Introducing Filip to Dominican Rome.

During the time that we have been in Rome, we got official word of Filip's final acceptance into the Western Dominican Province. Congratulations, Filip. (We knew that the final vote was a matter of formality, an earlier vote had determined that he would be accepted so that the Province could get to work on the immigration issues connected to his entering.) It wa snice for him to receive the official word while residing at the Angelicum, the Order's university in Rome. On Friday and Saturday, Filip and I made a concerted effort to see the sites important to the Order here inthe Eternal City.

First, on Friday afternoon, we were given a tour of Santa Sabina, the world headquarters of the Order by Fr. Bob Ombres, the Procurator General (chief legal council) of the Order. This is a very high official of the Order who is very busy with weighty matters of Church law, yet he took time to offer us hospitality and gave a very thorough historical tour of the 1600 year old Church that serves as the Center of the Order. Some Highlights: The CHurch that currently occupies the site on the Piazza Peter d'Illira is the same one htat has been there since it was buit in the 5th Century and dedicated to the memory of a Roman aristocratic woman who had converted to Christianity because of the example of her slave woman, Seraphia. Peter d'Illiria, a wealthy priest built the monument to house the relics of Santa Sabina, Santa Seraphia and others who had been martyred during the persecutions of Diocletian. Those relics are still under the high altar of the Church.

Also original are the beautiful wooden doors that open to the center of the nave. On the upper left panel of those doors is the earliest known representation of Christ being crucified. For three centuries CHristian art did not show this scene. Why? Well probably because Christians were still being crucified on a regular basis. Such a depiction would have been considered crass and undignified. But since that scene appeared on the doors of Santa Sabina, it had become quite commonpalce in the Christian World. And for 1600 years, CHristians have worshipped inthe Basilica on thos site in full view of the Crucifix and in celebration ofv the glory such an ignominious death provides for those who believe.

Fr. Bob showed us the changes that have taken place in the Church over the centuries inclufding the addition of hte schola cantorum and the permanent Paschal Candle stand inthe 10th Century. Santa Sabina was given to Saint Dominic by Pope Honorius III as the headquarters for his newly approved Order. So that CHurch has been sacred to the DOminicans for all 800 years of our history - BUT it had already been sacred place of Christian worship for 800 years before that! Fr. Bob showed us feature of the Church that were sacred to the DOminicans, including the tomb of a Dominican friar in the center of the Nave that bears the only funerary image in Mosaic in the world.

Then the real fun begin. Fr. Bob lead us ito the Convent where we saw the Cloister garden. That's me next to the well in the center of the cloister. We also saw the famous orange tree that was planted by Saint Dominicn and has been producing oranges, seeds, and seedlings since the 13th Century. Fr. Bob took us to the Chapel that had been the room occupied by Pope St. Pius V when he wanted to escape Papal life and spend time in community with his Dominican brothers. Then we walked down the stairs adn saw the door marked "Cella de S. Domenico" and we entered that room, which is now a chapel. Friday was the Feast of St. Boniface, the Benedictine missionary and apostle to the German people. I celebrated Mass in the small Chapel of St. Dominic's cell. I preached a brief homily about Misson - the MIssion of St. Boniface, the Mission of St. Dominic - this is the same Mission that Jesus gave to the Apostles and that he gives to all of us. I shared with Filip the call of hte Dominican to be faithful to that Mission of bringing the Gospel to the World there in the room where our tireless founder had rested fro his journeys - his thousands of miles of MIssion all over Europe - faithful to the Mission had received from God and to which he was committed until his dying breath. There in his room, my prayer for Filip is the same as my prayer for myself and everyother Dominican: that we can always be affcted by the life and spirit of our founder and be as faithful as he was to Preaching the Gospel with our lives and with our words. Congratualtions Filip, Gid bless you as you begin this remarkable journey. It has been fun to share this time with you in Rome!