Sunday, March 3

Blessed Sacrament Chapel (picture does not do it justice)

On Thursday February 28th at 8pm Pope Benedict XVI officially resigned from his role as Successor to St. Peter.  So I thought it was very appropriate that that same morning our Art and Architecture class had a Scavi tour - a tour of the necropolis beneath St. Peter's, which culminates with a visit to the actual tomb of St. Peter.  It was very moving to pray at the tomb of St. Peter for Pope Benedict in the last moments of his pontificate, and to pray for the future pope as well, who will carry on the unbroken line from St. Peter himself.  Equally emotional however was being in St. Peter's square at 5pm when Pope Benedict's helicopter left for Castel Gandolfo.  I had mixed emotions as I stood in the square watching the helicopter do one final circle over the square - I was sad to be saying goodbye to such a wonderful pope, but I was also so thankful for his selfless act for the good of the Church.  It was a great act of faith and humility on his part, and I so admire him for his courage in living out the will of God both for himself and for the Church. 

Rialto Bridge

Later that night, I was privileged to be able to go to the press conference with three of the American cardinals at the North American College as part of my Catholic News Agency internship.  Cardinals O'Malley (Boston), DiNardo (Houston), and George (Chicago) were there to answer the questions of reporters from all the major news agencies.  I was so excited to be there!  I learned a lot about journalism, communications, and especially about the conclave.  The cardinals were very candid in their responses to questions related to the pope's resignation, what is needed in a future pope, and how the Church will move forward.  It was a great experience!

St. Mark's

The good times kept coming for me this weekend, because early Friday morning I left with four other girls for a weekend in Padua and Venice!  It was a fantastic trip!  We literally traversed the entire city of Padua on Friday.  We saw seven different churches, including the Church of Santa Giustina, which houses the tomb of St. Luke the Evangelist.  Of course we also went to the Basilica of St. Anthony, which was breath-taking.  The blessed sacrament chapel alone would merit a visit to Padua, it was stunning.  Our whole day in Padua was just perfect - we had a picnic in the park, and we wandered the streets and piazzas, just enjoying one another's company.  It was great!

Yesterday we spent the whole day in Venice.  To be honest, I was kind of expecting Venice to be overrated, but it's not.  It has so much character, it's a truly unique place.  We went to the seafood market, crossed the Rialto Bridge, fed the pigeon's at St. Mark's square, went to Mass in St. Mark's, and even rode a traghetto across the Grand Canal (a cheaper version of a gondola).  It was a fantastic day, and an even better weekend!