Orientation!

Class of 2013 NAC in front of St. Peter's. I'm on the far right side. I'll try to crop a better one sometime.

We arrived back in Rome on Wednesday. The other eight guys who didn't come over for early orientation arrived on Thursday. So Thursday the Pontifical North American College Class of 2013 walked into the Immaculate Conception Chapel to the ringing of bells and the welcome of the staff to start our time off with prayer and a message from our rector. The bells will ring again for us personally as each man departs once and for all from the college.

Yesterday was the feast of St. Monica, So the majority of us went to St. Augustine's here in Rome where St. Monica is buried. We prayed for our mothers there individually because, as you may know, St. Augustine's conversion is largely attributed to the prayers of his mother St. Monica.

This morning we went to St. Peter's early when it is much more quiet and celebrated mass in the Crypt in front of the remains of St. Peter. John Paul II and Pope Paul VI are also buried down there. I have much admiration for both those men but especially for Pope Paul VI because of his encyclical Humanae Vitae. If you don't know the story behind that encyclical then its worth understanding. Pope John XXIII commissioned a group of six people to explore the Church's position on contraception. When Pope John the XXIII died, Pope Paul VI expanded the commission to seventy-two, including bishops, theologians, cardinals, women, and experts from medicine.

The commission came to the majority opinion that contraception is not intrinsically evil. Pope Paul VI prayed and by the guidance of the Holy Spirit decided not to change the Churches teaching on contraception. And how prophetic that document has become. Speaking of contraception Pope Paul VI says:

How easily this course of action could open wide the way for marital infidelity and a general lowering of moral standards...and that a man who grows accustomed to the use of contraceptive methods may forget the reverence due to a woman, and, disregarding her physical and emotional equilibrium, reduce her to being a mere instrument for the satisfaction of his own desires, no longer considering her as his partner whom he should surround with care and affection (Humanae Vitae).

Isn't this what has happen since contraception has become so prevalent in our culture?

Many point to this document as a prime example that the Church is guided by God himself in the person of the Holy Spirit. Man's wisdom was in favor of contraception, but we can see that man's wisdom is not on par with the wisdom of the Holy Spirit which guides the Church.

Here are some pics...

I do not have one of Julia Roberts, although I did see here Wednesday evening. She is in town shooting a movie.

The Cardinal Angelo Comastri, Archpriest of St. Peter's, welcoming us.

Spencer's birthday a few weeks ago.

Chiesa Nuova, the church I went to while in assisi. Its built on the site of St. Francis' child hood home.

The Cell that St. Francis's parents locked him up in.

The top of the Panteon in Rome.

Assisi ancora!

So its been awhile since my last post. Things are still well with me. I'm still plowing through 6 hours of Italian a day in class and a couple more outside of class. This past week we only had 4 days of class however due to the Solemnity of the Assumption yesterday. Its somewhat of a national holiday here that most places take off an extra day during the week. In addition to the Assumption of Mary, there were a number of other feasts that made it a truly festive week in Assisi.



Tuesday was the feast of St. Claire of Assisi. I attended mass at 6:30am in the crypt where her body now rests. That evening there was a city wide vigil procession to celebrate the patron of Assisi's feast day which was the following day, Wednesday. No, it was not St. Francis's feast day, his is October 4th. It was a much lesser known saint, one who you won't even find in the proper of saints for those of you who pray the liturgy of the hours. Needless to say, Wednesday was a big day for Assisi. It was the feast of Saint Rufinus, and in Assisi it is actually a solemnity. He was the first bishop of Assisi and said to be responsible for Assisi's ,as a city, conversion to Christianity. He was martryed in the 3rd century. Christianity was still illegal at the time.

Wednesday night they had a large fireworks display from Rocco Maggiore, an old military fort at the top of hill on which the city rests. We had a great view from the terrace of the place we are staying.

I was telling some folks that its great to learn Italian just for the sake of it. I will not be taking classes in Italian, at least not at first, like some of the other guys. Its a bit easier to learn this way. I enjoy praying with the english and Italian side by side. I also enjoy praying the mass in Italian and listening to the readings in Italian while seeing the words in Italian. I just purchased an Italian Bible for primarily that reason. I think my reading comprehension is at about 65% and my listening comprehension is around 35%. My speaking is lagging far behind. My hope is that I will be able to listen and read and learn that way which will help my vocabulary and ability to speak.

Thats about it for now, Ill be back in Rome in a little over a week for orientation to the seminary and some more Italian classes there.

I hope all of you are well, may God bless you all.

"La mia carne è vero cibo e il mio sangue è vera bevanda"

My flesh is true food and my blood is true drink

-from today's gospel

What a great gift we have in the Eucharist!

-Nick