Day 17
Visit to the Congregation for Catholic Education

 After attending morning Mass at the Church of the Twelve Apostles, we stopped to venerate a relic of the foot of St. Mary Magdalene, which is in the Church of St. John the Baptist of the Florentines on Via Giulia.

A view of the sanctuary of St. John the Baptist's Church

The relic of St. Mary Magdalen's foot is enclosed in a golden foot-shaped reliquary

We had the privilege of visiting the Congregation for Catholic Education to learn about the Dicastery's role in helping to support local efforts in Catholic Education and in promoting a vision of quality Catholic Education worldwide.  The Congregation is located right outside of St. Peter's Square.

A view of St. Peter's from the doorstep of the Congregation

The front of the building where the Congregation is housed
A happy surprise of the day was finding the street named after Father Pancrazio Pfeiffer! Father Pfeiffer was instrumental in assisting Pope Pius XII to negotiate more autonomy for the Holy See from the Rome-occupying Nazi Army during World War II.  Due to this autonomy, the Church was able to secretly open numerous convents, rectories, and ecclesiastical buildings to hide Jews who were being taken in mass numbers by the Nazis to concentration camps.



In the afternoon, Father Fredrich Bechina, FSO, Undersecretary for the Congregation for Catholic Education, came to the Domus to share with us a very thought-provoking conference on the challenges in formation in consecrated life in light of the changes in culture and society.

We concluded our time with Father with a Eucharistic Holy Hour and Benediction.

Another great day of blessings from our Lord!

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