Happy Feast of Saint Catherine!
If things look a little different here, it’s because I switched email companies after over a decade. I think it’s going to be much better for everyone.
In this week's podcast, we talk all about relics.
The relics of Saint Catherine of Siena are all over the place, her tomb, though, is located in Rome underneath the main altar at one of the city's most beautiful churches, Santa Maria sopra Minerva.
On her feast day, the altar is opened for the faithful to venerate her tomb. You can read about that custom and see photos here.
You may also enjoy the early morning bells from her hometown.
If you missed the latest Second Cup Saturday, be sure to check it out. I took you on a live stroll from my favorite cafe, Sant'Eustachio to the flower-covered Spanish Steps. It was a gorgeous day.
Most of Italy is starting to slowly reopen! On Monday we were again allowed to have coffee, drinks, and meals at outdoor tables, some museums have reopened and travel is now allowed between certain regions. But despite what some news stories have said, there is still no confirmed timeline for Italy reopening to tourists. I wrote about that misleading article here.
Finally, I was interviewed by Catholic News Service last week. They spoke to a few of us expats working in tourism about how we are doing. There's a video and article here. It's also making it into a lot of diocesan newspapers, so be on the lookout for that.
As always, thanks for being here!
Mountain