Saints Alive!

Luke mentions in his blog the proliferation of saints that are buried here in the Eternal City. This makes for potentially travel filled saints' days. Particularly in this month of October when a lot of the major leaguers are commemorated in the Church calendar, the Roman Resident has the opportunity to go and spend some time at the earthly reference point for the fellow church member, now triumphant.

Wednesday we commemorated Saint Ignatius of Antioch, bishop at Peter's first see in present day Turkey. His letters give a riveting glimpse into the faith and vigor of the early Church, written before he was brought here to Rome and fed to the lions by the emperor. Being martyred here, his (post-lions) remains remain here.

So in the afternoon I walked toward the Colosseum, knowing that the Church of Saint Clement, where Ignatius was buried, was nearby. Arriving at the rotund construction at the South end of the forum, I stepped into a nearby church.

It was the Church of Saint Francis, another October Saint, with a beautiful and serene interior. An elderly priest, mostly deaf, sat inside. Utilizing a protracted elevation of volume, I was able to ask him where I could find Saint Clement's.

Going past the forum, as he directed, I found the avenue of San Giovanni. Tucked onto the side of the street, so that you couldn't see it until you were on top of it, I found the church that held the relics of Saint Ignatius. Going inside you could see the sweeping mosaics dating back to the 12th century. It is beneath the main altar that, along with Saint Clement, Saint Ignatius is buried.

What a remarkable thing, that just meters from the Colosseum, where he was killed, I could now pray where Ignatius was buried. Reading his words of courage in his letter to the residents of this city, I pray that today living in Rome I might share in the strength he drew from Christ.










(photo from http://www.basilicasanclemente.com/img/tour/hr/Interior.jpg)