The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-11-28

Moreover. you are shown here what are said
TO be the footprints of the Savior on the
stones when he appeared to st. Peter.
whether or not this particular scene ever
took place on the queen of roads," the
story is the foundation for one of the best
historical novels {"Quo Vadfs'D ever writ
ten.
The last event in the life of st. Peter
occurred on Mount Janiculum. Here it was
that the apostle is said to have been cruel
fed head downwards. There's a story in
existence shat Peters cross stood on the
same spot where Noah's ark rested after
the great flood. According te this legend,
the .Ararat upon which the ark finally
grounded, is not the Armenian mountain,
but Mount Janiculum.
Here one finds church erected for Ferdi-
nand and Isabella, the same Spanish rulers
who enabled Columbus to cross the sea and
discover America. Its name is ST. Pietro in
Montorio and it stands upon the brow. of
Mount Janieulum at an elevation of 1877 feet.
In the cloister of this church it a Tempietto,
small circular building with sixteen Doric
columns, which covers what is said to be
the exact spot of St. Peters martyrdom.
There are two chambers in the Tempietto,
one above the other. The upper one has a
statue Of the apostle and in the one below
you are shown the place where the cross
stood. One of the monks very reverently
dug up little of the earth from the hole,
and presented it to me as a memento Of my
visit there
SCENE OF HIS MARTYRDOM.
It may perhaps interest readers of the
novel. Quo Vadis," to know that the place
of Peters martyrdom is in the Trans-Tiber
division of the city where Lygia lived
with her Christian friends when sought for
by Nero's minions
Peters death sentence. according to ira
dition, was pronounced by Helius and Poly
thete of the Pala4ine Hill, during Nero's
absence in Greece. The last thing that the
great apostle did, before the cross was ele-
waited, was to cast one long loving look
over the city as Christ did over jerusalem
and bless the hour of his death urib ct orbi
(the city and the worldly
The body Of st. Peter was at first depos-
tied in the catacombs by loving friends.
Afterwards it came into possession of the
Catholic Church. The head is now said to
be encased underneath the canopy in the
church of st. Giovanni in Laterano. The
body rests in the vault, beneath the confess
sion of st. Peters basilica. And on the
anniversary of the apostles martyrdom, the
Pope comes here to pray.
Besides these visible memorials of ST.
Peter there are four annual feasts that Wis
itors to Rome aim to attend. For they
are. celebrated with appropriate masses and
much music in a number of the churches.
The first is on the 18th of January, in COM
memoration of Peters elevation to the
Ia Of
on the 22d of February, referring to Peters
appointment as bishop of Antioch. The
third is on the 29th of June, the anniversary
of the apostles martyrdom, and the fourth
occurs on Aug. l, in commemoration of his
imprisonment.
One could write whole chapter on the
great toe of st. Peter. A single paragraph
must suffice here. Every time you encoun-
ter statue of the apostle in Rome, you
will find the great toe of the right foot al
most worn away. This is notably the case
with the statue in ST. Peter basilica The
faithful have literally kissed away the
bronze toe And even the right foot and
leg show signs of much wear from constant
oscuiation.
Strangely enough, near the site of st.
Peters martyrdom, on the spot where
Nero's gardens once blazed with the light
of human torches and where burning
heretics'' paid the penalty of their faith
by fearful death, rises the biggest and
most beautiful basilica in the world. It's
Christian dome looks down upon what was
once pagan Rome. 1t is the work of Mich
ael Angelo, the apotheosis of architecture,
and a mighty memorial to the martyr apos-
tie. And may we not say of the saint, as
Shakespeare said of Caesar:
20, Peter, thou art mighty yet,
Thy spirit walks abroad"
FRANCIS LEON CHRISMAN.