Singing in the Reign

(Today's title brazenly stolen from Michael Barber--his book is available here.)

Saint Cecilia is the patroness of musicians, though, so perhaps she has titular rights to all labels utilizing the terms 'music', 'singing', or 'du-du-du-dat-da-du' in them . . .

Her beautiful church is in the Trastevere district, which we hadn't hiked to yet, so our morning trek took us through the Jewish quarter and some of the most picturesque neighborhoods that look like they've been there for millennia . . . oh. Wait. They have.

A noble roman, she suffered martyrdom with her husband St. Valerian and his brother St. Tiburtius. Singing now for all eternity with the angelic choirs, she also sang as they tried to kill her. Emphasis on tried, because suffocating her failed, and then when they tried to behead her, the clumsy blows three times failed to fully sever her head--she lived on for several days before passing on.

Having proclaimed Christ during her life here, she continued to do so after entering into glory: 1200 years after she was buried, her tomb was opened, and as occasionally happens with Saints in testimony to the resurrection of the body, her body was found to have not decomposed at all--incorrupt. Stefano Maderno, an accomplished sculptor of the time, sketched her body and made a marble statue of her, depicting her just as she was found. The incision at her neck can be seen, but notably, one hand has two fingers extended, the other, one: a symbol for Christ's Divine and human natures being united in one person.









This statue is found below the main altar, where Cecilia is buried.



Behind the main altar an excellent mosaic from the early 800's is found up in the apse: Jesus (who's hand appears to be formed in the 'that's perfect' sign, but is actually raised in blessing) is flanked by Peter and Paul. Then to the far left the restorer of the building, Pope Paschal I, is shown bearing the church itself with Saint Cecilia bringing him in. But since he isn't a saint yet, still living around here when the mosaic was made, he doesn't get a nifty halo but is bestowed a blue square instead.


























An enormous fresco on the ceiling shows Saint Cecilia arriving in heaven, and Jesus is placing a crown of flowers on her head, though the angel to his right seems to have a whole tray of them to stack on. As patroness of music, angels are carting in an organ below her--






















"Told you we should have brought a harmonica!"