John's Janiculum Jaunt: Stephen,Philip,Prochorus,Nicanor,Timon,Parmenas,Nicholas

In a splendid ceremony unleashing the glory of the Roman Rite we witnessed the Ordination of 33 men as Transitional Deacon's in St. Peter's basilica at the Altar of the Chair, under what many consider Gian Lorenzo Bernini's masterpiece of baroque architecture and sculpture all in one. One rarely gets this close to this wonderful piece of artwork. I read in a history of the Basilica that Raphael and Michelangelo each undertook perfect artistic expressions of the Father and the Son which left Bernini no other choice than to bring to life in art the Holy Spirit. He out shined both these master's and it is the Holy Spirit whose presence was felt both in art and spirituality today, the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi and the 50th Anniversary of Good Pope Blessed John XXIII announcement of his intention to call an Ecumenical Council at the Vatican, the second such Council to meet on Vatican Hill.

There were more than 350+ Deacons, Canons, Priests, Bishops, Archbishops and Cardinals. Here are some of the priests lining up for the procession in one of the long hallways between the Sacristy and the Basilica.

Getting ready to process

Now just because there is a Mass going on does not mean St. Peter's shuts down. The Basilica was closed off just before the Statue of St. Peter in the main aisle. You could still see the long poles with ribbons on top of the tour guides leading their groups and though not visible in the photo below there were hundreds of people in the walkway at the Base of the drum that supports the Cupola, during mass if you looked to just below the windows you could barely make them out but their red blinking camera's and strobe flashes were clearly visible!

As we were processing into the basilica.

The Huge Chair you see just below the window of the Holy Spirit is completely constructed of bronze and looks as if it is floating on the wind of the Holy Spirit. The chair is 20 feet high, it is actually a reliquary and contains remains of a humble wooden Cathedra (Bishop's chair) which St. Peter used when he was Bishop of Rome. The 4 bishops surrounding the Chair are (left to right): St. Ambrose of Milan, St. Athanasius of Alexandria, St. John Chrysostom and St. Augustine of Hippo. They range in size from 13-16 feet high.

Making our way to the altar of the Chair

Here is the view from my chair! Nice seats!!!!

view of Peter's Cathedra from John's seat

The ordaining prelate was Archbishop John Meyer of Newark, NJ. I don't know how he made it through the ceremony, it was very hot and humid and it lasted 2 1/2 hours. He gave a splendid homily peppered with some very humorous as well as human elements. In a funny and touching story he reminisced about his own ordination at the same spot long ago and how just before ordination he failed an exam at the Gregorian University. The professor he had was not enamored with the NAC students. The Professor asked him to name the 7 worthy men chosen by the Jerusalem Church for service as deacons. He could not remember anyone but Stephen! In the event your curious their names are the title of today's post, taken from today's first reading from Acts of the Apostles. The guy in scarlet in front of me was His Eminence Edwin Cardinal O'Brien, Grand Master of the Knights of Malta.

Archbishop Meyer

There were several bishops and Archbishops. The Bishop on the right is Archbishop Nienstedt of St. Paul and Minneapolis, a rising star in the American Church.

Bishops, on the right Archbishop Nienstedt

The priest with the glasses taking communion is Fr. Dan Kirk of the Diocese of Trenton, so the Diocese was well represented today in Rome.

Fr. Dan Kirk of Trenton

The beautifully inspiring brilliant window of Gian Lorenzo Bernini, The Holy Spirit breathing life into the Church and always guiding her on the pilgrim way through the Son to the Father.

Holy Spirit

We marvel today at the Baldacchino of Bernini but there was controversy because of the creative combination of a Ciborium (4 columns with a hard roof of stone) with a Baldacchino (fabric canopy) to form what we have today. The entire mass is composed to be organic. There are all kinds of creatures, animals and insects on it. The open curling top was inspired by dolphins.

The Baldacchino of Bernini

The Confessio

I love this statue of St. Dominic. Note the dog with the torch. It is said his mother had a dream while pregnant of a dog carrying a torch and she interpreted it to mean her Son to be born would do great things. The name presence of dog is also a play on words using his name, Dominic - Domini Cane, Dog of God.

St. Dominic

There are carvings on the marble bases of the 4 columns of the Baldacchino. If you follow them around and look sideways it is a pregnant woman. As you move around the Altar her expression changes as she struggles to give birth. Of course the shield had the three bees of the Barberini Coat of Arms, they were three flies but when Cardinal Barberini was made Pope he had them changed to bees to symbolize the sweetness of Christ.