September 27-29, 2021 - A Wonderful Trip to Florence

Because the temple is closed for cleaning this week we bought train tickets to Florence.  We had so many wonderful experiences in these three short days:

On Monday on the train to Rome we met Christopher, a young American who is a Catholic Chaplin. He and  a few friends came to Italy to see two of their friends be ordained as priests in Saint Peter's Basilica. We talked a lot about the our similar religious beliefs and told him of our mission to France and our Temple assignment here. We also told them that if they were looking for leather while in Florence to go see our dear friend, Massimo.  Later in the day we ran into them again in Massimo's shop.  They ended up buying several things including four jackets!

In the afternoon we walked to the Oltrarno side of the river to visit Jason Arkles in his studio.  I met him earlier online and wanted to see his studio: Amazing.  Some of the tools he has date back centuries, and I have never actually seen some of them.  Also went to the Romanelli Studio, still an active studio and sculpture shop.

Tuesday was a perfect day.  Breakfast in the hotel was not the typical Italian "espresso and cornetto".  Rather, they had bacon, eggs, pancakes, yoghurt, fresh juices, pastries....  We didn't really need it but did some serious damage anyway.  After finding exactly what Chris was wanting in the Mercado we went to the Bargello sculpture museum, one of my favorites.  Michelangelo, Giambologna, Bernini, Verrocchio, Donatello...the list goes on.  For lunch we just grabbed a very good pizza & insalata at a little open air bistro next to the museum.  Then it was off to the Academia to pay homage to seven incredible Michelangelo sculptures including his David.  Dinner that evening was with Massimo & Colette at "Za Za", a wonderful Italian place.  There was a huge line, but Massimo is friends with the owner so we had a table waiting for us.  A French couple near us offered their leftover partially full wine bottle which Massimo said was really excellent.  The couple said they where were from Senlis and were very surprised that we could not only speak French but also that we had eaten in "Les Barbares", a restaurant in their small town.  We just spent a lovely evening with our very dear friends.

On Wednesday we just relaxed with a visit to the Monastery of San Marco that has so many wonderful Fra Angelico frescos.  On the way to San Marco we passed by Mario's Trattoria, a great little hole in the wall that is only open for lunch and made a "prenottazione" for noon.  Learning a little Italian has been both very helpful and great fun.  The lunch of agnello arrosto, ravioli, zucchini and insalata was fresh, simple homemade goodness. Finally we made our way back to the Santa Maria Novella train station for our journey back "home" to Roma.  

The Duomo on a misty morning

David • Verrocchio and Donatello

Michelangelo's David in the Accademia

Fra Angelico "Annunciation" • San Marco Monastery

Dinner with dear friends Massimo and Colette

 A DAY OFF

Last Saturday was a special temple day for the women of the Milano Stake.  As a result, they didn't need all of the men temple workers.  So while Chris was working I went into the Roma center.  I had about six things I had planned to see there...and in the end I saw all TWELVE of them!!!  Usually we have to wait for the city bus to arrive, but the '435' and I both got to the bus stop in front of the temple at the same instant.  The transfer to the 'B' metro line at Jonio was also quick.  So within only about 35 minutes, I was standing in the nave of the Santa Maria Maggiore Basilica, my first stop of the day.  By about 3 pm and after over 10 miles of walking, I had managed to see all of the following:  Santa Maria Maggiore / Santa Prudenziana / Santa Prassede / The Naiad Fountain at Repubblica / Santa Maria Degli Angeli e dei Martiri in the Baths of Diocletian / The Moses Fountain by Santa Maria Della Vittoria (closed until October) / San Bernado Chiesa / San Carlino (The Boromini Church that influenced the design of the Rome Temple) / Fontana del Tritone at Barberini / Pietro Canonica Museum & Studio in the Borghese Gardens / Carlo Bilotti Museum / Piazza del Popolo / Spainish Steps at Piazza del Spagna.  I also passed by the Canova Tadolini Restaurant located in the former studio of these two great sculptors, a restaurant that is filled with casts of their works.

From Spagna I hopped back on the Metro and with my tired feet went back home.  My only real mistake of the day was not watching closely to tell the bus driver when I wanted off!  So instead of getting off right in front of the temple, I had to ride to the Porta di Roma Mall and walk about 15 minutes back.  Just what my feet needed.  But I can't complain about this amazing day.

Santa Maria Maggiore

Mosaic from Santa Prudenziana

Apse of Santa Prassede

San Carlino

Pietro Cononica Studio and Museum

Piazza del Spagna

Canova Tadolini Restaurant

 A new post

"BRAVISSIMO FRATELLO LUI"

17 September 2021

Daniele Lui and his wife work with us in the Rome temple. When I first met him last week, we talked together about some of the paintings in the temple.  When he discovered that I knew several of the artists whose paintings are displayed there, he asked about one that was special to him. The painting is "Christ in America" by Utah artist Jeffrey Hein.  Brother Lui wanted to know more and find an electronic copy of the painting.  I easily found the information online and sent it to him.  The next day in the temple Brother Lui showed his appreciation by giving me a chocolate bar...and three more for Chris!

This morning our apartment phone rang.  Chris answered with the typical "pronta" greeting.  It was Brother Lui.  He invited us to go to the chapel across the piazza from our apartment so he could sing for us.  When we got there we realized that we were the only ones invited.  With recorded accompaniment he sang excerpts from three classical works: An arrangement sung in English of "Jesu, Joy of Mans' Desiring" by Bach, a selection by Brahms based on Shakespere
's "Hamlet" sung in Italian, and a third selection (I don't remember the source) sung in Latin.  His operatic baritone voice filled the chapel and was absolutely beautiful.  We were very surprised, complimented and touched by this sweet gesture.  Bravissimo Fratello Lui!

 A PROMISE FULFILLED

Today's temple preparation meeting included a video reminding us to keep proxy ordinance work as sacred and special as the ones done when people come for their own.  Later in the evening, a Brother and Sister Parma from Utah came to do proxy sealing ordinances.  Sister Parma had mentioned earlier that one of the people for whom her husband was acting as proxy was very important to him.  As we were finishing, I asked Brother Parma if he could share why the one person was so special to him.  He began to sob as he told his story.

Brother Parma was introduced to the church and converted as a young man in the 1970's here in Italy.  One of his first church responsibilities was to be a home teacher to an older couple in his ward.  The husband was an active and faithful member, but his wife was not a member and refused to have anything to do with the church.  This brother asked his young home teacher to promise him that one day he would go to a temple and have them sealed together for eternity.  Brother Parma had later immigrated to the United States, married and raised his family, but had never forgotten his promise.  Now that the required number of years had passed, Brother Parma wanted to return with his wife to the temple here in Italy to fulfill the commitment he had made almost fifty years previously.  He added that he felt the presence and acceptance of this couple in that sealing room.  As ordinance workers we were all very moved by this simple yet eternally significant proxy ordinance.

Bertel Thorvaldsen's "Christus" and "Twelve Apostles" in the Rome Temple Visitors' Center

 FAST FORWARD - COVID

Our plans to spend three months as temple workers in Rome were rudely interrupted by a global pandemic!  The Covid 19 virus quickly spread across the globe, and Italy was hit early and very hard.  After not quite two weeks in Rome we had to leave for home into a new culture of facial masks, quarantines, and school closures.  All of our church meetings ended as in person events, school classes went to computer broadcasts...the world changed completely.  We hoped it would pass quickly, but even now going on two years later our world is not back to normal.  In fact, I think we are now facing a new "normal".  But in spite of all the changes...and with the help of hopefully effective vaccines...we are now back in Rome and restarting our temple experience.

View of the Rome Temple from our apartment window on "Temple Square".

A Divine Appointment

     When  we arrived in Rome, the temple Matron, Sister Paccini  picked us up at the airport with some friends from Rexburg, Sharlene and Jerry Hansen who were already serving there and had been very helpful to us.  She then took us grocery shopping and took us to our apartment and invited us to dinner Sunday evening. The Rome temple grounds, the architecture, the Stake Center and Visitors Center are all stunningly beautiful.  But words cannot describe how glorious it is to step inside the actual Rome temple. It is gorgeous beyond description; peaceful and inviting, and most of all, Holy.  It just feels so wonderful to be in that Sacred place with such kind, welcoming people doing eternally significant work. Everyone treated us as family members and made us feel very much loved, needed and at home.

     It is a little overwhelming to have such kindness showered upon us, but something happened to make us see we could “give back” in unexpected ways. As we were sitting in the temple president’s office on our first evening in Rome discussing details of our assignment, there was a quiet knock on the door.  A beautiful younger woman named Jill came in and apologized for interrupting and asked President Paccini if he remembered her father, Tom Bacciocco, who had served as a young missionary in Italy with President Paccini 50 years earlier. The president commented that of course, he did remember her father. Brother Geddes said, “Wait.  Was your mother Vicky Bacciocco?” In amazement, she asked how he knew who her mother was. Brother Geddes told her his name, and she exclaimed that she was great friends with the whole Geddes family who lived in Brentwood, California, Brother Geddes’ hometown. Brother Geddes said that her father, Tom had been his mother’s beloved bishop and had actually conducted his mother’s funeral service. Jill  was thrilled beyond measure that people who knew her parents were there to hear the story of her pilgrimage to vicariously fulfill her mother’s dream.

     

     She said that her mother loved to travel and so badly wanted to go to wonderful places like Rome, Italy which had always been at the top of her list because of her father’s service there.  Unfortunately, Vicky got brain cancer and was unable to go anywhere. Her family and friends decided to join forces and put her picture on the top of a stick (which they called “Vic on a Stick"), and whenever people they knew went to exotic places they would take pictures of themselves with the Vic on a Stick in hand.  They would then post it and provide great joy and support to Vicky.

   Vickey’s daughter then proceeded to recount the tragic experiences of her life since the death of her mother and how important this trip to Rome was to her.  Her friends had gotten together and were able to pay for the cherished trip in honor of Vicky. All of us in that room were very moved and saddened for her yet happy she had made her goal to come to Rome for her mother.

    I suddenly felt like I should give her a hug, and though feeling a little awkward, knew it was the right thing to do.  We cried and all felt that it was a surrogate hug from her mom saying, “Good job, honey! You did it!”

     We then went outside the front doors of the temple to take pictures with the temple President and Matron. Jill repeatedly embraced us and thanked us for sharing such a defining, precious moment for her. We all felt great joy; Jill for having accomplished her journey, and us for being able to participate in her joy, experience this divine appointment, and for the Lord allowing us to be in the “right place at the right time” to make someone happy.

I testify that the veil is very thin in God’s holy temple and it is a place where there are no coincidences.

Us with Jill

With President and Sister Paccini

The temple at sunset

Thorvaldsen's Christus and Twelve Apostles in the Visitors' Center

Rome Italy Temple • 2020

Last Easter we made a marvelous journey around the island of Sicily, took a ferry across the Strait of Messina to the toe of the Italian peninsula, followed the Adriatic coast northward through Paestum, the Amalfi coast, Pompeii and Naples, and ended up in Rome.  On the last day of our two-week trip, we spent the afternoon at the newly dedicated Rome Temple.  In the temple visitors' center, we spoke with some senior couple missionaries who are assigned to serve there.  In the course of our conversation, they mentioned that in addition to full-time missionaries, they have a few volunteers that come on tourist visas for three month assignments.  They suggested that if we might be interested we should mention it to the temple president.  When we spoke to the president and told him we were interested in serving, President Pacini took us right into his office and filled us in on all the details.  As soon as we returned home we made the commitment to go, found an apartment, purchased plane tickets and started studying Italian two to three hours per day.  In two weeks from today we will arrive in Rome for this exciting three month opportunity.