A stop in Assisi before the airport...
The location of the Umbria International Airport S. Egidio, in Perugia, allowed us to do a high speed tour of Assisi. It seemed there was quite a bit of St. Francis this week so why not visit his birthplace and final resting spot. He is, after all, the patron saint of Italy, founder of the Franciscan order, and one of the most popular Catholic saints in history.
The opulent Basilica is a rather conflicting memorial to a man who preached and lived a simple life of poverty, abstinence, and renunciation of worldly goods in search of greater spirituality. When we entered the upper church (1280), the most glorious organ music was playing that seemed to intensify the light-filled, airy, joyful, and alive with color Italian Gothic interior.
When we approached the crypt holding the tomb of St. Francis (carved out of the rock to allow visitors access) we heard a choir of hymns being sung in English. In the chapel, before the tomb, a service was occurring with a large group of men in white robes. Since people from all over the world make pilgrimages, hearing beautiful music we understood was not a surprise, but definitely a true delight.
It was a fitting way to end the visit with my girlfriend, Jean. A woman who embarks upon a new life. One that she now has faith in her ability to live to the fullest. Buon viaggio!
The opulent Basilica is a rather conflicting memorial to a man who preached and lived a simple life of poverty, abstinence, and renunciation of worldly goods in search of greater spirituality. When we entered the upper church (1280), the most glorious organ music was playing that seemed to intensify the light-filled, airy, joyful, and alive with color Italian Gothic interior.
When we approached the crypt holding the tomb of St. Francis (carved out of the rock to allow visitors access) we heard a choir of hymns being sung in English. In the chapel, before the tomb, a service was occurring with a large group of men in white robes. Since people from all over the world make pilgrimages, hearing beautiful music we understood was not a surprise, but definitely a true delight.
It was a fitting way to end the visit with my girlfriend, Jean. A woman who embarks upon a new life. One that she now has faith in her ability to live to the fullest. Buon viaggio!
"A real friend is someone who walks in
when the rest of the world walks out."
-St. Francis of Assisi
when the rest of the world walks out."
-St. Francis of Assisi
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