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| 2582: St Paul's
Within the Walls, Rome |
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Photo:
Croberto68 (Public Domain)
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Mystery
Worshipper: St Edward the Confessor.
The church:
St Paul's
Within the Walls, Rome.
Denomination:
The
Episcopal Church, Convocation
of Episcopal Churches in Europe.
The building:
Dating from 1873, the building is the first non-Roman Catholic
church to be erected in Rome after freedom of worship became
possible under Italy's constitution in 1871. It is a neo-Romanesque
building, designed by the English architect George Edmund Street.
The tower and its unique bells can be heard by the Pope in the
Vatican! The inside is glorious, with beautiful mosaics and
stained glass all lovingly described on the church's website.
The first rector collected Roman and medieval art, and so many
Roman statues and sarcophagi can be found in the church garden
and in the nave. The sculptor Peter Rockwell, son of noted American
illustrator Norman Rockwell, crafted a number of grotesque statues
for the church garden.
The church:
Although this church was built for the moneyed class of America's
Gilded Age, today St Paul's is a very diverse Christian community
with members from every side of the world. The American, African,
and Italian communities are prominent in the life of the church.
They also host a Latin-American Anglican community.
The neighborhood:
St Paul's neighbors are the Colosseum and ancient Roman baths,
the Papal Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore (that inspired the
tower and apse), the Quirinale (the presidential residence),
and many luxury hotels. There is a lovely Irish pub and bar
just across the street that also offers a good American breakfast.
The cast:
The celebrant was the Revd Canon John W. Kilgore, canon minor
at Christ Church Cathedral, St Louis, Missouri, USA. He was
assisted by a lone altar server.
The date & time:
Feast of St Mary the Virgin, Thursday, August 15, 2013, 7.00pm.
What was the name of the service?
Sung Eucharist.
How full was the building?
The service was in the lovely chapel of St Augustine of Canterbury,
which was half full with 20 people. Actually not bad considering
that no one is in Rome on Ferragosto, the mid-August
holiday dating back to the time of the emperor Augustus.
Did anyone welcome you personally?
A dapper young preppy gentleman with a bow tie warmly welcomed
me, asked where I was from, and accompanied me to my pew.
Was your pew comfortable?
The pew was very comfortable.
How would you describe the pre-service
atmosphere?
Quite reverential. The organist played an uplifting Bach prelude.
The whole huge church was dark except for the chancel of the
chapel. This was rather uplifting as well, considering that
most of the light came from the six candles on the altar and
the stained glass window from which moonlight and a feeble street
light could come in. On the high altar beneath the ninth century
cross, an icon of Mary was standing on the tabernacle. I thought
that this was very powerful theology: Mary standing beneath
the cross.
What were the exact opening words of the
service?
"Blessed be God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit."
What books did the congregation use during the
service?
Service leaflet and the Hymnal 1982.
What musical instruments were played?
Pipe organ, in the most reverent and exquisite way. The psalm
was sung to Gregorian chant and the hymns were very traditional.
Did anything distract
you?
Being in Rome, and it being August, and being in a church without
air conditioning ... you can imagine what the distraction was!
Also, there was a young man in the first pew who kept staring
at me – more weird than distracting.
Was the worship stiff-upper-lip,
happy clappy, or what?
The service was definitely Anglo-Catholic, the purpose for which
this church was built! Incense was used, Gregorian chant was
sung, and I heard some bells.
Exactly how long was the sermon?
10 minutes.
On a scale of 1-10, how
good was the preacher?
9 – Canon Kilgore's style was amiable and congenial. He
dealt with some profound matters of theology in a simple, down
to earth, but at the same time very refined and complete way.
In a nutshell, what was
the sermon about?
Canon Kilgore explained the doctrine of the Assumption of the
Blessed Virgin Mary from a Roman Catholic, Orthodox, and Anglican
point of view, the Anglicans being in the middle of the other
two.
Which part of the service
was like being in heaven?
Gregorian chant, hymns – well, I'd like to say "Everything."
But I think the best part was kneeling at the altar rail receiving
communion, listening to wonderful organ music, and taking in
the splendid setup of the altar: a crescendo of candles beginning
at the icon and the medieval cross and ending at the beautiful
stained glass, which in the moonlight and street light was rendered
even more magical.
And which part was like
being in... er... the other place?
Unfortunately no one had been assigned the task of keeping tourists
at bay during the service.
What happened when you
hung around after the service looking lost?
I was soon greeted by Canon Kilgore and several members of the
congregation. Everyone seemed very nice.
How would you describe
the after-service coffee?
There was none since it was dinner time. But some members of
the congregation invited us to go with them to a Roman trattoria.
How would you feel about making this church your regular (where 10 = ecstatic, 0 = terminal)?
8 – I don't know, since this was a special feast day, it
was summer, and there was a visiting priest. We'll see what
an average Sunday is like at another time.
Did the service make you feel glad to be a
Christian?
Yes.
What one thing will you remember about all this in seven days' time?
The uplifting setting of the sanctuary with the wonderful music as its frame. |
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| The Mystery Pilgrim |
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| One of our most seasoned reporters makes the Camino pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela in Spain. Read here. |
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