Day 14: Thursday 18 July
We met the three groups in the house of San Pantaleo and began our day praying Lauds. After the prayer, we met with Fr. Pedro Aguado to begin with the Roman section of the Calasanz Route. On this first day of the Roman section of the Route, Fr. Pedro shared with us the document entitled: Growing up and living as a Piarist. We had a moment of sharing in small groups and then in plenary.
After lunch and a break, Fr. Pedro shared with us the second part of his presentation, entitled: “A global vision of the Order”. At the end there was a time of sharing in plenary. We ended the day with the celebration of the Eucharist.
Day 15: Friday, July 19
We began the day with the Eucharist. Then we welcomed Father Ángel Ayala, General Postulator, who guided us for two days during the Calasanz Route to delve deeper into the Calasanz’s life in Rome. Today we toured the places where Calasanz was in Rome from 1592 to 1622, in two sections: in the morning, Calasanz’s personal tour, the places where Calasanz was from 1592 to 1597, and in the afternoon, the places of the foundation, from 1597 to 1612, and from 1612 to 1622. The Colonna Palace, the Church of the Twelve Apostles, the Vestri Palace, the Manini Palace, Santa Dorotea, were some of the places we visited on the tour. We had lunch in a restaurant in the community of Sant’ Egidio. In the afternoon section, we took a tour of the House of San Pantaleo. Then we visited the General House of the Piarist Sisters. We were received by Mother Asunción, Mother General, Mother Úrsula, Superior of the Community and Postulator General, and Sister Jessica. There we took a tour of the house (Chapel, Museum, Library) and shared a snack. After the visit, each group returned to their home.
Day 16: Saturday, July 20
We began the morning with the Eucharist presided over by Father Ángel Ayala. The day had as objective Calasanz’s relationship with the Virgin Mary and the Church. In regards to this, in the morning we went to the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore, where Calasanz went with his first companions to thank the Virgin of Popolo when Paul V. approved the Constitutions. There, we had a moment to pray. Then we visited the Church of Santa María dei Monti, a church that Calasanz visited frequently. There we prayed the Crown of the Twelve Stars. On the way back home, Father Ángel invited us to share in pairs the meaning of Mary means in our vocation. After lunch and resting a little, we headed to St. Peter’s Basilica. We walked the same path as Calasanz walked with the four General Assistants when they were taken to the Holy See. On the way, Father Ángel invited us to share the following questions again in pairs: What is my image of Jesus, with which I relate? Looking at my vocational and educational path, how has my reaction been to difficulties and suffering? What is my relationship with the Church? Can I say, like Calasanz, that I am someone faithful to her? What is my disposition regarding solemn profession? What are my lights and shadows? Who is Calasanz for me, at this moment in my life? What can I say about him, how does he question me? Once we arrived at the Basilica, we said goodbye to Father Ángel and thanked him for his service these two days. After spending some time in the Basilica, we returned to San Pantaleo, from where each group left for their accommodation.
Day 16: Sunday, July 21
We began the day with Lauds. The session on the Pious Schools Going Forth (PSGF), presented by Fathers József Urban, Assistant General for Asia, and Carles Gil, Assistant General for Europe closely followed. Fr. József, during the morning session, introduced the PSGF. In the afternoon, Father Carles, continued with the missionary aspect of PSGF. At noon, we celebrated the Eucharist, which was presided over by Father Louis Aïgnegnon, of the Province of Italy. This was his first time presiding over mass at San Pantaleo. Once the afternoon section was over, participants were given free time before returning to their accommodations.
Day 17: Monday, July 22
After the lauds, we began the second day of our reflection on PSGF. In the morning, we reflected on our disposition and commitment to the peripheries, led by Father Carles. In the afternoon, after lunch and rest, we continued with our reflection with Father Jószef, with the aspects of interculturality and inculturation in Calasanz. We ended the day with the celebration of the Eucharist. In the afternoon, we also welcomed Bishop Carlos Curiel, who will ordain some of our brothers as deacons and priests. We ended the day with the celebration of the Eucharist.
Day 18: Tuesday 23 July
We began the day with the Eucharist. The morning’s work consisted of a time of sharing, first in small groups, and then in plenary, some reflections on community life based on the following questions: Why can I say that community life is a key to Piarist life? What are the actions that can be carried out to improve community life? What can I do to improve community life, to be a catalyst for it? This space for sharing was moderated by Fr Joszéf. After listening to each other, Fr. Carles concluded this section by emphasising the importance of taking up the challenges we share every day. With this dialogue we ended this second phase of formation in Rome.
Angel Ayala, who this time showed us some manuscripts of Calasanz and relics of Piarists such as St. Pompilio and Blessed Pedro Casani. We ended the day with a moment of prayer guided by Fr. Angel.
Day 19: Wednesday 24 July
We began the morning with the Eucharist. Then we started our work with Fr. Jesús Guergué. Fr Jesús was introduced by Fr General. He is Spanish, from the Province of Emmaus, and has been living in Brazil for several years. Fr. Jesús introduced us to the relationship between Pope Francis and St. Joseph Calasanz during the two days of work. In the morning and afternoon sessions today we worked on a document entitled: “St. Joseph Calasanz: Spirituality and Charism”. In between the two sessions we had lunch and a break. At the end of the afternoon’s work, we had the rehearsal of the Liturgy of the Eucharist of Solemn Profession. Then each group left for home.
Day 20: Thursday 25 July
As we have done during these days in Rome, in the morning the three groups gathered in the Church of St. Pantaleon to celebrate the Eucharist. Afterwards, we continued our work with Fr. Jesús working on the document “Global World, Challenging. Crisis of Humanity”, with an intermission for lunch and a break. Before lunch we had a rehearsal, this time of the Eucharistic chants of Solemn Profession.
In the last part of the afternoon session, we discussed in small groups and then in plenary on what Father Jesús had said. Finally, we thanked him for sharing these two days with the Ruta group. Before each group left for their lodgings, we rehearsed the Eucharist for the ordinations of deacons and priests.
