Another wonderful day in Pozzuoli

Saturday, August 10, 2013, began with a cultural visit to the Fortress of Baia, an enormous, rocky castle built on a cliff with an incredible panorama. We were all very impressed with the view of the sea seen from the level of the castle. Inside there is a new archeological museum in which there is a collection of the best preserved and most interesting remains from antiquity from the area. The morning continued with a walk through a park around one of the lakes where the royal family of the Bourbons had constructed a villa in the center of the lake, accessible over a wooden bridge. It was here that the king spent the autumn period hunting, far from the city.

After lunch at the Sacred Heart Parish and a bit of rest, we stayed in Pozzuoli in the afternoon, with time to walk through the streets in the center of town in the company of the young people who are hosting us, getting to know them better and talking to them about ourselves.

It was the evening that was the great surprise. We knew that we were going to have a Taize prayer evening in a new parish but we did not have the faintest idea what we would find. The parish is indeed very new, the church does not even exist yet and the faithful pray under the porch of the parish priest, waiting for the church to be built. A big tent, set up next to the presbytery was the place of prayer. After having put the icon in place, lighting the candles, laying down the carpets and placing the chairs, the prayer was a truly beautiful moment with songs in Hebrew, Latin, Italian and Russian. Many were grateful that we prayed with them and it was the moment to thank, intercede, bless in our turn and in the simplicity of the faith.

A dinner in a restaurant brought the day to a close with typically Neapolitan flavors.