Investiture trip to Malta

Several weeks ago (just before school started - that got me busy again) I traveled with Cardinal O'Brien to Malta - a place with MUCH history - and great connections to Saint Paul (who, as the Acts of the Apostles recounts, was shipwrecked at Malta).

After a Friday afternoon flight (of just a little over an hour) we had Saturday morning free - so I took the opportunity to travel with Fr. Robert Monagle (who is my "boss" at Aviano and just happened to be there that weekend) to the Catacombs of St. Paul.  We also visited St. Paul's Cave - where tradition says St. Paul lived and spent much time in prayer there in Malta - a spot that Pope Saint John Paul II visited as well on his apostolic visit to Malta years ago.

Much like the catacombs here in Rome, these were once used as burial places.  But over the centuries they have been looted and "reclaimed" for other purposes.

 The catacombs

 What they look like above ground

 There are ancient symbols and markings in the catacombs

 Here, on May 27, 1990 Pope John Paul visited this spot and, the sign said, "spent much time in prayer."

 The cave where St. Paul lived

I like this lamp - formed as a ship to remind us of Paul's shipwreck here in Malta.

Then, in the afternoon, the Investiture ceremonies began.  Here are some photos from the day:

 Cardinal O'Brien enters St. John's co-cathedral

 On entering, we pause to pray before the Blessed Sacrament

 Cardinal O'Brien delivers the homily

 The Lieutenants who were present 

 The Knights and Dames of the Order in Malta

 The servers did an excellent job - tho most said this was their first time.  You'd never have guessed!

 There is also a Caravaggio of the beheading of St. John the Baptist in the Co-Cathedral.

Memorial of St. John Leonardi

Today the Church celebrates the optional memorial of St. John Leonardi - and so I continued my custom of visiting churches where a saint is buried on their feast-day.  So today I stopped by the church of Santa Maria in Campietlli here in Rome (not too far off my normal route home from school - which was a plus).  

Who was St. John?  I "borrowed" this from Franciscan Catholic Media:

Saint John Leonardi’s Story

“I am only one person! Why should I do anything? What good would it do?” Today, as in any age, people seem plagued with the dilemma of getting involved. In his own way, John Leonardi answered these questions. He chose to become a priest.

After his ordination, Fr. Leonardi became very active in the works of the ministry, especially in hospitals and prisons. The example and dedication of his work attracted several young laymen who began to assist him. They later became priests themselves.

John lived after the Protestant Reformation and the Council of Trent. He and his followers projected a new congregation of diocesan priests. For some reason the plan, which was ultimately approved, provoked great political opposition. John was exiled from his home town of Lucca, Italy, for almost the entire remainder of his life. He received encouragement and help from Saint Philip Neri, who gave him his lodgings—along with the care of his cat!

In 1579, John formed the Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, and published a compendium of Christian doctrine that remained in use until the 19th century.

Father Leonardi and his priests became a great power for good in Italy, and their congregation was confirmed by Pope Clement in 1595. John died at the age of 68 from a disease caught when tending those stricken by the plague.

By the deliberate policy of the founder, the Clerks Regular of the Mother of God have never had more than 15 churches, and today form only a very small congregation.