Yesterday my friend Bryn took me on a hike up to the hills surrounding Bologna. It was another beautiful day in Bologna- perfect for a hike. Bryn has done this hike several times before, so she knew the path to take to get an amazing view of the city. Not only was it great to see the city from above, it was also nice to see some green! Bologna has hardly any trees within the city center. We passed some vineyards along the way, and some still had grapes on the vine.
On our way back down the trail, we saw a small church with a fountain out front. Near the fountain we saw a priest and another man doing some yardwork. The priest yelled out a cheery "Buongiorno!" and waved to us. We waved back, filled our water bottles at the fountain, and headed into the church. The church was quaint and had some old murals on the walls. The murals were not in great condition- they were faded and chipping away. As we were looking at the artwork, the priest walked into the church and introduced himself as Father Ettore Torrini. Father Ettore is a short, elderly man with snowy white hair and a welcoming smile. He spoke English really well, which surprised us. Then he started telling us his life story- how as a young man he moved to the Brazilian Amazon as a missionary in 1955 (he was 30 years old at the time- he proudly told us he is now 89). He met and worked with Pope Francis in the Amazon. He was then diagnosed with leukemia and sent to Chicago for treatment. In Chicago, he was told his form of cancer was rare, and was transported to the Mayo Clinic for further treatment. He stayed in the Mayo Clinic for 6 months and had racked up a bill of over $2,000. The hospital asked him if he was able to pay for the bill, and Father Ettore said no, he had $85 in his wallet, but God would find a way. During this time, a reporter from the Chicago Sun Times heard about Father Ettore and asked if he could interview him. Father Ettore's story was published in the Sun Times, and a few days later the hospital told him not to worry- his bill had been paid. God had found a way!
Father Ettore also told us a brief history of the church. It was built around 1100, and was later used by Napoleon- not as a church, but as more of a "discotec". Apparently Napoleon would entertain guests with music and dancing there. He had painted over the religious murals, which explained why they are in such poor condition.
As we left, Father Ettore told us if we ever need food, to come around and see him. He sang us a hymn in Italian, preached (briefly) on the importance of love and peace, and the evils of money and war. It was quite the multicultural exchange as we all were speaking a combination of Italian, English, and French. I love these little multicultural exchanges! I hope to run across more while in Italy.
April, what a wonderful story! Did you Aunt Margie (Grandma's sister) was a missionary in Brazil in the 1960's about the time the Sound of Music was in the theaters? She said the nuns (she was one) went to see it. It was subtitled in Portuguese but of course they were able to understand and laughed at certain parts which was somewhat confusing to the Brazilians.
ReplyDeleteWe miss you guys but are thrilled with your blog and anxious to see you in the Spring.