Mea Culpa

I ask your forgiveness readers, I have been a bit lazy of late with regard to posting on the blog. I must confess that I have, quite literally, been enjoying my summer break!

Anyway! What has happened? A fair bit. I have a full time job (until I go back to university), I'm doing filing for the local council's social services department. I have passed my second year (only just passing Greek) and of course, I went on pilgrimage to Rome!

Pictures I hear you cry, PICTURES!

Well, here we go!

Anyone who has been to Rome should have visited this church. It is on the Via di San Giovanni in Laterano and the name of the church is the Basilica di San Clemente. The story goes that Pope St Clement was martyred when he was thrown over the side of a boat with an anchor tied around his neck. When the tide went out there became visible a tomb made of stone, inside the tomb was the martyred Pope. In the 9th Century, St Cyril translated the bones of St Clement to Rome where they were 'deposited' in the high altar of the church of St Clement.

The Mother Church of the world, and one of my personal favourites!

THE AUDIENCE! I was seven rows from the front! Ahahaha! The Holy Father was sporting a rather fetching red saturno.

...I am considering uploading the pictures of the Three Peaks and my Rome pilgrimage to an image hosting website so, if you ever get that bored, you can trawl through them!

I believe that Miss Ellen E. has tagged me in a post so I shall now get on to thinking about my three favourite prayers.

In Domino.

Rome Experience

I have come across this video on two blogs that I follow, the blogs are those of Fr. Ray Blake and Fr. Timothy Finigan (I had the pleasure of meeting the latter during my visit to the Franciscan Friars).

Basically, the video is about a programme in America, whereby seminarians spend a period of time (6 weeks I think) in the Eternal City. Having visited Rome twice as a pilgrim I can certainly understand why this programme is popular!

I firmly believe that a similar idea should be placed in front of the Bishops Conference, or maybe even just one Diocesan Bishop, the idea being that a seminarian should understand the universality of the Church before being ordained, he should be close to the centre of the Church, if even for a couple of months. Some, of course are fortunate enough to be sent to Rome for their studies.

If, God willing, I am one day to become a seminarian, if I'm not sent to Rome (my Bishop tends to send students to Wonersh, not that we have any!!) i'd like to think that there would be an option for me to spend a couple of months studying in the Eternal City.

Ave Maria