When in Rome (see everything possible)

Sorry for not posting anything for a long time, but as many of you know I have been on vacation for the last week in Rome. My mother and sister Sarah joined me on this trip, and the main point behind the trip for me was to see one of my friends since college get married (it was in St. Peters Basilica and I was able to concelebrate the wedding). Overall it was a great trip. We saw the Pope twice. The first time we saw him was at the Pentecost Mass at St. Peter's where I was able to be a Eucharistic Minister and where the Pope passed within four feet of my mother and sister.  The other time we saw the Pope was at the general audience on Wednesday where we had great seats thanks to Archbishop Harvey. We were also able to see almost all of the sites in Rome.  We saw St. Peter's Basilica (where I was able to either say Mass or concelebrate Mass four times), the Vatican Gardens and Museum (the gardens are beautiful), and also we were able to do the Scavi tour (which is a tour of the excavation that archeologists under St. Peters did in the 1940’s to try to find the bones of St. Peter which they did). Some other churches that we were able to see were all of the Major Basilicas (Mary Major, St. John Lateran, and St. Paul’s outside the Walls), and, of course, the Pantheon and many other Churches .

Just so you know we did see many other things then religious sites including the Coliseum, Forum, Palatine Hill, the Spanish Steps, and, of course, we had to go and see the Trevi Fountain (although we forgot to throw a coin in, although I never have). The food was great, and I even got to go to my favorite restaurant in Rome which is Abruzzi’s (they have the best carbonera that I have ever had, and they also have great service). We were also able to eat plenty of Gelato. One of the best things about Rome is that most of the sights are in walking distance of each other, and even if they are not the public transportation can get you anywhere where you want to go. The main way of transportation for us was the bus, but we did take the metro one day, and I soon figured out that my mother is not a fan of being underground, which she definitely let me know. I also enjoyed running in Rome, because I would be running faster than the cars (the traffic can be pretty bad).

   So, the question has to be what was my favorite part of the trip? Well, it may surprise you but my favorite part is always the same when I go to Rome; which is being able to see the Universal Church. It always shows to me that the Church is bigger than just me, or the American Church. It is the Universal Church and it is a beautiful Church. I am always amazed at how big the Church is, but also to realize that we are all part of this Church, and that what we do in our own lives affects what happens for the Universal Church. So, keep on trying to live a life that will contribute to the glorification to the Universal Church and all of its members.
If you want to see more pictures of my trip to Rome, check out this link for more great pictures, thanks to my sister Sarah.