St. Peter’s Basilica

Seeing as how I haven’t posted anything for a week, I have now resolved to post a “Quick Takes Friday” and a “What I Wore Sunday” to keep my blogging consistent, and if any more posts get added into the mix, then it will be icing on the cake. Just for this week, I am going to do a “Quick Takes Friday”…on Sunday, AND a WIW Sunday, a two-for-one!

-We started just a couple introductory classes this week, and one class is conversational Italian. I am now fluent in ordering food and asking where the Piazza Navona is. 🙂 Also, we have a “Church and Culture in Rome” course taught by the inspiring and intelligent Dr. Liz Lev. I don’t exactly know her whole story or background, but she is very well known in Rome for guiding informational tours. Already we have toured the Catacombs of Priscilla and the Scavi Tour, which is of the tombs and St. Peter’s bones under St. Peter’s Basilica. Holla.

-We are provided breakfast every morning and I look forward to it everyday. I have a cornetta (type of pastry) or cioccolata cereali (chocolate cereal), a glass of mango juice and my choice of kiwi, mandarin oranges, a pear or massive banana. Fun fact: Lucky Charms here cost 9.50 Euro.

-On Friday we got to visit the Missionaries of Charity here in Rome, and an unexpected gift was to be able to see the room where Mother Theresa died. They haven’t touched the room since 1997, so the calendar, quotes and pictures hung around are just as she had them when she was visiting Rome. We also got to speak with a sister who knew Mother, and she told us stories of Mother and advice she gave her. It was fabulous and resonated with us all:

-It has been pretty cold and rainy this past week here in Rome (but I’m also a freeze baby so while others aren’t that bothered, I complain everyday :/) So I usually wear a scarf, multiple sweaters/coats, and leggings under everything. I can’t wait to get my necklaces out instead of my four scarves that are on rotation!

-Today a small group of us went to Mass at St. Peter’s Basilica. It was really great to see firsthand the universality of the Church–we were surrounded by about 200 or so other people who spoke all different languages, but because the Mass is always the same no matter what place it is celebrated, and even though today it was in Latin, we were all able to (more or less) know what was going on. It was a little crazy going up to Communion, but after receiving the Corpus Christi, it all felt very peaceful and calm. Immediately after Mass, Pope Benedict XVI prayed the Angelus out of his apartment window and waved to many of us down below.

Stunna Shades: Aldo, Scarf: Thrifted, Jean Jacket: Old Navy, Dress: Old Navy, Watch: Francesca’s, Tennies: Target

**If you are visiting from the WIW Sunday link-up, welcome, and stop by again soon! :)**