Buona Pasqua

(Hele writes...)

Happy Easter to all!!

We have been on retreat for the last few days with the ESM students and about 60 other people. We have had many visitors from Australia to reduce the amount of home-sickness at this time.


Our Melbourne prayer group reunited

We have been preparing for Easter with many beautiful services with the Emmanuel Community, and attended some Masses at St Peters.

The students of the school acted out the Stations of the Cross on Good Friday in St Peters Square. The ESM is the only group who are given permission to do this. It was very powerful. Many people followed in prayer.


Stations of the Cross at St Peters Square

We had a beatiful Easter Mass on Saturday night with the participants of the retreat, followed by a party at the School. It was great to have some of the things that we had given up since Ash Wednesday.

We planned to go to Mass again on Sunday at St Peters Square, but we were exhausted so we slept in. Apparently it rained so we would have been soaked.

Last Thursday we went to the Chrism Mass (this is where the local bishop celebrates Mass with all the priests in the diocese. As we are in Rome, there were about 1600 priests, not to mention bishops and cardinals - the procession lasted about 20 minutes). We were there with the Andersons, and I suggested that if they want to get close to the Pope, to stay down the back near the place where he will enter. Some nuns and elderly women kindly allowed the kids to get the best place next to the barrier. When the Holy Father entered, he blessed every one of the five children.



Pope Benedict blessing the Anderson children

After Mass, the I was holding little Thomas who is almost 6 months old. The nuns insisted that the children get the position next to the barrier again. Kate (Thomas' mum) said that I could continue to hold him. This time, the Pope went to the barrier on the other side. Then he turned around on his way to depart, and as soon as he saw Thomas, he came directly over to him to bless him again. It was amazing to be holding him at the time. Everyone's cameras went crazy! I think he became famous in an instant.

The School is closing for the next ten days, so hopefully we will get some time to rest.


By the way, can you see the tick boxes below. Kev ticked each one of those, so we are not really funny, interesting or cool - but I think you all knew that!!