PETER AND PAUL FATHERS OF ROME PILGRIMAGE OF ANCIENT ROME, JUNE 29, 2024

 JUNE 29 is the FEAST DAY OF THE FATHERS OF ROME PETER AND PAUL.  IT IS CELEBRATED AS A PUBLIC HOLIDAY ONLY IN ROME.  THIS PILGRIMAGE COVERS 3 DAYS JUNE 27, 28, 29, 2024, and BEGINS ON JUNE 26, 2024 WITH APERITIVO, DINNER AND LODGING.  IT ENDS AT CHECKOUT ON JUNE 30.  Cost is 500 EURO PER PERSON PER DAY FOR 4 DAYS, this INCLUDES ALL MEALS, ALL TRANSPORTATION AND HOTEL LODGING FOR 4 NIGHTS.

JUNE 27 WILL BEGIN WITH THE CHURCH OF FIRSTS IN ROME, THE FABULOUS LA BASILICA DI SANTA PUDENZIANA ON VIA URBANA IN ROME, JUST ONE BLOCK SOUTH OF THE BASILICA OF SANTA MARIA MAGGIORE.  SANTA PUDENZIANA IS WHERE PETER’s MINISTRY IN ROME BEGAN.  PETER LIVED IN SENATOR PUDENS HOUSE OVER WHICH THIS CHURCH WAS BUILT, SO PUDENZIANA BEGAN AS A HOUSE CHURCH.

SANTA PUDENZIANA IS THE CHURCH OF FIRSTS IN ROME, THE MOST IMPORTANT EARLY CHURCH OF ROME.  PUDENZIANA IS WHERE PETER SAID HIS FIRST MASS IN ROME.  PUDENZIANA HAS AN ALTAR DEDICATED TO PETER WHERE PARTS OF THE TABLE UPON WHICH HE SAID MASS ARE STORED IN A RELIQUARY.  OTHER PARTS OF PETER’s FIRST HOLY COMMUNION TABLE ARE PRESERVED IN THE PAPAL ALTAR AT THE ARCHBASILICA OF SAN GIOVANNI IN LATERANO.  PUDENZIANA IS ALSO WHERE THE POPES FIRST LIVED IN ROME. SAINT PETER’s CHAIR IS EMBODIED IN THE PAPAL CHAIR HIGH UP ON THE MAIN ALTAR IN ST. PETER’s BASILICA IN VATICAN CITY.  

 THE LATERAN PALACE AT SAN GIOVANNI WAS FIRST OFFERED AS LIVING SPACE TO THE POPES WHEN EMPEROR CONSTANTINE I CAME TO POWER IN THE EARLY 4th CENTURY.  THE VATICAN LIVING SPACE WAS AVAILABLE ONLY AFTER THE POPES RETURNED TO ROME AFTER SPENDING MOST OF THE 14th CENTURY LIVING IN AVIGNON FRANCE, AND THEY DIDN’T GO STRAIGHT TO THE VATICAN, THEY LODGED FOR AWHILE AT SANTA MARIA MAGGIORE.

SANTA PUDENZIANA WILL BE VISITED IN THE MORNING OF JUNE 27.  IT IS OPEN FOR VISITS ONLY FROM 9:00 AM TO 11:30 AM MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY.  FROM THERE WE WILL GO TO SAN PIETRO IN VINCOLI TO VIEW THE CHAINS THAT HELD ST. PETER AND SEE THE ONLY BALDACCHINO IN ROME THAT LUNGES DOWN TO THE LOWER ALTAR.  IN VINCOLI CLOSES FOR LUNCH AT 12:30 PM. 

AFTER LUNCH ON JUNE 27 WE WILL VISIT MAMERTINO PRISON THAT HELD BOTH PETER AND PAUL DAYS BEFORE THEIR EXECUTION.  PAUL’s HOUSE WHERE HE LIVED IN ROME OPENS 5 - 8 PM DAILY WITH MASS AT 7:30 PM.  PAUL LIVED AT VIA DI SAN PAOLO ALLA REGOLA 6.  PAUL LIVED FOR 2 YEARS IN THIS HOUSE UNDER HOUSE ARREST WHERE HE WOULD HAVE BEEN CHAINED TO A GUARD DAY AND NIGHT.  HIS CHURCH OF SAN PAOLO ALLA REGOLA WAS BUILT OVER HIS HOUSE.  

THE MORNING OF JUNE 28 WILL BE SPENT AT TRE FONTANE WHERE PAUL WAS BEHEADED, ESPECIALLY IMPORTANT HERE IS THE CHURCH THAT MEMORIALIZES THE LOCATION AND MANNER OF PAUL’s MARTYRDOM.  MASS IS USUALLY HELD IN THE MORNING.  WE WILL VISIT THE TRAPPIST MONKS STORE ON SITE FOR SHOPPING.  The TRAPPIST MONKS MAKE HOMEMADE CHOCOLATE, HONEY AND BEER, and AN ARRAY OF FRESH DELICIOUS LIQUORS NOT SEEN ANYPLACE ELSE, ONLY HERE IN ROME!  LUNCH WILL BE AT A NEARBY CAFETERIA WHERE THE LOCALS GO.  THEY WILL WELCOME US WITH A LOT OF ATTENTION BUT IT’s A GREAT PLACE FOR LUNCH.

AFTER LUNCH ON JUNE 28 WE WILL GO TO THE CHURCH OF ST. PAUL OUTSIDE THE WALLS WHERE PAUL WAS BURIED, THIS IS ONE OF THE FOUR MAJOR PAPAL CHURCHES IN ROME.  WE CAN VIEW HIS BURIAL SITE AND TOMB.  5 PM VESPERS ARE AT THIS CHURCH ON THIS DAY, THE EVE OF HIS FEAST DAY WITH PETER.  THERE IS A GREAT BAR JUST OUTSIDE THE DOORS OF THIS CHURCH, COMPLETE WITH BAGNO.  The BAR WILL BE A GOOD PLACE TO REFRESH BEFORE VESPERS.  HERE IS A FOTO OF PAUL’s GRAVESITE UP AT THE ALTAR IN HIS CHURCH OUTSIDE THE WALLS.  It’s A CUTOUT IN THE FLOOR IN FRONT OF THE ALTAR, it’s AN EXCAVATION THAT SHOWS PART OF THE SIDE OF HIS TOMB.  THE GRATE IS OPEN IN THIS FOTO.  USUALLY THE GRATE IS CLOSED BUT WE CAN STILL SEE INSIDE.

WHILE WE ARE AT VIA OSTIENSE WE CAN VISIT THE SITE OF THE LAST MEETING OF PETER AND PAUL IN ROME.  LET’s PLAN TO VISIT THIS SITE ON THE AFTERNOON OF JUNE 28 AND MAKE OTHER PLANS FOR THE AFTERNOON OF JUNE 29.

JUNE 29 IS THE ACTUAL CELEBRATED FEAST DAY OF PETER AND PAUL.  In the MORNING OF JUNE 29 we CAN VIEW THE INFIORATA IN ST. PETER’s SQUARE AND ON VIA DELLA CONCILIAZIONE.  WE SHOULD FIND THE SECRET HEART STONE IN THE SQUARE AND THE WHITE-LINED RECTANGLE THAT MARKS THE SPOT WHERE PETER WAS MARTYRED.  WE SHOULD ENTER THE BASILICA TO SEE ST. PETER DRESSED UP IN HIS FANCY RED AND GOLD GOWN.  

THE AFTERNOON OF JUNE 29 WE CAN RETURN TO ST. PAUL OUTSIDE THE WALLS AND ATTEND MASS THERE AND PARTICIPATE IN THE PROCESSION CARRYING THE CHAINS THAT BOUND ST. PAUL.  THESE CHAINS ARE ON DISPLAY IN THIS CHURCH. 

OR THE OPTION IS TO SPEND THE ENTIRE AFTERNOON OF JUNE 29 AT ST. PETER’s BASILICA, ATTENDING MASS AND PLANNED SERVICES IN HONOR OF PETER AND PAUL.  I WILL NEED TO KNOW HOW MANY OF YOU WILL ATTEND THE PILGRIMAGE FOR ME TO REQUEST TICKETS AS REQUIRED TO ATTEND PAPAL EVENTS INSIDE THE BASILICA.  OTHERWISE WE WILL HAVE TO REMAIN IN THE SQUARE AND WATCH THE JUMBOTRON.  AND IF IT COMES TO THAT, WE SHOULD FILL OUR AFTERNOON WITH VISITS TO THE FOLLOWING TWO SITES OF PETER IN ANCIENT ROME.

WE CAN VISIT THE FOLLOWING TWO SITES ON THE AFTERNOON OF JUNE 29 AND STILL HAVE TIME TO PARTICIPATE IN THE PROCESSION OF CHAINS AT EITHER BASILICA OF PETER AND PAUL.  EACH SAINT WORE HIS OWN SET OF CHAINS HOUSED IN THEIR RESPECTIVE CHURCHES.  Here is an Instagram post on the procession of St. Paul’s Chains around his Basilica outside the walls, June 29, 2024.

https://www.instagram.com/p/C84pUc1oUkC/?igsh=OXRhczV5NXF4MG85

I WOULD LIKE FOR US TO HAVE TIME TO VISIT THE CHURCH OF SANTA FRANCESCA ROMANA AT THE ROMAN FORUM TO SEE THE ORIGINAL FLAGSTONES FROM THE ROMAN FORUM THAT STILL HOLD THE IMPRINTS OF PETER’S KNEES WHEN HE FELL TO THE GROUND PRAYING FOR THE RELEASE OF SIMON MAGUS FROM THE DEMONS FLYING HIM THROUGH THE AIR.  THE HISTORICAL RECORD SAYS HE HAD PROCLAIMED HE WAS GOING TO BE TRANSLATED TO HEAVEN; INSTEAD HE FELL TO THE GROUND A MANGLED CORPSE.

AND TIME TO SEE THE COPY OF JESUS’S FEET IN THE MARBLE BLOCK AT THE CHURCH OF DOMINE QUO VADIS OUT ON THE APPIAN WAY.  IN THE YEAR 65 A.D, PETER SAW JESUS WALKING TOWARD HIM ON THE APPIAN WAY AS HE WAS ESCAPING ROME.  PETER ASKED “DOMINE QUO VADIS?” And JESUS REPLIED HE WAS GOING TO ROME TO BE CRUCIFIED AGAIN.  The ORIGINAL FOOTPRINTS ARE AT THE CHURCH OF SAN SEBASTIANO AT HIS CATACOMBS DOWN THE ROAD.  YOU CAN TRY THE MARBLE COPY ON FOR SIZE!

AFTER DINNER WE CAN ENJOY THE 9 PM FIREWORKS IN PIAZZA DEL POPOLO FROM A GOOD ROOFTOP BAR.  If the FIREWORKS are held at Castel Sant’ Angelo, then we will watch the FIREWORKS at the Castel.  This year 2024 the FIREWORKS will be held at the Castel.

AS USUAL WITH ALL MY MULTI-DAY PILGRIMAGES YOU CAN JOIN AND LEAVE FOR ANY AMOUNT OF DAYS.  This Pilgrimage costs 500 Euro per person per day.  Contact me for ACCOUNT DETAILS.

Text me for ACCOUNT DETAILS on WHATSAPP AT 0039 from Italy or 01139 from the USA 338 744 7764, or EMAIL ME AT cuteycat9@gmail.com

SANDRA PANICI AKA THE ROMAN PILGRIM IN PERSON IN ROME