The Sound of Music…filled our hearts, Rome, Italy

October 7, 2015

On Sunday, October 4, 2015, the motherhouse community was delighted to receive 50 visitors. Father Daniel Schlegel from the Church of the Holy Angels in Chagrin Falls, Ohio, USA, is a regular celebrant of the Eucharist for our sisters at the SND provincial center in Chardon, Ohio, and one of our sisters is the pastoral associate of the Holy Angels Parish.

Father Dan is currently in Rome on a sabbatical and accompanying the members of the parish choir on their trip to Italy for about two weeks. The choir sang for Mass in some very prominent spaces, like St. Peter’s and the Pantheon. We felt honored when Father Daniel contacted us as they also chose to come to our convent chapel!

So we were treated to an English Mass with beautiful singing. In his homily, Father Dan referred to the fact that in his sabbatical program, he is learning much about Italian art, which will never let him look at the colonnades in front of St. Peter’s, or the Pietà, or a Caravaggio painting, etc. the same way as before. This was a reminder for us that living in Rome, we are surrounded by so many treasures full of beauty and meaning.

The Mass was followed by a simple Italian breakfast which gave us the opportunity for lively conversations. All too soon the group needed to board their bus to travel to Naples and then to Sicily, their next destination. We are grateful for an inspiring Sunday liturgy and a joyful visit of new friends.