Assisi with the Kids

Traveling through Assisi with the kids is much easier than traveling in Rome. We spend almost all of our time in Upper Assisi - the part of the city that sits high on top of a hill. It still looks like a Medieval town and is easy to walk through.

Thursday 

Our buses arrived in Lower Assisi at Santa Maria degli Angeii (St. Mary/Queen of the Angels) Church, which is built over the Portiuncula where St. Francis often prayed. It is far down the hill away from where the royalty and commoners lived - it is where the lepers and outcasts lived. 

We had Mass in the Church and then has time to pass through the Portiuncula's Holy Door and visit the small chapel marking the location where St. Francis' died.

The buses then took us up the hill. After lunch we met with Fr. Ken Cienik. He is a Franciscan Friar of Atonement and a family friend from the US; he is currently living in Assisi.  We enjoyed our first of many cannolis on this trip from Gran Cafe with him - along with gorgeous views of the city. 

The sunset over the Basilica of St. Francis was amazing that evening. 

Friday

In the morning we walked to the Basilica for Mass at the Tomb of St. Francis 

It rained and thunder-stormed a lot this day - so we spent time playing in the hotel rooms and exploring the interior of the Basilica of St. Francis. And eating more cannolis :)

Many of the nights the students gather at a church for praise and worship of our Lord. Brian and I take turns going while the other one stays with the kids - in theory they are sleeping by this time. I went to the first half of the Festival of Praise this evening and when I returned a little after 9pm Brian whispered that the kids had just fallen asleep. Francis then stood up in his pack & play and said, "Eis!" (Eis is German for ice cream). Ellie then sat up on her mattress on the floor (she falls out of bed if we leave it on the frame) and says, "Buddy, we cannot get gelato now!"  Needless to say, they weren't asleep yet. Thankfully this was the exception as most nights they passed out quickly after dinner. 

Saturday

We walked to Santa Chiara (St. Clare) for Mass. Here the Cross of San Damiano, that spoke to Francis telling him to rebuild God's church, hangs in the side chapel. 

The views overlooking Assisi outside of Santa Chiara's are perfect for taking pictures!

But you've got to watch your step - and your face - when it starts to rain!

We went on a walking tour with Sr. Joan Paule to San Damiano, where St. Clare had her convent and had died.  It is also where Francis composed his famous The Canticle of the Creatures.

After lunch, we had a student watch our kids and Brian and I hiked up to the hermitage where St. Francis used to pray.   After we had time to pray, a shuttle brought the kids and babysitters up. After some time at the top, we started the hike down - but that didn't last long and we ended up getting a ride the rest of the way down.

We had Mass that evening (for Sunday) at the Cathedral of San Rufino. This church holds the font where both Francis and Clare were baptized. 

Before dinner we packed our bags and they were loaded on the bus so we could depart before 6 am the next morning. 

Sunday

It was a 13 hour (with stops) bus ride home. The kids did great. We arrived home to a snow-covered Gaming and a hot meal from our neighbors, who had also started our fireplace so we had some heat in the house! Ellie chose to skip school the next morning to play in the first snow of the season - rebel ;)

Photo credit: All of the amazing, high-quality photos were taken by one of our favorite students, Shannon!