Eremo della Carceri

Francis’ deep love, strong and clear preaching of the Gospel, and peaceful presence thrust him into wild popularity.  Crowds flocked to see him just to be near him, but especially to hear him preach.  Francis preached the love of this world in which God has created everything good and is redeeming all things and people through Christ. In God's incarnation in Christ, God filled all things earthly and heavenly and bid people seek union with God's divine presence in Christ through the Holy Spirit. This profound understanding of the Incarnation that is held in high esteem by Episcopalians deeply influenced all Francis thought, said, and did.  Francis embraced this world and all people and creatures in peace, even reaching out to the Muslims in reconciliation when visiting Egypt once. 

View of Assisi below walking up to the Carceri

God created a good world.   Yet, to truly love the world, Frances had to remove himself from it on a regular basis.  He sought out beautiful, remote places—high places in the mountains, where he would pray in a darkened grotto for long periods of time.  These were thin places where one could be totally vulnerable before God’s presence with little distraction and interference.  Eremo della Carceri was the first of these mountain hermitages Francis found for himself and his followers.  High on the slopes of Monte Subasio outside of Assisi, in dense woodlands, Francis retreated to a darkened cave where he would pray. 

Tippy and I, like many pilgrims, walked the 6 kilometers up from Assisi to reach the Carceri.  Walking the way Francis walked to reach this place of quiet solitude draws one into the peace Francis knew in this high place.  However, after such a long walk, the gelato vendor at the entrance to the santuario was a welcome sight!  After renewing our energy from a long hot walk straight up the mountain, we made the way through the hollowed rocks and in to the caves.  In the furthest corner is where Francis would sometimes stay for weeks at a time in his dark cave cell and so we squeezed through tight openings and down into the earth to get there.  Sitting in his grotto, Jesus’ invitation, “come away to a quiet place to pray” and his examples of going up into the hills above the Galilee alone in the dark of the night, drew me into the silence of prayer as Francis must have been drawn.  All I could do was "to kneel where prayer had been valid."  (Eliot, Four Quartets, Little Gidding)

Two creatures resting about halfway up to Carceri---perhaps
Tippy and I should have ridden them up and down!

There were lots of pilgrims here with us. Christians from  Italy and all over the world had climbed to the top of the mountain.  There was a small group of Hindus visiting out of respect for Francis’ ways of peace, reconciliation and  intense prayer.  And then, we heard loud exuberant voices with familiar American accents.  140 seniors from three Catholic High Schools in North Dakota were on pilgrimage!  They had been so quiet in the caves, but once out in the sunshine, they jubiantly engaged life as only teenagers could do.  Their priests (interesting, all young men) and lay teacher chaperones kept apologizing for them, but we were not bothered. It was refreshing to see all these teenagers on a three week trip to holy places in Italy and France.   The leaders of their group decided wisely to take cabs down the mountain, since the trip up was a bit like herding cats we were told.   Tippy and I returned on foot the way we came, realizing the stunning views of Assisi we saw were the same Francis knew when he returned to love and embrace all people and creatures with God’s wide love incarnate in Christ Jesus.