Familiar territory

Rome feels very familiar to me. Since my 20s, my family and I have been visiting Rome for spiritual pilgrimages. Each time I return, I discover something new and fresh, adding to the depth of my connection to this city. Each time I come is a unique experience; there is always something waiting to be discovered, and some new experience to fathom! This time, I am grateful to be staying within the walls of Vatican City. While some people associate Rome with food, museums, or romance, for me, spirituality takes precedence. I am excited to be part of this diverse group and I eagerly anticipate discovering new churches and sites during this visit along the way! They say Rome has 900 churches, yet there is always more to explore! What makes this trip even more special is that we come from different religious backgrounds: Jewish, Catholic, and Anglican., hence the “ecumenical nature” of the course. I am looking forward to the ecumenical dialogues ahead, coming from perspectives of different religious backgrounds, and the talks over meals. I am also looking forward to see the non-Catholic sites of Rome such as the Mosque and the Jewish sector. We are also joined by classmates from other religious backgrounds, so it will be interesting to hear what they have to offer in the mix. A lot of friendly, sometimes even heated, discourses have already occurred. I hope that by the end of the course, we will have a further appreciation for other people's perspectives. It's already been an interesting week and I look forward to the experiences that lie ahead!

Blessings to all!

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Parting ways

Our last dinner with the University of Toronto group was truly memorable. Overall, the Rome trip wa a great experience and I learned a lot about ecumenism, something I had no experience with before. The concept of ecumenism as a dialogue, where one can be "strong in their identity yet open to dialogue", really resonated with It's inspiring to see how such an approach can foster understanding and unity, even with our own "small group" from Toronto, there was so much diversity (again, it included an Anglican priest, a secular Jew, and 3 Catholics). Yet, despite our differences, there will always be a way to talk and talk to each other, if they share space with each other. I will truly miss this group , and the larger group at the Centro Pro Unione. I am looking forward to more enlightening conversations and shared ecumenical experiences in the future! Very grateful again to Dr. Attridge, Dr. Skira and the RSM management for this wonderful opportunity! Until next...

Walking on Holy Land

Basilica di Santa Clemente (Matteo Carboni) The other day I visited Basilica Di Santa Clemente al Laterano. Santa Clemente is an 11th century church built on top of a 4th century church named after St. Clement of Rome who was the Pope between 88 and 99 CE. It is likely that the site had been used as a house church since the 2nd century CE, then transformed into a large church complex in the 4th century. Beside the 4th century church there was a temple of Mithras that had been used since the 2nd century CE. Underneath the church and the temple, excavators found Roman households destroyed by the fire of Nero in 64 CE. I think Santa Clemente is one of the coolest sites I have visited in Rome. It has been a neighborhood church for nearly 2000 years and has only needed one upgrade! The physical relationship between the two churches has given me much to ponder. The foundations of the 4th century church was used as a blueprint for the 11th century church. One the one hand, this is ...

Welcome! Rome Ecumenism Course - 2024

Welcome to our journey of studying ecumenism and interfaith relations in Rome in the summer of 2024. Please visit often as we share insights, new learnings, adventures, pictures, etc., from our three weeks in the eternal city. We’re glad to have you along!

Rome Ecumenism Course 2024

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