Saint Peter’s Basilica, Rome Italy

Location Name
Saint Peter’s Basilica, Rome

Street Address
The Vatican

City
Rome

Type of Prayer Place
Chapel

Description
People stand in line for hours to have a few moments inside of this amazing structure full of Christian religious art treasures. Amidst all of the awe at the breathtaking artwork, one special room is set aside for prayers of adoration to Jesus in the form of the Eucharistic host.

The Holy Sacrament Chapel is to the right in the middle of the sanctuary and is partitioned off by a large, two story velvet curtain. There are guards outside of this room and signs in many languages that say, “Only those who wish to pray may enter.”

Inside is a dazzling array of splendor in praise, glory and adoration of Christ, the living Bread of Life who resides with us on earth through the Eucharist. There were simple wooden benches with kneelers, and it struck me how plain and ordinary they are in contrast with the ornate room. This seemed perfectly designed, each of us gathered there as ordinary human beings in the presence of God’s magnificence. Many visitors simply quietly stand along the walls of the room in silent prayer and praise of Christ.

How I used this place of prayer
At the time of our visit to Rome I did not know about the practice of Eucharistic adoration, which is spending time in the presence of Christ as manifested through the Eucharist which is displayed on the altar However without even knowing about the amazing Presence I felt God in a very powerful way. This is a prayer place so filled with magnificent detail that you must keep your eyes open to pray in humble adoration of God’s magnificence and the incredible gift of Jesus to us. Although the room was silent, there was incredible spiritual energy in the room and I also felt a sense of the saints of the ages and the faithful throughout the world who engage in prayers of praise and adoration to our Living Lord. This ultimate in all prayer places made me forget all about any sort of personal situations in my life and no thought came to my mind to ask God for anything. Instead it was my great joy to simply be there, enjoying Him. It was also incredible to be sharing this experience with people of all ages and all nationalities.

Hours of Operation & Admission Requirements
Must stand in line to get into the Bascillica

Personal Tips
We were there in the afternoon on a rainy day, which somewhat discouraged the usual crowds from visiting St. Peter’s. This gave us a chance to see more of the without being constantly looking over people’s shoulders.

Added by Karen Barber on June 30, 2011