Today, in addition to being the Feast of Sts. Vincent of Saragossa and Athanasius the Persian, it is the feast of another Vincent, St. Vincent Pallotti, founder of the Pious Society of Missions (the Pallottine Fathers).

I have a connection to this saint, along with San Filippo Neri and Francesca Romana.  The first time I was in Rome, before my conversion, I was studying ancient history and archeology.   The place where we were lodged was called the Casa Pallotti in the Via Pettinari, the street that aims directly into the Ponte Sisto across the Lungotevere.  It was across the street from the “flank” of what years later would become, and still is, my adoptive Roman home parish, Ss. Trinità dei Pellegrini, which Providence decreed would be the personal parish for the Traditional Roman Rite in Rome.

It is amazing how these things connect together over the decades.  We need hindsight and perspective to see how God works His plans for us, how the digitus Dei moves us around.

Anyway, the Casa Pallotti, pretty run down when I was there, must have been part of the Pallottine complex.  It has since been transformed into a pretty swanky hotel.

Not only was the Casa Pallotti surely part of the Pallottine complex (their world “HQ” is just around the corner), but it is next to a lovely little church, San Salvatore in Onda, where you find the body of… St. Vincent Pallotti.   He was canonized by John XXIII in 1963, so he didn’t make it into the 1962 Missale Romanum.  However, I believe that, according to the CDF Decree Cum sanctissima, we could honor him through a celebration of Holy Mass, with the Common of Confessors, perhaps even – being flexible – with the Latin orations of the subsequent missal.

In the same church is the tomb of Bl. Elisabetta Sanna.

Meanwhile, it is also the Feast of Sts. Vincent and Athanasius, whose church is across from the Trevi Fountain.  It is distinguished for having the innards – yes, you read that right – of various Popes.   More on that HERE.