Ascension Sunday

Thursday I was very happy this year to be able to attend an Ascension Thursday Mass! All over Rome, the day has been transferred to Sunday, so it is difficult to find such a Mass on Thursday. Then there is the challenge of finding a Sunday Mass today. I was obviously tired after getting home last night, and was not up to a 7am Mass, so that eliminated one of my options for getting out of an Ascension Mass today. And, I avoided my normal parish where I knew that they were planning to celebrate the Ascension for a second time, and decided to go to the Institute of Christ the King Mass at 10am. This morning, though, I did not wake up easily. In fact, I woke up about 9:30 to the sound of marching bands going by in the street below. I did not believe the drums at first, thinking it must be a radio in one of the residences around, and so I waited. The brass cleared away any doubt, and I waited for them to finish the song--but they started another. They seemed to be going around my block playing. I had to get up to get ready for Mass, though I really wanted just to stay in bed, and I started recording from my windowsill. If I knew how to post it, I would. But the music went on while I got ready and headed to Mass. And I missed taking a picture of a band or two I saw on the way for lack of time. There was a giant tv screen placed in the piazza outside the church, and I remembered something about today being the Festa del Poppolo.
The Institute celebrated the Ascension today in Rome.
After Mass, I hurried over to St. Peter's, where were gathered thousands from around Italy showing support for the Holy Father.Several organizations worked to gather people to show their support after so many attacks have been made against the Church and the pope. I had been contacted by no less than 3 groups for the occasion. And, even before the pope appeared at his window, the national Catholic paper here had already sold me a copy of today's edition with the front page featuring this (at that point) projected event. The square was so crowded that I did not make it all the way in, but was just outside. It takes 10,000 people to fill the square, if I'm not mistaken. There were jumbotrons placed along the Via della Concilliazione for people who could not make it as close as I did. When Pope Benedict came to his window, many released balloons, some carrying messages that we could not read. It was beautiful, and before he finished delivering his own message in Italian, French, German, English, Spanish, and Polish, it started to rain.
Good night.