...to catch you up!

We are so sorry that it has taken solong to update you all! We did not have internet access at our last hotel unless it was on Father Roccos iphone....which is not easy to blog on. Rick and Jeff were patient enough...but it took me 5 min to log on...who knows how long it would take to update you on all we have done!!

So because of that...we now have a lot to catch you up on! get ready!!
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ok.....so I HATE paying for the internet....because I just typed something PER DAY to catch you up...and the internet stopped befre I knew it. I typed everything, went to post it...and it lost it ALL!!!! BAH!!!!!!!!!!!!! so i will try to reiterate what i can. sorry if it is not very detailed. the first one was. grrr.

thursday:
colosseum-HUGE! amy and cari video taped the Lizzie McGuire shimmy with the colosseum in the background. wonderful! then we went to the church that contains the chains that were used to arrest St. Peters. then we drove to Assisi, Italy. I think we are all won over. Audrey and Cari have decided to move here. It is such a beautifully quaint, little town. Picturesque and definitely not as busy as Rome. our first stop was st. Mary of the angels which as the portuncola. Then off to the church of St. Claire for mass in one of the side chapels. this is where we saw the cross that spoke to St. Francis to rebuild the church. Also, St. Claires incorruptable body is there from over 800 years ago!!!! beautiful! it was such an amazing miracle to be in the presence of. the day finished with dinner ending just in time for the sun to set. we got to watch this beautiful sight from the top floor balcony of our hotel.

Friday:
Mass at St. Francis of Assisi and a wonderful tour of the basilica as well as the town of ASsisi. Many opportunities for photos!! beautiful, i tell you!!!!! Shopping, dinner, and gelato!! Audrey and Cari found a two scoop for only 1.80 euro!! awesome! then we went to the hermitage that St. Francis went to pray at. It was up the hill hidden aidst the "lush green forest and chirping birds" haha. beautiful.

Saturday:
We took a day trip to florence. boring tour, Duomo, baptistry, statue of david, mass at the church of the holy cross. back to assisi.

sunday:
BIG day of driving! left Assisi :( for Loreto to visit the basilica of the holy house (the house of the Blessed Virgin Mary). Celebrated mass, and then headed to Lancieno for the eucharistic miracle present there. This was so interesting, and such a breathtaking miracle to be in the presence of. look up the story..pretty increadible. Its a veryspecial thing to see these amazing miracles that others will go there whole life without seeing, or even knowing they exist! then another 2hour drive to San Giovanni Rotonda, the home of st. Padre Pio. we had dinner at the new hotel and then joined the community there in praying the rosary! it was in italian...but we could still follow along. This was an a mazing example of our Univeral church! we call all pray together, even though we were praying in differentlanguages! wow!

TODAY!:
we went up to the Monte of St. Angelo, Grotto of st. micheal the arc angel, and the Church of St. Padre Pio. we even got to see St. Padre Pios incorruptable body! he died in 1968 and was found to be incorruptable in 2008. his body will be exposed until september of this year, so we are very blessed to have been given the opportunity to witness this miracle. Pretty remarkable. And the fact that this man was living only about 50 years ago is another amazing thing. The rest of the day was just climbing 258 steps, shopping, dinner, and typing a blog that didnàt save. fun stuff!!!

we love you allso much! thank you for caring to hear about our trip...and for your prayers! sorry we left you hanging!

love and prayers,
your pilgrims