EnTrip

In St Francis' Footstep...

Nancy, 200 miles, May 06

In St Francis' Footsteps - Assisi (Simple)

4036 Views

Nancy - Tue 26 February 21.00

Clear

In May 2006 30 of us made the trip from the UK to Assisi for a week. Many of us were members of the Third Order of the Society of St Francis (TSSF), and our leader/guide for the week was +Martin, who is also a member of TSSF. FOr some, like me, it was our first encounter with Assisi; for others it was a return journey to a place that held something special for each individual.

We arrived late. It was about midnight before the bus, which collected us from the airport in Rome got us to the convent of the Sisters of St.Bridget of Scandanavia, just outside the wall to the Old City. The town, as we approached, was like a crown of diamonds glittering on the hilltop; a jewel box which we would open up slowly over the next week...

"Brother, Sister, let me serve you
let me be as Christ to you
Pray that I may have the grace
to let you be my servant too..."

In St Francis' Footstep...

Nancy, 200 miles, May 06

In St Francis' Footsteps - Assisi (Simple)

4036 Views

Nancy - Sun 02 March 19.00

Clear

After lunch Martin took me to the church which is on the site of what they believe was St Francis' home - Chiesa Nuova. But we didn't linger in the chapel, but he led me straight down some stairs to a small room with a stone altar. It was a dark, bare, simple room. What was remarkable about it was behind the altar. There was a ceramic sculpture. As I stared at it, with my own thoughts of who it depicted, I asked Martin who he thought they were. He had always assumed they were Francis and Clare. But I was not so certain. I had not seen any paintings or engravings of Francis looking like this man -- it looked more like Jesus to me...

So we sat and looked, and went closer... it was a man in a hooded cloak enveloping within his arms a woman... but there was a gaping hole in the hood and it looked like blood splattering down from what appeared to be a head wound onto his cloak... and the woman.

Eventually we agreed: it seemed more likely to be Jesus and Mary Magdalene. It gave it an added poignancy of love... and agony... In retrospect, it was probably the piece of art that had the most emotive impact on me. Other paintings and sculptures had aspects of them that touched me - particularly the expressive hands in them (usually Mary or Mary Magdalene) or the pain in the facial expressions captured so incredibly well in stone or paint. But this one captured my imagination as well as my heart and touched my soul. It remains with me today, as I recall that day...

In St Francis' Footstep...

Nancy, 200 miles, May 06

In St Francis' Footsteps - Assisi (Simple)

4036 Views

Nancy - Thu 28 February 19.00

Clear

The morning began, for me, at about 5 am when I was awakened by the most amazing dawn chorus of birds. I needed to get up and just sit by the window in awe and wonder.

The hospitality of the Sisters became quickly evident at breakfast with a most delicious simple breakfast of strong coffee with hot milk, freshly made bread and butter and home made jam. The Sisters are delightful!

We then followed +Martin up the small road from the Convent through one of the many City Gates within the wall around the town, and up to the Basilica of Santa Chara (St. Clare) to meet up with our guide for the next hour or so.

Santa Chiara is not only the place where St Clare was buried, but it now is the home of the original San Damiano Cross, before which we had a short amount of time for reflection and prayer before we visited the crypt and the relics deep in the bowels of the basilica.

"...We are pilgrims on a journey;
we're together on this road.
We are her to help each other,
walk the mile and bear the load..."

In St Francis' Footstep...

Nancy, 200 miles, May 06

In St Francis' Footsteps - Assisi (Simple)

4036 Views

Nancy - Sat 08 March 08.00

Clear

THE MORNING:
Once again I got up early and set off at 6.30 for the short walk up the hill and through the gate of the ancient wall. I went to the Temple of Minerva - from Roman times at the central Piazza del Comune and then wandered the streets a bit until deciding to return to the Basilica of st Clare to sit in the small chapel where the original San Damiano cross now hangs.

However, I encountered Mass going on in the Chapel, so I quietly joined them... going up for the 'Corpus Cristi' along with the people of Assisi. After everyone else left, I remained behind for prayer and reflection while the Sisters cleared the altar and (tried!) to blow out the paschal candle! The Sister was too short, and had to eventually remove the candle from its base and blow it out before replacing it again. She had a wee giggle to herself as she did this, oblivious to my presence in the Chapel.

It was while reflecting in front of the San Damiano cross that a bit of an answer formed as to how to reconcile the individual with community needs and responsibilities: there is really no one formula... the way will be different for each one of us as each dilemma or potential conflict arises. We cannot impose our way on anyone else. However, by listening carefully and compassionately, by taking time and making space to reflect, and by acting with personal integrity we will each find our way...

SANTA MARIA degli ANGELI:

We took taxis down to Santa Maria degli Angeli. It is inside this enormous basilica down in the valley below the old Assisi that the tiny Portiuncula Chapel is preserved. It was originally in the midst of a forest of trees and marked the spot where Francis began his Order of Friars Minor in 1209. It was the site of the Chapter of Mats in 1221 when 5000 friars attended the Chapter to renew their vows and Rule of Life.

I had to close my eyes to the basilica and imagine the tiny chapel in its original surroundings, which was easier to do from inside the wee chapel where we were able to pause and kneel at one of the small pews on either side of it. There seemed to be so much energy in this wee place... so many prayers had been raised up from it over the centuries... Pope John XXIII in 1962, as a pilgrim himself, said of Assisi:

"God has given Assisi this enchanting nature,these art splendours, this charm of sanctity, which seems to hover in the air and which the pilgrim feels as something tangible... it is so that through a common and universal language men may learn to know each other as brothers."

It is true: the sanctity is palpable and the Franciscan spirituality of brotherhood, love, service, peace, respect for nature, simplicity, joy seeps into one's soul.

After emerging back into the sunshine outside, four of us women decided to walk back up to Assisi along a brick road/pavement. Some of the bricks have been bought/sponsored and dedicated to a loved one: the places these people come from covers the whole of the world!

Along the way we passed the place where Francis is said to have encountered a leper. This encounter transformed him: it was the first step towards giving up all of his considerable worldly possessions and becoming a man of simplicity and love.

We met up with some of the others on the terrace of a restaurant towards the top of the town, overlooking Assisi and the Spoleto Valley below. We ate cool and delicious melon and prosciutto and drink the local wine and enjoyed the companionship.

Sign up for free or Login

In St Francis' Footsteps - Assisi

Rate this Trip

Related Trips

Itinerary

News Feed

A Gem on a Hill

Arrival - Sunday - Rome to Assisi