Orvieto

     Saturday was like a mini-Pilgrimage, except that no one piggy-backed on our Mass. About a third of our group went to Orvieto with two of the directors and with Fr. Bergida. We took three trains to get there: the Metro, a “regular” train, and a funicular train. (Like the song, “Funiculi, Funicula.” You’ve never heard of that song? Yes, you have. Look it up on Youtube. You’ll recognize it very quickly.)

The other car we passed on the way down

The view from the funicular train

 

     The weather there was gorgeous. The sky was halfway between clear and overcast, so there were white clouds, grey clouds, and patches of bright blue. It was chilly, so it felt like fall. So refreshing.

     The town was quiet and clean, kind of like a midpoint between Assisi and Siena. The first thing we did was go into the Duomo and look around. The facade looks a lot like that of the Duomo in Siena. In a side chapel we got to go to Adoration before an altar cloth stained with Blood: a Consecrated Host started bleeding during Mass. Afterwards, Fr. said Mass for us in the crypt.

 

 

     The Mass Fr. celebrated was the Corpus Cristi Mass. One is allowed by a special privelidge to say that Mass in Orvieto even when it's not the Feast of Corpus Cristi. This is because the feast originated with the miracle. The miracle actually occured in a neighboring town, but the altarcloth is in Orvieto, and on Corpus Cristi there is a procession from one town to the other.

     We were not the only Americans in Orvieto. The Bishop of Pittsburgh was there with a group of pilgrims, and they had Mass in the Duomo.
     After Mass was lunch, and I had for lunch the most awesome gnocchi ever. It was delicious. Then I wandered around and found this building that confused me: it looked like a church, but wasn't. I mean, maybe it was originally, but that's not what it is now.

 

See? It looks like a church.

     Then I found me a small park. So happy to see grass. And cats. I saw five or six stray cats in Orvieto, one of which was very unhappy with me because I refused to share my coffee with her. And here's some of the view from the park by the Duomo, which is right next to a pretty steep drop.

 

A castle!

 

     In this city there is a crucifix which spoke to St. Thomas Aquinas and the Well of St. Patrick. (We're not really sure how this well is connected to St. Patrick. Maybe it's another St. Patrick.) Did I see either of these? No. But that's okay. I spent some hours in the afternoon in the peace and quiet, and that was marvelous. I also had some really good hot chocolate, very thick stuff.

The outside of this church was deceptive.
The inside was not as pretty as I thought it'd be.

     On the way back, I had a good and needed talk with Fr. Bergida on the train. Fr. is great to talk to, whether for advice, venting, or just having a fun chat. We are so blessed to have him with us.