In preparation for the Jubilee of Hope in 2025, the academic year for The Lay Centre’s residential community began with an orientation week filled with moments of formation, prayer, and conviviality at the end of September.
On September 24, community members started the week in a spirit of pilgrimage and prayer, journeying together through Rome. The day began early in the morning with a private Mass at St. Peter’s Basilica, presided over by Fr. Agnello Stoia, OFM Conv., the basilica’s parish priest. The idea was to follow the ancient tradition of starting a pilgrimage by “visiting” one of the city’s patron saints. After Mass, Fr. Agnello guided the group through a short spiritual visit to the Basilica.
Later, participants were taken to the Trastevere neighborhood, where they attended a session at Caritas Internationalis titled “Equality, Encounter, Renewal: Women and Leadership in Catholic Contexts,” with Stephanie MacGillivray, Senior Officer, Identity and Mission, Women’s Empowerment, and Inclusion.
The afternoon was dedicated to a private visit to the Catacombs of Priscilla, is a large archaeological site on the Via Salaria, situated in what was a quarry in Roman times. The catacombs extend downward for over seven miles, making them one of Rome’s most extensive catacombs.
On September 25, the community gathered to discuss the theme of Safeguarding, facilitated by Dr. Gabriele Rosato, research fellow at the Institute of Anthropology (IADC). On September 26, Dr. Wenxuan Therese Yuan, professor at the Angelicum and community member, led two practical academic skills sessions on the topics: “How to Write a Scientific Paper” and “Tools for Doing Academic Research.”
The final day of orientation week featured a session on “The Dream and the Challenge of Synodality” with Fr. Daniel Huang, SJ, professor at the Pontifical Gregorian University.
The last activity of the week was a guided visit to the Roman Houses of the Caelian Hill, located in our very neighborhood, with Fr. Lawrence Rywalt, CP, a member of the local Passionist community. Together with the excavations of San Clemente, the Roman Houses of the “Celio” represent one of the most fascinating places in underground Rome. The extraordinary state of preservation of the frescoed rooms, as well as their high artistic and religious value, make them a fundamental part of understanding ancient Rome.
