Thursday, May 21, 2009

Christ Has Ascended!......

...except in most U.S. dioceses and, yes my dear readers, sadly even in the Diocese of Rome.

For these locations, these manifestations of the Church, the Feast of the Ascension has been transferred to the 7th Sunday of Easter.

Though from what I can figure out, the Vatican itself today observes the Feast of the Ascension. Is it not in the Diocese of Rome? I find this whole system to be odd.

On a personal note, classes continue in full gear with dates for exams being set and are the exams certainly are now looming large in the psychi of students. I plug away each day at Latin and Greek and try to find time to read supplemental material for my Liturgy of the Hours in the East course.

In addition, Summer has arrived here in Rome where the 80 degrees and bright sunny days are a constant. Now we just have to await for the humidity to set in. Global economic downturn/recession? Not by the looks of the swarms of tourists one must fight each day in order to get to and from class!

Last Saturday the Casa held its final Room Lottery of the academic year. A great number of priests are moving out now that they have finished their degree or have chosen to write their dissertation stateside. And so a lottery is held, whereby the priest with the most seniority gets first choice of freed up rooms. Seniority is based on A) number of completed semesters at the Casa, B) date or ordination, and if you share the same date with someone else, then C) your birthday.

As a religious it is my strong opinion that "house age" should begin with entrance into the novitiate, but these diocesan priests won't hear of that. And so, I'm rather low on the list. But, I am happy to report that I did get to choose a room, which is a real "double" and faces the interior garden, unlike my current "single" room which faces a busy parking area and street. So, I'm glad and hope to move my things by mid June.

4 comments:

Fr. Greg said...

Not only was today the Ascension here in France, it was a government holiday!

Anonymous said...

Does that mean you could technically go to St. Peter's and pray the Ascension Thursday Mass today, but not do the same in the Casa?

Fr. Michael Wurtz, CSC said...

Yes, my understanding is that in both St. Peter's and St. Anne's and any other chapel in the Vatican, the Mass of the Ascension was prayed. But not elsewhere in Rome.

Fr. Michael Wurtz, CSC said...

Fr. Greg, that is impressive of Paris.

By the way, 15% of traffic to my blog comes here after searching for "haake blog" or "fr greg haake". So, um, thanks!