Colin's First Journey to Rome

Imagine a simple country priest like Jean Claude Colin going to Rome to try to meet with the Pope! Now that takes some courage (guts). But he was convinced that he needed to put before the Pope Gregory XVI the full scope of the Society of Mary. He did this in 1833 along with Frs. Chanel (who would later be martyred in Oceania. This particular journey was not exactly success, but it does show the determined desire to do what he believed the Blessed Mother wanted him to do -- start the Society of Mary.


(Church of the Holy Apostles -- the building to left of the statues on roof is the Conventual Friary where Colin stayed for 3 months while in Rome in 1833)

So, today we walked this first Rome journey of Fr. Colin. We visited the Church of the Holy Apostles (which contain relics of Sts. James and Phillip) which is run by the Conventual Friars who offered Colin hospitality for 3 months after Frs. Chanel Bourdin returned to France. It's a huge Church by our standards for sure. Our hoped for Chapel at Newman won't be anything near as big!

We stood outside the Palace of the Odescalchi family where Jean Claude Colin met with Cardinal Odescalchi who was Prefect of the Sacred Congregation of Bishops and Regulars. This Cardinal eventually handed over the matter of the Society of Mary to Cardinal Castracane. The Odescalchi family still lives in this behemoth of a place.

(Shrine of Madonna dell'Archetto at which Colin frequently prayed.)

We also visited a little street shrine to Our Lady. A Shrine Fr. Colin passed frequently and stopped to prayer before regularly. These little shrines are all over Rome and all over France as well. They are called 'Madonnellas' - little Madonnas.

The final stop on the pilgrimage was for Mass in the Jesuit Novitiate Chapel -- the Chapel is really a small Church. This place holds significance for Marists because here at one of the side altars Fr. Colin said Mass several times in the month of November 1833. It was one of his favorite places. It's also the place where Jesuit Sts. Robert Bellarmine and Aloysius Gonzaga were Jesuit Novices. The Chapel is officially called -- Church of St. Andrea Al Quirinale -- because it is dedicated to St. Andrew and is located near the Quirinal Palace which was home to the Pope for some time. It was this palace, and not St. Peter's, where Colin met Pope Gregory XVI on September28, 1833.

(The side altar at which Fr. Colin said Mass a number of times while in Rome -- St. Adrea al Quirinale. We closed our Mass at the side altar.)


It was a pretty full day and one I enjoyed greatly. Of course, we also ate our meals at the General House with all brothers.