Early Morning Masses

 

Dear Friends and Family,

Above you see the main altar of Santissima Trinita dei Pelligrini parish in the heart of Rome. Each morning I leave the parish where I am staying and walk 10 minutes to Santissima Trinita to offer the Holy Mass. It is a nice walk to begin the day and especially it is worth it because the side altars and the way the sacristy is done make it a very prayerful place to offer daily Mass. Though you cannot see it in the photos, there are 8 side altars, almost all of which are full each morning for the Holy Mass. There is something beautiful about arriving there are 6:30 AM, quietly vesting along with other priests, and then processing out and celebrating quiet Masses simultaneously on the side altars, each of us trying to adore the Lord well and offering the Holy Sacrifice on behalf of all those souls in need. Then, we return to the sacristy (at slightly different times of course), unvest and then take time to pray in thanksgiving. For my part, I like to return to the side altar where I celebrated Mass and make my thanksgiving there.

I then begin the walk back to my room to begin the day's studies, along streets such as this:

Though first, I stop for a cappuccino and a "brioche simple"--which is a sort of breakfast roll. It's a wonderful way to begin the day!

In this month of the Holy Rosary, please be assured of my continued prayers for each one of your families.

In Cordibus Iesu et Mariae,

Fr. Pillari

First Weeks of Classes

 

Dear Friends and Family,

Classes have begun! This should be--God willing--my last semester of coursework for the doctorates here in Rome. Then it will be just a matter of writing the dissertations. 

Last week, on Oct. 7th--Feast of the Holy Rosary and the 450th anniversary of Lepanto--there was a beautiful evening concert to commemorate Our Lady's interecession in that historical battle. It was held in the church of St. Ignatius here in Rome, pictured above, and the Vatican Philharmonic Choir sang beautiful pieces of sacred music, interspersed with the prayer of the joyful mysteries of the rosary.

The previous weekend I was able to spend three days at the monastery of the Monks of Norica, which overlooks the valley here:

It was a particularly blessed three days for both prayer and study.

May God grant each of your families abundant graces in this month of Our Lady of the Rosary!

In Cordibus Iesu et Mariae,

Fr. Pillari

Pilgrimage to Padua and to St. Mark's Tomb in Venice

 

Dear Friends and Family,

This week I was able to make a pilgrimage to St. Mark's tomb in Venice (Venice pictured above at night), to pray at St. Anthony's tomb in Padua, and also to see my parents as they prepared to embark on hiking the Camino di Santiago in Spain. Here is a photo of my mom:

Saint Mark's Basilica in Venice, where St. Mark is buried, was truly striking. Above all, it was a great grace to be able to pray at his tomb. In addition, it was special to look at the 1,000 year-old church and picture it and what it must have been like for so many generations of Catholics to worship there.

Padua was particularly special because of the opportunity to pray at St. Anthony's tomb and because of the famous chapel where Giotto painted the life of Christ. I don't think I can do justice to describing it in words but if you go here you can catch a glimpse of it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=47QgqdeSi0U   .

Here in Rome it is good to dive back into studies and to continue praying at the tombs of the saints. Today, I prayed for you at St. Peter's tomb!

In Cordibus Iesu et Mariae,

Fr. Pillari

  

Arranging my work space

 

Dear Friends and Family,

The above picture is not my work space that I need to arrange! Rather, it is the Colosseum that I was able to visit and pray at, along with the Scala Santa (the Holy Stairs that Our Lord went up before He was condemned by Pilate).

As I step back into studies, part of this past week was getting my room set-up for that work, which included ordering a number of items from IKEA (two bookshelves, a filing cabinet, etc.), and assembling them, and also installing a keyboard tray with the help of an electric drill. Now, for those who know me well, you know that I am all thumbs when it comes to such manual tasks. But with the help of the saints and angels, the room is coming along well!

I need to go now to meet a priest for a min-pilgrimage this evening to Tre Fontane, where Saint Paul was martyred. I will pray for you all there.

May Our Lady teach you wisdom and Our Lord be your sure refuge.

In Cordibus Iesu et Mariae,

Fr. Pillari

Moving In

 

Dear Friends and Family,

This past week was a combination of studies and administrative tasks to get settled in Rome for the new school year. Among those tasks was a particularly challenging one: how to move my books and other personal items from last year's lodging to this year's? The distance was only 2 or 3 miles. However, due to the regulations in place in the heart of Rome, and the fact that the monastery at Santa Francesca Romana, right along the Roman Forum (the monastery where I lodged last year), is in the most restricted zone of Rome, it took some thinking to find a good solution. Because for a car or van to enter in there you had to pay about 100 euros....

Thankfully I found the good fellow pictured above and his business! With his bicycle he transports goods across Rome, for just 16 euros a trip. As you see above, he managed to load my boxes onto the front of his bike, along with my office chair and other items, to strap them down, and then to bike across the heart of Rome without crashing into anything and delivering the boxes safely. Quite a feat!

I'll be living within striking distance of a number of saints' tombs. One of my favorites is Saint Philip Neri, whose tomb is pictured here:

He is one of the patrons of Rome, lived through a terrible time that included the sack of Rome in 1550, and nonetheless maintained a great spirit of joy, all the while very effectively calling people to conversion. May he intercede for the Church today and grant us that same combination of joy and zeal for the salvation of souls!

Praying for your all here in the heart of Rome.

May Our Lady watch over you as your good mother, and may Our Lord be your strength and protection.

In Cordibus Iesu et Mariae,

Fr. Pillari

The Holy House of Loreto

 

Dear Friends and Family,

Among many blessings of the past week, I was able to make a pilgrimage to the Holy House of Loreto, to Osimo--where St. Joseph of Cupertino spent the last six years of his life, and to Assisi. The above photo was taken this morning in Rome (of the Pantheon), where I am now ready to dive back into studies!

Loreto was quite moving, so moving that I'm afraid I forgot to take any pictures of it. While there, I read a detailed study of the historical proof that the house in Loreto is indeed the house from Nazareth in which the Virgin Mary lived, received the visit of the angel Gabriel, and, together with St. Joseph, raised Our Lord. I will not go into the many scientific and historical proofs here, but will simply say that I found them quite convincing. 

Inside of the large basilica now built around it, one finds in Loreto encased in an outer shell of marble, the old stone walls of the house of Nazareth. Still today in Nazareth one finds foundations--matching exactly the dimensions of the house in Loreto--and the cave that formed part of the home, but here in Loreto one finds the three walls of the home, the fourth having consisted of the cave itself. 

I was able to go into the Holy House several times, and two of those times was able to spend 20-30 minutes praying there. It was moving to pray where the Holy Family lived, to ask for graces on behalf of all the young families today who are trying to raise their children well, to ask for graces for many others, and to ask for graces for myself as a priest, particularly the grace of giving a complete yes to the will of God as the Virgin Mary gave a complete yes to Him through the angel Gabriel.

I then went to Osimo, where the rooms of St. Joseph of Cupertino are quite well preserved. One can walk through them, and also can walk right up to the altar where he celebrated Mass for the last 6 years of his life, often levitating. It was wonderful to be able to pray there, and to pray at his tomb. 

I then stopped by Assisi and spent an hour praying at the Portiuncula, where the Franciscan order began, and at the site where St. Francis ended his earthly pilgrimage.

In Florence, where I spent several days with the family that hosted me during my Italian immersion last year, I was able to visit the beautiful Dominican convent of San Marco, and the tomb of St. Antonino.

I will continue to remember you all at the tombs of the Saints in Rome.

May Our Lady guide you and may Jesus be your strength.

In Cordibus Iesu et Mariae,

Fr. Pillari

Roma Aeterna

 

Dear Friends and Family,

Thank you for your prayers for safe travels. I arrived safe and sound in Rome a week ago today! It was a joy to be able to pray at the tombs of the saints. I spent one afternoon in St. Peter's Basilica, and took time especially to pray at the tombs of St. Peter, Pope St. Innocent, and Pope St. Pius X, confiding this time in Rome to their intercession. 

I was also able to visit the room where St. Brigid of Sweden lived for 19 years. Below are two pictures of her relics and an inscription:

In the bottom photo you can see some of her relics on the ledge, with an inscription below, and then, encased in glass at the bottom of the photo, a wooden table. The inscription, with the close up of it in the first photo, explains the table relic. It says:

"On this table [St. Brigid] wrote the book of her revelations, ate food with her sisters, and gave up her spirit to God." Indeed, after living 19 years in that little room, while playing a key role in the events of Rome, and writing there the book of visions given by God, she died lying on that wooden table. The Nuns indicated that I might be able to offer a private Mass in St. Brigid's room, which is now a small chapel. If I am able to, I will pray for you all there.

This weekend I arrived for a visit with the host family that welcomed me last year, just outside of Florence. It is a blessing to be back in the beautiful surroundings here:

God-willing, I will make a pilgrimage to Loreto this week before returning to Rome. You all are in my daily prayers.

May Our Lady guide you and may the Lord bless you and your families.

In Cordibus Iesu et Mariae,

Fr. Pillari