Oh, what the heck. Let's do post #3 for today. See what happens when I finally get a day off of work and I have to stay home? Guess there's a bright side to having to have concrete poured for a new sidewalk.
Tuesday, September 27th, 2022:
Allyson finally starts getting better! I was half-joking on the bus ride from Assisi that morning with Mom that, "Yeah, Padre Pio was supposed to help me get better because I think he said something about wanting to help all the sick and suffering while he was alive and continue in heaven, but nope. I had to go see St. Francis for that." And, because I got to sit in the front seat (because that's what motion-sick people get to do), Francesco heard me and he turned around and smiled and was happy that his saint got to help me feel better. Should've gone to Assisi before now. Have I mentioned that he is a great guy?
I really liked Cascia. I really like St. Rita. A few years ago, I watched a movie about her life on Formed.org and just really got into her story. Just as a warning, though, it is a super long movie with at least two parts. But well worth the watch.
St. Rita, welcoming everyone to Casica:
Off the bus to walk to the monastery:
Just snapping a few pictures as we wait:
Around the door of the Major Basilica:
Downstairs, we went into the chapel that houses another Eucharistic miracle, and got to have Mass:
After Mass, we went back out and up the hill to the left side of the Basilica to take a tour inside the monastery.
Here we are waiting at the door for our tour guide. He was a monk that is allowed to take tourists inside. Once he arrived, he rang the bell and a sister let us in. Only the sisters who have jobs selling and giving items to tourists and visitors and the door keeper is allowed contact with the outside world. The other sisters are cloistered and have to leave the areas where the tour is done until the "all clear" (though, they probably don't use that phrase) is given.
First, we arrived at the place where they discovered St. Rita inside the monastery. St. Rita wanted to join when she was very young, but they would not let her. Then, she was married. Her husband and his family were not very nice people. Suffice to say, she suffered many years until he finally converted. Then, when he died, her in-laws tried to take her sons to raise them, but she knew that they would be raised to do terrible things. She prayed and prayed. God answered her prayer by having them die.
A little while later, she wanted to join the monastery again, but they still wouldn't let her, mostly because one of the women in there was her in-law and didn't want her there. One morning, they found her in this courtyard, though it would be impossible to get in there without going through the main entrance. They took this as a miraculous sign that she should be allowed to join.
One of the tasks St. Rita was given was to take care of this vine. It was obviously dead, but she did as she was told, as obedience was one of her vows. As you can see, it is still flourishing:
I can't remember for certain, but I think these are holes from bees. St. Rita is also known for having bees fly into her mouth when she was an infant, but they never harmed her.
Inside one of the rooms is the first casket where St. Rita lay and a painting depicting Jesus and Mary appearing to her. St. Rita had the stigmata on her forehead. Apparently, it smelled horrible. She once wanted to make a pilgrimage to Rome, but they didn't want her to go because of the stench. She prayed and it went away, so they let her go. She walked all the way to Rome and back. When she returned, so did the stigmata.
Here are her Our Father beads. Little history: many religious had beads they used to pray the Our Father. This is a "predecessor", if you will, of rosaries. I only know this because I've been reading a book by Fr. Calloway.
Inside her old casket are old letters to her.
Here is the rose garden. St. Rita is also associated with roses. From what I was told, she prayed that God would give her a sign that her husband and two boys were in heaven. She asked for a rose and two figs. At this time, she was in bed, very seriously ill, in the middle of winter. The sister she asked to go and get them for her thought she was delirious, but did it anyway. Low and behold, there were the figs and the rose.
The tour didn't cover a lot of ground inside the monastery, but it is the home of cloistered nuns, after all. But very, very interesting. I really liked it.
Back outside, I got a picture of the other side of the door:
And went inside the Major Basilica. It's not the prettiest in Italy, especially for those who don't like bright colors. Many of my fellow tourists thought it was ugly. I'm not sure I minded it, but no, it doesn't make my list. I just liked the way I felt, sitting in there. But, I feel at peace in most churches.
St. Rita was found incorruptible, but she isn't anymore.
Afterwards, we had time on our own. Mom went shopping beforehand for jewelry. Oh, another part of our tour included the fact that sometimes people smell roses inside the Basilica. We take it as a sign that St. Rita is there or answering our prayers, sort of like St. Terese of Liseux. I didn't smell any inside the basilica, but everywhere else. I wondered if that was because I have a really good sense of smell and there were roses growing in various spots in the city. Mom says it was St. Rita. Maybe, maybe...especially since I didn't have my nose 100% better yet. I'll let you decide.
We had chocolate and cherry gelato! So, so good.
Then, we decided to go back towards the bus, because there were a few little places that sold food down there. Probably should eat something besides Italian ice cream...
I snapped a picture of the place we got a sandwich at for lunch right before we drove away. It was amazingly good, but it was just pork and bread. Local food is so good when you're hungry. Normally, I'm not big on pig (ha ha ha. See what I did there). At the risk of being whipped, I can admit that I could probably live the rest of my life without pig...bacon, sausage, etc. I do love my pepperoni pizza and ham is good instead of sausage. But that sandwich in Casica was really, really good.
We got back to Rome. This time, we stayed at a different hotel. Here's a pretty bush outside the hotel:
One of the other tourists took a picture of Mom and me in Casica on Mom's phone:
We were able to have one last dinner with everyone in Rome. Francesco even came with us, though he didn't have to do so. My sister-in-law, Jen, also joined us, because she was sick of having all her meals picked out for her (on her tour, all her meals were already included. On ours, there were only a few dinners like that and then the rest were on our own). I didn't really realize it until she pointed it out, but Italians don't eat vegetables very often. Olive oil and pasta is big, of course.
Maybe I'll do a post only about food for Italy sometime.
Tour days are officially over! Next post is about our extra day in Rome before Ordination Day.
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