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4. St. Alfonso

Church of Saint Alphonsus Liguori

The church of St Alfonso was dedicated to St. Alphonsus Liguori, the founder of the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer (Redemptorists). The church is one of the rare examples of neo-Gothic architecture in Rome. It is one of the last papal churches of Rome, although the Redemptorists have possession of the church and its related complex.

This Church is home to the original image of Our Lady of Perpetual Help, the image of our Mother which has been at the centre of many miracles and conversions in Singapore.

According to history, Our Lady had requested that the image be placed in a certain church located between St. Mary Major and St. John Lateran, which was the Church of Saint Matthew. Unfortunately, the church was destroyed in 1798 while the picture was saved.

In January 1855, the Redemptorist Order purchased a villa located here for their headquarters. They were unaware of the fact that the land they had purchased was actually the location of the church and monastery of Saint Matthew–the very place which the Virgin Mary had specified for the image to be placed which was subsequently given to the redemptorists by Pope Pius IX in 1866 and permanently placed there ever since.

Altar of Church of St Alfonsus Liguori

The Novena Church in Singapore occupies a fascinating place in Singapore’s Salvation History. Especially in modern times, catholics and non-catholics alike have flooded the shrine dedicated to our Lady, propelling this church into the public consciousness. I grew up going to Novena church and visiting the original image which now has a place in my home too was an experience that humbled me. I sat in silence and prayer and once again thought about all which had led me to Rome. I know for a fact, that Our Lady, my Mother has been praying for me and my heart, for longer than I could imagine. I could not be here without her. How blessed am I, that I can call the Mother of God my own?

5. Mary Major

The Basilica of St. Mary Major is one of the oldest and most important shrines in the world dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary. According to tradition, a Roman Patrician, Giovanni and his wife, were childless and prayed to the Blessed Mother that she would give them an heir to inherit their wealth. They had a vision of the Blessed Mother telling them that she wished to have a church built in her honor on the Esquiline Hill and the sign to verify this dream the prospective layout of the church would be outlined in snow in the month of August. His friend, Pope Liberius had a similar dream as well and snow did fall on the Esquilline Hill which was miraculous considering it was in the middle of a heat wave. The Pope then ordered the construction of the Basilica.

St. Mary Major contains some of the finest artwork and architectural wonders in the world. The ceiling is a masterpiece of the Renaissance where it is gilded with the first gold brought to Spain from the New World by Christopher Columbus as a present to Pope Alexander VI from Ferdinand and Isabella of Spain.

There are many Christian treasures in this monument to Mary but one in particular unraveled me. Nestled in the heart of the church, under the high altar, is the relic of the manger from Bethlehem in which the infant Jesus lay. As i knelt in prayer, I was reminded of the parallels between the wood of the manger and the wood of the cross; one that carried Him into this life and another that bore Him as he left it. To be present to the former especially in Advent was a reminder of the absolute poverty our Lord chose, descending from His place with the Father and meditating on the latter affirmed the absurdity of the Love that chose to save us. In the wood of the manger, I saw a vision of the story of our salvation.

6. Spanish Steps & Trevi Fountain

Friar Derrick appeared before us carrying suspicious looking bags after we left St Mary Major but we had no idea what we were in store for. In those bags contained the most ridiculously delicious cream puffs I have ever had. I saw a vision of Heaven as the pistachio and icing collided in perfect harmony in my mouth. Maybe it was the hunger from a busy afternoon but I was sure at that moment that this cream puff tasted like nothing I had ever encountered in my life. Nothing will ever quite be the same, Beard Papa’s could never.

Then it was time for lunch!! We had some time to explore the place and to have some food for the belly! Some recommendations were pizza and pinsa which is a unique style of pizza using 3 different types of flour. The area has gelato shops at every corner and we were spoilt for choice.

We then visited the Trevi Fountain which is a late Baroque masterpiece; it is arguably the best known among the many fountains both in Rome and across the World. The immense fountain stands some 85 feet (26 metres) high and is approximately 160 feet (49 metres) wide. At its centre is Pietro Bracci’s statue of Oceanus, who stands atop a chariot pulled by sea horses and is accompanied by tritons. Its water, from the ancient aqueduct called Acqua, long was considered Rome’s softest and best tasting; for centuries, with barrels of it taken every week to the Vatican. However, the water is now non potable.

To its right are the Spanish Steps. After its completion in 1725, the steps quickly gained a reputation for being a prime people-watching spot particularly among attractive looking people. This is because of a high concentration of artists and later photographers, who were themselves drawn to the attractive monument, which in turn served as bait for potential models. While decades of heavy footfall took their toll on the monument, a massive restoration project between 2015-2016 saw the Spanish Steps scrubbed clean and returned to their former splendor. Coined the ‘Steps of Temptation’ (Fr. JP, 2021), it overlooks the shopping district with many name luxury brands side by side.

Spanish Steps

7. Saint Isidore Church

A beautiful and quaint church built in 1622, Saint Isidore Church can be traced to its founder Friar Luke Wadding – who arrived in Rome from Ireland to receive a proper Catholic education due to religious persecution in the latter. Having resided in the Spanish Franciscan Convent of St Pietro, he took over the uncompleted and debt-ridden convent of St. Isidoro with the intention to convert it into a seminary to train young Irish Franciscans instead for the mission in Ireland. The compound was able to escape destruction during both World Wars. As such, it remains one of the best-preserved examples of 17th-century architecture of its kind in Rome.

As one enters the Church, one can see paintings of St. Patrick and St. Brigid, Patron and Patroness of Ireland on the main doors. Above these are copies of 8th-century inscriptions in old Irish taken from the martyrology of Aengus, the Culdee (Céile Dé – amicus Dei). The interior of the Church also contains several fine paintings- notably the Immaculate Conception, in a frame of roses carved by Bernini and supported by marble carved cherubim. The mortal remains of many Irish patriots and scholars, exiled for their religion, are buried in the crypt below the Church. For three centuries it was also the crypt of the Irish in Rome such as Cardinal Corsini and Wadding himself, with their names recorded on tombs and paving-stones.

As I stepped into this church, the simplicity of the church was a stark and welcome contrast from many of the much larger churches that we have been to. It is a place of higher learning and a place rich with history, with folios dating back to the 11th century being housed there.

8. Capuchin’s Crypt (Bone Church of Rome) (8)

We then proceeded to a place with a unique name, the Bone Church of Rome. It was commissioned in 1626, but bones were taken from friars who died between 1528 and 1870. The Capuchin Crypt is a small space comprising several tiny chapels located beneath the church of Santa Maria della Concezione dei Cappuccini on the Via Veneto near Piazza Barberini. It contains the skeletal remains of an estimated 4000 Capuchin friars buried by their order who believe that their remains symbolise a silent and poignant reminder of our mortality and passage of life on Earth, pointing to an eternal life that lies beyond. The crypt itself consists of a corridor passing through six consecutive rooms lit only by small windows and dim electric candles. While one of these rooms, a chapel, has no human remains on display, the other five such as the Crypt of Skulls and the Crypt of Pelvises are filled with thousands of human bones, elaborately stacked against the walls, organised into enchanting Baroque patterns and even crafted into chandeliers. 

Not everything on display is bare bone. In one room, two severed, mummified arms cross one another to make the form of the Capuchin’s coat of arms. Several rooms also contain robed and hooded figures, their darkened, desiccated skin still clinging to their skulls.

As I walked through the exhibition about the Capuchin Friars, I could feel their intensity and love for God as they carried out their mission and lived a life of simplicity and penance. As I entered the crypt, the ensemble of bones and friars had an eerie nature to it. It brought home the reality of ‘ashes to ashes, dust to dust’ and was a stark reminder that we are God’s creation but our bodies are only mortal while we continue to strive for our souls to join God in his heavenly kingdom.

In the chapel (Santa Maria della Concezione dei Cappuccini [Our Lady of the Conception of the Capuchins]) beside the crypt, I was struck by a particular painting of the scene of the Garden of Gethsemane. The humanity of Jesus shone through that image and I could just feel the intense anguish that he felt as he prayed there right before his death. As I peered up towards the ceiling, there was a heart with a sword pierced through its centre. Feelings of deep gratitude washed over me as I was reminded of the true sacrifice of Jesus as he felt every emotion and every single moment of pain as fully human.

Though today was a jam-packed day, it was filled with many deeply personal encounters with the Lord in various forms. We are looking forward to the experiences that the next few days will bring, and acknowledge that as pilgrims, we are not perfect, but all we are called to do is to have patience, and take the next step each and every day with sure and certain faith that the Lord is moulding us in His own time and image.

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