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So Many Churches So Little Time!


 

Our adventure began as a two-hour excursion of seven churches. It was challenging to select only seven, but the route was based on a short list that I had created before leaving home and would take us on a leisurely, circular walk returning home for an afternoon rest. We began at St. Maria Minerva, where the body of St. Catherine of Siena (or at least most of it) is located. Here were found a statue created by Michelangelo sitting out in the open on display. 

After this church our detours began. We stumbled onto the Church of St. Ignatius. Before each altar in this church a small prayer card could be found. I have included one below. It’s a simple, lovely prayer that I will keep nearby, helping to center me in my own thoughts.  


We entered the Church of the Gesù where the tomb of St. Ignatius of Loyola is located. After spending a few minutes venerating and examining the frescos, Christine approached a priest in the church to inquire about the images, she was told, “the frescos are of St. Francis. We are very ecumenical here.” How fitting for our journey! By the end of our day, we did visit seven churches, just not the ones on our list. This day was about the journey, discovering our faith, bringing us together in moments of quiet contemplation, recalling the maryters and saints, whose lives were examples of faith, charity and hope.
By Melinda





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