Assisi: A Religious Experience
October 4th is the Feast day of St. Francis of Assisi. Below is a little account of a visit to Assisi a few years ago.
Italy is one of the most popular travel destinations today.
Besides its many attractions it has for the Catholic traveler a special
significance. When my wife and I travel we like to go to Mass every day. Not
only does every little Italian town have its own church, but each little
district in the town will have its own church. Of course in the larger cities
you can hardly cross the street without bumping into a Catholic church which is
still functioning as a center of worship.
For a Catholic the spiritual benefit of attending Mass even
in Italian is immeasurable. Still, I have to admit that for a tourist there are
some ancillary advantages. First, it is a pleasure to observe Italians at
worship. On Sundays the churches are well attended and Italians attend with
gusto. They sing out the hymns more so than we do here in America.
At a daily Mass attended by half a dozen elderly women, they
sang an a cappella version of the Ave Maria that was as good as anything I've
ever heard.
Secondly, even though most of the precious art works that
were originally in these churches have been removed to pinacotecas and museums,
there is still plenty to see although the churches are extremely dark except
when services are being conducted. In some churches if you drop a coin in a
box, you will get a couple of minutes of light illuminating some masterpiece.
Any tourist can do that but sometimes a Mass goer can get a special perk. If
you attend the 10:30 daily Mass in the Baptistry in Florence, you will be
allowed inside before the mob of tourists is admitted. Before and after Mass
you will be able to walk around observing the incredible ceiling and walls
virtually alone.
One year my wife and I happened to be in Assisi on October
4, the feast of St. Francis. Assisi is a special town on any day but it was
really something that weekend. The day before was a Sunday and we attended Mass
in the magnificent lower church of the Basilica of St. Francesco. The Mass was
packed with pilgrims from all over come to honor St. Francis.
Assisi is a hill town with panoramic views over the
surrounding Umbrian countryside but to me the most wonderful thing about Assisi
is the sounds. Monday morning we were awakened by the incredible bells of San
Francesco which rang steadily for more than five minutes at 7:00. Two hours
later a procession from the town's central square, the Piazza del Comune, wound
its way down the via di San Francesco to the Basilica. Every year a different
region of Italy is represented in the procession. That year it was Abruzzo from
the South. People marched in their
native costumes behind their local banners down to the Church to attend Mass.
Loudspeakers broadcast the proceedings for the thousands who
couldn't get inside while `some politician gave a speech, and then gaily
dressed singing groups performed traditional songs from Abruzzo. Finally, the
crowd began to disperse for lunch and siesta.
That night after dinner my wife and I were walking back to
our hotel. By then even the area around the Basilica was deserted. Yet as we
passed the doors of the lower Church, we heard a small group of Americans
singing the hymn of St. Francis.
Make
me a channel of your peace…###
