ROME 23/05 – Day 23: Purple, Pizza and Puzzle

On this 143rd day of the year the Roman sun appeared at 05:41 and will slip away at 20:33, the Ave Maria ideally sounding at 21:00.

It is the Feast of St. Giovani Battista de Rossi who is a beautiful saint, much involved with the parish Ss. Trinità, reknowned for his work with the poor.    His body was here until the 50’s when a new church in his honor was built and his relics were translated.  However, you still see the inscription on the tomb beneath the altar.

Today several relics of St. GB were out and on the altar for Mass.

Would be the 112th birthday of my old mentor, boss and friend the late great Paul Augustin Card. Mayer, OSB.  The holiest man I’ve ever known well.

Here is a Mass being celebrated at the altar of S Giovani Battista de Rossi this morning.

The book held by the smaller angel says, Infirmus eram, et visitasti me.

The parish sacristan and I went to Gammarelli today to start the RED VESTMENT project, now that “pledgers” have said they have sent checks.

One thing we had to do was select the color for the lining.  Perhaps you can guess which one it will be.

This would have been a nice color for vestments, rather like the Roman purple and even more like paonazza.

While we were at Gammarelli there was some discussion about a privilege for those ordained in San Pietro by the Pope.

In one version, the priest can have the black cassock with paonazza buttons (not with the trim).  In the other, it was one button only.  I think the first version is more accurate.  We must find out the truth of this.

Meanwhile, here is an extremely important tool for earlier days, and sometimes today, for visiting a church.  After Gammarelli we had a walk about, including Sant’Ignazio.

Yeah.

Here is another marvel.   Fresh mozzarella di bufala, several kinds of ripe tomatoes, basil, pizza bianca.    This was lunch today.  Stupendous.  Thank you Roman donors.

In chess news, the fight continues in Warsaw, the last day of Rapid games. My favorite, Wesley So, and Polish GM Jan-Krzysztof Duda lead after six rounds. Wesley had a win yesterday but at the end played inaccurately and wound up with a draw against Duda. Rats.

White to move here.  Mate in 2.

NB: I’ll hold comments with solutions ’till the next day so there won’t be “spoilers” for others.

Please remember me when shopping online. Thanks in advance. US HERE – UK HERE  These links take you to a generic “catholic” search in Amazon, but, once in and browsing or searching, Amazon remembers that you used my link and I get the credit.

Beer from Norcia. Get some for your priests!