Easter

Once again, Easter in Rome was beautiful. We usually have a retreat for the Triduum at the Domus and invite others to join us. The location is not ideal though, so this time we went to a retreat centre just out of Rome. There were about 100 people all together.

We started with the Chrism Mass at St Peter's. There were about 2000 priests. This is so encouraging to see so many priests supporting their local bishop - in this case, the Pope.

Holy Father Pope Benedict XVI

After Mass we went to the retreat centre. At night the Triduum began with the Mass of the Last Supper. The Mass finished with a procession of the Blessed Sacrament to an area at the back of the church where we 'watched and prayed' with Christ in prayer. It was so beautiful.

We spent Good Friday back in the city. As usual our students dramatised the Via crucis at St Peter's Square (the ESM is the only group given permission to do this). It was so powerful and moving. Many people gathered around to watch. Here is an article about it printed in Zenit.

Jesus cries out in agony before dying on the Cross

Later we had the service of the Passion of the Cross at the Centro San Lorenzo. We spent most of the day in silence and fasting.

Holy Saturday was pretty quiet in the lead-up to the Easter Vigil. The Mass is really long but very beautiful. There are eight readings before the Gospel. When it came time for the first reading, we sat down and waited for the reader to go up the front. We waited....waited....no one. I started wondering to myself who was supposed to read. Then I had an agonising pang of terror. I was supposed to organise all the readers but simply forgot to do it. Luckily one of out students realised that nothing was happening so he did the first reading. Then Kev and I discretely asked others if they would do the other seven readings while the Mass was going on. Thankfully one of our Team guessed that I also hadn't asked people to write Prayers of the Faithful, so she managed to organise that too.  I was only given one job to do and I stuffed up. Oh well, it turned out ok.

After Mass, we all sang songs of praise with the word 'Alleluia' to our hearts content, after refraining for 6 weeks. Then we had a party. I felt really really old amongst all the young people with so much energy.  It was nice to be joined by four of our kids from last year.

Hele, Kev, Paul, Martijn, Maria Ana and Monika

We went to bed at about 2:00am. And got up not long afterwards to get to Mass at St Peter's.

Kev and Hele (photo taken by one of our students. We don't need our chins, I suppose)

Hele and Kev with our students

After Mass we went back to the retreat centre for lunch. Then packed up and returned to St Peter's for a time of singing/praying/evangelising with the WYD Cross.

This was the end of our retreat. We were all pretty tired, but had enough energy to stay up at the Domus and share some drinks and chips until pretty late.

Christ is Risen.....Alleluia!