Michelle found something neat relating to what we just talked about on Sunday.
Interior of the Portiuncula

The interior retains its aspect of rude simplicity. Some of the rough hewn stones were put in place by St. Francis who repaired the church. The stones seem to reflect the echo of prayer that, for centuries has radiated from this "little portion" of earth. The warm atmosphere of devotion has been fostered by millions of faithful who have entered this "gate of eternal life" to implore the peace and pardon of the Indulgence. Conditions for gaining the Pardon are those decreed for all plenary indulgences: 1) visit to this shrine with recitation of one Our Father and one Creed; 2) Sacramental Confession and Communion as near the date as possible; 3) prayer according to intentions of the Pope (such as Our Father, Hail Mary and Glory be).

http://www.porziuncola.org/english/porziuncolaengli.htm

On Day 4 we will go to the Portiuncula and then to St. Francis’s Hermitage. I couldn’t find a whole lot on the hermitage, and the sites I did find were in Italian, but here are some that seem to give an idea. Mount Sabasio is were Assisi is at. It is 1290 Meters, that is somewhere around 4232 feet.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monte_Subasio

http://www.eremocarceri.it/web-content/

http://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Gazetteer/Places/Europe/Italy/Umbria/Perugia/Assisi/Eremo_delle_Carceri/eremo.html

Then we are off to Rome.

MILK