The Roman Priest Calendar for 2014 is out. Featuring priests, the calendar is celebrating its 10-year anniversary on January 1. Invented by Venetian-born photographer Piero Pazzi, the calendar is intended as a “souvenir from Rome,” and is popular in Italy and abroad.
The priests are depicted next to Vatican monuments wearing a stole. Pazzi says they are all real priests, who he photographed during Holy Week in Rome. He also traveled to Seville, Spain, where he photographed clergymen during the city's Holy Week procession. Even though the priests do not give their names, they are happy to pose for the calendar once Pazzi explains them what he is doing.
What matters to the photographer is that the picture conveys a religious sentiment. He said he focused on young priests as a way to show that a calling to devotion and faith is still alive.
Pazzi says he produces the calendar for people to be better informed about the Vatican. The calendar includes tidbits about the Vatican state, such as places of interest, but also practical information, such as where to find the Vatican Pharmacy, where travelers can buy international medication.
The Roman Priest Calendar is sold in stands close to the Vatican for €10, or it can be ordered online from the Calendario Romano website.
