Canonization-October, 2012

Some of the North American Volunteers  stayed in Lourdes  while some of us rode a bus to Toulouse to catch a direct flight to Rome for the Canonization of Blessed Marianne Cope and Blessed Kateri Tekawitha. Both saints are special to the upstate New Yorkers as now Saint Marianne moved from Syracuse, New York, to Hawaii where she continued the ministry of Saint Damien on the Kalaupapa Peninsula of Molokai. Saint Kateri (Lily of the Mohawks) became the first Native American to be canonized.

Flint met us in the airport. How wonderful to introduce him to the dedicated volunteers with whom I had served in Lourdes! Once we all situated in our rooms at Casa Fatima and ate a bite we were ready to walk. North American Seminary student, Stephen, guided us around the area.

Courtyard of Casa Fatima

How did the driver get out?

 

Tremendous crowds in St. Peter's and Rome so it was nice

just to look up.

 

Sunday, 21 October

The Canonization

 

 

 

Amazing that the driver even attempted to plow through the

crowd. He gave up and somehow backed out.

Ally- Franciscan University graduate who

now studies in Paris met our group.

During the ceremony~

relics of the new saints

Flint was asked to hold this child so he could be

closer to Pope Benedict XVI.

 

(The Vice President of the Philippines caused quite a stir

as he shook hands along the barriers before the ceremony. A

huge number came to celebrate the Canonization of Pedro Calungsod.)

 

I put the camera down just to watch.

Exclamations as people see people they know.

 

Honored as we met and dined with the retired captain of the Swiss Guard.

He wrote The History of the Swiss Guard which is only published in

Italian and German. If we could get a couple of thousand buyers,

the publisher would print the book in English.

Please let me know if you are interested.

                          

 

               Strolling Around                          

   San Augustino Church

 Madonna del Parto (1521)  by Jacopo Sansovino
especially venerated by those wanting to have children.

Chapel devoted to Saint Monica

 

St. Augustine's mother who persevered in prayer for her

husband and wayward son.

 

Madonna dei Pellegrini  (1605) by Caravaggio

 

How appropriate that we would view this while on a pilgrimage! 

 

 

S. Luigi dei Francesi

 

Three Caravaggio's about the life of St. Matthew

St. Joan of Arc

 

 Other sites included the Pantheon, the Trevi Fountain, St. Ignatius, and

many people from around the world!!!