A detail from Sandro Botticelli's "Birth of Venus."

July 12, 2010. Rome, Italy. This past July 2, Catholic speaker, author, and media consultant Teresa Tomeo interviewed Fr Mark Haydu, LC, the international director of the Patrons of the Arts in the Vatican Museums. The interview is in the third segment of her July 2 talk show, which can be heard at this link.

As Fr Mark explains, the Patrons of the Arts is an international network of benefactors who support the Vatican Museums’ art restoration projects. Both he and Teresa make the point that art is a medium by which Catholics can engage the culture, expressing the faith and touching hearts in a different—and sometimes more powerful—way than words.

Upcoming Pilgrimage

The show also promotes a Christmastime pilgrimage on the theme of “Feminine Beauty in the Arts,” which she and Fr Mark Haydu are co-hosting with Brenda Sharman of Pure Fashion. Liz Lev, an expert guide on Catholic art in the Vatican museums, will also be giving talks on the pilgrimage, which begins on December 27 and ends on January 3.

The tour, which is intended for mothers and daughters but is open to all (an independently themed segment is available for fathers and sons), will look at the collections of the Vatican Museums under the perspective of what makes for real feminine beauty.

The visits will also go outside of the Vatican to other sites, such as the Galleria Borghese Museum, the St Agnes Catacombs, the Coliseum, the Roman Forum, the Trevi Fountain, and a selection of churches and basilicas in Rome. Outside of Rome, the pilgrims will spend a day in Siena and another day by the sea in Nettuno, where St Maria Goretti was martyred.

Back in Rome, the pilgrims will stay at a 4-star hotel, attend a papal audience, and enjoy a farewell dinner at the Vatican. Costs cover lodging, all museum entrance fees, transportation by bus once in Italy, and some meals.

More practical information about the pilgrimage, including regular and early booking prices and a complete itinerary (see second page), is available in the flyer at this link.