Fr. Z's Blog

UPDATE:

Tomorrow, Wed 29 October, I’ll be saying Mass in the crypt at Santa Cecilia in Trastevere. Perhaps if there are a few people in Rome who would like to attend with our pilgrimage group, you’d be welcome. FWIW.

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It’s the Feast of Sts. Simon and Jude, and, therefore, Happy Birthday to me! To celebrate, I said Mass… as one does. We were again at Ss. Trinità.  It is comforting to go into the church in the morning and see the altars in use.  Priests are welcome in the morning to say Mass here, which is a great service.  The sacristan is worth his weight in gold.

Even in the sacristy, an altar is in use.

Something you don’t see in most sacristies, I dare say: pontifical dalmatic and gloves ready for use.  Situation normal around here.

After Mass a priest friend an I walked over to the Campo de’ Fiori because I had an overwhelming urge for coppiette.  There’s a Norcineria on the side of the Campo that happens to be the oldest continuous shop in the whole zone.

Behold, porcine-meaty paradise!

They make their own products.  Alas, it is really hard to get the horse coppiette now, so pig must suffice.  But they are really good!

Sorry about the blur.  I had hoped for better.  I’ll take my good camera next time.  The phone just doesn’t cut it.

Here’s the happy sausage monger getting my coppiette ready.  I wanted a couple vacuum sealed packs for the trip home as well as a few to share as we walked out of the shop.

Some ready sealed.  The laws for importation have changed for the USA.  You can bring in cured meats now.

One of the things I had him seal up was some of this!  Oh my.

On the counter he puts out a tray of slices of the some 30 different products they make.

At about 10 o’clock you see the salami of Barolo with the dark edge.  At 8, the tartuffo with the light edge.  At about 3, a brownish looking concoction that is liver and orange!  Fantastic.

They are really smart to put samples out, and they are happy for you to try things.

Were I still living here, I’d be by often just to get their spiffy guanciale.

Right across from the Norcineria (a deli-like butcher shop for products from Norcia), is the stand where I bought vegetables each day.  The nice old lady I used to buy from is still there.

And now the puntarelle are back in season.  They are a material proof that God really does love us.  I like them with garlic and anchovy.

I don’t know if I have mentioned it or not, but I collect “don’t dump garbage here” signs.  I used to use them as screen savers on the anniversary of the date the law went into force.  In this case 13 January 1703.  The Monsignor President of the Streets would fine you at least 10 scudi, the currency of the Papal States, for dumping illicit garbage here!

And so I strolled off, without dropping my paper, after munching my pig intestine cured in peperoncino.

UPDATE

A glimpse of S M della Pace.

At Leoniana bookstore.  How I remember pouring through these two handy little books, which I now have squirrled away in a box somewhere.

I dropped in a Gammarelli give them the trim for the pontifical set of vestments we are having made for use in the Diocese of Madison.  The gold silk was all cut and ready to go.  They lacked only the trim.

Back out on errands, I had to take this photo of S Agnese with some brightly illuminated clouds, in a silvery light.

Speaking of silvery light, the nice old lady at the passamaneria shop where I bought the galloni and pedoni gave me a little silver pom for a tabernacle key, and she asked for a prayer.  Perhaps you might advance her a few.  Her name is Anna, and she was very sweet.

UPDATE:

The whole pilgrimage group tonight met at a restaurant that I favor.  We had to split off one table with four, alas, but I made the rounds.

Some snaps.

The classic, but with bombolotti rather than bucatini.

This young lady had a little steak for supper.  Between her and her better half, the whole thing disappeared.

It doesn’t get much better than this.  Masses in beautiful, ancient churches (Extraordinary Form!), Christian and pagan Rome, long meals in the evening, a stroll.

If you were wondering what was on the left, that’s rigatoni alla norcina… black truffle.

My little beef thing with a Barolo reduction.  I had to share it, I’m afraid.  Accompanied by cicoria.

On the right, our director had a sauté of little clams. We get spaghetti with clams because we want the clams, right?  So why not get just the clams?  This is after shot.  He was too swift.

And they brought out a little birthday candle for dessert.

Now for some rack time.  A pretty good birthday.  I brought my end of the vestment project to a conclusion, had lunch with three distinguish authors (more on them in another post), did some gift shopping (it seems only right to get something for your mother on your birthday, after all), and then had this great meal.

Hard to beat.

And to think… we’ll have another pilgrimage like this next year to coincide with the Summorum Pontificum events.

Just think!