I admit that there have been times when I thought it wouldn’t be bad to become a saint.  Saint Ross of Rosewood has a certain alliterative ring to it, and Rosewood has no homegrown saint of its own.  In fact the Rosewood of my childhood had very few citizens who might even qualify for sainthood – apart from Cherie Battaglenie and myself. However Celia and Margie’s people over here have put a few impediments in the way of this simple dream of mine.

–   I have to be Roman Catholic……X
–   I must have led a pious life……..X
and then the tough one;
–   They need me to perform at least two verified miracles after I’m dead!

Talk about looking after your own just to prevent outsiders from becoming saints! I will admit, however, they do have some really good stuff over here in Italy to look at and to look after, even if they’re not that inclusive.

Two days ago we visited Lucca and went inside the Church of San Giovanni e Reparata.  What made it very special is that archeologists have excavated to a depth of 20 metres directly under the church and you can walk around that site. At the very bottom are the remains of Roman baths from the 2nd century.  The baths themselves and a piece of mosaic floor are visible. On top of that was built a third century church. Parts of columns remain along with brick foundations.  Again mosaics are visible, a baptismal font, and my absolute favourite – part of a wall with 3rd century graffiti scratched into it. (Nothing rude, just religious stuff. Probably a couple of bored nuns I reckon.)

A second church was built on top of those ruins in the 13th century. The evidence of plagues and internecine warfare is there in abundance by way of the encryptions on graves and crypts. St Catherine Reparata performed her miracle by saving the city from some French invaders after she had been beheaded. Yes Celia she was pious, and yes Margie she was Roman Catholic and yes she was dead, but surely all those soldiers on the walls of the town had just a wee bit to do with the defense of Lucca, don’t you think?

The current 17th century building that gives the San Giovanni to the name of the church was built on top of all the rest. None of the 30ft columns in the church match exactly – some are early Roman, some are 4th century Christian, some were made specially for the St John’s congregation as their new cathedral was being built.  The lads in Rome just sent up a pile of old columns to be recycled and included in the new structure.  Wonderful stuff!

I know Rosewood is not like Lucca. When I was a kid I loved playing under our house in Rosewood. Once I even found an old mower blade, probably a Victa.  (Steve Clark said he found a bullet under his house, but then Steve isn’t ever going to be a saint telling stories like that.) But it doesn’t matter how much you dig, I don’t think you’d find anything under 14 Waight Street half as good as the stuff under the Chiesa San Giovanni e Reparata in Lucca.

I was never given the chance to save Rosewood from an invasion by Catholics from Tallegallah, even with my head attached.  It all makes my deification just about impossible. Thanks Celia and Margie. This means my dream of sainthood has been buried forever by your people in that empty Rosewood dirt. Thanks a lot.

Yours
Regretably now just Ross of Rosewood.