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Grazie Madonna

Ria — Tue, 30 Aug 2005 04:29:00 +0000

Those whose prayers have been answered (see previous post), can show their gratitude at this ad hoc shrine in via Trastevere. The slot at the bottom of the wall for donations for “bread for the orphans” has been crowded out by a hundred or so plaques dedicated to the madonna. The oldest plaques are

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Please please me

Ria — Thu, 18 Aug 2005 04:28:00 +0000

This statue is in Santa Maria in Trastevere. The hundreds of slips of paper are requests for saintly intervention. Note how the more enterprising supplicants avoided getting their requests lost in the mess at his feet and stuck Post-its on his cassock.

Although I forgot to note the name of the saint, it

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Last exit for Italy

Ria — Fri, 12 Aug 2005 06:53:00 +0000

Someone once wrote that war was composed of long periods of utter boredom punctuated by moments of sheer terror. That pretty much sums up my trip north from Rome to Friesland. The moments of terror came when an overloaded and swaying lorry suddenly swung out in front of me to overtake another slow-moving

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Place your bets @ popebetting.com

Ria — Tue, 19 Apr 2005 17:47:00 +0000

The odds-on favourite for a papacy prophecy double: Francis Arinze (Nigeria) will choose the name Benedict. For a long shot, try Cardinal Polycarp Pengo will choose the name D’Wayne, oh not on the list. Damian, then, at 100-1.

Hold on! Haven’t any of the Cardinals seen The Omen??!

Of course, as Paddy Power points

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Sexy :: Saintly

Ria — Thu, 14 Apr 2005 22:13:00 +0000

I didn’t manage to get a photo of these two posters side-by-side in our street before they peeled off and fell to the ground in a soggy mush.

It was quite a striking juxtaposition.

Still, by the “miracle” of Photoshop …

Thank goodness they never met wearing the same outfit.

FYI the

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Is it over?

Ria — Thu, 14 Apr 2005 17:52:00 +0000

busy busy busy! no time to post …

The rumourmongers and naysayers (moi?) were proved wrong last Friday when Rome did not crumble and disappear under the crush of four million pilgrims for the Pope’s funeral. It helped that there were far fewer visitors than predicted (less than two million, certainly). I live just

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Lock down

Ria — Thu, 07 Apr 2005 16:44:00 +0000

While millions are heading towards Rome, many Romans are heading out before the city is locked down tomorrow with the closure of both airports and many major roads out of town. Judging by the ease with which I managed to find a parking space this morning, many have already left. In our office, tomorrow

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Ria — Fri, 07 Jan 2005 17:35:19 +0000

When I visit other offices here at work, it’s surprising how many people have religious pictures around them. Some are large-sized prints of a demure Mary and child floating in the stars with bright beams of light radiating from their edges. Back-lighting always does wonders for a woman, I think.

The most common image, however,

I am with you all ways

Ria — Wed, 05 Jan 2005 18:03:31 +0000

The creator of these pictures explains how he was inspired to start:

I was awakened in the middle of the night with a clear, vivid impression that the Lord wanted me to do some special drawings — drawings depicting ordinary people in their everyday environment . . . . with one important addition: the

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