This is the rectory for our parish.
It came from a Sears house kit some time in the early 1900s. No kidding. The house was the original convent that served the parish school!
Stay tuned. All this talk of Sears closing has left me feeling nostalgic for the old Christmas catalog — and the hours I’d spent marking all the things I wanted.
Now, I’d be content to look through old catalogs and records to see if I can pinpoint the design and year of construction!
A friend brought me this pretty prayer card with a lovely medal from the Basilica di S. Maria del Popolo in Rome. St. Mary of the People!
I visited Rome when I was in college, and while I saw quite a bit of the city, I missed out on having a truly Catholic experience there. I hope to one day return and visit all the churches and sites that would be meaningful to me. I think visiting this basilica would be a meaningful experience. Of course, the artwork would be a huge draw with pieces by Raphael, Bernini, and Caravaggio. But I discovered that the church has another aspect that really speaks to my desire for pilgrimage.
It’s history, or rather, legend, is pretty interesting. Apparently, at one of the primary entrances to the city was a walnut tree possessed by demons that made life impossible for travelers trying to enter Rome. It was so awful that Pope Paschal II performed an exorcism at the tree in 1009. Then he struck the root which toppled the tree and revealed the remains of Emperor Nero. They threw the remains in the Tiber and built a church on the spot where the tree was destroyed. Over time the basilica was built.
I’d like to make my pilgrimage to Rome and enter the city there, like so many pilgrims before me. Have you been to S. Maria del Popolo?
This afternoon I took a drive down to the Monastery of the Holy Spirit, one of my favorite places to go when I need a break. It’s so peaceful there, and the grounds are perfect for a stroll and rosary. I always make my way to the abbey church and take pictures. The stained glass is mostly blue, with some darker and lighter shades of blue and maybe a random purple. That means I always get a different color palate depending on the time of day.
Here are three pictures taken at different times. The blue goes from a gray cast, to blue, to purple. My favorite is #3. Which is yours?
