Monsignor Scott Friend, vocational director for the Diocese of Little Rock (see Pompeii journal for more info) made another visit to Rome to see the three us (myself, James and Josh – this is Josh’s first year in Rome) and we had a good time together, as it is always good to see people from back home.
We had dinner often, visited places together and I almost talked him into enduring some Theology classes taught in Italian…but he wasn’t to interested in being bored (not that Theology is boring but the professors aren’t doing cartwheels and plus he doesn’t know Italian).
James was unable to go, but the rest of us went to Subiaco one Saturday, a place not only linked to the Diocese of Little Rock by name (there is a town in Arkansas named Subiaco) but also because of the presence of Benedictine monks (Subiaco in Italy being the location of the first Benedictine monastery).
Subiaco gets its name from “sub lacum”, which means under the lake. It was a luxurious villa under the artificial lakes created by the Emperor Nero (who killed Sts. Peter and Paul in the year 64).
St. Benedict arrived in Subiaco at the end of the 5th century. After three years of prayer in a cave (which we visited!) he founded the monastery. There are two monasteries in Subiaco: St. Scholastica’s (the first and oldest) and St. Benedict’s (built over the cave).
There are now about 20 monks who live at St. Scholastica and I believe 4 who live at St. Benedict’s.
We first had a huge lunch (maybe 4 courses) at the welcoming center at St. Scholatica’s and then took a tour of the monastery. It was amazing walking through, seeing, experiencing the centuries of life and prayer lived by the monks there.
We then visited St. Benedict’s, which has many gorgeous frescoes and has probably the oldest image of St. Francis (painted while he was still alive and before he received the stigmata).
Subiaco is very close to Rome, meaning close access to quietness, clean air (in the mountains) and a contemplative environment to pray or study. I’ll be back for sure.
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