Roma!

So this has been mid-terms week. I'm almost finished now, just theology of the church tomorrow and all the others seem to have gone pretty well.

But on Friday we depart for our ten-day trip to Rome and Assissi! We depart Friday night at 7:00. The best part is that a lot of people are leaving early so they can visit other places in Italy and so there are only about 6 of us going down on the coach busses which means we'll each be able to have our own little compound of seats!

We arrive at our hotel between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. on Saturday. At 6:00 we have Mass at Suore Riparatrici del Sacro Cuore and then return to the hotel for dinner.

On Sunday we head to St. Peter's Basilica at 9 for confessions and adoration. We also have the option to climb the cupola in St. Peter's or visit the Tombs of the Popes. At 10:30 Latin Mass begins in St. Peter's and at noon we go to St. Peter's square for the Angelus with Pope Benedict. At 2:45 we begin our tour of St. Clemente, St. Peter in Chains, Santa Maria Maggiore, St. Alphonsus, and San Presede. We have dinner at the hotel at 7 and at 8:30 we have a Holy Hour with Adoration at Suare Riparatrici del Sacro Cuore Mother House church.

We begin Monday at 8 a.m. with the "Overview of Rome" tour which covers St. Mary of the Angels and Martyrs, Santa Maria della Vittoria (Bernini's Teresa of Avilla in Ecstasy), Capuchin Franciscan Bone yard Church, Spanish Steps, Sant Andrea delle Fratte, Trevi Fountain, Santa Maria Sopra Minerva (Saint Catherine of Siena, Bernini Elephant, Michelangelo's Christ with Cross), Pantheon, St. Agostino, Chiesa Luigi in Francese (Caravagio's St. Matthew's chapel), Piazza Navona. We then have free time until 5 p.m. at which time we have Mass at St. Paul's Outside the Walls, we then return to the hotel for dinner and have Holy Hour at 8:30.

On Tuesday we begin with Mass at Sts. Cosmas and Damian in the Forum. Before Mass we have a presentation by a Franciscan Friar and following Mass we have a viewing of the church crypt and Praesepio. At 9:45 we meet for a wlking tour of the Colosseum, the Roman Forum, Circus Maximus, and Mamertime Prison. At 3:30 we have a detailed tour of St. Peter's Basilica. We then return to the hotel for dinner and have our last Holy Hour at 8:30.

Wednesday begins at 10 a.m. with a general audience with Pope Benedict. At 1 o'clock we have the option of Hospital Ministry at Hospital Bambino Gesu. At 2:45 we begin the devotional ascent of the Holy Stairs. These are the stairs which Christ climbed to meet Pilate. They were brought to Rome by St. Helen. At 3:45 we have Mass at St. John Lateran and at 5:00 we have a tour of Santa Croce in Gerusalemme with a focus on the Chapel of the Passion Relics which houses thorns from the crown of thorns, a nail from the crucifixion, splinters of the true cross and the cross of the good thief, and a replica of the Shroud of Turin.

We leave Thursday morning at 8:15 for Assissi. At 11:30 we tour the Basilica of Santa Maria degli Angeli and the Portiuncula. At 12:45 we arrive in Assissi and have lunch. At 4:45 we have Mass at Cathedral San Rufino and at 7:00 dinner.

Friday begins with Mass at Santa Chiara at 9:00. At 9:45 we begin a walking tour of Assissi whih covers San Rufino, Santa Chiara, and San Damiano. We have lunch at 12 and at 2 depart on our pilgrimage walk to the Hermitage of St. Francis.

On Saturday we depart on foot at 7:15 for the hermitage of St. Francis. At 8:00 we have Mass at the Basilica of St. Francis, Tomb of St. Francis. At 9 a.m. we have Part II of our tour of Assissi which covers the Basilica of St. Francis, Abbey of St. Peter, Santa Maria Maggiore, House of Bernard of Quintavale, San Francesco Piccolino, and Piazza Commune. At noon we have lunch and at 5 we have Mass at Santa Maria Sopra Minerva.

On Sunday we have a 5 a.m. breakfast and depart at 6 a.m. for Gaming, arriving back at the Kartause around 8:30.

And yes, Assissi is the home of St. Clare, my patron, so yes, I am incredibly excited!!!!!!

So after Friday I won't have access to a computer for 10 days but after that I'm sure I'll have plenty to tell you all! So, if I don't talk to you before Friday, God Bless, I love you all, have a wonderful 10 days and say a prayer that we all have a wonderful pilgrimage!