Ave Philomena!: Rome Life Forum

Inside St. Peter's Friday Morning.

St. Peter's as the sun is rising, waiting to enter to celebrate Mass at St. Peter's tomb below the main altar.

A Conference at the Rome Life Forum

Dear Friends and Family,

This morning I walked the catacombs of St. Priscilla, and prayed at the tomb of St. Philomena! Of course her relics are no longer there but it is where she lay buried for the better part of 2,000 years and it was wonderful to pray there, to have a tour of the catacombs, and then to assist at a Mass celebrated near St. Philomena's tomb. Someone here locally even invited to get me in on a future visit, "outside of normal visiting hours" when no tourists would be there and we could have the catacombs to ourselves.

I am in Rome for five days, flying back to Canada tomorrow morning, for the Rome Life Forum. Unfortunately much of what I have been doing here I can't write about because it involves people's personal lives and my work here as a priest. I can say though that I am here because of some ongoing work I have been asked to do to help the pro-life movement and the conferences have been great. They should soon, if not already, be posting all of the conferences on LifeSite's website and also on Voice of the Family's website. If you have the time to look at them I would particularly recommend:

-Matthew McCuster's talk on the (quite scary) work of the U.N. to the detriment of children and families (this is a talk for those looking for facts and information).

-Fr. Linus Clovis' talk if you are looking to hear a courageous priest speaking boldly.

-The talk given by a lady on Friday morning (I had to miss this one in order to meet with someone here in Rome), that I heard was quite good.

-Of course Cardinal Burke's and Bishop Schneider's talks were excellent.

It has been quite an intense five days, with yesterday being Italy's March for Life. I had debated about taking a week away from studies, when those are very intense now and much in need of time, but it seemed to me the Lord was asking this of me and it has been a very rewarding few days. It will make studies more challenging the next 5 weeks but then.... you only live once! And it has been a great opportunity to be here these days and something that should bear good fruit in this next year's work.

Friday morning I had a particular blessing. A friend had arranged for us to reserve the "chapel Clementina"--the small chapel in the crypt just below St. Peter's tomb--for a Mass. Already on Wednesday afternoon, shortly after getting off the plane, I had been blessed to join a "Scavi tour" underneath the Basilica. You walk the streets that were buried there in the early 300's when Constantine filled in the land with dirt in order to build his Basilica on top of it. It is rather amazing to not only walk those ancient streets but to also see the, largely intact, buildings that were buried then as well: the buildings that contained the tombs of early Romans, some of whom were Christian. But even more amazing is to hear the story of St. Peter's martyrdom, which took place in Nero's circus (or arena, not sure of the proper name) that was located just next to the current St. Peter's. So knowing St. Peter was martyred and buried there was quite moving.

But even more moving was to celebrate a 7AM Mass Friday morning on the altar that is attached to the tomb of St. Peter. It is a chapel that has existed, in its current state, for 400 years. And so as I offered the Mass there I couldn't help but think of all of the popes over the past 400 years who had offered Mass on that very altar, standing right where I was standing... and I paused for a long time during the canon of the Mass to pray for each of you--so many different situations and family needs, needs of religious and priests, and so many, many needs. I also placed my own priesthood there on the altar, asking St. Peter to obtain for me the grace of faithfully preserving and preaching the Catholic Faith that he received from Our Lord 2,000 years ago.

Much more could be said about these few days, but due to space I'll just mention one other example. Friday evening Cardinal Burke led a holy hour and benediction for people who had come for the March for Life. It took place in the church Sant'Andrea dalle Fratte, which is famous largely because it is where the miraculous conversion of Alphonse Ratisbonne took place. Alphonse vigorously denied the Catholic Faith. However a friend dared him to wear a miraculous medal and (I think) to enter this church. Alphonse took him up on the dare and when he entered the church Our Lady appeared to him, he was converted instantly, and went on to become a Catholic priest. That altar was also the altar where St. Maximilian Kolbe celebrated one of his first Masses.

Well, I'd best sign off in order to go pray and to make a Holy Hour at St. Peter's. Then there will be a final dinner this evening with the organizers of the conference.

I have carried you all in my heart here, especially in Friday morning's Mass. May Jesus and Mary protect you and guide you.

In Cordibus Iesu et Mariae,
Fr. Tony Pillari