Man, Am I Tired.

The last week of finals really drained me. This is surprising since I do not usually get tired out with academic work and my finals load was not really all that hard. It has been one of those rich weeks though looking back on it. It is hard to believe everything that has gone on in the last seven days.
Tuesday was great -- going into the great all American city of Chicago to get my Italian VISA. I am a country bumpkin through and through, but I love walking the streets of cities and just being with people. It will be my last visit to Chicago in awhile, and it was nice to just have the walk down Adams street, up Michigan and across the bridge to the Italian Consulate.

It was also a great taste of Italian buecracy inaction (lack of action). What I think is draining is that do to this schedule I have missed my "hour of power" for three days in a row, and that is just wiping me out.

I was actually very happy when I went to Marytown for confession on Thursday night and I had to wait in line for over an hour. Just an hour to think, and reflect.


It was a treasure. Today was the ordination for the great archdiocese of Chicago at Holy Name Cathedral. Jesus now has thirteen new priests to serve him. Praise be the LORD, now and forever.

"Jesus Christ, A priest forever, like Melchizedek, Offered Break and Wine."

Farewell Mundelein

My year at Mundelein is almost over. First thoughts are that it went really quickly, much quicker than I thought it would, and I am really grateful for having a chance to be here, to encounter God here, to meet the men that I have met here. It as been a great experience for me. It is time to say good-bye to this, and move on to another part of my life.

VIEW OVER THE LAKE

One of the best parts of being at Mundelein was to have time to reflect on going to Rome. At the beginning of this last summer I had told the diocese that I was willing to go, but inside I was anxious and unsettled. I was going because I was asked to go, but did not feel called to go. It was during the many quiet conversations with Fr. Murphy and the abundant silence, in which God's voice is heard, that I really started hearing that ancient voice that was telling me that he would still be there in Rome.

INTERIOR OF THE CHAPEL

I also think that I have really have grown too. I can thank some of the more difficult men at Mundelein for this. There are not many, but a few seminarians, who seem to try and make life in community more difficult for the other seminarians. It was during these interactions that I started started to see the slight sliver of what it means to love like God loves. To look at that person, who I honestly want to turn my back to, and see the good within them and try to draw it out. That is why I think God puts difficult people in our lives, so that we can learn how to love as he loves, because which people has been more obeisant then us? Yet God still loves us.

NICE (OLD) VIEW THAT I FOUND

I have included some pictures from Mundelein.

Some Thematic Pictures

An aerial view of Pontifical North American College, the dormatories are the three wings on the left that make a zig-zag, and the chapel is on the right (towering four stories high).

Crest of North American College, where I will be living and be spiritually and pastorally formed to be a priest for the third millenium.

This is pretty much what the view from my front door will look like, not bad for a typical walk to school.

Flag of Vatican City

View of the Nave of Saint Peter Basilica, the heart of the One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church, I think this is looking east.

Ponifical Gregorian University, also known as the "Greg." This is where I will be studying for at least the first three years (called first cycle), and possibly second cycle (the last two to three years). For the first three years all classes are taught European-style lectures in Italian.

Rome: Episode One

Almost three weeks ago. I was up at Saint John Vianney at the University of Saint Thomas, visiting Ryan, Drew, and T. Craig, who had already purchased his ticket for Rome. So last Sunday I decided to buy mine from Aer Lingus (go Ireland) (Chicago to Dublin to Rome). By co-incidence it happens to be the same flight that Tony is on, which will be good since this I am not an experienced flier, and this is my first time having to go through customs and all that jazz. This is all good, and the excitement is starting to build, since now in my hands I have an actual flight itinerary, making the whole prospect of going to Rome much more real, much more tangible. It is just the build up to greater news though.

The very next day (Monday, April 30) I received the email equivalent of the thick packet from the Pontifical North American College (PNAC). As you can imagine this excited me to no end for this whole past week. So come June it is off to Ireland and Italy, come August it is moving next door to the Pope (almost literally, PNAC and the Vatican are about a quarter mile apart), come September it is time to start lectures in a language that I do not yet know.

I really am filled with a profound sense of gratitude for having this opportunity before. I do not know what I will be asked to do in the next few month, the next five to six years, or where this will all lead me during my time on earth, but I trust that I am getting lead along the right path.

Esto Vir Christi