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Classical Arts and Recreation

Location: Antalya, Aspendos, and Perge

We spent the night in Antalya, where St. Paul departed from after his first journey in 48 AD. This morning, we had Mass at St. Nicholas Church. We made our way to Aspendos, which was a port city back in 161-180 AD. While there, we saw one of that period’s best-preserved amphitheaters in the world. At its peak, it accommodated around fifteen thousand people. Two of our seminarian brothers (Jackson Miller and Alex Piaz) performed songs that could be heard from every corner of the amphitheater. It was our very own lunchtime concert. 

Jackson and Alex provide us with a lunchtime concert at Aspendos.

After seeing an ancient aqueduct, we stopped for lunch at a restaurant with riverside views. Following lunch, we headed to Perge, which St. Paul visited around 47 AD with Saints Barnabas and Mark. This marked their first missionary journey of evangelization. We saw the ancient Roman baths, stadium, and Hellenistic and Roman gates. I had an opportunity to briefly witness the faith to two men from Canada and Australia while returning to the bus.

We posed for a group photo at the impeccably straight columns lining the streets of Perge.

We had a shorter day today and returned to the hotel early. This led to an amazing opportunity for us to relax. Some of us chose to spend this time swimming in the Mediterranean Sea. It was very salty and very refreshing to be able to spend time swimming on such a beautiful day.

After today’s stops, some of us got some seaside refreshment in the Mediterranean.

-Matthew Bernhard, Diocese of Joliet, Illinois

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