After a solid week and a half in Roma, I finally began work at the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace this past Monday. Last Friday, I went into the office just to meet everyone and get a sense of what I’m doing for the summer but my first official day was Monday, 23 June.
My first impressions are very favorable. Everyone in the office seems friendly and enthusiastic. Of course, everyone also speaks Italian. Taking a few weeks off from the language certainly hasn’t helped my fluency at all, but I can still pick up almost everything (even if it does take an excessive amount of time to respond to anyone). Lucky for me, most of the people I’m working with are great at English as well. Between to two languages, there haven’t been any major misunderstandings yet, just a few minor ones (they were easily remedied).
I’m working for Dr. Flaminia Giovanelli, the Under-Secretary of the Council and the highest ranking woman in the Vatican and Catholic Church – a fact I was unaware of until just a few days ago. It’s very inspiring to see a woman breaking barriers in the boys’ club that is the Church. We always hear about the glass ceiling in the business world or assumptions people make about women in the medical field, but no one ever talks about the Church being guilty for the same prejudices. Seeing what an amazing job Flaminia does keeping everything in order makes me think I could work for the Church someday (a career path I have to admit I was slightly avoiding).
So far, Flaminia has been so helpful! I really hope I’m making a good impression. I like to think I’m a responsible, respectful, and time-efficient worker – hopefully the Council sees this as well.
My first project with the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace involves a conference hosted by the Council in July. Essentially, I’m putting together the program for the event which includes biographies and photos of the participants. Meaning I got to email some very important people’s assistants. Exciting stuff! I have to say I have quite a bit of experience in this kind of project, considering it is exactly what I do when I work in the University Relations office at Notre Dame.
My work schedule is a little different than it would be if I were in the States this summer. On Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, the office is open from 9 am until 2 pm. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, it’s open from 9 am until 6 pm with a substantial lunch break around 2 pm. Boy, do the Italians like their breaks! There’s an 11 am coffee break and the 2 pm lunch break that lasts about an hour. One of the women I work with, Pamela, always checks in on me to invite me to take a break. It’s adorable.
This work schedule is great, but I’m definitely not used to it yet. On my first day, I assumed someone would let me know when I could leave. No one did so I ended up working until 4 pm at which point I turned around to see all the lights in the hallway off and the door to the main office closed. I panicked a bit, assuming I’d been locked in, but managed to make my way out as if nothing had happened. On Wednesday, I worked until 2:30 pm and then headed out for the day. Unfortunately, I was locked. I ran around the office checking every other door out I could find until finally one was unlocked. Note to self: stop over-achieving.
Tomorrow, there is a Pontifical mass for the feast of Sts. Peter and Paul, the patrons of Rome. Yesterday, a priest walked into my office and asked if I wanted a ticket to the mass. UM YES PLEASE! So, I get to see Pope Francis tomorrow!
Con affetto,
Sara
The Wandering Blondie 