Monday, March 13, 2017

March 9 in Rome: Annual Opening of Room of St. Frances of Rome

March 9 is a great day to be in Rome.  Lots of events on the Feast of St. Frances of Rome, my birthday!

For any young ladies discerning a possible call to cloistered convent life, consider here.

It is open once a year on March 9, the Monastero delle Oblate di Santa Francesca Romana, a cloistered community of nuns in the heart of Rome.

Located on the Via del Teatro di Marcello, in the shadow of the Capitoline Hill.  The upstairs chapel is a must see.  

2 comments:

  1. If I'm not mistaken, these nuns are called the Oblate Benedettine di Santa Francesca Romana, or also the Oblate di Tor di Specci (Tower of Mirrors).
    This Order of cloistered nuns, founded by Saint Frances of Rome herself in the 1400's, never was a huge Order. But before the disaster of Vatican II, they did have close to 90 nuns in 3-4 houses (1in Rome, and 3 others in the countryside/suburban area around Rome). Sadly, like so many other small Orders of Italian nuns, they discarded the traditional habit, which was distinctive, and adopted a rather ridiculous long modified habit with a veil that leaves the ears exposed. I believe, according to the latest Annuario Pontificio 2016, that there are less than 10 of these nuns left, all very elderly. If they had never discarded the traditional habit Saint Frances wore, perhaps they might have done better over the last 50 years. They're down to the 1 Roman house, which will probably be turned into a museum when the nuns are gone.

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  2. https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oblate_di_Santa_Francesca_Romana

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