Rome Sweet Home, St. Valentine's Day and more

Today, I attended (and participated) in the most unorthodox mass I have seen in my life, and to think that such a thing is happening in a place such as Dublin!!

The good priest (god bless his soul, he was a darling... with some kind of nerve problem in his fingers that kept on flapping whenever he stretched out his hand) was wearing a white stole today, instead of a purple one (it is acceptable that he was celebrating the mass of the memoria of Sts Cyril and Methodius, patrons of Europe, but this is observed as a commemoration during lent, and a purple stole should be worn instead), with no chasuble... With such a good attendance (you must understand that I am used to attending personal daily mass, one on one with the priest, or if not, with a maximum attendance of 5 people in my college, and having only been in the hospital scene for 4 days, this was a big change), I was easily confused as to whether I was at the correct service and the words the good father was uttering was not what I was familiar with (in addition, the chapel is also used by the Church of Ireland for services).

Words cannot express the horror I felt when I found out that I was attending a catholic mass, and I have decided to record down the next mass I attend here at Beaumont Hospital and if I get the chance, will post it up on YouTube (for my medical colleagues out there reading this, there will be no infringement of confidentiality as the mass is a public act of worship for Catholics).

Now on to another topic, one that has been long pondered and thought through and prayed over, and what not... When I was just about to give up hope on my plan to spend this coming Easter triduum in Rome, the eternal city, I decided to give it one last attempt to fix up the trip before cancelling it.

Anyway, to cut things short, an email replied from my Rome correspondent this evening with a positive reply:

Dear Mark,

Enclosed correspondence with Sr Maria who have reserved tickets for the various celebrations. Let us know your plans and itinerary when you have firmed up. God Bless and happy studying

Bishops' Office for United States Visitors to the Vatican

North American College - Casa Santa Maria
Via dell'UmiltB, 30 – 00187 Rome, Italy
Rome Tel. 06/690.011 FAX 011/3906/679-1448

Dear Father,

Holy Week and Easter are especially beautiful days in Rome when the Holy Father celebrates the Liturgies with pilgrims from all over the world. The following schedule is traditionally observed and your requests (**) for 5 biglietti tickets are on file:

**March 16

Palm Sunday – Papal Mass at St Peter's Square @ 9:30am

March 18 Penance Rite of Reconciliation- St.Peter's Basilica @ 5:30pm (no tickets required)

March 19 PAPAL AUDIENCE – Wednesday @ 10:30am

**March 20 Chrism Mass – St. Peter's Basilica (9:30 a.m.) (ample tickets)

**Mass of the Last Supper – St. John Lateran Cathedral at 5:30 p.m.

**March 21 Good Friday – Celebration of the Passion of Our Lord St. Peter's Basilica at 5 p.m.

Way of the Cross at the Colosseum (9:15 p.m.) (No tickets required.)

**March 22 Easter Vigil – Papal Mass at St. Peter's Basilica at 10 p.m.

(Tickets may be limited)

**March 23 Easter Sunday Mass – St. Peter's Square at 10:30 a.m.

Urbi et Orbi Blessing in St. Peter's Square-12 noon (no tickets required)

March 24 Pasquetta – Angelus & Blessing in St. Peter's Square –
12 noon (no tickets required)

For Papal Audiences – tickets are available here at Via dell'UmiltB, 30 on Tuesday afternoon between 3–7 p.m. and on Wednesday morning before the Audience.

For Papal Masses – tickets are available a day or two before the Mass during office hours, Monday –Friday 8 a.m. – 4 p.m. The office will also be open between 9-1 on the Saturday before Palm Sunday, and Holy Saturday.

No telephone calls are necessary! In emergency, this office can be reached at 06/690.01.821 (8 a.m.– 4 p.m. Monday through Friday).

Sincerely in Christ,
Sister Maria Howell, RSM
Secretary to Monsignor Roger C. Roensch

This, coupled with the reply recently procured from another Rome contact with the help of my Strasbourg correspondent, completes the itinery:

Dear Mark,

you are welcome in our community from 19 March to 25.
You will can pray (in french!), eat and work with us; I think that after Strasbourg, you know a little our life.

Before you trip, thank'you to give us some precisions of your times arrival.

God bless you,
Br. Nicolas-Marie

Fraternità Monastica di Gerusalemme,
fratelli Trinità dei Monti
Roma - Italia

Now all I need are flight tickets... will there be a Good Samaritan willing to sponsor part of the cost of this? The cheapest tickets are currently priced at 250 euro...


Right then, I will try to post up some pictures of my recent travels this weekend. Have been really busy this whole week... I will probably be posting those of my retreat in Strasbourg first
, so look out for that...