All Saints; All Souls and a Laundromat in Rome

O God, who willed that your Only Begotten Son, having conquered death, should pass over into the realm of heaven, grant, we pray, to your departed servants that, with the mortality of this life overcome, they may gaze eternally on you, their Creator and Redeemer.

Collect, The Commemoration of all of the Faithful Departed

Finding a laundromat in the middle of Rome is no easy task. The city is beautiful and overflowing with nooks filled with beautiful art and architecture, not to mention delicious food, warm and friendly people. Around every corner you can find a delightful surprise—a beautiful fountain or shrine carved into a wall of a building. Any errand or task involving a walk through the beautiful neighborhoods of Rome is time well spent. Looking for a laundromat there, however, can be a little daunting. Carrying a couple of weeks of laundry with you adds to the adventure. After several hand gestures indicating that I go here, take a left there, follow the alleyway and other confusing directions, I was thrilled to stumble upon a small laundromat where I planned to spend a couple of hours reading a book while I my laundry washed.

Finding laundry detergent adds to the challenge—and dryer sheets? Forget it. After I stumbled through deciphering signage and failing, an older woman spoke these blessed words to me in English: “Do you need some help?” “Yes, please!” I begged. In no time I was a master at obtaining the right tokens (gettone) for the machines and managing the detergents and various dials. I felt so relieved and grateful. I offered to buy her a cold drink, and she accepted and there we sat for an hour chatting about her life, my life and everything in between. She told me that she and her sister were on the tour of their life-long dreams, but it was filled with “old people” (she was in her 70’s), and they decided to depart the tour and explore Italy on their own. It was her job to search out the Laundromat. When she finally found it she was very grateful for another American tourist who explained the process of operating the machines to her just before he was leaving. 

I remember our conversation often, and the way in which she explained her life to me in terms of her life-long dream to visit Italy. It was a simple, beautiful story of a person whose life seemed full and significant, not so much with accomplishments, but encounters in times and places throughout her life that were profound and simple all at once. She had a way of practicality, grace and beauty all at once. She welcomed you, made you feel safe and laugh at yourself in ways that made you want to tour with her. She started folding her clothes, and I began to get anxious because she soon would be leaving. I thought for a moment.  I wanted to tell her my story and get her feedback to learn where I should go and what I should do. When she packed her last piece of clothing, and started to say so long, I said, “You are leaving so soon?” She said it was time to move on to the next adventure. I said, “Thanks so much.” and wanted to say more, but I was interrupted when a man came into the laundromat and stood bewildered between my newly found guru and me. On her way out she pointed to the man and said, “Now, it is your turn.” I knew exactly what I needed to do, and I began to show him how to use the machines. When I looked back at her she stood for a moment smiling and waved goodbye. 

This time of year finds us celebrating the Saints who have died and gone before us, and for the Souls who have died and are waiting for the glories of heaven. We take special care on November 1st (All Saints Day) and November 2nd (All Souls Day) to remember in prayer those who have touched our lives, inspiring us in large and small saintly ways, and for those who need our loving prayers in purgatory. Our prayers matter, and we should never underestimate how powerful they can be.

It is especially fitting these days to remember that we all belong to the Communion of Saints—those who have died and exist in heaven, those in purgatory and we who live on earth. We are forever united as pilgrims, and what we do on our individual journeys as members of the Communion of Saints doesn’t seem to matter as much as who we are and how we accomplish our vocations. 

Subways, airports, kitchens, hospitals, classrooms, sidewalks, courtrooms, restaurants, barbershops, garages, and even laundromats—all places on journeys, and each one an opportunity to share, to act kindly, to inspire, to teach and to preach the loving Gospel of Jesus with more action than words.

I prayed to see my laundromat friend on the train to Florence or on a back street in Assisi or even to cross paths in the airport, but it never happened. I never forgot her story and her inspirational words to me, and I never will. 

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