Throwback Sunday: How we Celebrated Holy Week Last Year

2012 was a big year for our family.  We went to my parents' long awaited Europe trip and timed it around the Lenten season.  This year, since I am glued to the bed and won't be able to take part in Manila holy week festivities, let me share with you what we did last year around this period :)

Palm Sunday
Arrived in Rome on a Palm Sunday.  A stranger gave us an olive branch on the road which we took to mass at San Giovanni.  We also did the Holy Steps or Scala Santa.  Near the cathedral, there is a chapel with the remnants of the wood wherein Jesus walked to his crucifixion.  You are called to go up the stairs kneeling down until you reach the altar.  It was a great experience...painful, but nevertheless, a great way to start the Holy Week.

They use olive instead of palm for their palaspas

Palm Sunday Mass

 

Visited the Trevi after mass

Capped off the night at the Spanish Steps

Holy Monday
Our family visited St. Paul's Cathedral at the Vatican

Holy Tuesday
Trekked to the Coloseum & Roman Ruins in front of it.
Went to Vaticani again, but this time to see the museum.
The Sistine Chapel was a sight to behold, too bad we were not permitted to take photos.

Did not go inside it for the lines were crazy!

Pantheon

Vatican Museum

Holy Wednesday
Went on a side trip to Florence.  Noel and I stayed overnight, but the rest of the family went back to Rome that night.  I've always loved Florence.  It has a different feel to it, very quaint and lovely.  I wish we can all go back and spend more time in Tuscany next time.

Duomo

Home of the Bistecca Fiorentina, the best!

Ponte Veccio is Love

Under the Tuscan Night Sky at the rooftop of Hotel Continentale

Holy Thursday
My husband and I spent Maundy Thursday visiting churches in lieu of the tradition Visita Iglesia.
The Santa Croce Church was under renovation.  Nevertheless, we were able to see the tombs of the famous sons and daughters of Florence.  We also visited the church of Santa Maria Novella near the train station.

Santa Croce, the tombs of famous Florentine peeps are here

Beautiful Woodworks and Paintings at the Ceiling

Dante's (Inferno) Tomb

Facade of Sta. Croce, was too tired to take pics of Sta. Maria Novella, sorry

Bye Florence

Holy Friday
Started Good Friday by visiting The Catacombs in the outskirts of Rome.  Sorry, we were not permitted to take photos.  In the picture that you'll see, notice that it's just like a beautiful meadow, but actually, underneath the grass are tombs of the Roman Catholics buried a long long time ago.  Their tombs are preserved and you can go underneath and visit it during the tour given by the Salesian priests, caretakers of the Catacombs in Rome.  There are also numerous saints buried underneath.

Beautiful resting ground for the first Christians

While waiting for our turn during the tour, we were privileged enough to come across a group of youth headed by a Filipino Salesian priest doing the Way of the Cross around the Catacombs.
What a great way to remember the Cross of Christ.

Via Crucis

We also tried our luck to join the Way of The Cross at the Colosseum that was to be headed by Pope Benedict himself.  As luck would have it, we were able to get good seats on the ground.  It was serene and a one of a kind experience being with different nationalities comemorating Christ's sufferings on the cross.

Rome's sky during night time is picture perfect...always

Holy Saturday
Uneventful day.  Family spent it in IKEA, hahahaha!
No pics, unless you want to see furniture photos.

Easter Sunday
Woke up early to line up at the Vatican to take part in the Pope's easter mass.
Until now, I can't believe how lucky and blessed we were to be able to take part in an Easter mass in Vatican.  We used to just watch it on television.  There were a lot of Filipinos there and the loudest cheer happened after Pope Benedict said Maligayang Pasko ng Pagkabuhay.  Wooohooo!

Yahoo we were able to get seats even without tickets

Pope Benedict...last ever Easter mass na pala to of the Pope who retired

After the mass, we went to Tita Zeny's place to celebrate Easter over Filipino dishes.
Nakakamiss ang adobo.  Sobrang sarap niya after eating pizza and pasta ng isang linggo.
Happy too that we were able to visit Tita Zeny before we left Rome the next day.

Happy Easter!!!

Since I am only to celebrate Holy Week this year in bed, I pray that we can have the chance to experience a special and one of a kind Holy Week in the future.  Maybe in another foreign land or somewhere we've never been to as a family.  Of course, it will all be special because we'll have a child then :)