Faith in Motion | Week 4 Highlights

Top 5 Highlights of Week 4

1. Visiting St. Catherine of Sienna’s Tomb: I’ve heard a lot about St. Catherine from people over the years. It was interesting to hear how she was so instrumental to the return of the Popes to Rome. I had the opportunity to pray for a full hour in the church during our break for class. Interestingly, the visit to the church with her tomb was a part of our class. I guess that’s a unique part of the Rome Experience, getting to go to the places you read about.

2. Visiting a Dominican Priory: Two days last week we had the opportunity to be taught by two Dominicans. As someone who had basically no exposure to religious life before seminary, and even during seminary, I was blown away by the intelligence of these men and women. The special charism of education is very visible amongst the Dominicans.

3. Tasting the Supplí: Last week I had my first ever supplí. It reminded me of a food back home called a “papa rellena,” literally meaning “filled potato.” In the center you find ground beef, surrounded by a breaded and fried ball of mashed potato. Sometimes you find variations of it with rice. It was absolutely a comfort having a familiar feeling food in Rome.

4. Wednesday Papal Audience: On Wednesday, we had the chance to be present very close to the Holy Father for one of his Wednesday audiences. While it was very hot, wearing a cassock instead of thick black slacks was cooler and more comfortable. It was very nice to hear “The Rome Experience Seminarians” get announced before the audience.

5. Barcelona Visit: On Saturday, I visited Barcelona for the day. It had been probably 10 years since I was last in Barcelona. My parents were at least slightly jealous of my opportunity to be in Barcelona. My parents are from Cuba, but my grandparents are from Asturias, Spain. Being in Barcelona as an adult helped me appreciate my heritage a bit better.

One of our classes last week focused on virtue and the Gifts of the Holy Spirit. It was very fitting that this was the topic of the class. I had just finished a novena to the Holy Spirit for Pentecost, and truly felt the Lord imbue His Gifts. I was able to relate and understand the topic better having just had a personal encounter with the class material.

Adam Perez
Archdiocese of Miami