St. Theresa of Avila. We were able to study this statue there, as well as the interior of the church. The next church that we saw was the Church of St. Andrew. It had a large beautiful crucifix toward the front of the church, and it was painted white, which was unlike most the churches we have seen. The shape of the church was that of an oval, so it was very different, yet still kept the main elements of basilica structure. The last Church we saw was the Church of St. Charles of the four Fountains. This was a smaller church that seems kind of hidden because it is surrounded by large buildings. Inside it was very white and simple, differing very much from what we have seen so far. However, it was still interesting to study, and was good way to wrap up our study of the baroque architecture. Last we visited one last Palace to get a final idea of what the wealthy and honored people would have lived in at the time. In short, their lives would have been VERY comfortable and VERY luxurious.

That evening, we met up with a priest from the Bismarck diocese (Fr. Schneider) who is currently studying here in Rome. He took us out to a great pizza place in Trastevere and we were able to catch up with him a little. He is actually on his way back to ND this week for a month to help out with some liturgy stuff, so you might see him around!

Sunday was a day off, and I spent I with a friend (Sr. Julie), who is originally from Bismarck, but has lived in Rome for the last few years. She actually recently moved to Turkey, but was back in Rome for a while, so we were able to catch up. We attended the Angelus with Benedict XVI in St. Peter’s square and I was able to get another blessing and speech from him. J We spend the afternoon looking at some different churches and walking through a park. We saw a beautiful monastery that seemed very old…it was almost like I was living in the Middle Ages as I was looking at the cold damp walls and listening to the monks chant the Divine Office. It was beautiful, and I don’t think I’ll forget it! In the evening, we had community night again, so we had Mass and a loud and happy dinner with the community and some friends. We met our chaplain that evening too, who is a very talkative Australian priest! I think he’ll be a lot of fun…only it was sometimes tough to get him to stop talking to we could eat!

Monday and Tuesday were our first normal days of classes…so only 3 hours of class! I think I’m going to like all of the classes and I don’t think they are going to be too hard. I’m definitely going to learn a lot from Kathleen’s class about monasticism and the Benedictine order, so I’m excited for that. Yesterday we also explored the campus grounds some more and discovered that we really live right next to a farm that reminds me of typical Italian countryside that you’d see in a picture. Tonight we tried making tiramisu on our own for the first time, so we will see how it turns out. We are waiting for it to finish setting as I’m typing.  I’ll let you know how it turns out!

I hope all is well back home. I look forward to hearing updates from all of you…I feel a bit disconnected from the US at times when I’m here, so please keep me posted! Have a great day!

Another (rather long) update...

I hope everything is goign well back in ND as well. I miss you all!

Hey everyone! Here is a quick review of the last few days:

Wednesday we toured the Fernesi Villa. This palace was adorned an all walls and ceilings with beautiful frescos and architecture. Even the bedroom was filled from the floor to the ceiling with paintings. It reminded me of something out of Pride and Prejudice or something, even though that wasn’t in Rome. It definitely was meant for wealthy and important people!

We saw the Spanish Steps also. The square there is always busy with lots of people, so it’s a bit chaotic, but fun. We didn’t spend too much time there, but I’m sure we will be back. I hear that the Church at the top of the steps has the most beautiful Vespers in the evening (Vespers is the evening prayer of the Divine Office).

Last, we toured the Church of St. Mary over Minerva. (Santa Maria sopra Minerva). Again, this was another beautiful church with lots of symbolism. It is the only completely Gothic church in Rome. St. Catherine of Sienna is buried there, right under the altar. As she is one of my favorite saints, it was exciting to be able to see this church right away.

Thursday we studied a bit in Piazza Navona, a very famous Piazza in Rome. It wasn’t quite as busy as usual, though there was still some vendors and musicians and a small corwd. There is a large fountain in the middle that was sculpted by Bernini which represents the four major rivers of the time. It was beautiful and we took a good amount of time to study it.

We visited the Church of the Gesu next. This church is really called the Church of the Most Holy Name of Jesus, but just Gesu for short. This is one of the most famous churches in Rome. It is a Jesuit church, and the Jesuits still take care of it. The founder of the Jesuit order, St. Ignatius of Antioch is buried there. This church is probably one of my favorites, with the beautiful marble and baroque architecture. There are also many times for confession there in different languages. I would really like to make it there for confession and hopefully Mass a few times.

The next church we saw was the church of St. Ignatius. This was another beautiful church, with similar architecture. This church contains an enormous fresco on the ceiling of St. Ignatius being welcomed into heaven. There are a couple of popular saints buried here also, including St. Francis Xavier. Last we saw the Trevi fountain. This was very busy, as we got there as is was getting dark. It was good to see again and learn a little more about the architecture. We got some good pictures and stayed for a bit.

Yesterday was my favorite day so far...so I want to give you a good explanation of it!

We started it off by going to one of the most famous museums in the world…the Borghese Museum here in Rome. This museum has a great history and was certainly my favorite museum so far. Some of my favorite sculptures:

The Rape of Persephone, David, and Apollo and Daphne.  If you google them you can get good pictures of them and understand why they are so famous! They are very realistic and beautiful. To imagine that the sculptures started out as just a large block of marble is amazing. Michelangelo used to say that the image was in the sculpture, and he was just searching for it as he did the sculpting. He used to get upset because he wanted the figures to come to life! But as I stood underneath them, I was almost expecting them to come to life as well!

After this, we made our way to the Sistine Chapel. Somehow, someway, father Shea arranged a PRIVATE tour of the Sistine Chapel for our group. If you’ve ever been there, you know that it’s always completely packed and it’s hard to move around at all. The whole experience becomes something not as sacred when it’s so loud and there is so much commotion. So to get a private tour is something very special and very rare. However, we almost missed it! After the Borghese, we ended up waiting a long time for the bus and got behind schedule as we were trying to make our way across the city of Rome. After we got off the metro we literally sprinted for a couple of blocks and up at least a hundred stairs to get to our appointment only two minutes before they would have closed the doors on us! But we did make it…somehow. I guess we all knew what was a stake.

Once we were in we saw the beautiful Raphael rooms..I’ve always loved the images of The School of Athens and The Exultation of the Eucharist. Like I said, the whole experience was very sacred and beautiful being there so alone. After these rooms, we entered the Sistine chapel.  It was a completely different experience than what I had before because we were alone. We had a few minutes of silence before Pasquelline started to tell us about the works. During this silence you could really hear a pin drop. To be where thousands of cardinals had been, and many popes have been elected, and even many saints had walked was amazing. All the while the world is finding out that John Paul II, who was elected pope in that very room, is going to be beatified this year. Who knows why I was blessed with such an experience, but I’m so grateful!

After the chapel we headed to dinner with some campus friends, including a seminarian that I knew from Bismarck! It was a very loud, very huge, very delicious, very Italian dinner at a nearby restaurant. It was a perfect ending to a great day!

Another update!

Hey everyone!

I finally got around to posting another update. It's been tough to find the time...these first couple of weeks are pratty intense and don't follow our normal schedule. Instead of our regular schedule that we will have with just 3 hours of class, for now we are pretty much in class from after breakfast until supper. Crazy! But here you go:

First of all, I realized I've been forgetting to mention the deacons that we met here! On the second day we were here, a couple of American deacons (who will be ordained priests this summer) came to campus and gave us an italian lesson. They are going to be at our campus at least twice a week to help out and just hang out. They are both a lot of fun! They remind me of some of the young priests from back in Bismarck, which is a nice reminder of home. I just thought I better mention them, because we've already spent a few days with them, and they remind me of all of you back home!

On Saturday we started with the Roman Forum. This was the center of religious and political life in ancient Rome. We really got to understand what the forum really meant back then, and with a good imagination, it almost seemed like you were in the middle of a magnificent part of history with large basilicas, temples, and pillars all around! Pasqueline did a wonderful job explaining the architecture also. I have never appreciated the forum more, even though I’ve learned about it and seen it all before! After the forum, we made our way up Palatine hill (another great hill in Rome, next to Capitaline hill). There we saw the house of Augustus, a great emperor.  His house was not as big as I was expecting, which was interesting. Some of the original painting on the wall was still there, which is rare, so it was great to see. The palatine hill had some beautiful trees full of oranges and such in some gardens. We didn’t have time to go inside, but it was beautiful to see from the outside. We met at Constantine’s Arch and Pasqueline was able to explain in great detail the different parts of the structure.So Majestic! Next, we walked to some of the Roman Baths…the “Thermae di Caracalla.” I could not believe how huge they were! The baths were public places where the Romans would come to clean themselves and then enjoy a bath in a swimming pool. They entered through a room and first undressed, entered another room to exercise, and then entered a series of hot and cold rooms for a time before the slaves would clean their skin. After they were clean, the Romans would head to the pool and relax, mingle, and swim. There were large gardens outside of the baths where people could come to visit also. I was most surprised by the size…you could fit all of Kirkwood mall in the baths! And back then it would have been covered in marble with large arches everywhere, and it MUST have been a sight. We went to the Pantheon last, which was awesome. There is no dome like that in the world. It used to be a temple dedicated to all gods ( a pagan temple) but was given to the pope in the 6^th century, who dedicated it to all early Christian martyrs. There were many alters and marble all around…it was beautiful!

Sunday we had a free day, so a few of us went to St. Peter’s square in the morning. We were able to see the pope!! It was very exciting. Every Sunday he greets the crowd in the square and prays the Angelus with them at noon. So we got so see him greet us (he even spoke a little bit in English) and pray with us. When he was speaking English, he told us to “open wide the doors of your heart to Christ.” It was beautiful. Then he gave us his papal blessing! After the meeting with the pope, we got some coffee and lunch, and then went back to the square and enjoyed the afternoon. We just sat by the pillars in the arms of the square of St. Peter’s.  There was a light breeze, warm rays from the sun (we even were able to take our coats off for a bit!), and I was reading a book on the Church Fathers.  I have always wanted to spend a leisurely afternoon like this in the square, and now that I have it was even better than I thought. And I will be able to do it many more times, I’m sure. That night we had our first community night, which includes Mass, a social, some games, and a big meal with all of the students and some guests. We will have them every Sunday night from now on.

Monday we were back to touring all day again. The first church we saw was the church of St. Clement. This was an interesting church because it consists of a medieval  church which is build on top of an older church, which is build on top of an ancient home. We were able to visit all three levels. We spend a lot of time focusing on the mosaics on the top level, which was wonderful. We learned all about the symbolism of mosaics. You can find some great pictures of this church online. Next, we visited another church that I can't find the name of at the moment. This church was also filled with beautiful mosaics, including a beautiful one in the apse. There was a chapel off to the side in this church, which was breathtaking. It was covered in mosaics. Now the mosaics only cover the ceiling and half way down the wall, but when it was built the mosaics would have reached all the way to the floor. The little pieces of the mosaic were aligned in and uneven manner in order to catch more of the light and reflect it in a more brilliant way. In the same chapel was the pillar that was used at Christ's scourging.  Last, we visited the church of St. Mary Major. This is one of the four major basilicas of Rome. It was exquisite, of course. The front and sides are covered with symbolic mosaics. The ceiling is completely covered in gold (said to be from the first gold that Columbus brought over from the new world) and even the floor is beautiful.  The bottom or the church contains the manger that Christ slept in!

Today we toured St. Peter's Basilica and part of the Vatican Museums. Everytime I enter St. Peter's it takes my breath away, no matter how many times I've seen it. I always feel perfectly at home there, and perfectly content. Pasquelline described many of the different sculptures and mosaics. I can't even begin to describe it, it's one of those things you just have to expeience. I plan to spend much of my time here in Rome in St. Peter's, the home to all Catholics. :) The Vatican museums were also wonderful. Again, there is just so much that I can't really being to describe them. I never knew how huge the museums really were! They were awesome though. We saw some very famous sculptings and paintings, including some from Da Vinci, Raphael, and Michelangelo. If you ever have time, its fascinating to look at pictures and read about the Vatican churches and museums.

Well that's it for now. I hope everything is going well back there! God bless!

Abbey

PS- I apologize for the spelling errors in my posts. I sometimes write these in a hurry, and make mistakes. Thanks for your patience with me!

First couple of days in Roma...

Hello Everyone!
I hope everything is going well back in America. Things are going wonderfully in Rome! Here is a brief overview of our past couple of days:
On Thursday we had a brief introduction to the city of Rome! After some opening comments and some important campus information given by Miss Crane, we had a quick pranzo (lunch)? And then headed into town after a break. We first headed to San Pietro (St. Peter's) and saw the beauty of the basilica at night. It was all lit up and had a large nativity scene and Christmas tree outside. The tree was almost as tall as the obelisk in the square! It was lovely. :) The lights in il Papa’s (Pope Benedict the XVI formally, but il Papa once you get to know him ;) bedroom and office were on, so we knew he was awake! It was so wonderful to be that close to the holy father again. Next we headed to the church of the Most Holy Name of Jesus, or "Giano" for short. There we attended Mass which was wonderful (though it was all in Italian), and got a chance to look around the church. St. Ignatius of Loyola is buried there…he is the founder of the Jesuit order. It was a powerful expereince. We were able to pray right in front of the place where he is buried! Next, we headed down to trestevere, a very quaint and domestic little part of Rome with winding streets and large crowds! We ate at a great pizzeria (a place where pizza is served, of course) and then headed back to campus. We learned so much about the bus and metro system, and I feel like I understand the layout of Rome much better. With a good map and a few minds working together, I think that a group of us should be able to get around the city alright. :)
Today was another exciting day with the start of classes. This week and next week we are going to focus on art history alone, learning from a lady named Pascaline who works at the Louvre in Paris. She is here for the week taking us around Rome and showing us the diifferent art and architecture. After an introductory class for a few hours this morning, we headed out into the city to see some of the sites. We started with the Colosseum and were able to see the inside and out. The archietecture and history of it was explained very well to us by Pascaline.  It seemed like we could have spent a whole day there- it was so interesting! I'm glad we had an explaniation of everything, as things seemed to be much more alive when I understood it better. After the Colosseum, we headed to a museum on top of the Capitoline hill. This is the hill where Rome was first begun by Romulus, as legend has it. The square on top of the hill was designed by Michelangelo, and the buildings there were wonderful to study. Two of them serve as a museum, and the third still serves as Rome's 'city hall' today. The museums were filled with magnificent roman sculpures and mosaics. We were able to study very famous works of art there with the guidance of Pascaline.  If you are ever bored, you can look up some of the works online. I don't know the official names, but I can give you subjects of some of my favorite pieces: Equestrian sculpture of Marcus Aurelius, "The dying Gaul," The she-wolf nursing Romulus and Raemus, and sculpture of a greek goddess Venus. There was much much more, but these are just some highlights. 
After dinner tonight I was given a couple of surprises for my birthday! We were all able to enjoy a platter of different pastires for dessert and I of course got to listen to everyone sing to me. Kathleen, the director of the campus, gave me some Jane Austen coasters  as a gift, which is super exciting! We both love Jane Austen, and I plan on reading some of her works while I'm here. Kathleen keeps a bunch of them in the library here of us to read. :) After dinner a few of us went out for some gelato and vino (wine), to celebrate.  
Everyone is still adjusting to the time change, and so is still a bit tired. I have been doing pretty well though, which I'm grateful for. Tomorrow is another big day, with a tour of the Pantheon, the Roman Forum, and a couple of other sights on the agenda. I'll keep you all posted! Have a great night!