Another Day in Assisi

Our room has outside shutters, a window and inside shutters. Before I went to bed, I opened the outside shutters, the window and inside shutters. We were awoken by the birds sitting on the terracotta roof across from us. I looked outside to see daybreak over the mountains with the tower of the Bascillica of Saint Francis visible. It was SOOOOOOOo incredibly quiet, peaceful. I just wanted to go outside for a walk but I remembered that we had to get ready for our breakfast with the group.

Now I love the group but sometimes I wish I could just go off and be alone especially in this beautiful town.

We had mass today in a little chapel of San Stefano (St. Steven). So tiny, plain, cold and damp but I could imagine St. Francis being there...his kind of place. Not big and ostentatious....just stone walls and floor, simple ornamentations. So it was nice to share that place with his memory.

Afterwards we were free to shop and explore town. Jackie and I went into the neighborhoods to get an idea of how the natives live. They have no idea how lucky they are to live there in that beautiful holy place.

We did do some shopping, met some wonderful artists. One woman who could not speak english but with Jackie's 2 semesters of Italian, my one conversational class and our spanish background well we were able to communicate. It was fun. We bought art from her and from another man who spoke some english a wonderful contemporary christian artist.

We saw some nuns who we didn't recognize the habit for so we stopped them an asked them. They were Franciscan sisters of the Eucharist. One was the cofoundress. They were founded in 1973 in Connecticut. Wonderful women.

Then the bus ride back to Roma......... :( When we arrived Fr. Patrick took us to the Roman Ruins and the church of St. Cosmos and Damian - early martyrs. I prayed for you again there and all your special intentions. Oh that we all might have the courage of these holy men.

We also had a tour of the place where the priests who are studying in Rome live and other places.....I could go on and write a book about all of this...we saw so much!