Here’s a church, there’s a church, everywhere a church church…

There’s a church on every corner!

OK, that might be a bit of an exaggeration, but it’s not too far from the truth.  Everywhere you look in Rome, there seems to be either a Church or an aqueduct :)

St. John Lateran  Basilica.  It is a 15 minute walk from our house.  The other day I decided to walk around our neighborhood, and not knowing exactly where I was going, stumbled upon it.

 My goals for these first couple of weeks in Rome are to (1) settle into my new community, (2) explore the city, (3) and attempt as much Italian as I can.  Numbers one and two are going quite well.   As for number three…well, I have high hopes for the language program in Verona that begins on July 1!

The last couple days I’ve been going out to various sights with Bro. Daniel.  (Dan and I lived together and studied philosophy together last year in Dayton.  He is another first year seminarian.)  We’re making our way through the “Major Basilicas” in Rome.  Yesterday we visited St. Mary Major, and today we went to St. John Lateran.  As the name implies, St. Mary is dedicated to Mary, Mother of God.  St. John is the Cathedral for the Diocese of Rome and where the popes lived for about a thousand years (give or take) before moving to the Vatican.  Below are a few pictures and descriptions from our excursions. 

Ciao!

The Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore (St. Mary Major)

Bro. Dan near the alter of Saint Mary Major

What I do in my spare time.  Just ask the Seminary Rector! (At St. Mary Major)

The interior of St. Mary Major.  The Basilicas in Rome are just huge!

A chapel in St. John Lateran.  Even the "chapels" are big.

Dan and I at St. John Lateran

Who doesn't love a picture of the church organ?  Maybe someday...

From the Facade of St. John Lateran

In front of the doors of St. John Lateran.  I think these bronze doors originally came from a building in the Roman Forum.

Lining the main aisle of St. John are statues of the Apostles.  Here I am with my friend Matthew.

The Church of Santa Croce in Gerusalemme.  It's a "small" church just down the road from St. John Lateran.

St. Francis of Assisi and I. The statue is facing St. John Lateran and commemorates St. Francis' asking the Pope to recognize his Rule of Life.  (The Pope lived at St. John's back then.)  It might also be St. Francis signaling a touch down.