So here it is, only a month late... The EASTER BLOG. Being in Italy this year for Easter presented a win-some, lose-some situation. No family meant no Easter eggs, baskets or pastel colored plastic grass covering the house, but being in Rome afforded us the opportunity to go to one of the largest annual gatherings in the world: Easter at St. Peter's Basilica. Notice I said at and not in. There are far too many people in attendance to fit inside even that massive church, so the Pope and co. hold court in the massive square. We got dressed in our Sunday best,
armed with tickets for seats, only to have the worst storm of the year roll into Rome. Armed with coats and umbrellas, we braved the fierce storm. (We figured pilgrims of old had a lot rough things to deal with than a little rain)
Besides, we had tickets. As we came upon the square, we realized that redeeming those golden (colored) tickets might be difficult: estimates of around 100,000 people showed up for mass. We arrived just in time to be stopped so the Papal Procession could march in front of us. Impressive as it was, we had seats to get to. We managed to maneuver ourselves to where the people with tickets needed to go to be ushered to their seats and discovered a large mob of semi-upset mass goers, tickets in hand. Turns out the Vatican figures that people will flake and end up giving out waaaay more tickets than there are seats. We ended up getting as good a view of the action as someone who wasn't required to wear a robe of some sort could.
That isn't to say that it was an entirely comfortable experience. While not quite a mosh pit, there was certainly a push towards the front. The rain never let up either. By the end of communion, there was a veritable river about an inch deep running over our feet. With all that to complain about, it was still a beautiful service. We got to see the controversial baptism of the former Muslim Italian journalist, hear rousing verse in Latin, a wonderful children's choir, and of course the big guy El Papa, Il Papa, or as we call him the Pope.
We stayed through almost all of the service, and when we finally got realized what a special day it was. We were soaked to the bone,
but we knew that we had just been to a very important event. Later that day we picked Treva's parents up from the airport, but that is another subject for another blog...(hopefully coming later this week) Check out the movies down below and get a sense of Easter Mass. There are children singing, the Pope orrating, and even a moment of silence where the insanity of the rain makes its presence felt.
armed with tickets for seats, only to have the worst storm of the year roll into Rome. Armed with coats and umbrellas, we braved the fierce storm. (We figured pilgrims of old had a lot rough things to deal with than a little rain) 
Besides, we had tickets. As we came upon the square, we realized that redeeming those golden (colored) tickets might be difficult: estimates of around 100,000 people showed up for mass. We arrived just in time to be stopped so the Papal Procession could march in front of us. Impressive as it was, we had seats to get to. We managed to maneuver ourselves to where the people with tickets needed to go to be ushered to their seats and discovered a large mob of semi-upset mass goers, tickets in hand. Turns out the Vatican figures that people will flake and end up giving out waaaay more tickets than there are seats. We ended up getting as good a view of the action as someone who wasn't required to wear a robe of some sort could.
That isn't to say that it was an entirely comfortable experience. While not quite a mosh pit, there was certainly a push towards the front. The rain never let up either. By the end of communion, there was a veritable river about an inch deep running over our feet. With all that to complain about, it was still a beautiful service. We got to see the controversial baptism of the former Muslim Italian journalist, hear rousing verse in Latin, a wonderful children's choir, and of course the big guy El Papa, Il Papa, or as we call him the Pope.
We stayed through almost all of the service, and when we finally got realized what a special day it was. We were soaked to the bone,
but we knew that we had just been to a very important event. Later that day we picked Treva's parents up from the airport, but that is another subject for another blog...(hopefully coming later this week) Check out the movies down below and get a sense of Easter Mass. There are children singing, the Pope orrating, and even a moment of silence where the insanity of the rain makes its presence felt.
