I’m up stupid early because apparently I don’t like to sleep in. Prepping to leave I see if I can check into my flight from Rome to Lisbon tomorrow.
I cannot find any trace of a confirmation number. I swear I booked the flight. TAP airlines at noon. I finally call their US help desk.
The payment never went through! 🤦♀️ Now I remember I was supposed to try again later that day. Guess I should have made a sticky note. 🫣
He had my booking still. It just needed payment. “Ma’am there will be an upcharge because the price changed.” Me: “Yes yes that’s fine please just book it!” Eek crisis averted.
Another train ride across Italy takes me to Aline’s in Castel Gandolpho just southeast of Rome.
Our Lady welcomes me at the train station.
Kevin is a professor at CatholicTech and they live on campus.
CatholicTech is to be the first Newman guide R1 research institution, seeking to produce the next generation of Saints, scholars, and scientists. The campus used to be part of the North American College, then part of Opus Dei, and now CatholicTech continues the legacy of the land of bridging faith and higher learning.
The college is based in Castel Gandolfo due to the history of the relationship between science and the church exhibited by the Vatican Observatory in Castel Gandolfo.
Of course the grounds have ancient Roman ruins as well. It’s made of several buildings that include chapels and an actual church in the main hall. Their residence is in the main building down a hallway on one of the floors. It feels like going back to college! A very fancy college.
What a cool career journey! He’s a chemical engineer and does research on science-y things. That’s the technical definition of course. 🤭
This has to be the coolest college campus I’ve ever been on. Did I do college wrong?
A Vatican Museum is a short walk into town down this street.
Apostolic Palace of Castel Gandolfo
This was the pope’s summer home since the 1600s until our current Pope Francis turned it into a museum. Rome gets hot in the summer so they’d come here to cool off from the heat.
This the garden past popes have walked. Can’t you imagine St Pope John Paul II strolling through praying the rosary?
There was an exhibit on the wars but we were chatting too much for me to read and comprehend. 🫣
Upstairs are a series of ornate rooms included the Pope’s bedroom and a private chapel right next to it dedicated to the Madonna of Czestochowa.
The large painting of a man with the flag is the last religious war when Sweden attacked.
The large painting either the priest in white is a priest leading the Polish army into battle during WWI.
I wish I caught more of what the guide said about those paintings but my Italian is rusty.
At this point we’ve gone in a big circle around the outskirts of the building. What is in the middle of the building? Each room had a door to the middle. Hmm… The tour guide didn’t know either.
The benefits of having pregnant friends are special privileges. The security guards asked if we’d like to take the elevator down instead of the stairs. We decline a few times because she’s not an invalid. By the third ask the guard says it’s the Pope’s elevator and it clicks- St JPII was here! We gladly accept the ride down this time.
Back in the town square, Aline walks me around. She’s getting acquainted with all of the shop owners because this is home now. The town is pretty small so it doesn’t take long.
We go to the vigil mass at St Thomas. I got to meet Fr Anthony after. He’s from Brazil! Lovely man who gave us a quick art review of this church. And wouldn’t you know I didn’t get any photos. 🤦♀️
The town is still celebrating Valentine’s Day with a band on plaza. We go back to eat a quick dinner at the college so we can return for the music.
Dinner with a few science professors, a priest and a bishop… now that leads to interesting conversation. The bishop is reading and writing about how society is turning secular things into sacred things. Sports is a good example of this. It’s a secular activity that is not good or bad. But when taken to the next level - putting it higher than God - can become bad for the soul. I’m contemplating the things in my life that need to change so that nothing is above worshipping God.
Then back to the plaza in time to buy a bottle of wine and… the music shut down. Bummer. It’s pretty cold and apparently Italians can’t hang.
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