"Peace be with you"
Ciao! So I went to an Italian mass today with two of my roommates. The church by our apartment is pretty modern compared to other churches I've been to around Roma. It kind of felt like I was back home for a little bit. The latest mass was at 10am (so not the 5pm I'm used to back at St John's) but we found out that it was the children's mass. All the kids sit up in the first couple of rows ... and let me tell you, there were some rowdy teenage boys. It was just funny to see that no matter where you are, kids are still getting in trouble during the middle of mass.
We met this Italian woman at the beginning of mass. She immediately started talking to us in Italian, but realized we were not understanding. So she then started speaking in almost perfect English. She told us, "We stay out late, so we start church late." She also told us that we might not like the mass because it's not very organized. The whole mass was in Italian. It was really pretty and such a different experience. There were 5 altar servers (with red robes) and three priests. The oldest priest was really fun to watch. He had a huge piece of communion and after he ate it, he licked his fingers. I don't know why, but it was the funniest thing to watch.
During Communion, everyone just rushed to the front. There were not any lines or order, so we picked up that's what the Italian woman was talking about earlier. When we had Communion, the altar server held a small tray under the communion. It was such a small detail, but it was so respectful. The communion wafer was also a lot different ... it was almost like a listerine strip, (you know the ones I'm talking about? But it wasn't minty, obviously), round, and very thin.
I really had no idea what the priest was saying the entire mass, but you can pick up on the little things. The mass is so similar, and it was such a beautiful moment. I think I'm going to start Church hopping just to get the experience.
Anyways, I start class tomorrow! I'll post at the end of the week and let you all know how that goes. Keep your fingers crossed that I don't get lost along the way to class!
Peace and love,
.kait.
p.s. For those that don't have facebook, I'll be keeping my pictures on this site.
http://picasaweb.google.com/kait2311/CiaoBella?feat=directlink#
I love your bog.
ReplyDeletei love your pictures.
i am so happy for you. i am so excited that you are having such an amazing experience, especially since i know how important your faith is to you. and you are like at the world faith headquarters!
omg i miss you so much.
but also, your friends look FABULOUS! i am still trying to win the lottery so i can come visit.
I love reading your blog--it is amazing how when you go to another country, everything is totally different, and yet, there are always little similarities. When you mentioned the rowdy boys in mass, I couldn't help but think about the rowdy college kids here who do things like put big, white, strange looking S's on their neighbors lawns late at night. Hmmm...it doesn't matter where you are, there are always those who haven't grown up yet and love to play tricks on others. I wonder if anyone will play a trick on you while you are in Rome? (Which remeinds me of Roman Holiday when Gregory Peck put his arm in the hole in the wall and Audrey Hepburn thought he got his hand bitten off. That was one of my favorite parts.) I hope you get to go that spot in Rome--wherever it is. Keep enjoying everyday!
ReplyDeleteHaha! Hmm ... I wonder who those college kids could be!
ReplyDeleteAnd, yes, that is one of my favorite movies. I will make a post when I go to that wall.
kait,
ReplyDeleteAgh that Mass sounds so cool! I love the rush to Communion, I mean I guess that's how everyone should act when they go to Communion. Maybe the first shall be last thing comes into play though, ha. Yeah but the Mass you're talking about definitely sounds like Latin Mass from when I was little, with the plate under your hands/mouth (there's a special word for it, I don't remember) and the altar boys in red and whatnot. As far as the three priests go, do you ever wonder what the extra priests really contribute. I mean extra prayers/blessings, but really.
I'll see you in the Euch, missy. Good luck at classes
Great Pictures Kaitlin---New President how exciting!! How do the Italian's feel about this?
ReplyDeleteGreat stuff, Kaitlin...btw, the item under the chin is called a "Patten"...
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you got to experience mass in a lovely Church, most of ours here got turned into cafeteria's and I think American Catholics miss a lot in that.
Why the extra priests? Because, in the words of an Italian priest I know "There's nothing to do". When he told me that, I almost punched him in the head: send those extras over here!
love and miss you