Of Things Divine and Orange

Well, I am off to Italy for two weeks with Debra Pieri and Renee Albonetti, friends from church. (Renee’s mother drives me home after 6:15 a.m. Mass every morning.) It is Debra and Renee’s first trip to the land of their grandparents. We will do a grand tour by car with me driving, spending two days with relatives and friends we are yet to meet in Lucca. (Most of the Italians At Holy Rosary trace their families back to Lucca, the mother city of opera. The rest seem to come from Ancona.) We will spend the last five days in Rome on foot. Keep us in your prayers, and you can be assured of our prayers every day at Mass. Below is our sketchy itinerary. Although we have planned on seeing many things and visiting many shrines our itinerary is flexible and allows for other adventures.

April 18 Depart Memphis
April 19 Arrive in Rome at 8:45 a.m.
Visit Shrine of St. Maria Goretti in Nettuno, where her body is incorrupt more
than 100 years after she was killed trying to preserve her virginity at the
age of 12
Visit Montecassino Abbey founded by St. Benedict, the first monastery in western
Christianty
Visit Basilica of Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary in Pompeii

April 20 Visit the ruins of Pompeii
Visit Shrine of St. Philomena in Avellino
Travel to San Giovanni Rotondo

April 21 Visit Shrine of St. Padre Pio
Visit Eucharistic Miracle at Lanciano, a Host that turned to human flesh and
blood and has been preserved since the 8th century
Visit Holy House in Loreto, the home of Mary in Nazareth transported by angels
to Italy to save it from the Saracens
Visit incorruptible body of St. Joseph Cupertino (he levitated when he celebrated
Mass!) in Ossimo
Arrive in Assisi

April 22 See the sites of Assisi
Basilica of San Francesco
Basilica of St. Chiara
San Damiano
St. Mary of the Angels
St. Francis’ Birthplace
Duomo, where St. Francis and St. Clare were baptized
The town of Assisi

April 23 Sunday Mass in Assisi
Visit incorruptible body of St. Rita in Cascia; she was blessed with the stigmata
The streets of Assisi

April 24 Visit La Vergna where St. Francis of Assisi received the stigmata
Arrive in Florence

April 25 Visit the sites of Florence
Duomo
Galleria dell’Accademia (Michelangelo’s “David”)
Uffizi Galleries
Capelle Medici
Basilica di San Lorenzo
Museo di San Marco
Santa Croce

April 26 Travel to Venice
Vist Shrine of St. Anthony of Padua

April 27 See Sites of Venice
San Marco Square
Duomo (Cathedral of St. Mark)
Baptistry
Palazzo Duomo
Bridge of Tears
Gondola Ride
Travel to Lucca

April 28 Leaning Tower of Pisa and other sites of Pisa
Visit Baldi Family in Valvottavo


April 29 Travel to Rome
Visit San Gimiagno, a walled and towered city where the film Brother Sun, Sister
Moon was filmed
Visit Siena, the home of St. Catherine of Siena

April 30 Sunday Mass at St. Peter’s
Tour St. Peter’s
Urbi et orbi, St. Peter’s Square, 12 noon
Vatican Museum
Sistine Chapel
Spanish Steps
Our Lady of Perpetual Help Icon

May 1 St. Mary Major
St. John Lateran
St. Paul Outside the Walls
Santa Croce in Gerusalem
Holy Steps
Piazza Navona

May 2 Ancient Rome
St. Peter in Chains (Michelangelo’s “Moses”)
Church of the Gesu
Pantheon
Trevi Fountain
Visit Cardinal Stafford

May 3 Papal Audience, 10:30 a.m.
Catacombs
Church of the Three Fountains

May 4 Depart Rome.
Arrive Memphis