Orthodox liturgy in Florence (Italy)

[Vox_Borealis]

Hello all,

I will be spending around five weeks working Florence, Italy. This is a longshot, but can anyone suggest a parish there with a more ‘orthodox’ liturgy (either NO or TLM)?

I know Rome pretty well, but I don’t know the scene in Florence. I have found in my previous travels in Italy, however, that mass is usually more predictable and less whacky.

Thanks!

 

[1ke]

When I traveled to Florence, I attended Mass at the Duomo.

They had an English Mass at 5:30 pm Saturday evening. So, check at the Duomo for the current schedule.

The priest was Irish when I was there a few years ago. It was quite orthodox, nothing fancy but quite acceptable.

 

[Vox_Borealis]

When I traveled to Florence, I attended Mass at the Duomo.

They had an English Mass at 5:30 pm Saturday evening. So, check at the Duomo for the current schedule.

The priest was Irish when I was there a few years ago. It was quite orthodox, nothing fancy but quite acceptable.

Thanks for the heads up–that might be the place to start at least until I get my bearings.

m.

 

[Volodymyr]

As I can tell there is in Rome only one Orthodox Church which is along Arno and resembles Blessed Vasilij Sobor in Beautiful Square, Moskow. This church is called Birth of Christ/St. Nicholas and has beautiful ikonstas donated by Tsar Nicholas II. Of course Liturgy there is Orthodox.

 

[Vox_Borealis]

I’m not replying to my own thread to bump it up the list, but in case future forum readers travel to Florence.

The Duomo does in fact have a mass in English on Saturday evening. However, on Sunday at 10:30 they offer NO mass in Latin and Italian. It was very beautiful, but a bit frustrating because they did not provide a Latin missal–most of the laity were tourists and did not seem to know what was going on. The lay schola was pretty bad, to be honest, but the setting was amazing.

Also, if you get there early, there is a hauntingly beautiful Matins at 10:00. The sound of Latin chant echoing around the Duomo is unforgettable.

A few minutes from the Duomo, in the Piazza della Santissima Annunziata is a small church of S. Francesco Poverino. The TLM (low mass, spoken not sung) is offered every Sunday at 10:30. It was amazing.

In fact, I invited students from the course I am teaching (I teach at a univrsity in North America) to come with me only as a “cultural/historical” experience–not religious, of course! Four took me up on the offer (including three non-Catholics). When we left the church, the students raved about how wonderful it was, even though it was low mass with long stretches of silence. One student, who is Jewish, said that she had just witnessed something “really special.” Another student said how “amazing” it was to take part in such tradition.

If only the bishops would listen to these voices, and see how much this generation is yearning for the tradition that was abandoned in the last 30 years.