Assisi was a very special place for me. We stayed with the Sisters of Atonement of St. Francis and they were so warm and friendly that we could not help but feel really blessed by our decision to seek out this sort of lodging while visiting. It was a tremendous respite from the grand experience of Rome. However, it was evident that the village people were tired of tourists and the warmth and wonder of the place came most definitely from the sense of memory, history and spirituality.
It was a very special thing for me to offer up prayers for each of you in the Chapel of St. Francis, the lower level of the main Basilica.
I enjoyed writing while sitting in a top floor cupola…windows opened wide…looking above the entire village of Assisi and its neighbouring countryside all-the-while sipping on a cold German beer recommended by Sister Sue.
It was a wonder to see Giotto’s work…and sad to see the damage done by the recent earthquakes to the frescoes.