Our last two days together in the Spirituality Course were spent in Materdomini so we could have time to appreciate the long period of the people's devotion to St. Gerard.
We had our liturgy together as a group for these two days at the Basilica of St. Gerard where his remains lie in front of the altar. Thoai was the main celebrant and he was assisted by Sebastian and Jimmy.
The statue of Our Lady at the center of the main altar is the original statue of the Basilica since it was built, it is the same statue to whom the early Redemptorist, including Gerard, prayed to.
A statue of the dead Gerard at the museum which is at the side of the basilica.
There are samples of the local people's folk art to honor St. Gerard during his feast day which are exhibited at the museum.
There are also framed testimonies of those who calimed that St. Gerard intervened for them. Some got healed of illnesses, some were left unharmed in accidents while others received special favors like children.
Further signs of gratitude for the saint's miracles in their lives.
The oldest statue of St. Gerard in Materdomini., placed on a chapel beside the main altar. This is the people's favorite, when they come to the basilica, they first approach this statue before his relics which is at the center of the basilica.
The candles form the letters S and G, for St. Gerard.
There are always candles burning and flowers at the foot of this statue.
After June 24, the group dispersed. Some left for home, some went to other places while a few others remained in Rome.
This is the statue of Teresa de Avila sculpted by Bernini, placed on a side altar at the Church of Maria del Victoria (now administered by the Carmelites). Teresa is seen on ecstasy with an angel on her side.
The baroque main altar of the Church of Maria del Victoria.
The church's facade seen from across the road. To its left is a fountain with statues of Moses and other prophets.
Inside the Basilica of St. Paul on his feast day on June 29.
The statue of St. Paul in front of the Basilica.
The facade of the Basilica with its majestic mosaic.
The facade of the church and the statue of St. Paul seen from the entrance.
The main altar and the reliquary of St. Paul.
The Basilica's belltower. Outside the basilica is an open market.
A marble statue of Mary and Child inside the Maria Maggiore Basilica.
The facade of the Basilica at noon.
A Pieta inside the Basilica of Prasedde, which is located just off Via Merulana, near the Redemptorist's place. It is only a tiny statue compared to Michaelangelo's version of the Pieta at St. Peter's, but it has its own beauty. There is no sign as to who sculpted this statue.
The church of Our Mother of Perpetual Help along Via Merulana. The building beside is the home for the Redemptorists in Rome.
A painting of Our Lady of the Mountains (which is quite different from the statue of Our Lady of the Mountains in Scala).
The facade of the Church of Our Lady of the Mountains.
The facade of the museum that had a Chagall exhibition which exhibited 200 works of the renowned Jewish artist.
The facade of the Palazzo Senatorio, the seat of the Mayor of Rome. A banner showing the photo of Fr. Bossi and Aung San Suu Kyi expressed concern for both of them.
The close-up of the banner.
One of the two huge statues of Roman soldiers at the gate leading to the compound of the Palazzo Senatorio.
In front of the Palazzo Senatorio is a huge statue that include the twins Romulus and Remus - the founders of Rome - with the she-wolf who nursed them.
The banner seen from afar. The statue at the center represents Roma.
Another statue of the she-wolf and the twins, Romulus and Remus.
The place where St. Peter was incarcerated which lies in the shadow of the imperial Forum.
The steps of Sagrada Scala where people climb on their knees towards the second floor to join in the experience of Calvary.
The facade of the church that has the Sacred Stairs (sagrada scala), which is administered by the Passionists.
The Basilica of St. John Lateran as seen from the front of Sagrada Scala.
A statue of St. Francis and his first companions in front of the Basilica of St. John Lateran.
The facade of St. John Lateran with the ruins of old Rome by its side.
The relics of Our Lord inside the Church of The Holy Cross of Jerusalem in Rome. The relics include thorns, nails and the a bit of the wooden cross. the relics were brought to Rome by St. Helena and this church was built to connect Jerusalem with Rome.
The main altar of the Holy Cross church.
The facade of the church.
Me and Teodie Holgado CSsR and Adele Ygrubay OSB in front of the church of Our Mother of Perpetual help.
With Norman dela Pena, a St. Paul priest and Adel.
At the ice cream parlor with Adele, Norman and Teods.
The crowd walking towards St. Peter's, on the eve of his fiesta.
In front of St. Peter's.
This time around, owing to 9/11, people
have to go through a checkpoint to enter
St. Peter's located at the right.
Here the "pila" begions to enter the checkpoint.
The main altar of St. Peter's.
Michaelangelo's Pieta, a
masterpiece in marble,
encased inside a thick glass.
The tomb of Blessed
John XIII on one of the side altars of the Basilica.
The Madonna of Perpetual Help inside St. Peter's.
The massive art work at the back of the Basilica.
Bernini's masterpiece inside St. Peter's, a funerary monument of a Pope with metaphorical figures on the side and the angel of death (a skeleton with wings) holding the marble rug.
St. Peter's reliquary at the crypt.
On June 26, 2007, I went on a pilgrimage to Assisi with Neville, a confere from the vice-Province of Ipoh (Malaysia). We took the train from the Termini and got off at Assisi before the Perugia station. We then took a bus that brought us to the top of the mountain of Assisi.
