Getting to Assisi and Coming home
On either end of our time in Assisi we spent time in Orvieto, Bolsena and Perugia. I had been to all except Bolseno but the tour guide was great so a wonderful experience.
We began with Mass at the Cathedral. The facade of the Cathedral of Orvieto is stunning. It was a beautiful sunny day with a blue sky which set it off magnificently.
Orvieto was a very important city in medieval times. The pope actually lived here for a time. It is a very charming city even today.
We celebrated Mass in the Chapel of the Corporal. According to tradition, a priest who was doubting whether the bread and wine really became the Body and Blood of Christ was celebrating Mass in nearby Bolseno. At the consecration the host began to bleed. He carried it to the sacristy dripping blood on the floor as he went.
Because the pope was in Orvieto the corporal was brought there and presented to the pope. It is housed in the chapel in which we celebrated Mass (unfortunately it was not on view when we were there). There was some kind of gathering going on and both St. Thomas Aquinas (Dominican) and St. Bonaventure (Franciscan) were there. The pope asked each to compose an office (a ceremony of readings, songs and prayers) for the Corpus Christi. St. Thomas presented his work first and, according to the story, Bonaventure tore his up without presenting it to indicate the clear superiority of Aquinas' work. It is from that work that we get the hymns we use at Benediction - O Salutaris and Tantum Ergo.
We began with Mass at the Cathedral. The facade of the Cathedral of Orvieto is stunning. It was a beautiful sunny day with a blue sky which set it off magnificently.Orvieto was a very important city in medieval times. The pope actually lived here for a time. It is a very charming city even today.
We celebrated Mass in the Chapel of the Corporal. According to tradition, a priest who was doubting whether the bread and wine really became the Body and Blood of Christ was celebrating Mass in nearby Bolseno. At the consecration the host began to bleed. He carried it to the sacristy dripping blood on the floor as he went.
Because the pope was in Orvieto the corporal was brought there and presented to the pope. It is housed in the chapel in which we celebrated Mass (unfortunately it was not on view when we were there). There was some kind of gathering going on and both St. Thomas Aquinas (Dominican) and St. Bonaventure (Franciscan) were there. The pope asked each to compose an office (a ceremony of readings, songs and prayers) for the Corpus Christi. St. Thomas presented his work first and, according to the story, Bonaventure tore his up without presenting it to indicate the clear superiority of Aquinas' work. It is from that work that we get the hymns we use at Benediction - O Salutaris and Tantum Ergo.
The Chapel of the Corporal
One of the wall frescoes that illustrates the miracle in a rather literal and charming way. Remember most people did not read at this time so paintings and stained glass windows were used to teach the truths of the faith.
One of the towers of Orvieto
This cabinet contains the desk of St. Thomas Aquinas which he used while he was in Orvieto and supposedly used when he composed the Office of the Corpus Christi.
We ended the morning with a wonderful lunch. If you ever make it to Orvieto eat at Maurizio's! Delicious.
After lunch we went to Bolseno where the miracle actually happened. We also heard about St. Christina of Bolseno who is a local saint. A young girl who was martyred for her faith.
In a chapel of the church in Bolseno are the stones with the Blood of Christ which spilled at the time fo the miracle.
Altar at which the miracle occurred.
On the way back we stopped in Perugia. Again, we had a tour and ended with lunch. Unfortunately the weather was overcast and actually rained quite a bit so it was a bit challenging.
Since we were in Assisi we did not have an opportunity to go to the station churches. However we were back at it this week. Today we went to S, Crisogono. It is in Trastevere so relatively close, The ancient Roman wharf was here and the first church here was among the oldest in the city. In 1990 I celebrated Mass here during the Lenten station churches that year, Brought back some great memories.
This week will fly by quickly. Tomorrow we have a kind of formal farewell at the college. A toast in the faculty lounge (the so-called Red Room from the color of the door leading into it) We seldom got in there as students although there were a couple of occasions I was invited in. Wednesday we have a morning class and then will go to the catacombs. Thursday we go to St. Paul Outside the Walls for a Mass and tour. We then are going to a restaurant for a farewell pranzo. Some of us have been asked to give toasts and I am doing the final blessing. That really brings the program to an end. Friday is a free day. I think I am going to take a cooking class that day. Saturday is also free so will probably do a little last minute sight seeing. On Sunday we participate in the Palm Sunday Mass at St. Peter's with the pope as presider. I remember being a part of it in 1990 and it was very nice. It was Pope St. John Paul II at that time. I remember the fantastic braided palm he carried. Pope Francis has had a similar one in past years. Pretty impressive.
On Monday it will be up and early for departure. I'm going to take a cab to the train station and get on a 6:15 train to Venice and then transferring to Salzburg. I'm not sure if I will post before I leave but will probably add a post or two in the coming weeks.
First up, Holy Week in Salzburg and I have tickets for the Easter Festival. Should be some wonderful music. I also hope to get to the salt mines which I hear are pretty amazing. I then head to Prague via Litomysl where I will spend one night. After that it is on to Madrid and the Camino.
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