30 years ago - my first trip to Rome

My first visit to Rome took place 30 years ago today, when I was 26. I arrived with a group of friends and other young people who attached themselves to us as in our 2nd class train cabin from Torino Porta Nuova to Roma Termini. It rained most of the way, and the streets were wet when we got into the eternal city. I barely remember how we got from the train station to the UPS, but I know that Carmine Vairo and Louie Liberati met us at the station. It was dark, and we got into dark little rooms in the university: scratchy white sheets and heavy army blankets and the smell of moth balls. But we were in Rome!

I'd heard stories of this city since childhood, and to go there -- well, it made me feel like a little kid on a big adventure. The chance of a lifetime! We had come to celebrate the feast of the Immaculate Conception with our Salesian friends, and to my delight, Carmine had arranged for us to go to St Peter's in the morning to participate in "a special mass for seminarians with the pope." Well he got it wrong. The mass was with students and personnel of the pontifical universities… and the most prominent among these were the sisters. Altro che seminaristi!!! Paul VI came in on the sedia gestatoria, and it was so exciting.

The mass was celebrating the feast of the Immaculate Conception of Mary and the 10th anniversary of the closing of Vatican II. The pope invited us to imitate Mary most Holy in meditating the Word of God and living that Word. This was the path to holiness; it was the fitting way, the pope told us, to commemorate the great event of Vatican II.

Oh, yes! Chance of a life-time: to go to Rome. But then, I later returned many times, alone or with friends and family. Then I actually took up residence in Rome for nearly 5 years. Now, after a six-year lag, I'm back again. Certainly, the "Eternal City" strikes me differently today. This is why I am recording my observations in this blog.