Two coins bring two friends back to Rome!

It is the blessing of a lifetime to be in Rome. This is my second visit and I still can’t believe I’m here. On my first visit, I came on pilgrimage with friends from Trinidad and Tobago where I was born and raised. We visited different religious and cultural sites, one of which, was the beautiful Trevi Fountain. This is where my friend Marianne, told me of the tradition of throwing a coin into the fountain and the belief that by doing so you would return to Rome. At the time, Trevi was undergoing renovations but we tossed our coins into what little water was there, our hearts filled with hope. That was in 2014. Now, 9 years later I’m back in Rome and so is Marianne as well as a couple more of our Trini friends! Life is beautiful and God has a sense of humour!

I came this time to participate in a course on Ecumenism and Interreligious Dialogue at the Centro Pro Unione in Rome. I’m here with another lovely group of friends that I’ve made through my studies in Theology at the University of St Michael’s College at the University of Toronto.

It’s been quite the adventure seeing different sites including the Piazza Navona, Vatican City, the Colosseum, Castel Sant’ Angelo and the Pantheon. The heat is sometimes unbearable (I swear Rome is an oven) but it’s worth it to have this experience. It's also impossible to see all that Rome has to offer in one or two visits.

I’ll be sure to return to the Trevi Fountain to toss another coin in!

By Rheema Farrell

Comments

The Catacombs of Domitilla

The story of Christianity is awe-inspiring. This is true whether you are a believer or not. Within 50 years of the physical death of Christ, 12 believers had directly and indirectly converted thousands to the new faith. Within 300 years, they had converted an empire. This tour begins at the walls of Rome within sight of St. John Lateran where we get our ride to the countryside of Rome. Making our way outside the walls, the city changes to country quickly. The Roman countryside is quite beautiful. The hills begin to roll and the gated villas extend to farms of vegetables, rose hips, or barley. The air cleaner and the sound clearer. Flavia Domitilla was the granddaughter of the emperor Vespasian. As daughter of Domitilla "the Younger", Flavia was also the niece of the emperors Titus and Domitian. These catacombs were founded on her property in about the year 120 A.D. Flavia and her husband, Flavius Clemens, were likely ...

A Trip To Visit My Nonna

This past weekend I took a quick trip to visit my family in Sicily. They think I am going to see them but really, it’s the almond cookies (paste secche) and granita with brioche that call me back. My nonna passed away a few years ago and I have not had the opportunity to visit her grave. Although it may seem morose, sharing some information on Italian cemeteries might be interesting, as the practices have many similarities due to shared Catholic faith, yet there are noteworthy differences due to cultural practices. The local cemetery where my grandparents are buried is mostly cement. There is little grass beyond weeds breaking through the cracks. The first stop is to purchase fresh flowers, I picked out a few simple roses for my grandparents. As we walked to the burial site my aunt explained how there is limited space, and the government allows for the in-ground burial sites to be modified and expanded over time. The mausoleums here are all in the open. Because of the...

Asissi....sigh....

Assisi. What can I say about this magical little town? I went there yesterday with three friends-Sean, Corina and Paul, and as soon as we stepped onto the platform at the train station we noticed that the air was different, cooler, more refreshing. I'm, not sure even pictures could do this town justice, or maybe I just don't possess sufficient skill in photography (lol), but God knew why he chose a son of this town to start the process of rebuilding his church. To walk where St Francis walked and pray where he prayed will forever be one of the highlights of my life. St Francis of Assisi astonished the church and the world with his humble devotion to God and the poor. He left such a profound legacy, including introducing the custom of Nativity scenes to honor Christ's birth at Christmastime. Did you know we have St Francis of Assisi to thank for that? He is also the patron saint of the environment and of animals. The Basilica of St Francis of Assisi-completed in 1253 Another...

Rome Ecumenism Course 2023

Search This Blog