Travelling with the Saints Pilgrimage: St. Peter’s Square
By Matthew Sottile, Editor
On September 21st to the 30th, Living with Christ will be embarking on our annual Travelling with the Saints Pilgrimage across Italy in cooperation with Calabria International Tours. In addition to following in the footsteps of the great Saints, we will also be attending Mass at St. Peter’s and the Angelus with the Pope. It’s an amazing opportunity to learn about your faith through history, art, food, sights and sounds.
Speaking of art, this leads me to one of the most influential religious artists in Rome- none other than Gian Lorenzo Bernini. Born in 1598, he was a seventeenth century artist who was perceived as the successor to the Michelangelo Buonarroti. He has heavily influenced the religious atmosphere of Rome with his emotionally driven sculptures, of which, includes the numerous statues located on the colonnade of St. Peter’s basilica. These statues, representing the many different saints and martyrs throughout Catholicism, stand attentively to the proceedings inside St. Peter’s square.
Although the number has grown since its creation, Bernini and his pupils had a hand in designing and creating 90 of them- standing 3.2 meters high, these statues witness the many momentous events that take place inside the square. When surrounded by the statues inside the square, it seems as though they speak to you, holding their hands out and motioning towards the sky- a celebration of the pope, and a welcoming to the many pilgrimages that make their way through the breathtaking square of St. Peter’s basilica.
You can experience all of this and more by joining us on the pilgrimage! For more information, visit www.livingwithchrist.ca, call 1-877-702-7773 ext. 222, or email lwcevents@novalis.ca. Reserve your spot today as space is limited!
