An Italian experience

Yesterday (Saturday), instead of going to the Station Church Mass, I went with a group of students from the Teresianum to the rooms of St. Ignatius of Loyola, where he lived for a time and where he died.  The professoressa gave a tour of the rooms and explained some of the saint's biography, and then we celebrated Mass in the room where he died.

After Mass, we went out to lunch at a pizzeria, which was pretty enjoyable.  When going out with a group whose common language is Italian, it means more work for me, but it's fun nonetheless.  The meal went just fine until the end, when several of the students and the professoressa began to talk about some issue at the Teresianum about which they were highly concerned.  Then it turned into a small mess.  Blood pressure escalated, voices raised, hands and arms were flying everywhere, everyone resolved to really do something to solve this problem (whatever it was).  Interesting to watch from a distance, but I'm glad I wasn't in the middle of it.

In the evening, I went to hear the symphony - they played Brahms' Symphonies no. 3 and 4 - and then out for supper with five of the seminarians who also have half-season tickets.  I know, I know - out to eat twice in a single day! - but it doesn't happen like that very often.

Today we have a choir visiting from England.  They'll be singing at Mass, which starts in half an hour, so I better go down and get ready.