Thursday 9 June – Today we went to La Verna, leaving about 7.30 for a two hour drive in the coach. The weather was a little dubious and as we began the climb into the mountains we ran into some fog which made us wonder if all would be invisible. But we seemed to climb out of it again and for the energetic who hoped to climb to the top of the mountain, it was probably just as well that it was not too hot. When we arrived at the sanctuary and walked up to the guest house part, there was the usual bath room call and then the coffee call. The people in the restaurant were a little wary since usually we get picnic lunches from them, but last year they were so awful and stale and inedible that this year we got them in Assisi instead. However all was OK. Fortified by coffee and biscuits, we moved on to the sanctuary proper where Andre talked us through the historical background and made sure we saw as many as possible of the enormous and lovely dell Robbia ceramics there. We saw 13/15, ot bad. The steps to the mountain side were being reconstructed (necessary) but it meant they could not go down to the Sasso Spico and the cave where Francis used to pray below the huge dramatic rocks. After the historical input, we had a beautiful Mass in the chapel of the Stigmata, Assumpta from Arkley spoke very movingly during Mass and then mantras sang well too. Then people were ‘let loose’ and the climbers began their treck, arriving (they say) to a wonderful view. Finally it was time for the procession at 3.00. Andre had spoken to someone in the Curia (in Rome) and the Guardian knew we were there and in our honour they carried their relic in procession. Usually it only comes out on special occasions. The relic is a piece of cloth stained with Francis’ blood from the Stigmata, and we were invited to process immediately after the friars, from the main basilica to the Stigmata chapel. Soon after that we had to start for the bus and the long drive back to Assisi. The clouds and fog had cleared and they were able to see the ruins of Orlando of Chiusi’s castle
Friday 10 June 10 - Today we went to San Francesco. We had Mass at the tomb of Francis where we arrived in good time, and before Mass one of the friars came to the microphone and welcomed us. He said that in this year of St Clare they were trying to know her charism better since they realise it is part of their charism. All very heartening to hear. Then he gave us a holy card (Francis preaching to the birds) with a prayer on in English. After Mass and a quick break for necessities, Andre began an account of the frescoes in the Upper Basilica after which I did my best on the lower basilica. I think people were pretty bombed out by that time and mostly interested in sitting down. Annie Bremmer, whom some of us know, was also guiding a group of American High School kids around, so we kept bumping into them too as we went. The basilica is rich in art, and wonderful if you have time, but to whizz through it like this is pretty awful. The only alternative was to leave it out altogether and that did not seem right. I notice a big difference with this pilgrimage and the Study Pilgrimage which is more than twice as long, and therefore has much more space in it. I think this lot are more tired after a week than the Study Pilgrims after a month. But also every place we have been there has been so much done to make it memorable. After the Upper Balisica, I ‘did’ the Lower with them, the first time I have done it and they all looked a bit glassy eyed, but we survived.
Saturday 11 June – I seem to have lost my programme and cant for the life of me remember what happened on this day, but I think it was the day we went to La Maddalena
Sunday 12 June – To Rome via Greccio and La Foresta where we had Mass and also the young men of Mondo X gave us a wonderful meal. It was laid out in their refectory with scarlet table cloths, flowers on the table, fruit and everything beautiful. Such nice young men who served at table in their best clothes and made it a very special meal. The sisters loved them and wont, I think, forget them. We saw round their garden and vegetable plot, not a plant out of place. They told us that Padre Eligio, the friar who began this programme for young people in trouble and who still runs it, says to them that if they create beauty outside themselves, beauty will also come inside themselves.
From La Foresta we made a short stop at Fonte Colombo and gave them the Recommitment to Franciscan Life cards, and sent them off for an hour to make a private commitment, since we had all renewed our vows in San Paolo. Then on to the shock of Rome, the traffic, the noise, the rush and with all the faith in the world, a completely different view of the Church. The bus managed the twisting climb to Casa Tra Noi where we were staying and we found our rooms and unpacked and all that.
Monday 13 June – found us in St Peter’s and able, after a struggle on Andre’s part, to have Mass at the tomb of Bl John XXIII. Then he gave us a guided tour of St Peter’s, this takes nearly two hours and is very interesting though tiring. At the end, he and I took the headsets back to the firm we hire them from and went back to the Casa, he exhausted and I because my talk for that evening was not quite ready. After lunch and a siesta we hopped in the bus again to go to San Francesco a Ripa, the only church in Rome dedicated to Francis (though there is one dedicated to the Stigmata). This is built on what used to be Lady Jacopa’s family land and in Francis’ time was a hostel run by the Benedictines. She persuaded them to give it to the Friars and apart from a hiccup during the unification of Italy, it has been cared for by them ever since. This is where the little room is where Francis slept, up the stairs behind the main altar. You have to ask to see it. All one side of the church was covered with scaffolding as there was restoration work going on so we were not able to see the Bernini’s carving of Louisa Albertoni in exctasy, looking at scaffolding instead.
Tuesday 14 June – was our trip to Anagni. It was a bit edgy as this has not been done before and we did not know some useful things like how to get form the cathedral to the Poor Clares! We spent hours on Google the night before and although we got them both on the screen at once,, could not really see the route between them. However the Abbess has been wonderfully helpful and answers emails at once, which was as well because as I was falling asleep the night before I remembered I had not told her about the three sisters with diets, so hopped up and did so. I had the only room which connected with the Wifi in the lobby, just as well.
We arrived in Anagni in record time, collecting Fr Francis Walter, one of the General Curia ofm who was coming with us and had a greeting from the Minister General for us too. Once there we took the sisters up to the cathedral which seemed less far than when we had scouted out last year. Unfortunately Clare Agnes fell over and had a nasty graze on her knee, but a man appeared from nowhere and said he was a doctor and that it would be better to leave it uncovered, at least until it had had a good wash. He advised us to go to the hospital (A and E) on our way but I am afraid we did not. CA was OK though shaken and had collected some more aches and bruises I fear. But she made it to the top of the hill and the beautiful 9th century cathedral where Clare was canonised. We had a lovely Mass, reading most of the Bull of canonisation during the course of it, Fr Frank delivered the Minister General’s encouragement and then a young woman on the staff showed us the beautiful medieval crypt covered in frescoes, and with an unspoilt Cosmati floor as well.
We arrived in Anagni in record time, collecting Fr Francis Walter, one of the General Curia ofm who was coming with us and had a greeting from the Minister General for us too. Once there we took the sisters up to the cathedral which seemed less far than when we had scouted out last year. Unfortunately Clare Agnes fell over and had a nasty graze on her knee, but a man appeared from nowhere and said he was a doctor and that it would be better to leave it uncovered, at least until it had had a good wash. He advised us to go to the hospital (A and E) on our way but I am afraid we did not. CA was OK though shaken and had collected some more aches and bruises I fear. But she made it to the top of the hill and the beautiful 9th century cathedral where Clare was canonised. We had a lovely Mass, reading most of the Bull of canonisation during the course of it, Fr Frank delivered the Minister General’s encouragement and then a young woman on the staff showed us the beautiful medieval crypt covered in frescoes, and with an unspoilt Cosmati floor as well.
After Mass, helped by a map from her (Michaela) we walked the short distance to the Monastery, our three seniors going in the parish priest’s car, to the Poor Clare Monasteyr which was founded in 1255 to commemorate the canonisation. We had met them the year before when we were preparing this, they had been so welcoming and had invited us to a meal with them. M Abbess came and welcomed us and we soon felt very at home. They had prepared a wonderful meal (another one!) and we all sat with them in the refectory and ate and talked, the Filipinas sang, then they novitiate of Anagni sang, then we all sang, then the Filipina sisters sang again and everybody danced and there was much joy. Frank and Andre were there in the refectory with us and came round the monastery too, though this did not interest them as much as it did us! And finally it was time to go and the crowning bonus was the we discovered a door on our tour onto the main road, so the bus could come right to the door to collect us. The driver could not seem to take this in, so there were some lively exchanges between him and the abbess but this would not be Italy if there were no operatic interludes!
And so back to Rome, to the evaluation of the pilgrimage, a lovely sharing on what had been particularly good for each sisters, and then the closing ritual during which they were each given a Tau cross (another one!) and commissioned to spread healing and peace and champions of the Tau. Then our last supper and so to bed. This morning I am writing this soon after 6.00 so as to finish and publish before we leave. The two from Scotland are the first to leave, Fr Aidan is coming for them at 7.30; then the big UK contingent at 8.45 and the Filipinas are staying on a bit for this an that. Two of them are taking Colette from Myanga with them for lunch and their friends will drive her out to the Scots’ College where she will stay the night and the very nice rector, another Fr Frank, will see she catches her plane to Nairobi.
This has been a very remarkable pilgrimage and such a joy to be able to put what I have learnt back into the Poor Clare world. All our friends and family were prayed for in every place and remembered with love. It seems odd to think that in 6 hours time we shall be back in the UK.
And so this concludes this particular travel-log, with love and prayers
Frances Teresa
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