A spiritual affinity

Diane Montagna reports on restoration plans for one of Rome’s thriving churches

In a welcome sign of hope, the Priestly Fraternity of St Peter parish in Rome is embarking on an extensive renovation project aimed at completely restoring their historic church, bolstering the parish’s charitable outreach, and accommodating a young and growing community.

The Church of Santissima Trinità dei Pellegrini, located in the historical center of Rome, has a façade that has long needed restoration, and under the enthusiastic leadership of don Brice Meissonnier work on its restoration is set to begin at the end of April 2023.

The project is the most emblematic of a series of improvements and positive alterations to the church, which is experiencing a phase of expansion due to a burgeoning congregation.

We sat down with don Meissonnier to discuss his vision for the restorations. He explained that rather than opting for a less costly and work intensive general cleaning of the facade, he plans to completely restore it, reincorporating all its original elements including a large cross that stood at its peak. The project should be completed in six months to a year (so possibly by Christmas 2023) and is the last façade in Rome’s historical center to be restored.

The next major projects envisioned are the installation of an entirely new electrical and lighting system in the Church (the existing one dates back to the 1930s) and the complete renovation of the sacristy, including its electrical system and all furnishings. After this, the Church’s eight side chapels will be restored.

Don Meissonnier said he also plans to restore the church’s ceiling. Redone in the 1930s, it is currently cement grey in color, but it is unknown whether this replaced or simply covered what once adorned it. French baroque painter Philippe Casanova, a Rome-based artist, has drawn up plans for a baroque vault, but the execution of those designs will depend on the results of various tests to solve this mystery.

Other works Don Meissonier plans to accomplish more rapidly include the cleaning and restoration of the high altar and sanctuary, as well as the restoration of the church organ.

“It’s more or less a matter of changing a catacomb into a home,” he said.

The subterranean project will also allow the parish’s growing archconfraternity to expand its charitable work in the spirit of its founder, the Apostle of Rome St Phillip Neri.

Appointed parish priest of Santissima Trinità dei Pellegrini in May 2020, don Meissonnier is known as someone who gets things done. And once he arrived, he immediately began to accomplish things great and small. Doorknobs changed, professionally restored paintings of angels and saints popped up around the church, a new church bell was blessed and began to toll, a striking black veil with an immense golden cross—draped over the church’s famous Guido Reni painting of the Trinity— appeared on the feast of All Souls, and a beautiful new nativity scene created especially for the church by Naples’ La Scarabattola art studio, arrived for Christmas 2022.

“Watching these worthy plans to renovate and improve the church take shape, and with such fervency and enthusiasm, actually aides one’s faith as it gives hope for the future of the Church,” parishioner Edward Pentin told Mass of Ages.

Renovation plans also include a separate, subterranean project. Don Meissonnier explained that there is an immense space underneath the church. As there is currently no parish hall or place to gather, he hopes to renovate and use it to host parish activities, and welcome families, pilgrims, and groups.

In 1579, Pope Gregory XIII definitively entrusted the original church (then named after St Benedict) to St Phillip and the archconfraternity. Five years after St Phillip’s death, the original church was raised and construction on the larger existing church began. A hospital was also established around the church and cared for up to 100,000 pilgrims and convalescent poor each year. In the 1930s, under fascism, the hospital was demolished and replaced with apartment buildings, and the confraternity fell dormant.

In recent years, however, and at the wish of the Vicariate of Rome, successive parish priests of Santissima Trinità have revived the archconfraternity. It now has 130 members from various nations. Don Meissonnier said he believes the growth in the archconfraternity, particularly among Italian men, is due to the “bond” members feel with its founder. “They feel a spiritual affinity with St Phillip, and the archconfraternity allows them to enter into his spirituality,” he said.

The renovation project is emblematic of the renewal and growth of the parish community, which is both truly Italian and undeniably international, attracting Catholics of all ages and social strata— from European nobility to working professionals to the homeless of Rome.

Don Meissonnier estimated that the median age during Holy Week this year was 35, and said the growing parish, similar to those in his native France and elsewhere, is attracting more and more young families.

‘The renovation project is emblematic of the renewal and growth of the parish community’

‘The renovation project is emblematic of the renewal and growth of the parish community’