I witnessed history in the making during my pilgrimage to Rome in 2004. Pope John Paul II celebrated Mass with the
Patriarch of the Eastern Orthodox Church, before an enthusiastic crowd in the
Vatican. It was the first time that a
pope and patriarch had celebrated Mass together.
History will be made again on April 27 this year
with the canonization of Popes John Paul II and John XXII. It will be
the first time two popes are canonized at the same time. Pilgrims are expected to travel to the
Vatican for this in record-breaking numbers.
During Pope John Paul II’s funeral in 2005, the crowd had chanted,
“Santo Subitio! Saint Now!” Less than a decade later, many who chanted for his
canonization will return to see John Paul II declared a saint. Many others will be first time travelers to
Rome.
With news of the upcoming canonizations, I recall my trip to Rome in the summer
of 2004. If only I
had taken a good
guidebook along. But then, having just graduated from high school, the value of
practical advice escaped me. On our
first night, my friend Neal and I became hopelessly lost on streets that all
looked the same. Two-dozen classmates from my Catholic High school were on a
pilgrimage there. My cohort and I were
naïve and unprepared but we thought of it as adventuresome. Even before Neal and I got lost, within an
hour of our arrival, another classmate had caused a three-car pile-up when he
crossed the road at the wrong intersection.
Neal and I alternated leading the way, but regardless of our best efforts, we
remained lost. Our chaperones were going
to be very, very mad if we did not figure out something soon. By the time 5 AM
church bells rang, getting back to the convent where we were staying to make
our 8 AM tour bus seemed doubtful. The worst part about it was not being able
to even speak the language.
Knowing my mom as I do, I bet that she was saying a rosary daily for my safety,
so I credit those
prayers. After hours
of frustrating meandering, we stumbled upon the convent before wake-up call. That next day, however, exhaustion robbed us
of energy for a day’s worth of walking tours.
Now that I am a world traveler, getting lost does not rattle me. I get lost often, although not
intentionally. Sometimes even guidebooks
fail me since their small black and white maps are all Latin to me. I just came across the guidebook Roman
and the Vatican Guide 4 Pilgrims by
Kenneth E. and Elizabeth H. Nowell and immediately thought back to my own trip there. “This would have saved me a
lot of trouble,” I thought. Spending less time figuring out where
I was would have meant more time enjoying where I was—one of the most
historically rich cities on earth.
Today as a professional travel writer, I may have read more guidebooks than the Holy See has had popes. I can honestly say that this one goes above and beyond the call of guidebook duty. I wish it existed when I was in
Rome. It includes basics plus around 800 photograph, but then departs from the usual fare and immerses readers in apologetics, Church history,
architect, information on relics and where to see them, and Roman idiosyncrasies
so that when in Rome, you can really can do as the Romans do.
When I was in Rome our priest chaperone had spent the better part of a decade
living there so he was an amazing guide. If you don’t have the luxury of packing
a Rome-saavy priest, Rome
and the Vatican Guide 4 Pilgrims is
an essential companion. It could also easily be used creatively in
history or religion classes since the authors go back to the beginning,
covering the major players in church history and notable places in Rome with
the photographs to go with them. That
legacy that is Rome, continues to this day. And with this book, you will see
what most tourists miss and learn aspects of your faith you never knew.
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