the day after our misadventures in public transportation trying to get to the Baths of Caracalla, Sabrina and Rebecca bid Rome
arrivederci and fled north to Florence and the beatific Tuscan countryside for a few days. if i was keeping strict chronological order, i'd tell you only about the things that we did here at home on those few days, but i'm not and you can't make me. (besides, some of these things happened before they even arrived in Rome, so the chicken has already flown the coop on that front.) thus, in no particular order:
one fabulously sunny morning we set out for Villa Pamphili Park, which is a huge park a few miles from our house. my plan was to meet up with an expat group of moms and kids for nursery rhymes, but i clearly misinterpreted where we were supposed to meet and couldn't find them. we still had a lovely time meandering around the park. Greta is getting more confident on her scooter and Cecilia shrieked with glee as she galloped along the road.
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| a real, live aqueduct borders the north edge of the park |
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| Greta wanted me to have my picture taken with the aqueduct, too |
after exploring the park a little, i realized that we were still ridiculously far away from the playground area, and lunchtime was approaching. so we headed back the way we'd come, at a more leisurely pace. by this point, Greta was wailing that she was too tired to walk and we struck a deal that she could sit down and rest on every fourth bench that we saw. eventually she found a large stick to use as a staff and led us in a slightly grumpy parade. Cecilia then climbed up on a bench which was already occupied by a middle-aged man reading a small, fat book. before i could apologize, he beamed at her, held out his hand in greeting, and she immediately gave him the tall frond of grass she'd been carrying. then they sat together on the bench for a minute or so, looking out over the verdant valley, having a conversation consisting entirely of the word "ciao!".
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| the chapel |
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| these umbrella pines have my heart. |
later that afternoon, we had the serendipitous joy of meeting up with our friend Mr. Land, who will always be "Mr. Land" in my head despite his numerous requests to call him Scot. he was here in Rome on business and invited us to the rooftop cafe at his hotel for a lovely afternoon visit.
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| Cecilia immediately started looking for cats and airplanes from this rooftop perch |
the weather was perfect, warm with a slight breeze. i ordered a draft beer, and when the waitress brought it over, she also brought two short glasses of Coke with straws for the girls! they were completely delighted. i thought about asking the waitress to take them away, but she was equally delighted by the girls' reactions and i figured, what the heck, one glass won't kill them. as it turned out, they each drank maybe only a few sips, but Greta in particular felt very sophisticated because she knows that "only grownups and big kids" are allowed to have soda.
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| playing the "hand slap" game |
we had a wonderful time catching up, discussing everything from travel around Italy to Catholicism to news of our respective families. the girls and i stayed for a few hours, but Nick had to leave early in order to make it to the Sistine Chapel on time for a small choir he was conducting there.
i just have to say that again. he had to say goodbye, walk across the river, and meet up with a group of seminarians who were singing a short concert in the Sistine Chapel as part of a private tour for a group visiting from the University of Mary in North Dakota.
needless to say, we didn't begrudge him his early departure. i just wish i could have been there, or even that they would have allowed a recording. it's moments like this that make it all worth it.
the following day, Wednesday, September 26, preparations for the Diaconate Ordination were underway. forty of our men, the Class of 2018, were ordained as deacons on Thursday, September 27 (which merits its own post!). but the evening before, the entire seminary community along with family and friends met for a prayer service at the Church of the Gesu in Rome. Nick played the organ for the service, so he had left early. i somehow got confused about where the service was being held, and thought it was at a church that's only a fifteen-minute walk from our house ... but no, it was a thirty-minute walk across town. by the time i realized this, the girls and i were already running late, and i contemplated skipping it. but i really had nothing else to do, and thought that the walk would do us good, even if we ended up missing the service entirely. also, one of our fellow parishioners from St. Elizabeth Ann Seton at home had put us in contact with his son John and daughter-in-law Susan, who were traveling to Rome for the ordinations, and i knew they'd be at the service so hoped we'd be able to meet them.
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| the main altar of the Church of the Gesu |
anyway, as soon as we finally arrived at the church (half an hour late), i was so glad we'd come. the church was packed full, and Nick's beautiful music mingled in the air with the incense. i didn't realize that it was actually a holy hour, so there was still plenty of time to join in praying for the men who would become deacons the following morning, and several confessionals were also open. in the preceding week, i had been feeling that little nudge to go to confession. i hadn't gone since we moved here, which is kind of ridiculous because i live at a seminary. but i also hadn't taken that nudging seriously enough to investigate where and when i could actually go to confession, so literally walking right into a penance service (without realizing it ahead of time!) was such an unexpected grace. i confessed face-to-face with a kindly Eastern European priest, whose words gave me such comfort (and even if they hadn't, it's confession. it's such a gift!)
the girls and i joined the crowds kneeling before the Blessed Sacrament. i prayed while the girls rummaged through the backpack for snacks and Cecilia began calling loudly, "Daddy! Dadddddeeeee! Daddy pay OHHHHH-GANNNNN!!!" despite the interruptions, i couldn't help but blink back tears as we sang the familiar words of Tantum ergo Sacramentum during the Benediction of the Sacrament. being far from home in one sense has made me cherish how much the universal Church is truly home.
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| the ceiling frescoes are done in the trompe l'oeil fashion, an optical effect that creates the illusion of 3D realism |
after the conclusion of the service, we walked around a bit and marveled at the beautiful interior. we also met up with John and Susan, and it was wonderful to feel that small-world connection. we miss our church family at home so much! several parents of seminarians also came over to Nick to tell him how much their sons already appreciate his musical direction and talent, which was so sweet and encouraging. this is the closest thing to a "Parents' Weekend" that the seminary has had so far, and it reminded me of when you meet your college friends' parents for the first time ... suddenly you completely understand why they are the way they are!
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| the gold oval frame contains the preserved right arm of St. Francis Xavier, who baptized 300,000 people |
next up, the Diaconate Ordination at the Basilica of St. Peter. and then we'll pick back up with the travel adventures of the extended Will clan!
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