A General Italian Dinner....

Last night a priest of the Diocese of Lexington, KY and I joined Jeff and Linda Talley for dinner at one of our favorite nearby Italian restaurants. Jeff is a professor in the School of Engineering at Notre Dame and is also a Brigadier General in the U.S. Army Reserves.

I first got to know Jeff when he was hired by ND and lived at Moreau Seminary. I think he was in the chapel more than some of the other residents! He's been in Baghdad since this Spring and is in charge of Sadr City, the neighborhood of Baghdad that was so notorious not even Iraqi army or police would go into it. His main task is twofold: find and destroy IEDs and rebuild the city's infrastructure. His stories and stats are quite impressive. In short, real progress is being made. I noticed a NYTimes article on this very point.

Linda is a real joy whose smile certainly brightened my week. She loves Rome, is glad to have visited her daughter here, and join her husband during his rare chance to travel, but she will be glad to be back in good ole U.S.A. I know something of how she feels.

The evening reminded me of the importance of praying for the safety of both our troops and the people of Iraq.

Pray for Vocations...

My provincial recently sent an update on province happenings, including good news regarding vocations. As of the beginning of October the Vocation Office has had several young men scheduled to make visits or show strong interest to do so.In addition, through a recent survey of 900 religious communities, C.A.R.A. has discovered that our province ranks in the top three with most men in formation. I believe that number is around 40. Praised be God.

Let us all continue to pray for an increase of vocations to religious life and the priesthood, especially in the Congregation of Holy Cross.

Where's my Secret Decorder Ring?

Spending what seems like forever on translating one Greek sentence into English/Italian only to find that the meaning is "The virgins confide in the Master" makes me feel like Ralphie as he excitedly received his Orphan Annie Secret Decoder Ring only to discover the message "Drink more Ovaltine".

I guess such sentences have to be translated well first before opening the Greek New Testament.

Concluding Mass for the World Synod of Bishops

I spent most of my time yesterday completing Latin homework and writing a report to the Province Studies Committee. I then joined a few priests friends for an early supper at a Chinese restaurant just around the corner. This was my first "non Italian" restaurant to go to since arriving two months ago. Fortunately the menu was written in both Italian and English.

Today I awoke early and walked to St. Peter's Basilica for the Mass which formally closed the Synod of Bishops on the Word of God. I walked with a priest friend along back streets away from the cars and crossed the Ponto Sant'Angeli - statue of St. Michael on the top.

I had the honor of being one of the priests who did not concelebrate but who held a ciborium of hosts during the consecration and then distributed communion. It was a beautiful liturgy and one I will not forget anytime soon.

We vested in the Blessed Sacrament chapel with surplice and stole. One of the young sacristans approached me and told me that my cape goes under the surplice. I responded that I am a religious priest and this is my habit. He wasn't satisfied. He came a moment later and asked which community. After telling him he seemed more satisfied. It was odd being the only priest with a black cape over a white surplice, and it was an odd interaction. But Mass began.

Our seats were just behind and to the left of the Main Altar. Precisely when the Holy Father processed in the organ ceased and the choir sang "Tu es Petrus, et super hanc petram aedificabo Ecclesiam meam. You are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church." It was quite impressive. The Holy Father processed around the alter coming right up to where we priests were seated and gave his blessing.

It was a "whose-who" of cardinals. Processing just in front of me were bishops and cardinals from around the world including Cardinals DiNardo of Houston, George of Chicago, the former Secretary of State Sodano, the current Secretary of State Bertone, the former personal secretary to John Paul II Dziwisz, and Pell from Australia.

During the consecration the Holy Father stood at the altar, of course, and I stood to his left, at the base of the steps. He prayed Eucharistic Prayer II today. And he prayed Eucharistic Prayer III at the Synod's Opening Mass. While it might not have been his intention, the statement I take from this is that these two Eucaristic Prayers are valid, good, and to be used.

We returned to the Casa for our midday reception and pronzo and now it is time to hit the Greek studies. So, a blessed day.

Post-Synodal Remarks...

After a typical full week I decided to remain in the house Friday night and today, Saturday. Having blocks of time for study/reading is difficult to find and need to be actively sought.

There is something very simple and wholesome about the Friday nights here. Vespers are prayed at 6:45 followed by dinner which usually consists of tuna salad, sliced tomatoes, fresh mozzarella cheese, bread, soup, and vegetarian pizza. Simple, but also one of the best meals served here, in my opinion.

At 8:00 PM, Archbishop Donald Wuerl of Washington D.C. came to the house to give us his impressions of the Synod on the Word of God that concludes officially with Mass tomorrow, celebrated by Benedict XVI. Archbishop Wuerl was one of four bishops from the U.S. delegation.

He began his talk with an overview of the history of synods. The idea of the modern synod was born out of the desire of Paul VI to continue the good discussions, deliberations, and insights found during the Second Vatican Council when all the bishops of the world gathered. Originally, a synod lasted four weeks and each bishop delegate was allowed eight minutes to speak to the entire group, then it went to 6 minutes.

Benedict XVI shortened the length of the synod to three weeks and the individual time allowance to five minutes. Archbishop Wuerl joked that the Holy Father did this after having to spend years and years listening to synod participants as a bishop and cardinal.

After gathering as an entire group for two weeks, the synod participants break into language groups of English, Spanish, French, German, and Italian, and there they discuss particular statements they believe are important for the life of the Church. These statements are eventually voted upon and submitted to the Holy Father who has the task of writing a post-synodal apostolic letter. Today, the last day of the synod, the bishops will vote-in 12 members and the Holy Father will appoint 3 others to form a council whose task it is to assist the Holy Father in the creation of the apostolic letter.

Archbishop Wuerl mentioned that along with the bishops, lay men and women who are either "experts" or "auditors" fully participate in the synod, though their time allowance before the entire body, including the Holy Father, is limited to three minutes.

Archbishop Wuerl mentioned that whereas at the last synod, on the Eucharist, the Holy Father made one discussion intervention, on the link between the Passover Meal, the Last Supper, the Eucharist, and the Sacrifice of the Mass, at this synod he made a discussion intervention on the role of a historical/critical method of Scripture and the pastoral/theological exegesis of Scripture. Both, he said, are needed, but the former is a tool, at the service of, the latter.

Archbishop Wuerl was moved by the universality of the gathering, how the Church is no longer mainly European and North American in make-up, and that it is a great testament to the Holy Spirit that in a world where there exist 7000 languages and after 2000 years of history, all those participants shared the same faith, the same baptism, rooted in the same Jesus Christ.

He suspects the post-synodal apostolic letter to be issued by next year and that it will include a lengthy portion directed to priests whose task it is to preach the Word of God in the homily, a priviledged moment in the liturgy.

Thursday Week I Vespers...

Propter hoc orabit ad te omnis sanctus

in tempore opportuno.

Et in diluvio aquarum multarum

ad eum non approximabunt.

Tu es refugium meum,

a tribulatione conservabis me;

exsultationibus salutis circumdabis me.

Intellectum tibi dabo

et instruam te in via, qua gradieris;

firmabo super te oculos meos.

- Psalmus 32.

So let every good man pray to you

in the time of need.

The floods of water may reach high

but him they shall not reach.

You are my hiding place, O Lord;

you save  me from distress.

You surround me with cries of deliverance.

I will instruct you and teach you

the way you should go;

I will give you counsel

with my eye upon you.

- Psalm 32

$1.28.....

...for a Euro. What great news! Not that I am into mammon or anything like it.

$1.29...

...for a Euro. It was near $1.60 when I arrived two months ago.

From the Home Office.....

My nephew Drew was a trooper this week. During the Saturday Vigil Mass his mother, my sister, turned to him and said, "Oh you're scheduled to serve tomorrow." So, he got (had) to go to Mass twice.

The following was provided by him today via Skype which was finally and successfully installed on my sister's computer. Thanks to my brother Phillip for making that happen.

Q: What do mountains hear with?

A: Mountaineers

I also had two Masses this weekend. The first was a Mass for the Opening of the School Year here at the Casa Santa Maria, celebrated by His Eminence Cardinal Francis George, OMI and concelebrated by Archbishop Edwin O'Brien of Baltimore. It was a beautiful Mass where I was able to be one of three sacristans. Afterwards we enjoyed a formal dinner in the refectory and then coffee and digistivi outside in the courtyard.

Sunday I got up at 4AM to catch a 5AM bus that brought me to the formation house of the Missionaries of Charity. About 60 sisters were already gathered in prayer as I arrived. Theirs is a simple chapel with a large crucifix with the words "I thirst" next to the corpus. These words of Christ were repeated to Blessed Theresa of Calcutta throughout her life. "I thirst", who will work with the poor, the dying, the trampled upon to quench this thirst?

The sacristy had a screen setup for confessions and I noticed hanging next to it is a plaque that reads, "We come to confession as sinners with sin. We leave as sinners without sin." - Mother Theresa. I won't forget that quickly.

The sisters sang throughout the Mass and it was pure joy to hear these 60 young women dedicated to Christ sing with such sincerity and joy. Once Mass had ended they all remained for another 10 minutes to make various prayers of thanksgiving.

It is customary for the priest to be offered breakfast. They led me to a small room where there was prepared some bread, water, instant coffee/tea, jam, and cheese. I ate alone, again, per custom. They live so simply and yet so joyfully.

This afternoon (Monday) I will go across the street to the Biblicum to witness an important defense by Fr. Russ McDougall, CSC. Once his article is successfully defended he may officially begin his doctoral disseratation. Prayers for him this day.

Forgive me Father, for I have sinned....

... I went to the Universita Gregoriana next door and bought a few books, thereby directly supporting a Jesuit institution. I committed this sin with full consciousness. But I was forced to do it. Sant'Anselmo has more of a "gift shop" than a "bookstore". They have more monk-made grappa, wine, beer, icons, and chocolates than books.

The book I'm excited for is a synopsis of Sacrosanctum Concilium which shows all four schemas (1st in preconciliar stage for bishops' browsing/commenting, 2nd for opening of council, 3rd after suggestions/revisions, 4th final published document) side by side in the original Latin. This is for a proseminar I am in that meets once a week on Thursdays.Speaking of sins, I recieved my election ballot in the mail today. I'm just gonna have to take a big breath, hold my nose, and peek at the ballot as I check off the presidential box. And all the while I can just hope and pray that in four years we as a nation of millions of people can get two better candidates on the ballot.

Room and Chapel Update...

I was asked this week to be one of three sacristans for the main chapel of the Casa. I thought this might be a good way to give back to the house and see what I can learn along the way. I was also asked to celebrate Mass once a month for the Missionaries of Charity formation house just outside of Rome proper. The Sunday Mass will be for around 70 sisters in various stages of formation who strive to follow the example of Christ as lived by Blsd. Mother Theresa of Calcutta. I'm sure it will be an honor and a humbling experience.

I thought I'd post some updated photos. The first two are of my room which I am now happy with just as classes begin this week.

You all know how big of a coffee drinker I am. But here in Rome I've turned to tea. Finding and using a hot water heater is much easier, so I've turned to tea for the caffeine burst I enjoy day and night.

Finally, here is a photo of the Sacred Heart Chapel on the 2nd floor of the Casa. It is reserved exclusively for priests who wish to celebrate a private Mass.

Prayers, please. Classes begin Tuesday morning. Monday evening Sant'Anselmo celebrates vespers followed by a talk by the president, a Mozart concert and an academic speech on the role of faith and reason in Catholic thought. Of course, we'll conclude with refreshments.

Oh, and regarding yesterday's game. You gotta score BEFORE you draw down the clock. BEFORE.

A Full Week...

I thought this photo might catch your attention. Fragola e straciatella gelato. This has been a very good week in various respects. Monday I successfully registered for classes, made sure the school would accept my MA in full, and passed the Italian Exam. I spent the rest of the week working on Italian and having a few one-on-one tutoring sessions, mostly conversation to help my ear hear better.

On Thursday I traveled to the Holy Cross Generalate where I joined the community for lunch. The General Council was in their last day of meetings. It was a fun meal with evident brotherhood. I felt at home easily as I do at all CSC houses. It is part of the gift or charism of this religious life.

I left from there on the metro and headed straight for St. Peter's Basilica for the Diaconate Ordination of 25 men from the North American College. Easily over 125 priests concelebrated this Mass which was held at the Altar of the Chair in the rear of the basilica. In the sacristy I got to see Fr. Steve Titus, Notre Dame class of '99. And with the way the procession occured I ended up very near the altar with the Rector of the NAC in front of me and next to him Archbishop Raymond Burke. I was nervous, wondering if I've paid all my speeding tickets, turned off the lights when I left a room, or any other rules I may have broken!

Two men of my home Diocese of Little Rock were ordained and I was able to meet Bishop Anthony Taylor who was recently ordained bishop of Little Rock. I offered him words of congratulations and promise of my prayers for him.

The music was glorious and, no exaggeration, the hair on my neck was standing up as we processed out with the majestic music, the basilica lit up, and the baldichino of the Altar of St. Peter lifting our eyes upwards toward heaven. It was amazing.

Afterwards, I joined a few Casa priests for dinner. I don't like posting photos of food. There is something unseemly about this practice. But, family and friends have asked for more "food and gelato" photos, so here are a few.

Oh So Very True...

World Synod of Bishops Opening Mass

Before I write about this past weekend, let me share some good news. First, I discovered today that I did indeed pass the Italian Proficiency Exam. After a weekend of not sleeping or eating well, this is grand news indeed. I was also able to clarify and firm-up the specifics of how my MA will be applied to the SLL degree here. As hoped, I am able to complete it in one year. Again, this is just great news and it is nice to have it all confirmed and official. In addition, I learned that I will be able to take Latin in the morning but then also take Fr. Foster's Latin class twice a week in the afternoon. This should be a great experience and one I look forward to immensely.

Thanks for all the prayers and words of support. They are all greatly appreciated.

So, Sunday morning the Holy Father celebrated Mass at the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls. I was fortunate enough to assist with the distribution of Holy Communion. We entered a side door where various buses full of prelates also arrived. I kept walking only to be tapped on the shoulder by a Swiss Guard who pointed to another door for priest assistants. My bad.

I was one of the few religious priests assisting, so while most of the priests wore cassock, suprlice, and stole, I wore cassock, surplice, cape, stole. If you happen to catch the Mass on CTV or EWTN I am the only priest with the black cape. Before Mass Msgr. Guido Marini was making his last minute check to make sure everything was in order. And no, he didn't say hello when he walked past me.

At the preparation of the altar we priests were handed a ciborium of hosts to hold during the consecration. My spot was very near the Paschal Candle stand located on the front-right side of the altar, opposite the ambo. It was powerful to be so near the Holy Father as he celebrated Mass. Cardinal DiNardo was directly in front of me in my line of sight. His Holiness prayed Eucharist Prayer III, which is telling.

During the fraction rite we priests were lead to our communion stations. I was at the head of the main isle just in front of the Swiss Guard posted there. We then distributed communion in Latin to the people.

The liturgy and music were beautiful. The worship aid contained multiple beautiful prints of the St. John's Bible. The procession began with a sung Litany of Saints. It ended precisely when the Holy Father was at his chair. Quite impressive. I also noticed how the Swiss Guards kneal during the consecration. However, the security in civilian suits did not.

Even though my camera fit quite well in my habit pocket, I was high and mighty and told myself not to take photos during Mass. I regret that a bit. The one to the right is the only photo I took, after we had divested and were waiting by the back door as the procession came to an end. If I get photos from other priests who weren't "high and mighty" and actually took photos, I'll share those.

Strano, ma buona settimana...

It's been both a strange and good week. Tuesday I decided to visit Sant'Anselmo to officially register as a student there. A priest of the Archdiocese of L.A., a resident of the Casa and also a student at Sant'Anselmo, graciously offered to assist. We took the bus from the Casa, up the Aventine Hill, passed the U.S. Embassy to the Vatican, the General Office for the Cistercians, and the church of Santa Sabina, the general office for the Domincans.

I met with the financial office to arrange tuition payment (amazingly, less than a mid-level laptop) and then met with the school's president. Thankfully my Italian served me well enough. I then made my way to the Segreteria to show all pertinent documentation.

Then Friday morning I took the Italian Proficiency Exam. The 30-minute written portion went well enough, I thought. The oral portion of the test, which followed, left me very unsettled. I find out the results Monday morning.

So, it's great to have successfully gotten through Italian bureaucracy and register successfully. But, I anxiously await the language test results.

I also learned that I won't just be taking Greek and Latin all year as I had thought. The school has added this year two seminars required for all students in this propedeutic year.

Today is the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi, a beautiful feast of a saint who seems to be universally loved. I am reminded of moments spent there, especially two. One was praying vespers with two fellow collegian seminarians back in 1996 and seeing the beautiful vista during the Magnificat. The second was spending two days there with my parents back in '06.

Tomorrow at the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls the Holy Father will celebrate Mass which officially opens the World Synod of Bishops. I am fortunate to be able to distribute communion along with many other priests from around the world. I promise to take photos, but I also promise not to become that which I can't stand: priests and bishops who take photos during papal liturgies and/or wear sunglasses. They are priests of God in the holy liturgy, not tourists!! A small pet peeve of mine. In the meantime, Go IRISH, beat Stanford!