The other day while I was roaming around the Piazza Santa Maria in Trastevere, I decided to enter the church in order to sit down and clear my head. After about ten minutes, I lifted my head and my eyes began to wander around different parts of the church. I noticed the three vibrant stain glass windows on the back wall, the beautiful golden ceiling, and a huge pile of letters (?). I walked over towards a life-sized statue of St. Francis and all around him were slips of paper, envelopes, and receipts in every color imaginable. Apparently, people visiting the church would write down their intentions on paper, any paper they had on them, and then proceeded to stick it in between the saint and the baby Jesus whom he is holding. When there was no longer any space available here, the intentions were dropped onto his feet or placed on the railing around him. This was such a rare sight – I had not yet seen anything like this in Rome, and I have been to a fair amount of churches. This church is already so intricate and inspiring, and this “statue of intentions” adds yet another element of intrigue to the Virgin Mary’s first church in Rome.
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