Three more

Monday, Mass was celebrated at the church of San Clemente, which is one of the most famous churches in Rome.  The current building was built on top of another church that dates from the middle of the first millennium.  That church, in turn, was built on top of a pagan temple.  Today, you can go on a tour of the excavations underneath the church.  Very interesting.  One of the most famous aspects of the church is the large mosaic in the apse.  It pictures the Cross of Christ as the Tree of Life.  There is much symbolism here.  Hopefully you will be able to see some of the detail in the picture below.

Yesterday, we went to the church of Santa Balbina, a little-known church close to Circus Maximus.  I got to be the main celebrant of the Mass, so I did the preaching, etc.  It was nice.  The priest's chair is actually an episcopal throne, so it felt a bit weird sitting in it!  Definitely too big for me!

Today's Station Church was one of my favorites: Santa Cecilia.  Cardinal Szoka of Detroit was the principal celebrant.  The church is cared for by Franciscan nuns, who seem sweet and obliging at first, but who reveal their stubbornness quickly when you ask if you can see the excavations below the church, especially the crypt chapel.  Many times, I've had to do some pretty strenuous arm-twisting to get them to let me down there.  Usually, persistence pays off, but not today.  Perhaps later in the year I will be able to arrange to offer a Mass there in the crypt.  St. Cecilia is one of the patron saints of musicians; therefore, I claim her as one of mine!  The first photo shows the facade of the church (obviously); the second is a famous statue by Carlo Maderno, supposedly showing St. Cecilia as she was discovered when her tomb was opened, long after her burial; the third is a view of the crypt chapel, directly below the main altar of the church.