MASS AT ST. PETER'S

Tuesday 8 October 2013

MASS AT ST. PETER’S      

Midway through our journey, we arrived at the place that many would consider as the high point of our pilgrimage: St. Peter’s Basilica!

Our cameras were snapping away as soon as the basilica dome became visible from our bus. We left the hotel early to beat the traffic, and there was definitely an excitement in our group as we crossed the quiet streets leading to St. Peter’s Square. I have many well-traveled friends who have told me that all Catholics need to make a pilgrimage to the Vatican but I never thought that I would ever actually be able to do so. And here we were, getting ready to celebrate Mass with Father Paul in the basilica itself!

I think we were all in awe as we set foot in St. Peter’s Square, whose images are so deeply ingrained in our Catholic memory from the many papal events of our lifetime: the white smoke from the Sistine Chapel; the blessing of newly elected popes from the balcony; the impressive funeral of Pope John Paul II; the General Audiences; and so much more. The façade of the basilica is certainly imposing: 376.3 feet wide and 149.4 feet high, with thirteen statues looking down on us – Christ, surrounded by the Apostles (except St. Peter, whose statue is left of the stairs) and St. John the Baptist. The inscription below the cornice commemorates the pope who oversaw the completion of the Renaissance-era construction that replaced the old 4^th-century basilica:

IN HONOREM PRINCIPIS APOST PAVLVS V BVRGHESIVS ROMANVS PONT MAX AN MDCXII PONT VII


(In honor of the Prince of Apostles, Paul Borghese, a Roman, Supreme Pontiff, in the year 1612, the seventh of his pontificate)

But it was time for us to stop our gawking and head into the basilica. We were already late for our scheduled Mass at the side altar. We rushed through the initial security screening easily enough but I hit a roadblock at the basilica’s front door.

I was told that guitar cases are routinely turned away at the doors of St. Peter's but, as my pilgrimage friends know, my guitar folds in half and my case looks more like a backpack. The front door guard looked me over and said in a thick Italian accent, "What is that?" 

I replied honestly, "It’s a guitar, for my group's Mass." By this time, most of our group had gone ahead of me to set up for the liturgy. Luckily, Mike Strassmaier and Art Nutter were still with me.

"Do you have permission slip to play guitar at your Mass?" asked the guard. 

"What permission slip?" I asked innocently. Then one of our group ran back to me.

"Come on, Ken! Fr. Paul is ready to start Mass!" 

The guard became concerned. He was actually very nice but he needed to make sure this was cleared with his supervisor. "Don't be late for Mass. But first go to sacristy and get permission from Head Usher."

So off to the sacristy we went. St. Peter's Sacristy is like Grand Central Station, with nuns and seminarians assisting visiting priests and bishops who want to celebrate various side altar liturgies. Oscar, our tour guide, had now joined our permission party and he explained our request in Italian to the Head Usher, who sized me up and said one emphatic word:

"No!"

Then Oscar explained that my guitar is not electric and I would strum softly. We were already late for Mass. Our guide pointed to his watch and pleaded with the Head Usher, who finally relented and granted permission. And that is how I ended up playing guitar for Mass at the Vatican! My fellow liturgists and composer peers are still in awe by the story of how I got away with this. It was a classic case of "Better to seek forgiveness later than to ask for permission now."

8:00 am is obviously Mass time at St. Peter’s. There were several pilgrimage liturgies taking place simultaneously throughout the basilica at the various side altars. We dashed out of the sacristy a little disoriented as we looked for our group. Then Mike heard Fr. Paul’s distinctive voice over the church sound system and we followed his voice to the Altar of the Chair of St. Peter.

My jaw dropped as I realized that our Mass was not at just any side altar. We were at THE side altar, the Cathedra Petri, behind the Pope’s main altar. Father Paul attended seminary here in Rome and this pilgrimage is a celebration of his 50^th anniversary as a priest. How utterly fitting that he would return to the Vatican to celebrate this personal landmark! How privileged we were to be with him!

Our priest’s homily was incredibly moving, and I hope I can do it justice in this blog. Father Paul recalled his special day as if it were yesterday. His father, a convert to Catholicism, prepared a wonderful surprise gift: he spent the better part of a year learning Latin so he could be an altar server at his son’s First Mass! It was with great joy that father and son walked down the aisle together as the newly ordained priest celebrated his first Eucharist with family and friends.

As St. Peter said to Jesus at the mountain of the Transfiguration: “Lord, it is good for us to be here!”

NEXT BLOG: More on St. Peter’s Basilica and the Sistine Chapel