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