Fr. Z's Blog

Roman Sunrise 7:36. Roman Sunset: 18:11. Roman Ave Maria 17:30.

Yesterday was a bit of a down day.  I didn’t do much, other than to get my things organized for packing and to write an article for Catholic Herald.

In the afternoon I said Mass at Ss. Trinità, as usual, and a few friends participated.   One, from Germany, who has been good to the TMSM too, took a couple of photos.

It seems I am quite fast…

Afterwards we made our way to supper.

As we were waiting, they brought us some appetizers.

This a puff of baccala.

As mentioned yesterday, I had gone to the restaurant the day before to talk to the chef about creating a special risotto that would accompany the wonderful sake that my friend from Tokyo brought for my birthday.  The risotto was splendid, with mussels, a scallop, a bit of saffron and a touch of Sambuca Romana in the process.  The risotto and the sake were great together.  The chef got it exactly right.

Some fettucine with guanciale, Roman mint, artichoke and pecorino.

These things… these things… someone else ordered them and they were unbelievably good, with a filling of stracotto, in a thyme butter and with carmelized onion.  These guys have game.

There followed some 36 hour roast suckling pig and rabbit stuffed with sausage and herbs which we shared around.

For dessert some of us split portions of the unconventional ajo e ojo which matched up surprisingly well with Talisker 25, brought by a friend.

It was a fine evening, in a fine place, with close friends.  This will be a great memory down the line.  And it was a pleasure to share around the sake in such an interesting way which my friend from Japan took such trouble to bring, a real honor.

Thus, 60th birthday.  Thanks to everyone who sent greetings.

Today, not sure what’s going to happen.  I have packing in the morning.  I may see an exhibit.  There are two errands to fulfill and Mass tonight.

And that will be it.

Sunrise in Rome: 7:35.  Sunset in Rome: 18:12.  Ave Maria: 17:30.

Today is the Feast of Sts. Simon and Jude, Apostles.  Martyrs.  Their tomb is in St. Peter’s Basilica.   I posted a photo of their resting place yesterday.

In a special way I ask the Apostles, one in particular known for interceding in the cases of impossible causes, to intercede for me on my 60th Birthday.

Yesterday there was a great Mass at Ss. Trinità dei Pellegrini, celebrated by Bp. Dominque Rey of the Diocese of Frejus-Toulon.   He has been a champion of evangelism and traditional liturgy.

It was a Mass at the faldstool.   Masses at the Throne are impossible in Rome.

This is a Roman altar, friends.   With the “buste” and relics and the wonderful… what are they called again.  The floral decorations in metal.  I can never remember the term.   Under that painting by Guido Reni.

After Mass I was greeted by very many people.  One of them is a young Vietnamese man who told me about the TLM being celebrated in Vietnam for the first time in a very long time.  Also, he spends time in Finland.

I also had a wonderful conversation with two Koran pilgrims.   And there were many others from the USA (Portland stands out!) and elsewhere.

The organizers of the conference I spoke at gave me a bottle of good Calvados.  I brought it for lunch with the priests and the bishop after Mass.  It went well with the apple pie.

I had a good chat with Bp. Rey.  He has 95 – 95 – seminarians.  95.   He has a missionary view.   Tradition and a missionary spirit brings them.

I told him that one of the priests in his diocese and I were seminary companions and dear old friends, long sundered.  He instantly got out his mobile phone and called him.  Handing it over to me, we had cordial exchange of greetings.   I guess have to go to S. France to see what is going on.

In these last few days I have had a flatmate.  We went to met mutual friends, who came to Rome specifically for these days, atop the Minerva Hotel at their well-known roof-top terrace bar and restaurant.   The view.   In the distance St. Peter’s.  Close, Sant’Ivo.  The next dome, St. Agnes on the P.za Navona.  The tower, Santa Maria dell’Anima.

I don’t get this.  Beams of light shooting up through the oculus of the Pantheon.  I don’t think they remember that it is a church.   In any event, my symbol wasn’t being projected, so I didn’t have to dash off.

Supper was… fussy.  This had something to do with mozzarella, though you wouldn’t have known from the flavor.   That thing propped up on the side that looks like it belongs on a rock in the ocean…. no, the one the right… was pretty good.

A view on the way back to the apartment.

Tonight, supper out with a small group of very close friends.

Speaking of friends, a great fellow from Tokyo, Augustine, came for the pilgrimage.   It was something to see him in his traditional kimono holding the UNA VOCE banner in St. Peter’s Basilica during the Pontifical Mass.

Knowing that it was to be my 6oth birthday, Augustine brought a gift of fine sake and a beautiful little sakazuki cup.  The 60th birthday, kanreki (), is one of the most important in Japanese culture. The characters indicate “circulate” and “calendar”, which means that you have come back to the same lunar year as when you were born, in my case, the Boar.  In other words, I’ve completed a cycle.   The little sakazuki which my friend brought is delicate, of wood, with a gilded bowl with a stylized boar.   I will treasure it.

Yesterday I stopped at the restaurant where we will eat tonight and told the chef (this guy’s got game, friends) and asked if he could create a special risotto that we could have with the sake.   There are few things in life that give more lasting pleasure and good memories than an evening out with a select cohort in a legendary place with thoughtful gifts to share around.

So the countdown is coming to an end.   Not only do I have some 60 hours remaining in this Roman sojourn, but, in Scripture, 60 is a threshold year when people enter the last major age of life.

Sunrise in Rome – 7:33 and Sunset – 18:15. The Ave Maria is still pinned to 18:30.

I’ve been terrifically busy the last couple of days.   Hence, brief and less posting.

Lots of great people have descended on Rome for the Paix Liturgique conference and Summorum Pontificum pilgrimage.   Today, procession to San Pietro and Pontifical Mass.  Yesterday, the conference at my old school, the Augustinianum.

I gave one of the talks.  As people were filtering in!

After my talk, from the back.

A nice view of the Via Giulia.

The businesses have great signs.  Here’s one that is counter-intuitive to the environment.

At one of the confraternity churches on the way, they haven’t changed their papal stemma since…. who can tell us which Pope this is!

Last night there was a great Mass at the Pantheon, which is dedicated as a Basilica to Mary of the Martyrs.   Hungarians!   Norbertines and a choir from Budapest.  They were really good.

Raphael’s tomb.

This particular crucifix has always moved me.   I’d like to build a church around it.

My good friend Augustine, from Tokyo, of Una Voce Japan.

At Sant’Agostino a “light show was about to begin.  I didn’t stay for the abominable horrow show it was sure to be.

Just for nice.