The day started very well. I was awakened by a text message coming in.  It was a from a friend, the Archbishop, letting me know that the Giants had won the World Series., 

We had Mass and breakfast, and then headed to Umbria.  First stop was in Norcia. We visited the basilica build over the place where St.Benedict was born.  They make beer for a living and we were sure to leave with a six pack. 

Later we headed to Giano del Umbria where there is a famous Restaurant, Ristorante Rifugio San Gaspare. Good food, good friends,and good ambiance all come together there.

Then we went to the Abbey of San Felice, the place where the Missionaries of the Precious blood was founded.  We were treated with extraordinary hospitality.

At the Abbey of San Felice,there is a famous painting of the Madonna del socorrso.  It is my favorite picture of the Madonna.. 

Then we headed to Assisi where we are to spend tonight. 

Three things today: Visit to the Vatican Museum, Visit to two clerical shops where I purchased a new Alb and a new Chasuble set, all gifts from some very generous parishioners at St. Edward. Now it is time to get packing as we leave for Umbria tomorrow morning. We will stay six nights in the beautiful city of Assisi. 

Or a day among the ruins. A Visit to the Coliseum and other archaic and historic sites. 

but then we had to visit St. Peter in Chains:

A feature of that church is the stunning Michelangelo stature of the Moses,

Then back to then ruins

And then ending with a fine dinner with friends

After Mass and Breakfast we headed to the Abruzzi Region.  First to The Sanctuary of the Holy Face.  This is a unique cloth that was  placed over the face of Jesus in the Tomb.When placed over the Shroud it fits exactly. Whereas the Shroud shows the face of Jesus in death, this is the face of Jesus at the moment of Resurrection.

Next we drove across the valley to a Little hill town know as Patrica. Here there is a shrine to Gaspar's works of reconciliation that took place near here..

Then we drove up to Albano.  This place was beloved by Gaspar and it was where he was first buried. It has served as a place of formation,and also a place of retirement for our older members. 

The best made plans...I was planning to concelebrate  at the 10:30am Mass at St. Peter, but that Mass was canceled in favor of a Pontifical Mass at 9:30 for the Schoenstatt 100th anniversary. The Basilica was jammed and it was hard to move.  We got out of there and headed back to the Domus where I celebrated Mass in the 3rd floor chapel with the two pilgrims I am traveling with.Then we had a marvelous pranzo with Msgr Lopes. First we gathered on Msgr Lope deck to watch the Sunday Angelus with Pope Francis and have all our Rosaries blessed. 

Today is my 23rd anniversary.I will concelebrate Mass at the Altar of the Chair in St. Peter. 

This is not a job. It is a vocation. 
This is not an office that I hold. 
I have no important social position. 
I am forever marked and claimed 
by the Precious Blood of Christ. 
The Precious Blood of Christ is the fire in my soul 
when I acknowledge its power.

In the mysteries of the cross and resurrection, 
untrammeled by the limits of space and time, 
this Blood is still poured out from his side, 
liberating the world from its bondage to sin, 
terrifying the demons 
and healing those wounded by the serpent.

Each day I am privileged to do 
what no person can do by their own power. 
Still enveloped in human weakness 
I offer the Precious Blood of Christ 
to the Heavenly Father 
for the redemption of the world.

I can speak words 
which transform the elements of the world 
opening the world to God and uniting it to him. 
I can open my mouth and transform people’s lives, 
absolving their sins, 
washing them in the Divine Blood 
and bringing them to the living God.

It is Pope Benedict who reminds us 
that God has entrusted himself to my weakness, 
and he considers me, in spite of my weakness, 
capable of acting in his person and in his name, 
he being fully present.

The Mass is the greatest work. 
Everything else is the work of men and women. 
The Mass is the work of God. 
And St. John Vianney will remind us that 
“after God, the priest is everything! 
…Only in heaven will he fully realize what he is.”

We began the day with a short breakfast and then headed over to San Lorenzo in Damaso for Adoration and Benediction. As the pilgrims were from many countries and languages we prayed the Rosary together in Latin.At about 10:30 we formed a procession that took us to St. Peters. There Cardinal Burke presided over a pontifical High Mass in the Extraordinary Form 

After Lunch and a nap we had a quiet evening.  I had dinner with Msgr.Steven Lopes, a graduate of St. Edward School who now works in the Vatican at the Congregation of the Faith.

The pictures of the procession are some of mine and some from Fr. Z. 

The Four Papal Basilica are:

St. Peter
St. Paul Outside the Walls
St. John Lateran
St. Mary Major

We had already visited St. Peter, now we set out to visit the other three along with other small churches with significance in the early History of the Catholic Church. 

Santa Prudenziana
Santa Prassede. 

Prudenziana and Prassede were the daughters of a Roman Senator Pudens.  Pudens converted to Christianity and gave hospitality to St. Peter. Santa Pudenziana is built over the Senator's house and was where the Eucharist was celebrated for the first time in Rome. Santa Prassede is the place where thousands of early martyrs are buried. 

Santa Croce was built on the property belonging to St. Helena and is a shrine to the relics of the HolyCross she brought back from Jerusalem. 

San Lorenzo has the Tomb of St. Lawrence, St. Justin Martyr, and St. Stephen, the first Martyr.

San Sebastian s built over the Catacombs and is the tomb of Sebastian and many early martyrs. 

Go to this LINK if you would like to read what the Holy Father said to us