Some Interesting Reads...

Here are a few articles from Notre Dame Magazine you might enjoy reading as I did.

First, an article describing a few of the successful and blessed programs through which the university serves the global Church, including an exciting project to re-energize the Church in Ireland through music - Teach Bhride or "House of St. Brigid". The residents have their own blog too.

The next article describes the highly important initiatives funded by the Notre Dame Fund to Protect Human Life.

The last two articles are related to Rome and architecture. The first briefly describes the Catholic understanding of sacred space. The second explores the teachings the city of Rome offers to students of architecture and city planners. Happy reading.

The Academic Year

Lest readers of this blog think that my time is filled only with food and travel, let me write a bit about the academic year which began around October 12th. Whereas U.S. schools are already into their Fall break, the Roman school system begins later and also ends at the later date of June 24th roughly.Last year I was engaged in a propedeutic year, studying Latin and Greek while also taking a couple of small seminar courses. This academic year is an anno integrativo, or an integrated year which entails coursework that perhaps I have not had the opportunity to take in the past or would be helpful for my overall studies. The idea is that once these courses are complete I can begin full-time writing for the doctoral dissertation.

And so this semester I am taking:
Introduction to Liturgical Theology
Introduction to the Oriental Liturgies
Introduction to the Occidental non-Roman Liturgies
Bible and Liturgy
Criticism and Hermeneutics of Liturgical Texts
The Cult of the Saints
The Idea of "Sacrament" and "Minister" in the First Millennium

All of these are extremely interesting and after two weeks of course work I see that this will be a challenging but most likely also a rewarding time. Buon lavoro!

An American Family in Rome

This Sunday evening I joined the Mellor Family for dinner at their Roman apartment - home away from their home in South Bend. I know the Mellors from my time serving as their associate pastor at Holy Cross & St. Stanislaus Parish. After a number of years working in an architectural firm, John is pursuing his M.A. in architecture from his alma mater, Notre Dame. Fortunately, Terri is an accomplished licensed teacher in the South Bend school district and is able to home-school the children this semester.We enjoyed a great potato soup along with bruschetta and then ended with cannoli for dessert! The evening brought back a flood of fun memories from those blessed years in the parish. Thanks again to the Mellor Family for their kind hospitality!

The Cure' D'Ars Today...

Rev. George W. Rutler provides not just another biography of the saintly figure of Ars but instead weaves together both the details of St. John Vianney's life and the spiritual lessons most clearly garnered from the lives of saintly men and women.

As declared by Pope Benedict XVI, this is the Year for Priests which coincides with the 150th anniversary of the death of St. John Vianney - a contemporary with another saintly Frenchman, Blsd. Basil Moreau, CSC.

The book is wonderfully written and quite inspiring. Two appendices are latched onto the book including the retreat texts given by the late John Paul II in Ars in 1986. From it we read:

It is true that the Council had the happy intuition of locating the ministerial priesthood again in the perspective of the apostolic mission within all the people of God. It prevented priests from making their priesthood an independent possession, detached from the people. It emphasized the fundamental task of proclaiming the Word, which prepares the ground for faith, and thus for the sacraments. It gave a better expression to the relationship between the priesthood of the priest and that of the bishop, and showed its relationship to the ordained ministry of the deacons and to the common priesthood of all the baptized, thanks to which all can and must have access to the riches of grace, and make their life a spiritual offering, bear witness to Christ in the world as disciples, and take their part in the apostolate and the services of the Church.

HOWEVER, precisely in order to exercise fully this prophetic, priestly, and royal role, the baptized need the ministerial priesthood. By means of it, in a privileged and tangible manner, the gift of the Divine life received from Christ, the Head of all the Body, is communicated to them. The more Christian the people become, the more they become aware of their dignity and of their active role in the Church, and the more they feel the need of priests who are truly priests. It would be ambiguous to organize the Christian communities as if they could very largely do without the priestly ministry.

Rome's Recognition...

Dear Religious of the Family of Holy Cross and Friends,

It is with great pleasure that I inform you that the Theology Commission responsible for studying a case of healing attributable to Brother André, Founder of Saint Joseph Oratory in Montreal and religious of Holy Cross, has rendered a positive, unanimous judgement today and now recognized without any doubt that the healing previously studied by a medical commission in February 2009 is due indeed to his intercession.

The cause can now receive the attention of a panel of 15 archbishops and cardinals who will study, among other things, the pertinence of extending the devotion of Bro. André to the universal church. Following their recommendation and that of the two commissions (medical and theological), his Holiness Pope Benedict XVI will in turn study the cause and make a final decision.

Let us all rejoice in this great news and continue our prayers for a happy ending!

Mario Lachapelle CSC
Assistant General and Vice Postulator
Rome, 17th October 2009

Signs of the Times...

There exists a general principle which states that what the Church abandons into disuse is adopted by secular society. An easy example would be the disintegration of devotional sacramental confession and the rise in "public confessions" as is often demonstrated on Oprah and The Dr. Phill Show, etc.

Here's another example: First Fridays.

Model of Hope

Our Congregational motto, “Crux Ave, Spes Unica”, reminds us daily that we have a special pledge to proclaim that we Hail the Cross, as our only Hope. We profess that in the end nothing can withstand the transforming power of the Cross of Christ Jesus, as Mary knew in the midst of her own agony. The Constitution on the Cross reminds us that because of this it only remains for us to find how even the Cross can be borne as a gift. I have come to believe that in our own weakness the “How” is ultimately rooted in the Hope that Our Mother of Sorrows shows in her own fidelity to her Son. Imperfect as it may be, our ministry of hope is protected by the Mother of Hope, who herself stood below the cross that bore the ONE who made it the Holy Cross, Our Only Hope.

--- Rev. David T. Tyson, CSC, Provincial, Indiana Province, Congregation of Holy Cross. Homily for the Feast of Our Lady of Sorrows, Sept. 15, 2009

Home Cooked Italian Meal...

I was blessed to have two very good Italian teachers during my time in Verbania. Both Andrea and Luca were energetic and quite patient as well. The penultimate evening Andrea invited Fr. Fasano and me to dine at the home of his friend, Signore Rocco Minerva, who is himself a teacher and well versed in many languages including English. While I was not excited for the lengthy steep climb up the surrounding hills to get to the house, I was excited to be there since this was my first time in a real Italian house and not a monastery or large institution. Fortunately, Fr. Fasano took some photos and is kind enough to let me use them here.The evening began with introductions and the enjoyment of typical hors d'oeuvres: peanuts, almonds, pistachios, olives, a sliced rich salame and chilled sweet vermouth.The first plate was a risotto (rice) dish, quite typical and this one was quite good too! Soon thereafter we were served the secondo piatto, the main dish which consisted of roasted potatoes, carrots, and uccellini scappati - that is, "little birds flew away". The birds have fled and so we have to eat beef. The strips of beef are rolled with a large sage leaf and a gorgonzola related cheese, giving the look of little birds.For both the rice dish and the main course, three wines were served: a pink, a red, and a white. The meal was capped off with an torta di mela, an apple dessert. We also enjoyed a coffee and cookies. Walking away from the house a bit heavier we all made it safely down the mountain back to Intra in Verbania. Many thanks to Signore Minerva for his kind hospitality and interesting Italian conversation and insights.











Here is pictured, from left, our host Rocco, one of our tutors, Andrea, and Fr. Eric Fasano of the Diocese of Rockville Centre, NY.

The Week that Was

While U.S. universities are already into mid-term season, the majority of Roman universities are set to begin soon. And so, without classes this week I found myself getting settled, wrapping up summer reads and working on some French and Italian.

On Thursday morning thirty Americans were ordained to the transitional diaconate by Bishop Carlson of St. Louis. In attendance was Ambassador Miguel Diaz and his wife. Diaz only recently took up his post as the chief diplomat for the United States to the Holy See. After the ordinations Diaz and his wife visited the Holy Cross generalate for lunch.
The social and lunch gave the religious a chance to personally offer words of congratulations and for the guests to reminisce their connection with Holy Cross; both studied theology at Notre Dame and fondly remember their days there. Seeing Diaz brought to me memories of my time at St. John's University, Collegeville during the 2006-07 academic year. Diaz taught in systematics while I studied liturgy. Diaz will be busy tomorrow hosting a U.S. delegation to the canonization Mass. The delegation, among others, will include a U.S. senator from Hawaii.

Tomorrow morning will be joy filled here in Rome as thousands of pilgrims gather in St. Peter's square to witness the canonization of Blessed Fr. Damien Molakai, Blessed Bro. Rafael Boron, OCSO, Blessed Archbishop Zygmut Filinski, Blessed Mother Marie Jugan, and Blessed Francisco Call Geutart.

Molakai was a Belgium priest who served tirelessly the leper colony in Hawaii. The Belgium king and queen are expected to be in attendance along with thousands of pilgrims who have traveled worldwide to be here.

Quick count...

How many wars is the United States fighting presently? Two.

Two active theaters of war - one in Iraq, the other in Afghanistan.

Le isole di Lago Maggiore...

Beautiful Lago Maggiore (The great(er) lake) contains a number of islands, three of which were close to the town of Intra, where I studied Italian for two weeks. And so, after a Saturday trip to nearby Milan, and Sunday morning Mass, Fr. Fasano and I boarded a ferry boat to tour three islands.

The first is Isola di Madre and is home to a large villa once owned by the great Borromeo family. This family is especially known for its famous cardinal saint, Charles Borromeo, but is known in general for the family's great wealth and influence in this northern reach of what is now modern Italy. Aside from hosting the villa, the island is one large private garden, boasting of plants, trees, etc., from around the world. During the time of the Borromeo family it was customary for wealthy families to collect exotic plants, birds, etc, and to construct their properties with stone and marbles from around the known world.
Situated next to the villa was a private chapel used by St. Borromeo when he would visit his family. And so, if my family is reading this post, they can take note of the superb chapel space provided for visiting priest sons!A passenger boat arrives every 20 minutes, making it convenient to tour the other islands. Next on our list was the Isola Superiore or Isola Pescatore (The Superior Island or The Fisherman's Island). This is the largest of the three and home to a good number of restaurants. And since it was lunch time, we lunched and watched the boats coming and going.The third and final stop was the Isola Bella (The Beautiful Island). There we toured a major manor of the Borromeo family. Surrounding the large manor are detailed gardens and an outdoor theater of sorts.All of this made for an enjoyable Sunday and helped gain a better understanding of the history of this important northern region of Italy. After our island tours we headed back to the new port of Intra to begin a new week of Italian studies!

Respect Life Sunday, October 4, 2009

Yet we must not underestimate the disturbing scenarios that threaten our future, or the powerful new instruments that the “culture of death” has at its disposal. To the tragic and widespread scourge of abortion we may well have to add in the future — indeed it is already surreptiously present — the systematic eugenic programming of births. At the other end of the spectrum, a pro-euthanasia mindset is making inroads as an equally damaging assertion of control over life that under certain circumstances is deemed no longer worth living. Underlying these scenarios are cultural viewpoints that deny human dignity. These practices in turn foster a materialistic and mechanistic understanding of human life. Who could measure the negative effects of this kind of mentality for development? How can we be surprised by the indifference shown towards situations of human degradation, when such indifference extends even to our attitude towards what is and is not human? What is astonishing is the arbitrary and selective determination of what to put forward today as worthy of respect. Insignificant matters are considered shocking, yet unprecedented injustices seem to be widely tolerated. While the poor of the world continue knocking on the doors of the rich, the world of affluence runs the risk of no longer hearing those knocks, on account of a conscience that can no longer distinguish what is human. God reveals man to himself; reason and faith work hand in hand to demonstrate to us what is good, provided we want to see it; the natural law, in which creative Reason shines forth, reveals our greatness, but also our wretchedness insofar as we fail to recognize the call to moral truth.

--- Pope Benedict XVI, Caritas In Veritate, para. 75.

Verbania e gli altri posti della regione: Milano

I write to you from my room here at the Casa Santa Maria in Rome now that I am back full time and settled in for the new academic year. My posts have lately been short and sporadic because of the traveling I've done which I want to share with you all.

As you may recall, I departed Notre Dame back on the 15th of September, the great solemnity of Our Lady of Sorrows, patroness of the Congregation of Holy Cross. My flight from O'Hare to Zurich to Rome was uneventful and I was glad to finally get a bulkhead seat with its extra 4" of leg room! I did have a somewhat nice conversation with the gentleman seated next to me who obviously had some misconceptions about the priesthood.

Having arrived into Rome on the afternoon of Wednesday the 16th, I joined a group of pilgrims form my home parish for dinner and an evening tour of the Trevi Fountain on Thursday. Friday came early as I had to be out the door by 6AM to catch a bus to the Termini train station, and then a fast-speed train to Milan which ended up taking 5.5 hours instead of the four for which it had been scheduled. After a quick coffee break in the Milan Central train station I hopped on the train headed to Verbania, about two hours northwest on Lago Maggiore.I arrived around 4PM, in time for my first Italian tutoring session. For two weeks I was tutored for three hours, in one-on-one sessions with two great tutors - Andrea and Luca. They went the extra mile and brought a lot of energy to the sessions. Their patience was greatly appreciated! I was grateful also to be joined by Fr. Eric Fasano, a priest of the Diocese of Rockville Centre, NY who also began his Roman studies last year as did I. Most of the photos posted here and elsewhere were taken by him.Alas, we had no tutoring on the weekends and so Saturday was spent back in Milan. We immediately left the Milan Central Train Station and headed south toward the Basilica di Sant'Ambrogio, which houses the tomb of the great 4th century doctor of the Church. I found this to be a very priviledged moment - to pray at his tomb. The great saint (clothed in white vestments) is flanked by two martyr saints, Gervasius and Protasius (clothed in red vestments). A priest was praying the Mass when we came to pray.The basilica also houses the relics of Sts. Marcellina and St. Satiro, the sister and brother of St. Ambrose. After viewing a number of smaller churches in the area and enjoying lunch, we arrived at the main piazza of Milan overseen by the majestic Milan cathedral. Built in the span of centuries and just last year cleaned on the exterior, the church is a sight to behold. We spent a couple of hours taking in the beauty of the cavernous interior and then walking on the roof, amazed by the detailed architecture.A highlight of the pilgrimage was to pray at the tomb of St. Charles Borromeo, who came from an influential family in this Northern region of what is now modern Italy. As a cardinal and Archbishop of Milan he served a very important role in the reforms which followed the Council of Trent, especially in the area of education of clergy. As a priest in studies in this Year for Priests, to pray at his tomb was a great blessing.Another highlight is the statue of St. Bartholomew depicted holding his own skin since tradition tells us he was flayed alive then crucified. The statue was made by Marco d'Agrate in 1562. Notice the detail of the muscle system - evidence that by the late 1500s the taboo of dissecting human remains began to wane.

As remarkable as the interior is, the exterior is breathtaking. Every nook, every cranny, the top of every spire is surmounted and adorned with statuary and carvings whose significance lies not so much in themselves or in their placement. For instance, in the photo to the right we see a statue placed above a door way that opens up to the roof. For hundreds of years this statue would not have been seen by anyone except perhaps someone employed in the Cathedral Works office. And so, why place a statue there? Not for itself, nor for the admiration of modern tourists. Instead, it is placed there for the greater glory of God.

How often in our modern mentality do we allow a "facade" to suffice for a building's exterior. We throw up a fake tower, balcony or false roof and call it a day. The value of this particular statue pictured to the right lies not in it's being perceived by human eyes and therefore receiving the praise of men, but instead its true worth lies in the craftsmanship of the artisan who crafted it and placed it here for the greater glory of God. The saint can give glory to God in a hidden, quiet, and obscure way.It was a wonderful day to see the highlights of Milan which included both the churches, tombs, and of course, the high-end shopping, which I didn't do of course, but we did walk past all the big windows filled with the latest fashions just as one would expect to see in Milan: the fashion capital of the world. One window included "live" mannequins. This should give hope to PLS majors!