When I studied in Rome, I didn't know anyone in the program and everyone was a year older. I became good friends with a variety of people from different walks of life.. called by Italy. (I studied French for 5 1/2 years before studying in Italy...it has a way of .. calling people.)
One very sweet girl who is now in her first year at a very good medical school was very dedicated to going to church on Sunday's, no matter what city we were in that weekend. God will return to you what you give to him, and he will bless you in your efforts to find a mass, she said. Church is surely a cultural experience, but when you are slightly hungover in the am or already sort of drunk in the pm, mass doesn't always seem that appealing. Clearly we were blessed, look at the view I stumbled upon following her directions to this particular church...
Inside, the congregation was sparse, mainly with older women and a few men. One women talked to us and repeated her Italian words over and over for us beginners...for a long time and gave us each a rosary. Surely, a cultural experience in the least.
I think that it is great to explore/ experience different churches while abroad. I know that I used to go to Catholic mass with my French family every so often, and I also went to mass in Spain on Easter Sunday. It is a nice way to spend time with local people, even if you can't speak the language. Clearly the common language is faith, which brings people together just as much as any language can.
ReplyDelete