Tuesday 10 November 2009

Roman Pilgrimage Day 1

This morning at 7 o'clock we went to mass in St. Peter's Basilica. Mass was celebrated in the old rite at the altar of the transfiguration. There were several Masses going on at side altars all around the Basilica during that time. Many of them were in the old rite. It is really surprising how alive S. Peters Basilica is at that early hour.



After an hour on the train we met up with the pleasant and generous Margareta who took us in her car to see the house of the martyre Santa Maria Goretti. A girl of eleven years who was killed by a man she trusted because she resisted his attempts to rape her.

We came back to Rome just in time to make it to the Gèsu to see the wonderful ceremony of the illumination of the statue of Saint Ignatius. The whole ceremony has the effect of a sermon (in Italian, unfortunately for us) and as each part of the altar lights up some new medidtation is given.

At the end the painting of S. Ignatius is slowly lowered to reveal the statue that is behind it.

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