The week after Spring Break, we took a day trip to Assisi with AUR. Assisi is north of Rome in the Umbria region of Italy, and it’s also the home of St. Francis, who started the Franciscan Friars.
Assisi is probably the most beautiful city I’ve been to this semester. It’s up on a hill, and driving up to it is amazing. We started our day with a guided tour, and we got to see all of Assisi’s big sights. The Basilica of St. Francis is probably the most notable one. It’s gigantic and incredibly beautiful. St. Francis’s tomb is housed beneath the church. The basilica is actually split into two separate chapels, and there are a group of cloistered nuns that live within the walls of the church. The views from the piazza where the basilica is are absolutely breathtaking.
The following weekend was Easter, so we stayed in Rome. My roommates and I were really excited about going to Easter mass at the Vatican and seeing Pope Francis. We got up really early, put on our best dresses, and braved the pouring rain to head into Vatican City. I was shocked that we were able to get really good seats: pretty close to the front and dead center. Probably because it was pouring and we got soaked to the bone before mass started.
The mass was amazing. There were readings and other major parts of the mass done in various languages, so that the mass felt really inclusive. There were so many people there, it was absolutely insane. Despite the huge crowd, it was a very respectful ceremony. We even got communion blessed by the pope! I didn’t really understand a lot of what was going on (the language barrier was tough), but I could follow along with the basic structure of the mass, and I could feel the emotion in Pope Francis’s voice.
Following the mass, Pope Francis drove around the piazza in the Pope Mobile, and we got to see him really close! The people in the crowd absolutely loved him and they went crazy whenever he got near them. He actually ended up driving around twice because the reception he got was so positive.
I’m heading to Amsterdam next week, so stay tuned for that adventure!