Sites and Stories | POSTCARDS POST ROME 2024
Joshua Wright’s Top 5
5. St. Paul’s Outside the Walls
Of all the beautiful churches in Rome, my favorite church is St. Paul’s Outside the Wall. St. Paul is one of my favorite saints, and to pray with him means the world to me. While we were on tour, our guide gave us an amazing reflection on the famous statue of St. Paul in the outer courtyard that was written by a Benedictine monk, emphasizing the importance of our decisions being guided by Scripture. The inside feels massive, with so much open space that provides plenty of space for walking and meditation. My favorite experience here was during one of our free weekends, during which I spent a whole morning at the basilica. I woke up early to arrive at St. Paul’s at 7:00 am to chant morning prayer with the monks. Afterward, I did morning mental prayer in the Blessed Sacrament chapel with the crucifix, at which so many Saints had prayed before. Then, there was chanted Mass, which was beautifully sung by the monks. Afterward, I prayed my rosary while walking among the huge stone columns in the church underneath the golden ceiling representing the saints in Heaven. It was one of the best mornings of recollection I have ever had.
4. Sts. Francis, Clare, and Carlos in Assisi
During the Rome Experience, groups of men are allowed to travel from Rome to see some of the other great cities of Italy. Some of us got together and traveled to visit Assisi, where we got to pray with three major Saints. It was inspiring to see where St. Francis stripped himself to nothing, gave everything he had back to his father, and humbly gave himself wholly to God in the eyes of the town of Assisi. Seeing Francis and Clare’s actual mantel and clothing made their choice of poverty and reliance on God’s providence real for me. And to pray with Carlos and ask his intercession for “our” generation, where, unlike many saints, “our” generation is literally his generation, too.
3. Villa Tevere and Monte Cassino
We also got a tour of Villa Tevere, the head office of Opus Dei, and the chapel where St. Josemaria Escriva is buried. It was amazing to have Mass at his tomb, and I was lucky enough to be able to serve the Mass. Later that day, some of us traveled to Monte Cassino, the home of Sts. Benedict and Scholastica. It was a powerful day of reflection on the sanctification of work through prayer. We, as Christians, are called to bring Christ everywhere we go, including in our everyday tasks. By bringing order to our day, making time for and committing to prayer, we can elevate our work to more than simply natural benefits. Our work can bear supernatural meaning and be a means of sanctification for us and those around us.
2. Classes and Tours
Understanding art is not one of my natural gifts. I enjoy art and can tell when something is beautiful, but I could not articulate why something is beautiful or what makes sacred art sacred. Two of our classes, one on sacred art and one on church architecture, have completely opened my mind to these art forms. I learned that knowing Scripture and theology is the key to understanding sacred art and architecture. They are more than simply pleasant pictures of sacred things. The best sacred art invites you into our faith. They are made intentionally and prayerfully. And in the same way that we would meditate on Scripture, in sacred art, one should be able to mediate and find meanings that elevate our minds to God. Both of these classes invited us to draw in our own sketchbooks, which allowed us to see and sketch details of things we may have missed otherwise. The drawing requires you to meditate on the art. This appreciation and understanding of sacred art are lessons I will remember for the rest of my life.
1. Dinner with the Brothers
My favorite thing about this trip is sitting down and eating with my brother seminarians. The Rome Experience provides a rare opportunity to meet and spend a lot of time with seminarians I would never have had the chance to meet otherwise. We all come from different seminaries, dioceses, and backgrounds across the United States. It has been interesting to get to know the other men on this experience and learn about their dioceses and seminaries. Each diocese is unique in its culture, situation, difficulties, and strengths. But it is evident that we all have the same goal: to be good, holy priests following our Lord Jesus Christ. Because of that, there is a unity and brotherhood among us, which naturally fosters our friendships. While only with these men for a short time, our conversations span from jovial fun to interesting books to deep spiritual reflections. Having these friendships and conversations over a delicious Italian dinner has definitely been the best part of the trip.
Joshua Wright
Archdiocese of Washington