St. John – St. Paul Catholic Collaborative

Today is Sunday, which is supposedly a day of rest. But we were excited to get up and go to Mass at the Jesuit English-speaking Oratory of St. Francis Xavier of Caravita.

Four of us were asked to take part in the liturgy. We foolishly thought that taking a taxi rather than walking a mile with the rest would get us there in plenty of time. We waited and ordered Ubers and taxis that never came. With twenty-five minutes to go, we ran to the church, pushing aside tourists packed around the Trevi Fountain and rushing into the church with one minute to spare. The priests were lined up and, without catching our breath, we were leading the procession!

On this day we found ourselves in the Saint Lawrence Basilica, built as a diaconiae (not to be confused by that word). A diaconiae started as a simple structure to serve the needs of the poor in the area. Over time it was developed and expanded to include an oratory where deacons could gather in prayer. To this day, this oratory contains the Easter Candle as well as the ambo for the proclamation of the Gospel. Eventually a sanctuary was added to the oratory. This three-part design of the oratory and the sanctuary is a graphic reminder of the deacon’s threefold ministry of the Word (oratory), Sacrament (sanctuary) and Charity (the nave). These three make up one sacred reality! Pope Francis resumed the ancient custom of entrusting a church to a Deacon…

As we begin the month of October, a month the Church sets aside in intentional prayer for the dignity of life and the flawless witness of our Blessed Mother, it seems only fitting that we remind one another of the abundance of life in our own Collaborative.

Our Sunday 9AM Family Mass is not the only place where you will find the faithful witness of young families gathered to participate in the celebration of the Mass. Voices and hearts of all ages make up the fabric of each of our Masses. We are so grateful that at the St. John-St. Paul Collaborative it is rare to experience a Mass without the simultaneous presence of those with a lifetime of devotion and wisdom under their spiritual belts as well as little hearts learning to know and love Jesus…