Yesterday's weather was fantastic. After church we just walked around for a while enjoying it. Later in the afternoon I just sat in a piazza, smoked a cigar and watched people for about an hour.

We decided to go to church at Santa Maria delle Vergini, the church 2 kilometers from town that we visited but it was closed last time we walked out there. The church is from the 16th century, but that's not what struck me most. We've seen plenty of centuries-old churches. What I noticed was how contemporary mass was. I could've been back at my home parish. Before mass, a woman came up to us asking if we'd help with readings. Back home, Kim is often mass coordinator and has to recruit volunteers to assist with the service (although lectors are predetermined). Second, there was a youth choir, accompanied by guitars. Third, the priest took his hand-held wireless mic and came out to the congregation to deliver the homily. The parish supports a mission in the Congo. Finally, when mass ended people hung around in the church talking.

This might be a good opportunity to make some observations about churches and religion. Standard disclaimer applies: these are based on my limited experiences.

• Inside the walls in Macerata, there are at least a half-dozen churches. A couple are not open. One is still undergoing reconstruction due to major earthquake damage more than a decade ago. Another I'm not sure about. Outside the walls there are more churches of varying sizes. Interesting that some are located so close to each other.
  
• I am told regular church attendance is down but most people still claim to be Catholic. You will often see people make the sign of the cross as they walk past a church.
  
• There is also no shortage of crucifixes, religious artwork or other outward signs. You'll not only find them in people's homes, but also in shops and restaurants.
  
• The confluence of religion and politics is no less complicated here than in the US. Some politicians are vocally pro-church, but just as many are anti. The majority try to remain silent. History here is much more complicated. Many parts of the country were once part of the State of the Church and only were secularized when Napoleon conquered most of the country. The story of the ups and downs of the church/state relationship of the last 200 years are far too complicated to recount here (and I know I wouldn't do it justice), but let it suffice to say that it has swung from all church property confiscated to declaration of Catholicism as the official state religion in 1929, and all gradations in between.
  
• Not sure how churches here survive. As I see the collection basket passed, many people put nothing in, and the majority of those who do put in only coins - no paper. Kim and I wonder if they make larger contributions more directly.
• A TV news story last night speculated on the prospects of sainthood for Padre Pio. Interestingly, just today the NY Times has an op ed piece on the procedure, and how the Vatican needs to be cautious and purposeful. A note to my non-Catholic friends: we do NOT pray TO saints (or are not supposed to). Their lives are examples for us, and we may ask for them to intercede on our behalf, just as a child might ask a sibling to help convince a parent to do something the child wants.
  
• There's a pretty neat video produced for fallen-away Catholics. The church has taken a lot of hits for all the bad things. A nice reminder of some of the good.
  

The Sanremo Music Festival concluded Saturday night. The favorite came in second. The winners were Gio di Tonno and Lola Ponce. One more word about the runner-up, Anna Tatangelo. She's only 21 and has made 5 appearances at Sanremo. She also said that she will make guest appearances at Michael Bolton concerts (he sang a duet with her at Sanremo).