I got to see the Pope two days in a row!! On Wednesday we went to the Papal audience. If you saw on the news about the man jumping on the popemobile, I was about 50 feet away! It happened and was over so quickly we didnt think it was a big deal until we saw it on the international news. But the audience was great! We got there 3 hours early, so we were only 10 rows from the front.





Il Papa!













The priest that introduced the English speaking groups present forgot to say our schools name...boo! They had a priest introduce the groups from English, Spanish, German, Russian or Polish? and French countries, then the Pope would wave to them and read his talk to them in that language. It was pretty neat. His accent was so thick it was hard to understand his English.






The Pope leaving in the popemobile.













At this point most of the people left and we moved up to the front, so we were very close to him! He waved to us!!











The Piazza Vittorio Emanuele.













Santa Croce in Gerusalemme.













The inside. It houses the Passion relics found by St. Helena of Constantinople, the mother of Constantine: The panel that hung on the cross, pieces of the cross, a nail, and thorns from the crown. It was pretty interesting.









In the evening on Thursday I went to the Corpus Christi mass and procession from St. John Lateran to St. Maria Maggiore. I had to go by myself because my friends had classes. But it was the most beautiful experience I've had in Rome so far. I peeked at St. Maria Maggiore first and the front was decorated with flowers, like this one of the papal crest.

St. Giovanni Laterno. There were sooo many people filling the whole area in front of the church. I got there 2 hours early so I was right up front!

The Pope using incense at the beginning of mass.

The Holy Father during mass. They passed out Italian mass books so I could follow along.

At the beginning of the Eucharistic Prayer. I had communion blessed by the Pope!!

Beginning the procession. The Pope on a popemobile kneeing in front of the Blessed Sacrament. When he passed in front of us I was sooo close! Amazing!

Following the procession. It was probably half a mile to St Maria Maggiore.

Everyone had candles which were soo pretty as we walked. We were all singing hymns in Italian too. I had a book so I could follow along.

At the end (I was pretty far from the Pope at this point...those little old nuns can push right in front of you when it comes to the Pope haha). Everyone held up their candles and shouted "Viva Il Papa!" It was beautiful! You can kinda make out the steeple of the church in the background.