Can I have a room with a view please?
As I sit in my room, at my desk, leaning back in my chair, perfecting my procrastination skills, chatting with a friend, the view from my room (which you see to the above) caught my eye. Unfortunetly living in the midst of these wonderful structures, one can grow so acustom to them that they often go unnoticed.
The Dome of St. Peter's adorns my backyard, which happens to be the Vatican Gardens, right on the other side of the wall, literally, yet I do not stop enough to take in the sight that millions travel to see, shame on me, really.
I take this moment, then, to encourage each and every one of you, all 4 who I know look at this, to stop each day, and admire what is around you, the beauty that we pass by all too quickly. Have a nice day everyone!
A visit to the Necropolis of Ostia
In a small area outside of Rome, known as Ostia Antica, there is a Necropolis (a city of the dead) that dates back to the time of St. Peter (1st century AD). The significance of this place is precisely that, it dates back to the time of St Peter and gives us an idea of what the necropolis currently under St. Peter's Basilica in Rome, looked like in its original setting, above ground.
This Necropolis, which served as the burial area of the Port town of Ostia was buried under feet of silt from the Tiber River, which ran to one side of the city, and a creek, which ran on the other. From the picture you can see the amazing preservation that this burial in silt did, until the excavation of this area in the 60s.
The Seminar, which I attend at the Angelicum, "The Tomb of St. Peter", is taught by an American Dominican Fr. Ditton, OP. We visited this site today, and I wanted to share it with you, just for your own viewing pleasure.
Introduction
Have you ever wondered what it's like to not have anything to say, but feel obliged to say it anyway? That is what I see a blog as, never the less, my classmate just started his very own blog:(
www.franciscanworld.blogspot.com), so I naturally had to follow suit, sorry Phil!!
My Name is Br. Andrew. I am the second to the last person in this pic (green jacket and sunglasses), looking off over the beautiful blue waters of Capri, thinking "I could be happy
living on the Island of Capri", but that will never come true, alas. I am a seminarian in Rome, Italy at the University of St. Thomas Aquinas in Urbe (lovingly known as the Angelicum). I am currently finishing my Theological Studies there, and will be making my Solemn Profession of the Vows of Poverty Chastity and Obedience, this fall. I hope to keep you updated through this new and improved way of informing the WWW about my insignificant little spot in the world.
Welcome to the Friar Factor!
photo: alvinofm, 2006
