Rome is an amazing city. Here, you can visit Ancient Rome, Christian Rome, Italian Art/Culture/Fashion. Rome has so much to see and we are only here three days!!!
We started off today with a visit to the Basilica of St Maria Maggiore – the last of the four papal basilicas. It is also called the basilica of Our Lady of Snows, because Our Lady appeared to the Pope one August night and directed him to build a church where the snow lay... and indeed the next day the snow covered the ground on the hill.
What makes this church so special however is that it is apparently the only one which has not been rebuilt. St John Lateran has been destroyed by the barbarians, fire and an earthquake; St Paul's partially destroyed by fire; St Peter's completely re-built. But St Maria Maggiore is the original structure – there have been additions and renovations but it is essentially the same building first constructed in the 4th Century, which means that the building is 1600 years old!!!! There are two side chapels (newer ones), the Pauline and Sistine chapels, where Popes Paul V/Clement VIII and Sixtus V are buried respectively (now I realise that Sistine is after Sixtus...). So not all popes are buried in the Vatican Crypt.
The highlight of the church however is the relic it contains - little bits of the manger in which Jesus was laid. One is of course a little curious why St Helena was so convinced it was the one...
Maybe its age and air of antiquity is why I find this basilica so much more engaging than the others. I am not so enamoured of huge basilicas which are certainly very grand and imposing. They invite admiration but less so, prayer. I like little churches with inviting little shrines which encourage you to stay a while and pray. This ancient church, with its beautiful old mosaics, really had a deep prayerful atmosphere.
The next port of call was the Basilica of S Prassede. SS Prassede and Prudencia were the daughters of Pudens, who was a pupil of St Peter. The two ladies were martyred and their bones were brought to be entombed in this basilica together with those of other martyrs.
Oh, and there is also another relic – the pillar of the Flagellation. Brought by by St Helen (again), to Rome. Good thing for her that as mother of the Emperor, she had the authority to do whatever she wanted to do. By contrast, for today's pilgrims – it's not something we could have brought backin our check-in luggage.
We had mass in St Alphonsus which features the original icon of
Our Lady of Perpetual Succour. As there are a number of OLPS parishioners in the group, they must have really appreciated it. Apparently, the icon was painted in Crete and brought to Rome by a merchant, on a ship. The ship got into trouble, but was saved when the sailors prayed in front of the icon for help. Hence the name of the icon. Here, it was nice to see that (unlike the large basilicas) they still provide the old fashioned candle which you actually light. The big churches tend to have these sensor activated candles - you drop your coin in the offertory box beneath and the candle lights up.
Our Lady of Perpetual Succour. As there are a number of OLPS parishioners in the group, they must have really appreciated it. Apparently, the icon was painted in Crete and brought to Rome by a merchant, on a ship. The ship got into trouble, but was saved when the sailors prayed in front of the icon for help. Hence the name of the icon. Here, it was nice to see that (unlike the large basilicas) they still provide the old fashioned candle which you actually light. The big churches tend to have these sensor activated candles - you drop your coin in the offertory box beneath and the candle lights up.After lunch, we visited the Colosseum – for a brief photo stop. Thereafter, we went to the Pantheon – ah yes, the Pantheon. I remembered it well from my last visit here. I still find it incredible that this Roman temple has been able to stand for almost 1,800 years. Of course, this was because it was converted into a church which meant that no one would tear it down. Apparently, when Michelangelo built the dome of St Peter's, he deliberately made it just a little smaller than the Pantheon's dome. Besides the artist Raphael, the first king of a united Italy, Vittorio Emmanuel, is buried here.
Finally, we made our way to the Trevi Fountain. 
Of course, we had to throw the coin in. I threw a coin here in the fountain many years ago and indeed here I am back in Rome. According to Roberta, however, if you throw 2 coins you meet someone new and if you throw in 3 coins you breakup. Hmmm..... we saw a bridal couple by the fountain and figured that they should just throw one coin in! We were given a little free time at the fountain before rejoining the bus. I had my first and only gelato in Rome here. That's what happens when one goes for a pilgrimage....
Of course, we had to throw the coin in. I threw a coin here in the fountain many years ago and indeed here I am back in Rome. According to Roberta, however, if you throw 2 coins you meet someone new and if you throw in 3 coins you breakup. Hmmm..... we saw a bridal couple by the fountain and figured that they should just throw one coin in! We were given a little free time at the fountain before rejoining the bus. I had my first and only gelato in Rome here. That's what happens when one goes for a pilgrimage....
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