Passport to Europe: Milan, Italy
Here is a new video from my trip to Milan two weeks ago. I hope you enjoy!
Being “Over There”
Things have been busy here at the college this week. All of us “New Men” have started with our second set of Italian classes in-house. While it is important to be able to speak the language of the country you are surrounded by, the more immediate reason for cramming the language into my head is for the Italian Proficiency Exam administered by the university in which I will be studying in the coming years. The language has been tough to learn, but I have put a lot of work into it. I still have a long way to go, but I am happy with how much I have learned in the last six weeks. I have about two and half weeks before the exam, so I will be studying hard until then. However, that doesn’t mean that I will not be doing anything interesting.
Tomorrow we are traveling to Assisi for a quasi-retreat that will last from Friday until Sunday. I have never been to Assisi and I am eagerly looking forward to experience the place where St. Francis and St. Clare lived, prayed, and worked. I am looking forward to having some time to relax a little. Things have been so busy here that I already feel like I am playing catch-up. Specifically with the language, I was able to spend plenty of time working on Italian outside of class, but that is not as possible now. This is the first time I have had some free time in the last four days and I thought I should at least post a little something about what has been going on here. However, after I am finished posting this, I will jump back into the books and learn some new words, practice conjugating some verbs, and remind myself that anything is possible with God’s grace.
This evening is the official Welcome Banquet at the Pontifical North American College. We will celebrate Mass at 5:30pm and then appetizers will be served in the faculty dining hall. We will then migrate out into the cortile in front of the main chapel doors and we will have dinner. I believe there are a few toasts and speeches, but it should really be a time to relax and enjoy the company of my classmates and the seminary faculty.
Many people have been asking me what it is like to be “over there.” These first weeks have been challenging because I left EVERYTHING behind. Sure, I brought some stuff with me to make my room feel like home, but I left my family, friends, and all of the little things that I used to take for granted. While I was studying Pre-Theology at Conception Seminary College, we were living in the middle of nowhere, Missouri. However, we still took advantage of our cars in order to drive to Maryville or St. Joseph in order to go out to eat at a restaurant or make a “Wal-mart run.” Now we walk just walk everywhere and even the idea of Wal-mart is a foreign to Italy (literally). Ultimately, there are many challenges with moving to a new country, but I firmly believe that God does not give us anything that we cannot handle. Even though I miss my family immensely, I know that this is part of the sacrifice I am making to God. I am giving my entire life to the Jesus Christ and placing all of my trust into Him. It is difficult to give up things that are comfortable, but I am trying to look at this experience as something that will stretch me in new ways in order to become a better priest for the people of Oklahoma City. This mindset also makes life not as stressful. I know that I am not in control, but I am ready to face the challenges and obstacles that I am (and will) encounter in the future. I have also been able to grow in prayer by praising God for all of the great things He has blessed me with, as well as thanking him for the challenges before me now. I am confident that these will be beneficial to me in the future and for the people that I hope to serve someday as a priest.
Pope Benedict XVI
Yesterday was a very special day for all of the first year seminarians at the Pontifical North American College. We were able to travel to Pope Benedict XVI’s summer residence, Castelgandolfo, for his Sunday Angelus address, prayer, and blessing upon the pilgrims. There were two full charter buses that transported us to the papal palace and we then entered a private entrance into the Papal Garden. It was very exciting to know that I was getting ready to see the Holy Father! When we departed the buses, we were free to walk around a little in the shade before moving to the public area of the palace. When we finally started walking towards to the piazza, we had to move to one side to let a car through. It was the Pope’s private car, but he wasn’t in it. Oh well!
We finally were able to position ourselves into the cortile (courtyard) next to one of the walls. There was so much excitement in the air as the minutes ticked away. Finally, just moments before the Pope came into view, the Swiss Guard stood at attention and everyone roared with cheers. Then Pope Benedict stepped out onto the balcony. Check out the video of the Papal Address by clicking here. Skip to 10 minutes and 50 seconds to see his special address to us and also for our class’ tradition of singing “Ad Multos Annos” for the first time to the Holy Father. It was an amazing experience and I will never forget it.
After the Papal Audience, we went to a restaurant that is a few blocks from the papal palace for Pranzo (lunch). It was a nice meal and we had a beautiful view of the lake that lies below the papal palace. After Pranzo, we were invited to tour the Papal Gardens by Archbishop James Harvey, Prefecture of the Papal Household. It was a great tour, but more importantly it made Pope Benedict XVI seem more real. I was walking on the path that we would walk on later that afternoon. I remember looking at several trees and thinking, “I wonder if Pope Benedict ever looks at that tree?”
We finished the tour by stopping at the statue of Mary that Pope Benedict XVI goes to every evening, while in Castelgandolfo, in order to pray the rosary with his two assistants. We were told that he prays there every evening at a specific time. Therefore, I was able to know that in less than one hour after leaving that spot, the Pope would come and pray there. WOW! That is mind bending!
It was a wonderful day and meant a lot to be in such close proximity to Christ’s vicar on Earth.
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- Me, Jason Doke, Ryan Browning, and David Esquiliano waiting to see Pope Benedict XVI.
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- Pope Benedict’s Car
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- Me and Msgr. Checchio before the Papal Angelus.
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- Moments before seeing the Pope!
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- Pope Benedict XVI gave a short talk on the importance of families.
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- This lake is behind the papal palace.
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- Walking through the papal gardens.
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- That was cool!
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- Archbishop Harvey feeds the fish near the place where Pope Benedict prays the rosary everyday.
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- We prayed the “Hail Holy Queen” prayer just one hour before Pope Benedict would pray the rosary from the same spot.
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- Msgr. Mueggenborg, Archbishop Harvey, and Msgr. Checchio moments before we entered the cortile.
