Good Friday in Rome

I was in Rome on Good Friday this year. Really!
No, not that Rome. Rome, New York.

God works in mysterious ways. I believe that.

On my way to prison last Sunday, I missed the exit and had to continue on to the next one. As I turned around, I noticed a sign for Fort Stanwix National Monument. This caught my eye and helped calm my anger and frustration with going too far (not to mention making a dumb mistake of not paying attention to where I was).

As my son will attest, I enjoy visiting old forts, historic sites, and museums. So after I finished my design project at the prison this week, I took a short side trip to check out Fort Stanwix. I found myself in Rome on Good Friday.

Post Card

I only had a short time for my visit but I was able to quickly go through the visitor's center, the fort, and walk the perimeter. It was enough to get an appreciation and a basic understanding. There is so much history that we should know.

This fort dates back to the French and Indian War. I found the history of the relationship with the Indian tribes to be fascinating, especially in light of the PC efforts to censor any Indian emblems in our society today (e.g., Chief Wahoo, and the Warriers logo for my son's high school). I think that our time would be better spent studying history rather than debating graphics.

I brought my work iPad with me while I walked around the fort. This gave me a chance to use the camera (see pictures above) and become more accustomed to using the iPad.

St Peter's Church (Rome, NY)
{I wish the weather had been this sunny during my visit}

As I walked around the fort, I noticed a spectacular old church nearby. (I also enjoy taking in the architecture of old churches). Turned out it was a Roman Catholic Church, St Peter's (an appropriate name). I popped in but was not able to tour the interior because they were in the middle of a Good Friday service.

From the aerial view (above) you can see the relationship between the fort and the church (lower center right).

Perhaps as the prison project continues I will have another chance to visit Rome and learn more about the history of Fort Stanwix as well as get a closer look at St. Peter's Church.

Links:

http://ricketwrite.blogspot.com/2014/04/in-jail.html
http://www.nps.gov/fost/index.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Stanwix_National_Monument
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_and_Indian_War
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chief_Wahoo
http://www.stmarysstpeters.org/

Written Sunday 4/27/2014