Pro Soccer Player becomes seminarian!

Here is a great story by ESPN Page 2 about a soccer player who experienced a call to the priesthood of Jesus Christ and is responding. Check it out! http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=darcy/081023&lpos=spotlight&lid=tab4pos2

KU is fine - I think!

I followed the last two KU football losses distantly from Italy, and I'm glad I didn't get to see them because it helps me to be optimistic. Once KU beat Iowa State and Colorado to begin Big 12 conference play, I noticed immediately that KU would only have to win 2 of their next 5 in order to be able to play for the Big 12 championship against Missouri. Given the toughness of our schedule, I thought this would be the best case scenario for us this year, and it is still within reach, provided we get things together. I'm afraid from what I've read that even K-State could put up 35 on us this weekend and make it difficult to win, but let's hope KU gets some good breaks during this game and is able to put all the pressure on the Wildcats and their defense. The season is far from lost despite the game against Texas Tech, but of course this game Saturday is a must win if we are to have any chance of lining up against Missouri with something to play for at the end of the season.

Crown Club

My friends with whom I traveled gave me a pass to the Crown Club here at the Atlanta airport since I have a four hour layover. Remarkably, it's not much less busy than the havoc outside - the line for the bar is always four or five deep, and people are always looking for chairs. The difference, of course, is that the drinks are free here. Well, it is a new experience anyway, one I don't have to worry about getting used to. I've burned up all my computer power, having just three or four minutes left now. Was able to watch Archbishop Naumann's speech at KU that I missed when I was out of town (Vote the Rock event!). Spent a lot of time reading blogs, reading Catholic and national news, and making sure all email are returned before I hit Kansas City later tonight. All in all, I like times like this, when I can read a lot in one day and hit the reset button so to speak. I've been thinking so much about all the work the Church has done to promote the life issues in the coming election, and the fact that the most recent poll shows Catholic young people to be more willing to vote for pro-choice candidates. Is this a sign of sophistication that the Church can continue to work with, or a sign that the moral teaching of the Church in increasingly less relevant. At any rate, plenty to pray about and plenty that should be done. It makes you wonder if we are approaching everything the wrong way, and what we could change to do better. But of course all this is not a cause for despair, for life will be victorious!! +m

Flying Home

Sunday was a fun travel day to Milan, with time for seeing a few great things, thanks to my wonderful hosts in Milan. I took at 8:47 train from Siena to Florence and then to Milan (btw - it was the end of DST in Italy Sunday, and I get to fall back again this coming Sunday in the US - how lucky is that???). After a 2pm arrival in Milan I was checked into the hotel at 2:40 and on my way for a walking tour of downtown Milan. I have to admit that I did not do any preparation for my visit to Milan, taking the advice of others that Milan is most a modern business city without the kind of history you find elsewhere in Italy. Well, let's just say that my low expectations were blown away. Our first visit was to St. Ambrose Church, where the body of the great doctor and bishop is housed. The Basilica was begun in the 4th century and looks much different than anything else I have seen in Italy, with its red brick Romanesque construction. Then we were off to the ancient fortress of Milan, constructed in the 12th century and easily the most massive castle I have seen standing in Italy. It was really magnificent. Then we were off through the streets of Milan, where there were tens of thousands of Milanese young people just enjoying the fall weather and hanging out. We proceeded to the square of the Cathedral of Milan, an absolutely gorgeous Gothic church with great height and pretty good windows. The duomo was very busy, both inside and out, and it was good to witness a great amount of devotion on the part of the Italians there. After the duomo we visited La Scala Opera House, and then went along one of the ancient canals engineered by Leonardo da Vinci and had a great pizza in a restaurant that was formerly a carpenter's shop. I was really impressed with Milan - no, it doesn't have the ancient feel of the narrow medieval streets of other towns and cities, but it has so much history and culture, and of course incredible shopping. I was back in my hotel by 9:30 and went to bed before getting up at 4:30am this morning to head to Malpensa. The Delta flight was great, and the new release was The Dark Knight which I had been wanting to see. It made the first three hours of the flight 'fly by'! I'm not in the Atlanta airport killing four hours before the quick flight back to Kansas City and dinner with friends. The only bad part of the trip is turning in my Euros, that are worth less than when I bought them. The dollar has gained a lot on the Euro in the last three weeks, which actually helped our trip until I had to re-exchange. This is quite a small price to pay, however, for such an extraordinary trip! +m

Ready to take the train to Milan

Today was another incredible day in Tuscany. We left for a wine tour at 9:30am - we were late again because as much as we try we still can't get to bed at night nor out of bed in the morning - I am not going to master the time change while we are here. By 11am we were tasting incredible Brunello wine from Montalcino, which we really enjoyed and stayed much longer than we thought we would. Brunello is widely considered to be the most prestigious Italian red. Our guide tells us always that the French make better wine, but the Italians are very proud of their distinctive taste and they are very proud of the wines they make with 100% Sangiovese grapes. Our first winery had priceless views of the Tuscan countryside. We were late to midday prayer at a local abbey that had been standing for over 1000 years - unbelievable. Then we went back to Montalcino and had a wine tasting and lunch at the medieval fortress, before heading to Montepulciano for another wine tasting in the most incredible medieval wine cellar you can imagine, right within the walls of Montepulciano. We didn't care for the wines there as much, even though they were quite good. After another requisite stop at a gelateria, we returned late afternoon for our villa at Montechiaro. The guys went into Siena looking for a sports bar to watch the KU/Tech game, but it was just as well that we didn't find one since I now know it was a slaughter. We had an authentic Tuscan menu prepared in the villa for dessert, some great conversation and cards, followed by a good night's sleep (I hope) with an added hour for DST before I take the train to Milan tomorrow morning. Oh yes, I almost forgot the most important thing. When we returned in the afternoon I was able to celebrate Mass in a medieval chapel no longer in use. Talk about stepping back in time. There was no modern altar facing the people, and when I was celebrating Mass I thought of all the Masses that had been celebrated on that same altar since 1700 or so - incredible feeling. The Mass was the highlight of today, followed closely by hundreds of incredible views as we drove through the Tuscan countryside. +m

Tough internet connection in Tuscany

We are now in a Villa 7km outside of Florence, and the internet signal comes in and out at our villa, but tonight at least it is strong so I can give an update of our travels. Tuesday morning we had an early Vatican museum tour, and our guide was savvy enough to get us to the Sistine Chapel early so we had a fantastic and semi-private visit. I would have to visit the Sistine Chapel a hundred more times before I could lead a group myself. It is truly magnificent and there are so many things to think about when you are looking at the frescoes. After the tour of the Vatican Museums we went up the dome of St. Peter's for the magnificent inside and outside views, then we went did the requisite souvenir shopping and stop at the Vatican post office. After a great pizza lunch my friends headed back to the hotel for some needed R&R, while I headed to the North American college to visit my good friend Chris Berry and his wife Meredith for an afternoon glass of wine and chat. In the evening I met my friends at the Spanish steps for a look around and a fabulous dinner on another perfect evening in Rome. Wednesday we were able to secure tickets right near the stage for the papal audience, and unbelievably, we left early while the pope was still speaking in order to make our rendez-vous out in Tuscany at our villa. Driving in Italy was easier than we thought, at least at first. We arrived at our Villa, got an orientation tour, and the keys to our private chapel (no longer in use) at Montechiaro. Montechiaro is a villa 7 km northeast of Siena, with a beautiful view of the city. It is a fabulous villa, very friendly but not too extravagant, certainly not as extravagant as the medieval castles that dot the hills around us. Wednesday night a local cook came and made a great beefsteak and pasta meal, Tuscan style. I was the only one who ate the dessert - pears baked in chianti! Fantastic! Wednesday evening we made the mistake of heading into Siena for what we thought would be a quick orientation tour of Siena. We ended up getting lost walking the city without maps and didn't return to our car until 12:30am! Ouch! Of course the ladies blamed the guys for bad navigation, and they were mostly right, but somebody had to lead, if even we led badly. Thursday morning we were out touring castles of the region and wineries. I learned so much about the making of chianti classico, the signature wine of the chianti region. Although we found that when the sangiovese grape is mixed with other grapes, we liked the end product better, it was very interesting for me to taste and enjoy chianti classico made with 100% sangiovese, a very delicate grape. To make a long story short, I would be more proud to have chanti classico 100% sangiovese in my cellar, but would have more fun drinking the SuperTuscan wines that have been produced for the international market. Thursday evening we played it safe by eating pizza and drinking wine and playing cards at the Villa. Friday, the day just completed, we had a fabulous day in Florence, taking the train early in the morning, getting a guided tour of the Accademia and major landmarks of Florence, then having lunch, going to Santa Croce, and shopping the Ponte Vecchio on our own. A late afternoon train ride back to Siena gave us time for drinks and dinner in this very quaint and beautiful city of Tuscany. Saturday takes us to Montepulciana and Montelcino wine country, followed by Mass in our private chapel, then back to Siena to hopefully catch the KU/Texas Tech game (keep your fingers crossed!). We hope we can find it at a local sports bar! Rock Chalk! +m

Mass near the tomb of St. Peter

For the second time in my life, and for the first time by myself, I was able to celebrate Mass with good friends in the Vatican Grotto this morning at the Chapel of the Beata Virgine Bocciata. I had a reservation for Mass this morning, but when I arrived at the sacristy at 7:00am, I was informed that the 7:15am Mass was reserved for a Fr. Guiseppe. I tried to get the chapel anyway, thinking they had accidentally canceled or changed my reservation, but when I arrived at the stairs leading to the Grotto with my group, I was turned away and assigned to another chapel on the main level of St. Peter's. Because I had a 20 minute wait to use the chapel of St. Michael on the main floor, I returned to the sacristy and then found that I had the 8:00am reservation at the aforementioned chapel. My missal and Mass kit were taken away from me (but not my vestments!) and I returned to the basilica to wait until closer to 8:00am for my scheduled Mass. When I returned to the sacristy at 7:45am, I was told that Fr. Giuseppe never arrived, so my Mass was ready to go. Then, on my way to the chapel, a seminarian asked me if I could renew the wedding vows of a couple from Philadelphia. I said sure, now knowing that they had five small children with them who would be crying throughout our private Mass at the chapel in the Grotto. Well, a little unnerved by the uncertainty of when my Mass was supposed to start, coupled with little time to prepare in a new environment, and my unexpected guests, and the gravity of celebrating Mass so close to the tomb of St. Peter, one could say easily that I was quite nervous and it was hard to concentrate and to say a good Mass. If you've never been to the Vatican grotto, there are chapels quite close to each other and many Masses being said early in the morning, so it was also unnerving to be able to hear every word of a english Mass nearby that was on the same pace we were. Eventually I slowed down our Mass so that it wouldn't seem like we were racing each other. All in all, it was still a great experience and a very prayerful one with friends. While we were in the Grotto we were able to say a quick prayer at the tomb of John Paul II. After Mass we had a quick espresso and croissant, followed by a two hour tour of the Vatican excavations under St. Peter's (scavi tour). It was a magnificent tour once again and one is really captivated by the story of the finding of St. Peter's bones in the 20th century and the difficulties surrounding the excavation projects. We returned to the hotel after the Scavi, our faith greatly strengthened, and had a lunch near the Westin Excelsior before heading to the Colosseo. We paid extra for a tour that was somewhat of a racket, but we did get a few laughs from our tour guide, along with the standard hogwash of the Vatican 'stealing' 1600 year old marble from the Colosseo to build St. Peter's. We walked through the ancient Roman forum and then were able to visit St. John Lateran, to pray the Scala Sancta (the transposed steps that Jesus ascended en route to his judgment by Pontius Pilate) and then a trip to Santa Maria Maggiore (St. Mary Major). This was followed by a quick visit at dusk to St. Maria en Transtevere, the oldest Marian Church in Rome. The evening ended with a splendid cocktail hour, an extended dinner, and nightcaps back at the hotel. What a full and splendid day! Ad majorem gloriam Deam! +m