I've Got Sunshine!

+JMJ+

Yesterday and today have been beautiful days, in more ways than one!  Spring has officially arrived.  It is BEAUTIFUL outside.  I've been able to wear dresses without tights and leave my coat in the closet.  Glorious!  Today, my roommate and I laid in the olive grove, basking in the sunshine while praying a rosary.  Can you say perfect?

Yesterday, I had my last class of the semester.  It was an art and architecture tour.  My professor took my classmates and I to the colosseum area, where we studied the colosseum and surrounding churches. Among the churches was the Basilica of Sts. John and Paul.  This church is not named after the apostle John and Paul, apostle to the gentiles.  Sts. John and Paul were Roman soldiers who were martyred for their Christian faith.  The basilica was built over their house.  Inside, the basilica is adorned with chandeliers.  Lots of chandeliers.  Why?  In 1946, Cardinal Francis Spellman of the archdiocese of New York was the titular cardinal of the Basilica of Sts. John and Paul.  He found out about a hotel that was closing in New York.  This hotel had many many chandeliers that it just didn't know what to do with.  Cardinal Francis Spellman thought they would look nice in the basilica, so he had them shipped over and put up and there they are now.

Check out those snazzy chandeliers

It's also finals week, which means study time has taken up more of my day than usual, but that has not been a bad thing.  In fact, it's been very enjoyable.  I spent yesterday afternoon studying with a couple of my classmates and my RD at the library of Santa Croce University, one of the pontifical colleges in Rome. The library is beautiful and the perfect environment for studying.

Santa Croce University is an Opus Dei school, so I found St. Josemaria hanging around there...

After studying for a few hours, we went to the church of St. Vincent Palotti.  What did we see there?  Only his personal room, belongings, writings, his habit, the bed he slept and died in.  WOAH.  The room was in the back, we had to ask a priest to show it to us, so it was just the four of us back there.  What a beautiful gift!  After seeing St. Vincent's room, we went to Mass at the church.  He is buried under the altar there.

The evening was spent studying.  I had a final this morning and I have another one this evening, so I'll be getting back to my studies as soon as I post this.  Tomorrow is the last day of finals, and therefore the last day of the semester!  It's hard to believe, but it's true!  Only a few more weeks left in beloved Roma.  They will be wonderful!