Papal Audience

On Wednesday, I attended the weekly papal audience, something on my bucket list. I grew up in Catholic schools, boarding school, and college. Dempsey grew up in the South Bronx with no particular interest in religion, so I went on my own. I ended up with a fun group...

St. Peter’s Basilica

Our visit to St. Peter’s Basilica. A slightly off-kilter view from in front of Vatican City, which, as you probably know, is a separate country. My favorite sculpture. Legend has it St. Peter is buried below. There are tours of the lower levels.  ...

Vatican Museum

The entrance through the outside of the Vatican wall belies the modernity of the entrance rooms inside. This replica of the original, displayed behind glass inside St. Peter’s Basilica, captures the emotion and beauty of Michelangelo’s Pieta. This huge pine cone,...

Downtown Rome

For the second half of our week in Rome, we moved downtown to the pensione owned by the Sisters of St. Filippini, the order of which my friend Sr. MaryBeth Lloyd is a member. They’re dedicated to working with women and children in need, in a number of countries....

Pompeii

We took the train to Naples, and from there transferred to the local train that took us to Pompeii. After our tour there, we reversed course to Ercolano to see the ruins at Herculaneum. It was awe-inspiring to look up at Mt. Vesuvius, which erupted in 79 A.D., killing...