Teaching tool

By Patricia Kasten
Compass Associate Editor

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The current exhibit - "St. Peter and the Vatican: The Legacy of the Popes" - at the Milwaukee Public Museum is a great teaching tool for our journey through Lent and into Easter.

Besides offering a chance to view artwork, vestments, altar vessels and jewelry from the Vatican Museums, St. Peter's Basilica and the other basilicas of Rome, the exhibit, which runs through May 7, also takes one on a journey.

At the beginning, of course, stands Christ, who imparted the keys of the kingdom to a poor fisherman. A replica of Peter's simple tomb, affirmed as the saint's burial site in 1950 by Pope Pius XII, greets visitors. The interesting tidbit about the human remains - believed to be the first pope's - buried beneath St. Peter's high altar and missing their feet, is actually the key to the exhibit's lesson.

Peter's missing feet walked with Christ. In the same way, the popes - with us following - have walked with Christ. As one walks through this exhibit of Vatican treasures, this is the main sense gained: warrior popes, teaching popes, exiled popes and missionary popes, such as Paul VI and John Paul II, all walked the path set before them by Christ. As we are called to do.

While there is the risk of being overwhelmed by the artwork, the diamonds, the gold, silver and silk brocade, this message comes home again at the end of the exhibit. And this is not because John Paul II - present through his crosier and a bronze cast of his hand - sends you on your way out.

Rather, the end of the exhibit deals with missionaries. From the Far East to the Americas, are gathered remnants of those who were sent by the popes to walk as Peter - and all disciples - did: carrying the Good News to people living in darkness, bringing them the Light of Christ. There is even a relic of St. Francis Xavier, patron of our own diocese.

So as we walk our own journey through Lent and the glory that is Easter, the Milwaukee Public Museum offers a way to do so that helps us keep our eyes fixed, as Peter's were, upon the promise of Christ: "Behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age."

(One note: paying for the audio part of the tour is worth the investment. Much of the message of the exhibit would be missed without it.