Pope Francis delivers his Urbi et Orbi blessing immediately following the Easter Sunday Liturgy. We are there as he raises his hand above us, our brothers and sisters, and the world.
Our Easter Sunday feast is at one of our favorite restaurants near the Vatican. The quiet afternoon allows time for joyful prayer and meditation, reading, rest, or exploration in Rome.
Easter Monday is la Pasquetta (“Little Easter”) in Italy, an Italian national holiday that continues the joyous Easter celebration. We also continue our celebration by traveling to two very important shrines. This first houses one of the most important miracles in Italy – the Eucharistic Miracle of Lanciano and the second, the Shrine of the Holy Face.
Rising early, we travel about 2½ hours across Italy to the town of Lanciano in the rugged Abruzzo region near the Adriatic Sea. In Lanciano, we enter the church that houses the Eucharistic Miracle. Behold, the wonders of the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ made visible.
After our visit we stop at a local trattoria in Lanciano for lunch, then turn back towards Rome. On the way we visit the small town of Manoppello, Italy. There, we visit the Shrine of the Holy Face, housing a mysterious cloth bearing the image of a man with wounds on his face — an image some believe is the actual face of Christ formed at the moment of his Resurrection. We also attend Mass. Afterwards, we return to the hotel for dinner, conversation and reflections, and another night’s rest.
