Welcome to the Church of Santa Susanna in Rome Italy!
We are many things: a vibrant American parish, a center for pilgrims, an ancient Roman church, and a home away from home, whether you are a visitor, a pilgrim or a resident of Rome!
We are delighted that you came to visit us today! The buttons (on the upper left column) will provide a great deal of interesting information. So feel free to explore our website!! We have recently moved our Quick Links above, so that it will make finding things much easier. You can now go directly to our Papal Audience Section, Convent Accomodations (or Click on Coming to Rome on the left) and our new Parish Photos (click on Our Church).
To make donation to Santa Susanna Church, please send it to The Paulist Fathers, Via Antonio Salandra 6, Rome, Italy 00187. Thank you very much!
Questions that we can help you with?? Contact Us
Dear Santa Susanna Parishioners, Friends and Alumni of Santa Susanna Church,
A very Merry, Happy, Holy and Blessed Christmas to all of you. I hope to be able to see all of you in person on Christmas, but I know that some of you have already left Rome and those of you who live far away are not planning to be here for the holidays.
If you are here, please join us for any or all of the following liturgies. On Christmas Eve, Thursday, December 24, we have our Family Christmas Pageant Mass at 4.30 PM. Most of the 21 speaking parts are filled, but we still need one Innkeeper and one Wise Man, Melchoir. And there is plenty of room for nonspeaking angels and shepherds. There is a rehearsal at 4 PM sharp for all those who have a speaking part, so please, please come on time. In fact, come a little early. The Church opens at 3.30 PM. Volunteers are still needed to help with the last minute costuming though it would be good to have the children come already in their costumes. Parent volunteers are urged to sit up with us in the sanctuary, to help with crowd, shepherd and angel control. O please consider doing this. I have the good fortune to be the presider and homilist once again.
At 6.40 PM we begin our PreMass Christmas Concert and Caroling, followed by the Vigil Mass at 7.05 PM. This is our Midnight Mass as the public transportation in Rome stops at 9 PM. Our Santa Susanna Choir, Santa Susanna Singers and Cantors will be leading us in song, so come early to get a seat. I am the celebrant for this Mass as well. On Christmas morning, Fr. Tom will preside and preach at both the 9 AM and 10:30 AM Masses, joined again by our choirs and music ministers.
There is no evening Mass in English on December 25, though the Cistercian Nuns have their Christmas Mass in Italian at 5:00 PM. On Saturday, December 26, we will have a quiet Mass in the sanctuary at 9 AM for the Feast of St. Stephen. Christmas Prayer Plant cards are still available this weekend at the Vistors Desk. The poinsettia, or Stella di Natale, plants are placed in the sanctuary of Santa Susanna and each plant can represent your special prayer request, for peace, for your family, for a loved one, for someone who is ill or for a family member or friends who is deceased. The requested donation is 20 Euro.
Next weekend, December 26 and 27, we celebrate the Feast of the Holy Family on Saturday evening at 6.15 PM and Sunday morning at 9 and 10.30 AM. Mass on New Years Eve, December 31 is at 6 PM. This will be the last time our sacristan, Bita Bilemba will be with us, as he is returning home to the Congo with his family. We will have a reception for him after Mass. On Friday, January 1, 2010, New Years Day, our Mass is at 10.30 AM.
On behalf of the Paulist Fathers, Fr. Tom and the entire Parish Staff, I wish all of you and all of your families a very Merry Christmas and the very best 2010 possible. Peace, love, joy, bliss and all good things. Father Greg
Christmas Masses 2009:
- Christmas Eve: December 24 (Thursday)
- 4:30 PM (Children's Pageant Mass)
- 7:05 PM: Vigil Mass with Choir, Singers and Cantors, Singing begins at 6:40 PM.
- Christmas Day: 9:00 AM and 10:30 AM (December 25)
- Feast of the Holy Family Saturday, December 26 at 6:15 PM
- Sunday, December 27 at 9 AM and 10:30 AM
- New Years Eve: 6 PM (Thursday, December 31, 2009)
- New Years: 10:30 AM (Friday, January 1, 2010)
- Epiphany Sunday (USA, Jan. 2) Saturday evening vigil at 6 PM,
- Sunday (January 3 at 9 AM and 10:30 AM.
- Wednesday, January 6, Epiphany is celebrated in Italy. Mass at 10:30 AM
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