Transitus

In my now three years at Siena I had yet to attend the Transitus. "The what?" you might be asking. Well, as you may or may not know, Siena bills itself as a Catholic, particularly Franciscan college. That means the college is inspired by, and models itself in many ways after the example of St. Francis of Assisi. Every year, a short prayer service is celebrated "commemorating the passing of St Francis' soul into eternal life." This is the Transistus.

As I said, this was the first time I had attended and I have to say it was rather moving. Every Franciscan friar on the Siena campus came to the event, solemnly proceeding into the chapel here on campus. Among other attendees were various professors and administrators, not to mention students and their families.

During the service I was struck by, among other things, the strong sense of community that Siena has the fortune of fostering. It is easy to overlook this treasure but events such as the Transistus serve as little reminders that the "Siena community" is more than just words.

Enjoy,
Michael DiSiena

"Where there is charity and wisdom, there is neither fear nor ignorance." ~St. Francis