Our time in Italy (continued)

Of course, for the church group the trip to Pompeii was a spiritual pilgrimage as well as a social occasion to be enjoyed with family and friends.  We were accompanied by a priest from the local abbey and a nun from the local convent. She also sings in the choir. 

a concert event in the abbey church
when a recording was made for a CD

I had the opportunity to take a photo of the whole group

 gathered outside on the steps of the church after the service.

The two boys in the front row are our great-nephews

  standing with their grandmothers and my other sister-in-law

 is standing in the middle of them.

Dedicated to Our Lady of the Rosary the church is also classed as a cathedral and minor basilica.  A painting above the high altar depicts the Virgin Mary and the Child Jesus presenting rosaries (prayer beads) to St. Dominic and St. Catherine of Siena.

photos taken before and after the service

the high altar

mosaics in the side naves
 Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane

Jesus carries the Cross

the Crucifixion of Jesus

the Risen Jesus Christ

The Ascension of Jesus into Heaven

We were sitting under this painted cupola during the service.
I was fascinated by the figures in the painting especially the
angel in the pale pink robes to the left.
Thankfully there was time to take photos after the service, but
as the whole of the church was elaborately decorated
I could have spent hours looking at the images
 and art work.

St Michael slaying the dragon

St Margaret Mary Alacoque's mystical vision of
the Sacred Heart of Jesus. This image
can also be seen
on the bronze doors of the bell tower.

Lunchtime ...the restaurant was a manageable

short walk from the church.

a good menu - fish or meat choice

although the gnocchi was also a vegetarian option

I think the apple pie must have been a local speciality

as it contained candied citrus fruit

a view of the bell tower from the restaurant

The great-nephews would have liked to have gone to the top

of the tower. There would have been great views across the Bay of Naples, 

the Roman excavations and Mount Vesuvius in the other direction.

It would have been a great work out after that lunch, but only for

 for the young and energetic ones in the group! 

However, we walked in the other direction towards
the place where we would meet the coach
taking in some of the typical Neapolitan sights
along the way.

giant lemons

limoncello and other citrus liqueurs
and products

the information centre

My brother-in-law bought his grandson
a Roman helmet and my sister-in-law
bought a box of rock specimens
from Mount Vesuvius for her grandson.

We spent some more time relaxing with our family
near an entrance to the excavations.

No time, of course, to go inside and you need at least a day
of it anyway.  However, there are a couple of buildings
 outside the Roman site, constructed mainly of glass,
where you can see some of the exhibits from
 the archaeological excavation.

Soon it was time to leave the Naples area and head back to our village. We arrived back safely after a good day out.

the abbey May 2018 

Season's Greetings

Sheffield Anglican Cathedral is a beautiful place of worship. Last week by the time one of the group meetings I go to in an afternoon had finished it was dusk and the atmosphere in the various areas of the church was even more inspiring as the evening lights came on.

The new St. George's Chapel with the Holy Spirit Chapel

 and the Crypt beyond (accessed via a flight of steps).

This Advent five prayer spaces in different areas of the cathedral have been set up including a Prayer Labyrinth drawn on the floor of the old St. George's Chapel. (Prayer labyrinths were used in medieval cathedrals. Unlike a maze they have only one path, the inward journey to the centre and the outward path back. There are no dead ends). On the four pillars surrounding the labyrinth there are thought-provoking words or scriptures to inspire the visitor as he/she walks slowly around. The prayer spaces have a piece of creative visual art installed there. Each one was inspired by the Advent Antiphons that are sung in churches in the days before Christmas describing God's saving work in Christ and although it's not known when or by whom they were composed they were in use by the 8th century.   

The High Altar

The Shrewsbury Chapel

detail from the stained glass window in St. Katherine's Chapel 

This will be my last blog post before Christmas Day as our daughter is coming to stay tomorrow and we shall be enjoying her company and also getting together with our other daughter, our son and their families. Thank you for your friendship and support especially during the health challenges I've experienced during the last six months. I wish you a happy Christmas, Hanukkah Shalom to those who celebrate this festival and, above all, a peaceful time during the holidays for everyone.