Don Augusto, Man of Spirit

Don Augusto - Processione dei Miricoli

It is always a good thing to me to worship God in any language and worshiping in an Italian Church was all I could have hoped for and so much more.  Our first Sunday in Piegaro was Mother's Day - or Festa del la Mama, with people buying azaleas for their mothers to benefit breast cancer and people everywhere enjoying the day with mom.  Colleen and I away from our own children reveled in the opportunity to visit the Glass Museum, Museo del Vetro, where the kids were selling their glass art to benefit their education program.   After the museum, it was time to follow the call of the bells to the church at the heart of town.
When we arrived we were welcomed by the sound of a wonderful woman cantor leading the congregation, who at that time was ALL women in singing the Rosary.  As we were seated and the sweet song of prayers rose to the heavens more and more people arrived and the sound had a natural crescendo.  It was a truly AWESOME way to enter into this sacred time.
When Don Augusto entered, he pretty much set up for worship then and there, it was sweet to know that small churches are small churches everywhere, and sometimes the details don't all get done before service.  Somehow I found this very comforting away from my small congregation in Seattle.  The order of service or the "liturgy" was very similar to ours, it only lacked the choir and quantity of congregational singing that is so much the backbone of Methodism where we sing our faith.  As Don Augusto entered into his homily there were to things I noted right away, one is that he appears to close his eyes during this "awesome task" as a friend of mine calls delivering the message, and he spoke very clearly, very slowly during the homily.  20 years out of Spanish class, with a thin amount of Italian seeping in after one week, I could actually understand much of what he was saying.  It was a great blessing to hear him speak of God's love as a parent's love, he had my heart for worship that day.  During communion I felt I should be respectful of our proximity to the Vatican and simply stayed in my seat.  As worship ended, my soul felt very full.
Then something wonderfully amazing happened, Don Augusto came out to talk with Colleen and I, and to ask the pointed question why didn't this American Pastor receive communion?  With the help of a wonderful young couple as interpreters Don Augusto and I talked theology of the Eucharist, and we were welcomed to partake as we agreed that it is in Christ and taking in Christ into our lives that we are changed, we become Christian.  He honored me with calling my colleague.  I felt truly, truly honored.
I then took photos of this amazing church, chiesa, with it's relics, it's chapels and the wonderful art throughout the architecture and imagery that pointed to something greater than ourselves, to the Sacred.  Don Augusto's spirit echoed that of the building, pointing to the sacred.
Later in the week we were blessed again to worship at the church as they celebrated the Procession of Miracles, Processione de Miracolo.  As someone who worships in a city where less than 10% of the people attend worship it was a miracle for me to see a church OVERFLOWING with people on a Wednesday afternoon, in the middle of the workday.  Women, men, children hundreds came, and Don Augusto's homily moved my heart again as he spoke this time of how God works miracles even in little towns like Piegaro.   This time I did receive communion and felt my spirit rise.  The Processione followed worship and after a prayer by Don Augusto he led the people through the streets of town chanting all the way.
Wow, believe in Miracles, and am so grateful to God for blessing me with this amazing opportunity to worship half a world away with the wonderful people of Piegaro and Don Augusto.
I look forward to coming back next year to talk more fully about theology, all the amazing feast days and to ask so many questions of Don Augusto about the faith of Piegaro and Umbria.  I saw so much, I long to hear the stories.

Processione via del paseggio

Over the Door of the Church, "Enter into the Love of God, Go out to Love your Neighbor"