November 16th, 2016…one year ago today we boarded a plane for Germany! (Still catching up on memories made during our first year. This is my wrap-up from Rome.)
The Marriam-Webster Dictionary defines Pilgrimage in two ways. The first is this…a journey of a pilgrim; especially : one to a shrine or a sacred place. Here’s a look back at our family pilgrimage…
After learning of Pope Francis’s designation of a Jubilee of Mercy from December 8, 2015 – November 20, 2016, Mein Mann put Rome and the Vatican City on his bucket list for THIS YEAR. We wanted to attend a Mass with the Pope, visit St. Peters Basilica and see the Sistine Chapel with the boys alongside the sites of Rome. However, after our Papal Mass orientation with the nun at the Bishop’s Office in Rome (mentioned here: https://www.germanyjournals.com/?p=2759), Mein Mann and I asked ourselves, “Are we out of our minds?!” We would need to arrive three hours early and then expect our boys to sit through a church service in a foreign language for another 1 1/2-2 hours. Our conclusion was, “Yes!” After acknowledging our insanity, we still decided to go for it. If it all went south, we would leave or be escorted out by the Swiss Guard. But, at least we gave it our best shot! We knew this could be a once-in-a-lifetime experience because who would try this TWICE with two young boys?? Carpe Diem Folks!
Papal Mass on October 9th
On Sunday morning, we watched the sunrise illuminate St. Peter’s Basilica as we waited in line with people from all different nationalities. We chatted with a German woman who was standing in front of us.
Once the gates opened and we made it through security, we found seats along the main center aisle in the front section. The boys’ backpacks were filled with toys, snacks, and blankets. We set up a little play area for them and settled in for the next two and half hours as we waited for the service to start. They kept themselves entertained for a long time playing cards and cars. We broke up the time with a field-trip to the bathrooms. Thankfully, that was our only bathroom break since we had to go through the security lines to get back in…bladders of steal! During the last hour, we pulled out the iPad for a movie.
By the time the Mass started, the sun was high in the sky. Everyone received a booklet with the order of the Mass. Though Pope Francis’ Homily and the Sacrament of the Eucharist were spoken in Italian, we were impressed to hear several languages incorporated throughout the service. Readings and prayers were spoken in English, German, Italian, Chinese, Spanish and more. We were a family of four in a sea of thousands!
After the service, everyone pressed up against the aisles to see Pope Francis ride by on the Pope Mobile! The boys stretched out their hands towards the Pope as he passed directly in front of us.
Five hours after we first arrived, we were gathering our things to leave. We were proud of our boys for doing as well as they did! As we walked out through St. Peter’s Square, a large parade filled the streets, complete with marching bands. What a fun and festive way to end our Papal Mass experience!
In exchange for the hours the boys sat still, we spent the afternoon riding around the Borghese Gardens and climbing the lions at Piazza del Popolo. Our gelato came with a little reminder of the man we spent the morning with!
St. Peter’s Basilica
We returned to St. Peter’s Square mid-morning on Monday. We quickly found ourselves packed in like sardines waiting in the security lines for the Basilica. Oh the tradeoffs…Sleep? Sanity? Sardines? My beloved hubby held an umbrella up for almost an hour to shade us from the hot sun while I fed us all clementines. The boys were troopers!
We entered St. Peter’s through the Porta Sancta, the holy door, since it was a Jubilee Year. Once inside, we caught sight of Michelangelo’s Pietà. What an amazing depiction of Mary’s love for her son, Jesus. The sculpture was carved in 1499 when Michelangelo was 24 years old. It’s the only piece he ever signed.
St. Peter’s is beautiful! Our pictures do not do it justice…
St. Peter’s Square gave the boys much-needed space to get their wiggles out. “Pigeons!”
The Sistine Chapel via the Vatican Museums
After lunch, we walked to the Vatican Museums. Since we reserved our tickets online, we literally walked by hundreds of people into the main entrance…don’t make eye contact! What a contrast to our sardine experience in the morning.
All my “boys” enjoyed Pope Francis’ fussball display case with the “Francisco” jerseys the Pope received after addressing visiting soccer stars.
The boys wanted to see the Pope Mobiles so we headed there first. We watched a video about the shooting of Pope John Paul II. E & S learned how the Pope met with his shooter and forgave him. Such a powerful example of forgiveness.
We lingered in the Vatican inner courtyard, enjoying snacks and the beauty that surrounded us. This wonderful, open space is a respite from the crowds. As I was looking at a sign of the Sistine Chapel displayed in the courtyard, I overheard a tour guide talking to a family in English about the ceiling. She explained many of the panels of Michelangelo’s work. I listened for a few minutes and picked up some interesting tidbits to share.
We walked through the Gallery of Maps on our way to the Sistine Chapel.
The Sistine Chapel was packed! We spotted a small bench in the front corner of the room, beside the altar. Though the crowds were ushered to the middle of the room with constant reminders to be quiet and NOT take any pictures, I asked a guard if we could sit with our boys on the bench. He graciously approved. This allowed us to step out of the crowds and have our own little space to take in the vastness of the art around us. I whispered to the boys the facts I had learned from the tour guide in the courtyard, encouraging them to look for specific details in the paintings. We got to linger MUCH longer than I had anticipated. What a gift this was in the moment!
We exited out a different door than the general crowds thanks to a tip from our travel buddy, Rick Steves. This allowed us to end up back at St. Peter’s Basilica vs. the entrance to the Vatican Museums. MAJOR SCORE! Since the crowds were thinning and we didn’t need to go BACK through security, we decided to venture to the top of the Dome of St. Peter’s and see ROMA!
The views from the top!
On our way down, we walked around on the roof a bit. We eventually exited through St. Peter’s.
We couldn’t leave Vatican City without a celebratory gelato and crêpe!
We wrapped up our day, and our trip, with one last Italian dinner and playing near the Spanish Steps before heading back to our apartment. What sweet memories now.
Marian Webster’s second definition of pilgrimage is this…”the course of life on earth.” In some way, shape and form, we are all on a pilgrimage every day of our lives. May your journey be a good one and may all of our eyes be open to the Sacred in our midst!
