May 3, 2017. This trip to Italy has been an amazing spiritual journey.

When we were in Florence, we attended Sunday mass at the Duomo. The Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore, more popularly known as the Duomo, is Florence’s most iconic landmark, with its red-tiled cupola designed by Filippo Brunelleschi. It has a magnificent Gothic exterior made up of pink, white and green marble and an imposing yet graceful bell tower. Began by Sienese architect Arnolfo di Cambio in 1296, it took almost 150 years to be completed.

When we entered the Duomo for mass, I was struck by the sparse, almost spartan interior. It was in stark contrast to the flamboyant grandeur of the cathedral’s facade. Tourists who were not going to attend mass were being stopped from entry.

We sat in the middle pew. Looking around, I saw a sign to the right side of the cathedral for confession. I told my children I would be quick and left them. Alas, the priest turned me away, saying only Italian confessions were allowed. Crestfallen, I returned to the children and we heard mass.

Opposite the octagonal cathedral is the Baptistry of San Giovanni, one of the most ancient churches in Florence. Believed to be a pagan temple dating back to Roman times which was converted into a church, the baptistry is clad in slabs of white Carrara and green Prato marble.

In Verona, while walking along the cobbled streets looking for the house of Juliet and the famous balcony, I saw an interesting building in one of the side streets that looked like a church. I felt a strong urge to enter. It turned out to be the Chiesa di San Tomio, a Colomboni church.

Once my eyes got accustomed to the dark interior of the church, I noticed a light in the confessional box. I quickly entered and asked the kindly old priest who was praying if he spoke Spanish or English. He gave me a radiant smile and said he could speak a little English having been a missionary in Africa. He asked me where I was from, and was delighted to learn that I am a lector at our parish in the Philippines.

Needless to say, I felt truly blessed having gone to confession with such a welcoming and warm priest. As I left, I asked him to pray for my children, my mom, and Andre. He rued that not a lot of young people these days go to confession, and promised to pray for my children. He also advised me to approach the Blessed Sacrament, and ask God to be with me always, as sometimes we become too busy living life we forget to call on Him. When I came out, Niccolo asked if the priest spoke English and I said yes. I was so happy when Niccolo followed suit and entered the confessional box!

On our last day in Verona, we visited the Church of Santa Anastasia. It was a beautiful church, full of religious art, paintings and sculptures. We heard music coming from a small side door. Curious, I entered and the children followed. A mass was going on in the tiny chapel. We joined the mass which was in Italian. There must have been less than 20 people at the mass. While we could not understand what the priest was saying in his homily, he was so engaging that his parishioners were responding to him, almost conversing with him. I was ecstatic that all my children attended mass and had communion.

In Rome, we visited the Pantheon on a Saturday. A pagan temple dedicated to Venus, Mars and all the other gods, it was built between 27 and 25 BC. Destroyed in 80 and 110 AD, it was restored by Emperor Hadrian in 118-125 AD. In 609 AD, the Byzantine Emperor Phocas donated the Pantheon to Pope Bonifacio IV who then converted it to a Roman Catholic Church and named it the Basilica di Santa Maria ad Martyres.

It is an architectural marvel and the most preserved of all the ancient buildings in Rome. Both the diameter and the height of the circular space are 43 meters. The Pantheon is considered a perfect sundial as at midday, the rays of sunlight going through the hole in the dome are aligned with the door.

I walked around the Pantheon, taking pictures of the different niches and chapels. The first chapel in the right was The Annunciation. The second chapel was a tomb monument of the first Italian King Victor Emanuel II. I was invited to sign in their visitor book. The third niche had a statue of St. Anne and the young Virgin Mary, while the third chapel had a painting of the Blessed Virgin with St. Francis and St.John the Baptist.

As I moved along, I noticed an old woman coming out of a door and going to and from the main altar, appearing to be preparing for a mass. I also noted that there were several pews fronting the center altar where people were seated, resting. When she was near, I asked her if by any chance there would be mass. I was overjoyed when she said there would be mass at 5pm if the priest comes. It was 4:30 pm. I told my children that I would hear mass and that they could leave me there and just come back for me after.

Bea and Niccolo decided to hear mass too. A man who appeared to be in charge announced that mass would start and that tourists would have to leave if they were not going to attend mass. Several of the tourists sitting on the pews left, and so we transferred to the front pew.

The old lady then started to distribute mass leaflets which had the readings translated into several languages. The man approached the faithful seated and asked if anyone spoke English. Once again, I felt an urge to stand up and tell him I speak English and that I am a lector. He then asked me to do the second reading as well as the prayers of the faithful. I was floored! What an honor to be able to serve the Lord at mass in the Pantheon! And it was a cardinal that officiated the mass in Italian. The only parts in English were mine. I felt humbled and blessed to be chosen.

After mass, the man approached us once again. I thanked him but he said he was the one who was grateful I had agreed to serve. He then said we have two minutes. I thought he meant we could walk around the Pantheon for two minutes before they closed. We were pleasantly surprised that he meant we could have a two-minute visit to the tiny chapel behind the main altar to see the secret hidden there. We passed by the little door I noticed the old woman come out of.

And there it was: the original and miraculous 7th century icon of the Madonna and Child. The icon that was gifted to the Pope when the Pantheon was converted from a pagan temple to Christianity. Our guide told us that there was a man born blind who was outside the Pantheon. The Pope said mass and prayed for the man, and he was able to see. A cleric was sent to check if it was true. The cleric brought with him a candle from the altar and used that to examine the man’s eyes, declaring that indeed he could now see. News of the miracle spread, and the icon was venerated as miraculous. Subsequently, the Pope announced a feast to celebrate Our Lady of the Candles on February 2, which we celebrate today as the Holy Feast of the Candelaria. We prayed fervently for our family and those we love.

Yesterday morning, Bea researched and learned that there was a Papal audience at St. Peter’s Square every Wednesday at 10am. To get in, however, we needed to be there by 7am. Niccolo volunteered to wake up early and accompany me to the mass. We also needed to get tickets between 3-7pm from the Swiss guards at the Vatican. Bea and Niccolo already had tickets for the Forum yesterday afternoon, and so it was left to Cara to run to the Vatican to get the tickets.

Because I could not walk far, I stayed at the Church of Sta. Anastasia near the Circulo Massimo. I visited the Blessed Sacrament and prayed the rosary there. It was very peaceful. Then, I went out and sat at a park bench writing.

And now, Niccolo and I are seated at St. Peter’s Square waiting for the 10am Papal audience. We arrived early enough to get seats on the sixth row near the center. There is a mass of humanity waiting with us. I hear a babble of languages all around. People from different parts of the world are here today in faith and brotherhood, singing, smiling, clapping. I am so happy!

Dreams do come true!

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