The Ecstasy of Saint Teresa

Much like the Roman Catacombs, for years I have been desiring a trip to the Santa Maria della Vittoria to visit the Ecstasy of Saint Teresa. This masterpiece by Bernini is considered one of the great sculptural pieces of the High Roman Baroque. Saint Teresa has always been my favorite saint and I have read her prayer daily for years. 

May today there be peace within

May you trust God you are exactly as you are meant to be

May you not forget the infinite possibilities which are born of faith

May you use those gifts that you have received and pass on the love that has been given to you

May you be confident knowing you are a child of God. Let His presence settle into your bones and allow your soul the freedom to sing, dance, praise and love, 

It is there for each and every one of us

I am off to watch the Roma/Man City Champions League game. Much like Seattle and the Hawks, this city loves their team and it is so fun to pick a new spot each game, grab a drink and watch! It was funny, I was face timing with Jess tonight, and she said to me, "Wow, this Roma lifestyle sure does fit you well!!" I couldn't agree more ; ) 

All my love to all my friends and family

xx SJK 

Catacomba di San Callisto

I have been dying to see the Roman Catacombs for years now, and today I was finally able to go! I worked with the Sisters this morning then headed out around 12:30. My plan was to walk, as mapquest said it was only 4.5 miles, but man were they wrong- this place was DEEP! I must have looked really, truly lost- as about halfway through my journey, a homeless man came up to me in the park and started speaking....I had no idea what he was saying, I think I have hammered home the point I don't speak Italian ; ) but all of the sudden he mentioned the word "catacombs"- I kid you not, he actually said this! We were near a bus stop, so maybe this was a common point for the catacombs, I don't know, but somehow he read my mind (because at this point I had not even said anything to him). He gestured for me to follow him to the bus stop (sketchy and dangerous, I know- but it was light out with lots of people around) where we hopped on the 218 and then transferred to another bus, which took us RIGHT to the catacombs. He led me the whole way, pointing on the map to which stop I should get off at- I was SO grateful- I truly had no idea where I was going (I am clearly overconfident in my Roma navigation abilities) and I would probably still be looking for this underground burial site if it had not been for this gracious and kind gentleman. All this time, I thought I was the one doing good for the homeless of Roma (and he really was homeless) but today I was the one blessed by the kindness of others. I didn't even buy a bus ticket, rode that sucker for free...such a rebel ;) 

I was not allowed to take any photos, but below is a brief synopsis of what exactly the catacombs are (and a few photos I got off the internet) for those who are interested: 

History of the Catacombs

In the first century Rome's Christians did not have their own cemeteries.If they owned land, they buried their relatives there, otherwise they resorted to common cemeteries, where pagans too were buried. That is how Saint Peter came to be buried in the great public "necropolis" ("city of the dead") on Vatican Hill, available to everybody. Likewise Saint Paul was buried in a necropolis along the Via Ostiense. 

In the first half of the second century, as a result of various grants and donations, the Christians started burying their dead underground. That is how the catacombs were founded. Many of them began and developed around family tombs, whose owners, newly converted Christians, did not reserve them to the members of the family, but opened them to their brethren in the faith. With the passage of time, these burial areas grew larger by gifts or by the purchase of new properties, sometimes on the initiative of the Church itself. Typical is the case of Saint Callixtus: the Church took up directly the organization and administration of the cemetery, assuming a community character. 

With the edict of Milan, promulgated by the emperors Constantine and Licinius in February 313, the Christians were no longer persecuted. They were free to profess their faith, to have places of worship and to build churches both inside and outside the city, and to buy plots of land, without fear of confiscation. Nevertheless, the catacombs continued to function as regular cemeteries until the beginning of the fifth century, when the Church returned to bury exclusively above ground or in the basilicas dedicated to important martyrs. 

When the barbarians (Goths and Longobards) invaded Italy and came down to Rome,they systematically destroyed a lot of monuments and sacked many places, including the catacombs. Powerless in the face of such repeated pillages, towards the end of the eighth century and the beginning of the ninth, the Popes ordered to remove the relics of the martyrs and of the saints to the city churches, for security reasons. 

When the transfer of the relics was completed, the catacombs were no longer visited; on the contrary, they were totally abandoned, with the exception of Saint Sebastian, Saint Lawrence and of Saint Pancratius. In the course of time, landslides and vegetation obstructed and hide the entrances to the other catacombs, so that the very traces of their existence were lost. During the late Middle Ages they didn't even know where they were. 

The exploration and scientific study of the catacombs started, centuries later, with Antonio Bosio (1575-1629), nicknamed the "Columbus of subterranean Rome". In the last century the systematic exploration of the catacombs, and in particular of those of Saint Callixtus, was carried out by Giovanni Battista de Rossi (1822-1894), who is considered the father and founder of Christian Archaeology.

This and That

Below are a few more photos from more of my adventures around Roma

Candle for my sweet friend Lani's dad 

San Francesco a Ripa

Tribute to John Paul II at San Francesco a Ripa 

San Francesco a Ripa

Santa Maria in Trastevere 

Santa Maria in Trastevere

Aventino 

Rome's Rose Garden

Circo Massimo

The view of St. Peters from my apartment- with a view of the Pope's private train tracks 

These guys....crazy 

My favorite little shoe shop 

Italian wedding crasher (sadly it was not Amal and George)

Mass with Papa Francesco- I have seen him twice now! 

I consider myself an Italian chef ; ) 

Musei Vaticani

Today was World Tourism Day, so I decided to stroll down the street to the Vatican Museum where they were giving free entrance. About 30,000 other people also had this idea and lets just say, it was good I brought my patience ; ) I waited three hours to get in (I got there an hour early!) this line was like the longest Splash Mountain line you have ever seen, but on steroids. Three hours was probably the short end of the deal- I was wise enough to bring a book and got some good reading and sunshine in. No complaints! 

This was my third visit to the museum in the past few years, and I know I will see it again soon with so many visitors coming this fall. I didn't feel the need to stay all day (I was there about four hours) but was still able to browse the artwork, walk through the Sistine Chapel (and take illegal pictures, there goes those heaven points...) send some postcards and shop a little at the bookstore (I purchased a Mother Teresa pendant I know I will wear and cherish forever. It sounds so cheesy- but I am very happy Sisters will always be close to my heart, in more ways than one). 

I took quite a few photos, but none of them (or any photos anyone will ever take) can do this place justice. There are no words to describe it...the beauty and the history. Below are a few highlights of the Museum- I ended up coming home for a late lunch then went out again for a visit to Campo di Fiori, Santa Maria Sopra Minerva (where I watched an Italian wedding!!) Sant' Agostino, Piazza Navonna, the Pantheon and San Luigi dei Francesi. I ended my outing by having a glass of wine at a bar and saw the first half of the Roma game. It was a lovely day- I am so blessed to be living this life I have always wanted to live!

Much to look forward to!!

I got a little crazy on RyanAir this afternoon and booked myself a few European trips... I will be traveling to Frankfurt, Germany in October (for authentic Oktoberfest with my cousins!) Dublin, Ireland and Athens, Greece in November! These deals were just TOO good to pass up. I booked weekend trips so my schedule with the Sisters would not be too interrupted. I will try to work overtime at the convent to make up for the days I will be gone. I also booked a flight to Warsaw, Poland before I leave the EU and will spend some time there, before returning to Seattle (via London and Iceland) on December 7th.  

Lacy is coming for nine days in mid-Octotber and Andrea and Mel will arrive for five days in mid-November (I think Les and Gail should come, too ; ) . I am also hopeful my mom will come over Thanksgiving break. I know it costs an arm and a leg to get here and see the sights, stay in a hotel, eat out every meal- I am so grateful to my sweet friends who are so willing to spend some of their savings visiting me. I do have so much to look forward to these next few months and I eagerly await everyones arrival! 

If there is anything you think I should see in Frankfurt, Dublin, Athens and Warsaw, please send me tips as I have limited knowledge of these areas. These trips will be not only an adventure, but a challenge as well- I will need to find an inexpensive place to stay in each city (except for Frankfurt where I will stay with family), a cheap way to get myself to and from the airports (i.e. figuring out a train or bus schedule/system, cabs are too pricey), cheap places to eat and I will need to figure out how to get myself around town, while being extremely safe. I am quite nervous and to be honest, it feels exciting but overwhelming, as well- doing all these things on my own does scare me and I have already become very comfortable here in Italy. I have a safety net in place. That feels good, but I keep remembering the saying, "A ship is safe at harbor, but that is not what ships are for." I want to keep growing and experiencing all these wonderful adventures- and to do that, I have to move to the other side of fear. 

 I have already grown in leaps and bounds and proven so much to myself by following what God has put on my heart: quitting my job, moving to Phoenix, coming to Roma, working with the Sisters. I have always be independent, but I never envisioned being so independent in this way...Now that I am, I simply wouldn't have it any other way. As always, I praise God for guiding and loving me in the way only He can. 

Wise Words

As my daily work with the Sisters of Charity continues, I am reflecting tonight upon the words of their founder, Mother Teresa. Everything I feel and experience at the convent draws back to the theme I felt so heavily on my first day: LOVE

Love for Christ, Love for others, Love for yourself, Love for all- no matter what 

Except for chopping onions. I don't love that ; ) 

Monday

This is awful, but I have to title my blogs the days of the week in order to keep track of them! Quite a contrast to four months ago when I was literally counting down every hour until the weekend...The longer I am here, the more I know God is so RICHLY blessing me with this very special time in my life... I don't know if I will ever have the opportunity to do something like this again. I want to do all I can to glorify His name and use every minute wisely. 

I explored ALL day Saturday- a good six hours of walking around the city, seeing new churches and museums- it was fantastic. I am so blessed to have such a strong and healthy body that can get me around anywhere...My feet are pretty sore, though! A small price to pay for such a good day. I went to the convent early on Sunday morning and helped walk the women over to mass. In all honesty, it really is only 30 feet from the Sisters to St. Monica's, but many of the women are disabled and one Sister said to me, "it is so good we have people to help us walk the women over, some of them are so out of their minds they would get so lost walking across the street." My first reaction was to laugh a bit : / then I quickly realized the Sisters are doing such meaningful and important work in the lives of others. I, for the most part, stay in the kitchen, but this statement really hit home that this convent is HOME for some women who have no place else to go. I feel incredibly blessed to be a small part of their lives and their home. 

Today was deep cleaning day, and I willingly went into the convent this morning knowing this (five heaven points for me?!?!?! :  ) Once again, we volunteers were rewarded with sweet treats and I made the mistake of telling the Sisters I was diabetic and showed them my insulin pump... Let me tell you, this was quite the blunder as they were immediately worried and said they wouldn't give me anymore treats!!!!!!!! (They are always pushing food on me, telling me I need to eat more) I was horrified, I LIVE for treats and if I take my insulin, I can have as many as I want...and since I have been walking SO much, I always have extra treats ; ) I tried to correct my mistake and explain how the insulin works... I am not sure if they understood or not, but they did say they would say an extra special prayer for me and my sickness, which means a lot and I am grateful for these special prayers. 

I spent Monday afternoon doing (surprise!) more exploring and checked off quite a few of my local Roma to do list activities....I stopped at the gelato place which has over 150 flavors...choosing two was so much harder than choosing a nail polish and THAT is really hard!!  : ) I ended up going with twix and peanut butter...delicious (at some point I will try the fruit flavors, but right now I am all about chocolate). I also found a little shop called Toko- I have been searching for this shop for WEEKS now. Kath is so happy because this means I will finally shut up about it ; ) I didn't get anything- I was more proud I actually found it, as it is truly in a little hidden alleyway. I studied an actual map (like a fold out map) to find it....Never thought I would be using one of those! Toko does create custom initial rings out of scrap metal and coins and I am considering having one made to celebrate my time in Roma (funds willing). I ended my excursion by going to Il Papiro, an Italian stationary store which uses marbling, a technique of chromatic decoration that dates back to the seventeenth century. 

I see couples ALL OVER in Roma, including many who are getting married. It is not like the US where people strictly get married on a Friday or Saturday night... all the couples I have seen have been in their dresses and tux's on weekday mornings...it is very sweet. 

I did hear the Hawks got a big win yesterday! I love living in Roma, but I do, at times, wish I could be home on Sunday afternoons watching football with my family and friends...sipping on a Starbucks Carmel Apple Cider (have one for me, LL!)...I will look forward to this next year and will go eat another gelato to compensate ; ) 

Love to you all- everyone is in my prayers, especially as a new school year begins for many of my friends! 

xx SJK 

Beautiful bride and groom headed to St. Peters 

Maybe I will rent one of these instead of a scooter...

Gelato at Del Palma!!! 

ADORABLE pup I saw outside of a shop...poor thing must be so hot, it is still in the 80's here and very humid....

My very original message (I got the date wrong ; ( at Il Papiro