Photo credit: Berthold Werner Wikimedia Commons
Just 45 minutes on the train (with a fare of 8.40 euro) from Luxembourg City is Trier, the oldest city in Germany, and the birthplace of St Ambrose. We entered via the Porta Nigra, reckoned to be the best preserved Roman city gate, walked down to the the Hauptmarkt and visited the Cathedral Church of St Peter. Unfortunately, the Liebfrauenkirche is currently closed for works. I have some photos, but unfortunately the (massively annoying) internet connection here in Luxembourg will not let me upload them to flickr so I have found the above at Wikimedia.
An amazing building is the Aula Palatina or Basilica of Constantine which is well preserved and is now used for the Evangelical Church Community. Again, here is an image from Wikimedia:
Trier is on the Moselle river: during the train journey, we passed many vineyards. For lunch we both chose Wiener Schnitzel and shared a bottle of very reasonably priced local wine at a pleasant hostelry in the centre of town. I tried to pronounce my fairly modest German as well as possible - it was good to have a chance to practice.
8 comments:
I have family in Trier. Reading your post made me realise that I should try and visit them one day! It looks like a beautiful city.
Hope you're having a wonderful time.
The area around Trier is where my family emigrated from when they came to the U.S. I have always wanted to visit the area. It's so beautiful!
@Father Finigan
You and Germany are in my prayers Father Tim.
Pope Benedict XVI's planned trip to Germany is now less than a month away with the Pope visiting his homeland from 22 - 25 September.
The Archdiocese of Berlin has decided to relocate the site of Pope Benedict XVI's Berlin Mass, scheduled for 22 September, from the Charlottenburg Palace to the city's Olympic Stadium. This place was infamously built by the Nazis in an attempt to justify their regime around the world. It was at this venue that Adolf Hitler also sought to promote his ideas about racial supremacy, and where Jesse Owens, the black track and field athlete, embarrassed the Nazi dictator by winning four gold medals during the 1936 Olympics.
The Pope is the ultimate exorcist, and his visit to Berlin's Olympic Stadium is a God given opportunity to rebirth the whole concept of Olympic Regeneration in Christ "Jam lucis orto sidere" prior to London's 2012 Olympic City Challenge (an 'Interview with the Vampire' II).
The following poem was performed for the WRITE NEXT DOOR SHOWCASE at the Broadway Theatre, Barking 24th January 2007 at 7.30 pm. There were 12 BNP Councillors (there are now 0) in the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham at the time of the performance, and which made it all the more important that I got the message across.
From Dark To Light Too
From 666 to 999.
From Alpha to Omega the end of time.
From what was yours to what is mine.
An Evening Star did shine.
When clouded orbits declined within.
Dragged down to Earth by original sin.
When God's witness was D.S Quinn.
An Evening Star did shine.
If truths suppressed could take to wing.
To Maria Assumpta like birds they'd sing.
No longer numbed by vespine sting.
An Evening Star still shines.
Our Lady of the Rosary ( http://the-hermeneutic-of-continuity.blogspot.com/2011/05/visit-to-tomb-of-blessed-john-paul-ii.html ) pray for us!
PAPA VERO ORA PRO NOBIS!
Roy Hobson aka Our Lady's "Vesper" ON-LINE +
ROY HOBSON CInstCES 1990, RICS 1984, Grad Dipl QS
Will you be able to see the Holy Robe Father? I was able to do so in the early 90s.
Ahhh... it's been many years, in my InterRail days (now long past but not fading in memory), since I was in that part of Germany. I had just completed studying archaeology and classics (with the emphasis heavily on Latin) in Uni, and Trier really made the "civilisation" part of the course - which included a lot on architecture - come alive for me. We were travelling down to Rome and couldn't stay long as the cost of living in Germany (and most of northern Europe) back then was ferocious for relatively impecunious young people, long before the euro.
Have never been back in almost 30 years but it's a pleasure deferred.
For what it's worth, Wikipedia has a good entry on the eponymous Treveri.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treveri
I'm surprised Germany isn't a more popular destination for British visitors. Years of low inflation there mean that prices are about the same as here. Yet when motoring through the Rhineland last summer we didn't come across another British car. I can think of no better Sunday lunch than one spent in a Biergarten next to a medieval cathedral after a splendidly sung Mass. Das ist mir wunderbar!
@Father Finigan
H/T A Reluctant Sinner
SOS Thursday, 22 September 2011 999
The Pope begins his important state visit to Germany today - He will need our prayers more than ever!
The international press seems to have been eerily quiet in the run up to Pope Benedict XVI's state visit to Germany, which begins today. Seeing that many secular fundamentalists within his homeland are opposed to the Pope's visit, we can only hope that this lack of noise from the Church's vocal enemies isn't some kind of calm before the storm. Having said that, I have noticed that the usual political and journalistic suspects - here and in Germany - have been playing to the anti-Catholic gallery. But the vitriol and hate spewed out by those protesting against the Pope's visit to Germany is no-where near as bad as it was before he came to the UK.
In a post a few weeks ago, I asked my readers to "pray, pray, and pray some more", remembering especially Pope Benedict XVI and his forthcoming visit to Germany. It's mainly because of the prayers of the faithful that the Holy Father's visit to the UK last year - a visit that had been predicted to fail miserably - became one of the Papacy's greatest modern triumphs! Likewise, our prayers will bring down abundant blessings on the Holy Father and the German people during his time back home - so Rosaries and kneelers at the ready!
For those of you who might not have read my previous post on the Papal visit to Germany, here is an updated schedule of events for the trip : -
Thursday, 22 September 2011
Berlin
10:30 - Arrival at Berlin Tegel International Airport and official welcoming
11:15 - Welcoming ceremony at Bellevue Castle Address of the Holy Father and courtesy visit to the Federal President at Bellevue Castle
12:50 - Official meeting with the Federal Chancellor at the headquarters of the German Episcopal Conference, next to the Catholic Academy
13:30 - Luncheon with the Papal Entourage at the Catholic Academy
16:15 - Visit to the Federal Parliament in the Reichstag Building
17:15 - Meeting with representatives of the Jewish Community in a room of the Reichstag Building
18:30 Holy Mass in the Olympiastadion
(Contd)
Contd)
Friday, 23 September 2011
7:15 - Private Mass in the chapel of Apostolic Nunciature of Berlin
9:00 - Meeting with representatives of the Muslim Community in the reception room of the Apostolic Nunciature of Berlin
10:00 - Departure by plane from the Berlin Tegel International Airport for Erfurt
Erfurt
10:45 - Arrival at Erfurt Airport
11:15 - Visit to St. Mary's Cathedral
11:45 - Meeting with representatives of the German Evangelical Church Council in the Chapter Hall of the Augustinian Convent
12:20 - Ecumenical Celebration in the church of the Augustinian Convent
13:20 - Luncheon with the Papal Entourage in Erfurt seminary
16:45 - Departure by helicopter from Erfurt Airport for Etzelsbach
Etzelsbach
17:30 - Arrival at Etzelsbach heliport
17:45 - Marian Vespers at the Wallfahrtskapelle in Etzelsbach
19:00 - Departure by helicopter from Etzelsbach heliport for Erfurt
Erfurt
19:40 - Arrival at Erfurt Airport
Saturday, 24 September 2011
9:00 - Holy Mass at Domplatz in Erfurt
11:50 - Departure by plane from Erfurt Airport for Lahr
Lahr
12:50 - Arrival at Lahr Airport
Freiburg im Breisgau
14:00 - Visit to the Cathedral of Freiburg im Breisgau
14:15 - Greetings to the citizens at Münsterplatz
16:50 - Meeting with the former Chancellor Helmut Kohl in the Seminary
17:15 - Meeting with representatives of the Orthodox Churches in the Seminary Hörsaal
17:45 - Meeting with seminarians at St Charles Borromeo Seminary Chapel
18:15 - Meeting with the Council of the Central Committee of German Catholics (ZDK) in the Seminary Hörsaal
19:00 - Prayer vigil with the young people at the trade fair ground
Sunday, 25 September 2011
10:00 - Holy Mass in the touristic airport of Freiburg im Breisgau followed by the recitation of the Angelus Domini
12:45 - Luncheon with members of the German Episcopal Conference and the Papal Entourage in the Seminary
16:20 - Meeting with judges of the Federal Constitutional Court in the Seminary Hörsaal
17:00 - Meeting with a group of Catholics active in the Church and society in the Konzerthaus
Lahr
18:45 - Farewell ceremony at Lahr Airport
19:15 - Departure by plane from Lahr Airport for Rome
As you can see, it would be gruelling for any man, let alone an 84-year-old former academic! But when God calls us to work for Him, He always provides the grace necessary for that mission to be completed - especially when we pray for help and realise our own human frailty.
I have a very good friend based in Berlin, who is hoping to be at the Mass in that city's Olympic Stadium. I have even been praying that he gets to meet the Pope, as this might actually be a possibility for him! Hopefully, he will let me know how things went during the Holy Father's time in the German capital - and I might then be able to publish some of his observations on here.
But for now, let the whole Catholic world join as one in prayer for its dear Holy Father! I firmly believe that the Pope will have some very important things to say and do during his time in Germany, so he will need all the prayers we can offer!
Post a Comment