Ash Wednesday & the Station Churches of Rome

Ash Wednesday by the Biedermeier painter Carl Spitzweg

Today the Church enters into the Lenten season, 40 days of prayer and penitence which aim to prepare us for the triumphant joy of Easter. While it bears many similarities to the also preparatory season of Advent, the theme shifts at this time of year from one of anticipation to one of repentance. Lent is a time to remind ourselves of our own mortality and to encourage us in re-centering our lives on what is most important, our relationship with God. "Turn away from sin and be faithful to the Gospel" (Mark 1:15) -- these are the words the priest speaks as he imposes ashes on our foreheads. The season of Lent has often been associated in recent years with the penitential practices associated with it: fasting, almsgiving, giving up various pleasures or luxuries until Easter, etc. These are intended not to show our piety toward others (indeed, Jesus exhorts us not to do this in today's Gospel, Mt. 6:1-6, 16-18), but rather to spur us into reforming our lives and disciplining our baser desires so that we may be ready to rejoice with pure hearts at the Resurrection of Christ on Easter morning.

For those of us at the NAC, Lent offers a special opportunity to continue a very ancient tradition of the Church in Rome: the pilgrimages to the city's station churches. Beginning as early as the third century, Christians in Rome observed the season of Lent by journeying each day to an ancient and prominent church, usually dedicated to and named after a saint who had been martyred at that spot. The Bishop of Rome led the procession and the singing of the Litany of the Saints as they honored the martyrs of Rome, the men and women of the Church Triumphant whose lives (and deaths) of faith serve as inspiration for all of us of the Church Militant. The practice became standardized in the 6th century under Gregory the Great, and although it waned for a time in the middle ages, it became popular again after the Council of Trent. Beginning with Pope John XXIII, the pilgrimage to the station churches of Rome has been a recognized Lenten practice.

The Renaissance fresco in the apse of the Basilica of Santa Sabina

While the practice of visiting the station churches is open to all on an individual level, the North American College is the only group to organize a daily communal celebration at each day's designated station church. It has become an important service for our community to the city of Rome (especially its English-speaking population) and a significant witness of the faith which unites us to the saints and martyrs we commemorate. It is a small but visible symbol of our unity in Christ. As the Holy Father remarked a couple of years ago: These rites retain their value, despite the passing of centuries, because they recall how important it also is in our day to accept Jesus’ words without compromises: "If any man would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me" (Lk 9:23).

The practice began this morning at the traditional location for Ash Wednesday, the Basilica of Santa Sabina on the Aventine Hill. Priests, nuns, and study-abroad college students from around the city joined us for our liturgy. As we headed off in the early morning sunshine for our various universities, the challenge of Jesus to "Go into all the world and proclaim the Good News to all creation" resonated with me in a new way. We can only do this, of course, if we first accept the Gospel ourselves and conform our lives to it. The mercy of God is always available to us, but it is we that must accept it. As the prophet Joel remarks in today's first reading, "Even now, says the LORD, return to me with your whole heart." If we are to answer Christ's charge to live the Gospel for all people, we must, as Paul tells us today, "Be reconciled with God." This task cannot be delayed if we are serious about answering our Lord's call. As Paul says, "Behold, now is a very acceptable time; behold, now is the day of salvation."

A blessed Ash Wednesday to everyone.

Saturday Sojourn: The Borghese Gallery

Salve, folks, I'm back from the dead. Thanks for the prayers and best wishes for my birthday and as I prepared for my exams. They went very well, and so I'm grateful that the work paid off and that I've gotten a feel for how this thing works. It's nice to have one semester down, and, what, ... nine or so to go?

The Borghese Gallery

An interior room in the Gallery

Unlike most of the NAC seminarians, I wasn't able to get away for any travel between or after exams. A few of us did make a little half-day trip here in Rome yesterday, heading over to the Borghese Galllery to view some of its very fine and very famous collection. Begun by Cardinal Scipione Borghese, the Gallery features art from true masters, including Caravaggio, Titian, Raphael, and Peter Paul Rubens. However, it is perhaps most famous for its wide collection of works by the Baroque painter, sculptor, and architect Gianlorenzo Bernini, who benefited as a young artist from the patronage of Cardinal Borghese. The Bernini sculptures, in particular, are as good as advertised, with the famous David perhaps being the highlight.

Bernini's David

The Gallery's most striking sculpture, to me at least: Bernini's The Rape of Proserpine
EDIT: My mom tells me that my description of this statue could be misunderstood or is, at least, a bit untoward. She's right, of course -- my apologies.

Tickets to the Gallery can be hard to get (especially in summer) and must be purchased ahead of time. And though you only have two hours to view everything before you're shuffled out in time for the next group, the museum's permanent collection isn't terribly large so the time restriction works out alright. It's a nice half-day trip and a fairly cheap way to get some serious culture on a Saturday morning.

Second semester starts tomorrow, so there's no rest for the weary. My classes, for any that are interested: The Credibility of Revelation, Fundamentals of Christian Liturgy, Christology & Trinity, Biblical Exegesis: Pentateuch & Early Prophets, Introduction to Patrology & Christian Archaeology, Greek II, and finally, God Revealed: the Trinity (taught by this bishop). Should be great fun!

I still want to detail my Christmas travels a bit, so look for that soon. Hope you're having a nice February, everyone -- ready for spring yet?

Pride and Duty

Today marks an historic day for us as Americans. The inauguration of a new president of the United States is more than a testament to the great nation in which we live and the forefathers who founded it. It also reminds us of the importance of a peaceful continuance of governance: that power can be transferred from group to group, person to person, with respect and a commitment to peace that trumps partisan differences. It is a blessing and a witness that many around the world are not so fortunate to share.

Certainly the election of (now) President Obama was a contentious one, and there is no doubt that some of his policies will likely run directly contrary to social and moral teachings of the Catholic Church, including some teachings that are to be obligatorily held by all Catholics (e.g. abortion cannot be supported in any way, nor can embryonic stem cell research). This conflict of beliefs is not likely to be resolved soon, and it may not be long before Catholics must publicly protest, even defy, legislation that the new administration has promised to support.

And yet today is a chance to suspend political disputes and, for the moment, to look beyond the moral challenges that are sure to come. One hopes that on this day at least such concerns can recede and give way to a sense of pride that, despite our differences, our nation has yet again completed a peaceful transfer to a new presidency and a new era. The longest-standing republic in history continues. This inauguration is of particular note, of course, as it marks another step forward from that dark era of our history, marred first by slavery and later by discrimination and prejudice, from which we continue to emerge. Yesterday's remembrance of a man who did so much to start us down the path which leads out of that moral wilderness culminates today in the celebration of a nation which has, 40 years later, elected a black president to its highest office. Regardless of our opinions of him personally or politically, this is something in which we can take pride as a nation.

His election though comes at a difficult time in American history. Perhaps never before has a new administration had as many difficult issues to deal with as does the incoming one, and yet it's undeniable that Obama's election has filled millions with a new sense of hope, hope for change and for a brighter future. Indeed, much of this is a result of his own words. Our new president has personally called all of us as Americans to become invested in the well-being of our country and committed to standing up for those beliefs which we hold dear. These are inspiring thoughts and ones which we should take to heart. It is our responsibility to work for change, to be active rather than passive in building the nation which we are called to be and which we wish to see.

Ironically, the first and best chance to begin this action is also this week, as millions will gather to oppose that other great injustice in our nation's history. Thursday, January 22, marks the 36th anniversary of Roe v. Wade and the establishment of abortion as a protected practice in our country. As a result, it is in the US Church a yearly Day of Prayer and Penance for Life and the day in which thousands of pro-life marches are held around the country. As we celebrate today a large step forward away from the evils of racism let us not forget to remain committed to our obligation as Christians, and even more fundamentally as people of good will, to oppose those intrinsic evils which still continue to mar our country's honor. Our pride in our new president, and our belief in his inspiring words, nonetheless cannot keep us from ignoring our obligation to oppose those issues contrary to our faith. As the president himself has called us to do, we must be active in opposing injustice and standing up for fundamental beliefs, even if they are beliefs which he himself does not share. The cult of personality is always a dangerous thing if it leads us to ignore fundamental truths in favor of personal appeal or admiration.

On this inaugural day, then, let us be proud of our country and of our new president even as we are mindful of our moral duty to fight injustice. Let us pray for wisdom and guidance for him and his advisors, who now are charged with guiding our nation into the future. In particular, let us pray that they and all in this country might come to a new understanding of the sanctity of life, that fundamental right which is the basis for all of our hopes and dreams as a nation and as a world.

Saturday Sojourn: St. George & Scouting

The Basilica of Saint George in Velabro

As many of you know, I am a proud Eagle Scout. Scouting has been a big part of my life and the life of my family -- my sister was a Girl Scout and my mother a leader, and my brother is also an Eagle Scout and my father also a leader. I learned a lot in Scouting, both skills-oriented activities (wilderness survival, first aid) but also life lessons -- moral values, leadership, community service, active citizenship, etc. Looking back, these ideals played a big role in my vocational discernment.

This is apparently not an uncommon thing. More than 10% of NAC seminarians are Eagle Scouts (more than 20% of my class alone), and even more were Boy Scouts at one time or another. The Scouting movement, which began in England under Lord Robert Baden-Powell, recently celebrated its 100th year, and in 2010 the Boy Scouts of America will celebrate its 100th anniversary as well. In commemoration of this, I had the opportunity this morning, with 10 other fellow Eagle Scouts (including one of the vice rectors of the college, a priest of Tulsa), to visit the patronal church of Scouting, the Basilica of San George in Velabro. The church is located in Velabrum, a low-lying part of Rome near the Tiber which was in fact the agricultural center of ancient Rome. Traders from around the Mediterranean brought their food stuffs here both to supply the city itself and for shipment to other parts of Italy. Prior to its role as an economic center of the city, it was a large swampland, and legend has it that the infants Romulus and Remus washed ashore here, their basket catching in the roots of a fig tree and eventually making its way to the base of the Palatine Hill (located above Velabrum) where they were reared by a she-wolf.

The 13th century apse fresco by Peter Cavallini of (from L to R) St. George, the Virgin Mary, Christ, St. Peter, and St. Sebastian

In the late 5th century, as you may know, imperial Rome collapsed, basically imploding due to its own excesses, continuous barbarian invasions, and a bankruptcy that resulted from vain attempts to fix (or cover up) the former and ward off the latter. While much of the outlying lands of the empire fell under the permanent rule of barbarian tribes (e.g. the Franks, the Lombards, the Burgundians), Rome itself was constantly in upheaval, variously under the control of the Byzantines to the east or of Germanic tribes from the north. This created huge humanitarian problems for the citizens of Rome since there was virtually no civil government; even worse, the the city of Rome actually had a quite effective social services program for its poorest citizens, so after the empire's fall, these individuals were completely destitute. In response to this, Pope Gregory the Great founded nineteen diaconia, or centers of social services and food distribution for the poor of the city. The Basilica of Saint George in Velabro was one of the original diaconia.

The basilica church was originally built on the site of the martyrdom of Saint Sebastian, a captain of the Praetorian Guard who was likely killed by his own men on the orders of Diocletian. Later, during the iconoclast controversy in the 8th century, Rome became the primary haven for refugee artists and icon writers, and the area of Velabrum especially became a center of Greek culture and art. Many of the churches in this area especially were adorned with beautiful mosaics and proto-cosmatesque marble inlay. In the mid-8th century, as a tribute to their artistic work (a contribution to the life of the Church at the time) Pope Zachary, himself of Greek descent, moved the relics of Saint George of Lydda to the church of Saint Sebastian and renamed it in honor of the Eastern saint.

St. Gregory the Dragonslayer, 15th century icon from the Novgorod School

Originally from the area of Lydda in Palestine, George, like Sebastian, was a high-ranking member of the Praetorian Guard under Diocletian, serving in Nicomedia in western Turkey, the main imperial city of the time, and thus one of Diocletian's personal guard. When Diocletian ordered the arrests of all Christians in the Praetorian Guard (likely after the death of Sebastian) George denounced him publicly and called for him to renounce his edict. Diocletian did not wish to lose such an excellent and estimable member of his guard, but George refused all bribes of titles, land, and money and would not renounce his faith in Christ. Having given his considerable personal wealth to the poor of the area, George was tortured and then beheaded outside the walls of Nicomedia. He became a very popular saint in Eastern Christianity. Later, during the time of the Crusades, his reputation spread westward as well, and he became a popular patron, especially for the English. He is perhaps best known today for slaying a menacing dragon, a mythical tale with medieval rather than ancient origins.

The basilica was the titular church for Cardinal Odo Colonna, who later became Pope Martin V. His election marked the end of the Great Western Schism, a dark damaging time of the Church's history when three men claimed to be the rightful pope. Centered around the issue of the whether the pope should return to live in Rome or continue to reside in Avignon, France, Martin moved his residence back to Rome despite the fact that the city was at this time literally a dump, populated by only a few thousand people (after a height of 2 million in imperial times) with much of the city center being used as pasture for sheep. Martin embarked on an ambitious campaign of attracting and funding artists and architects to restore Rome to its former stateliness. His efforts did much to legitimize and to further the nascent Renassiance, which had started in Florence but spread throughout Italy (thanks, in large part, to Martin) and then throughout all of Europe.

Nearly 500 years later, the basilica served as the titular church of Cardinal John Newman, perhaps the most famous convert to Catholicism from Anglicanism, and an important theologian (at different times) of both and later an important father of modern Catholic apologetics. In 1993, after Pope John Paul II had issued some strong condemnations of the mafia, a car bomb outside the facade blew off the entire front portico of the church and damaged some of the structural walls. Fortunately, the bomb fragments were catalogued meticulously and the church has been largely returned to its ancient appearance.

From the early 16th century, a more typical picture of St. George Fighting the Dragon by Raphael

A lot of history for one church, huh? Certainly it has some very important ties to the history of Rome and to the history of the Church, and even a simple visit can give one a new appreciation for the interconnectedness of history and of the importance of one person's action in it. As our vice rector remarked in his homily this morning, these values are in essence the values of Scouting as well, and thus it's fitting that St. George in Velabro is the patronal church of Scouting. Whether it's standing up for one's beliefs, like St. George, St. Sebastian or Cardinal Newman, or helping those around you, like Gregory the Great or Martin V, our world needs more leaders whose hearts and minds are oriented to the betterment of humanity. Scouting, in my mind, can play an important part in helping form the character of our youth so that they can become those leaders. I remain very grateful for all that it taught me.

* * *

There seems to be one thing on the mind of everyone around here lately (aside from the NFL conference championships, that is -- lots of Philly and Pitt guys at the NAC). Exams. They are swiftly approaching, and so while I still haven't forgotten about detailing to you some of my Christmas travels, posts here will have to take a backseat over the next few weeks to my studies and exam preparations. Say a prayer, if you think of it, that I do well!

The Ministry of Lector

This Sunday, my fellow New Men and I had the very great privilege and honor of being instituted in the Ministry of Lector, that individual who proclaims the readings in the liturgy. Archbishop Raymond Burke, the former bishop of St. Louis and now the head of the Apostolic Signatura here in Rome, presided at the liturgy and officiated the installation. The installation ceremony itself consisted of a prayer that we may proclaim the Scriptures well and use our service as readers to inspire others through that proclamation. We then each processed forward and, kneeling before the archbishop, we held with him a Lectionary as he said: "Take this book of Holy Scripture and be faithful in handing on the word of God, so that it may grow strong in the hearts of his people."

Any member of the faith community, male or female, is able to serve as a lector and read at Mass. However, normally only men studying for the priesthood, as it stands now at least, are instituted formally as lectors. A holdover from pre-Vatican II days when it was considered a minor order, receiving the Ministry of Lector is one of the three solemn liturgical steps to be taken before diaconate ordination (the second, in our cases). Since a lector is installed and not ordained, he remains a layman; yet he holds a certain "office" in the church community of proclaiming the readings and announcing the petitions at Mass, of assisting with catechesis of the faithful, and in a wider way of helping to spread the word of God which he proclaims. Since we're seminarians, it also serves as a visible reminder to the community (and to ourselves) that we, now with an official liturgical function, are moving closer to the altar, where God-willing we will one day offer sacrifice as priests. Though not a sacrament, the installation is a sacramental which for us is ordered toward our goal of holy orders.

The Baptism of Christ by Andrea del Verrocchio

It was a great day and fittingly fell on the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord. The final day of the Christmas season, the feast commemorates the baptism of Jesus in the river Jordan by John the Baptist and marks the start of Jesus' public ministry. One of the theophanies of the New Testament, the baptism of Jesus makes it clear that he is no ordinary prophet: "And just as he was coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens torn apart and the Spirit descending like a dove on him. And a voice came from heaven, 'You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased'" (Mk 1:11). This is the public manifestation of God's Son, a private revelation which John the Baptist had previously received, first when Mary visited his mother Elizabeth (Lk 1:39-41) and later when Jesus came to where John was baptizing (Mt 3:13).

Archbishop Burke remarked that the Ministry of Reader is not unlike the role of John the Baptist. "A voice cries out: 'In the wilderness prepare the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God'" (Is 40:3). Like John, the reader proclaims the Word of God to the people, ultimately pointing beyond himself to him who was born for them, the Emmanuel who has come to them. In the proclamation of the Scriptures (especially the Gospel), Christ is truly present, and though the reader serves as an instrument in this, it is always after the model of John the Baptist: "He must increase, but I must decrease" (Jn 3:30). I hope that in my ministry as a lector, this may be true.

* * *

As you may know, and germane to the news above, this week is National Vocations Awareness Week in the US Church, a time when we remember that it is "our responsibility to pray for vocations and to invite young people to consider a call to ordained ministry and consecrated life." While this is the particular focus for this week, it's also great reminder for all of us that God calls each of us to follow him in a personal way. So often the idea of vocation is relegated to those that have decided to answer a religious calling, such as priests or nuns, or perhaps to those among us, young or otherwise, who are still working to discern their direction in life. But vocation is something we all possess, a universal call that is made in a unique way for every individual. Perhaps, in addition to praying for religious vocations, this week can be a reminder of the importance of mindful perseverance for those of us who have definitively answered the Lord's call already. Your calling (and mine) is one which must be lived out in a new and relevant way each day, a mission that is only answered definitively to the extent that it is responded to daily, a personal charge from God to be at once internalized and also exemplified in service to others. In this way, all of us participate in the plan of salvation which God has designed for us and brought to fulfillment through His Son. As the prayer for this week states:

Mary, Mother of the Church, the model of every vocation,
help us to say "Yes" to the Lord Who calls us to cooperate
in the divine plan of salvation.
We ask this through Christ Our Lord. Amen.

The Epiphany of the Lord

The Star of Bethlehem by Edward Burne-Jones

Happy 2009! And happy Feast of the Epiphany to you. I've returned from Belgium and have been preparing for the last few days to resume classes tomorrow and soon will start preparing for exams which begin in a few weeks. It's been nice, however, before all that begins, to spend some relatively quiet and reflective days here in Rome.

I had a chance to attend New Year's Eve vespers at St. Peter's and was struck by the hymn which began the service, "Laudamus Te," ("We Praise You"). Although 2008 was a difficult year for most, it's nonetheless important to give thanks and praise to God as we move into the new year. The act of giving back to God, of offering praise, helps in times of hardship especially to orient us to that which is most important and to remind us that our trust truly rests in God, not in the transitory things of this world. This theme is brought out even more clearly the next morning when, on New Year's Day, Catholics celebrate the Solemnity of Mary the Mother of God, the ancient feast which honors Mary's motherhood of Jesus. On that first day of the year, it is fitting to remember her who is the perfect example of the way to approach the new year, with generous response to God (Luke 1:38) and with prayerful awareness to God's action in our lives (Luke 2:19). By recognizing Mary as the mother of Jesus we also acknowledge her as our own mother, asking for her protective intercession. She who lives now with God in heaven is for us a living hope -- indeed, a "Star of Hope," as the pope called her -- that we may one day come to the same joy. It is this dual attitude of praise and hope that properly marks our transition from the old year to the new. Pope Benedict put it well at the vespers service: "The maternal presence of Mary assures us tonight that God will never abandon us, if we entrust ourselves to him and follow his teachings. To Mary, then, with filial affection and trust, let us present our hopes and desires, as well as the fears and the difficulties we carry in our hearts, as we bid farewell to 2008 and prepare ourselves to welcome 2009."

Today we celebrate the Feast of the Epiphany and, as such, remember again the reason for the season. Epiphany was in ancient times a celebration of the Incarnation, much as Christmas has become today. It commemorated several events in the life of Jesus that showed God had become human: the visit of the three kings who worshipped Jesus in Bethlehem, Jesus' changing of the water into wine at Cana, and John's baptism of Jesus in the Jordan. Each of these events, celebrated together at Epiphany in medieval times, constituted a theophany, a divine manifestation or disclosure in the person of Jesus. Today the event is centrally focused on the first of these events, the adoration of the three kings or Magi who came to worship Jesus from the East. We celebrate it, remembering that Christ's birth as man was not a private or isolated event -- rather, the star which foretold it was looked for and seen from afar. Jesus' birth, as witnessed today in the adoration of the Magi, is the fulfillment of human history, the event which not only achieved the redemption of the Jews but which also won the salvation of the Gentiles, whose forefathers (and our forefathers, for most of us) the Magi were.

The Feast of the Epiphany therefore is a continuation and a development of Christmas, the movement from the celebration of the Savior's birth to its public acknowledgment in the Magi's praise of the babe. In the joy and triumph of this feast, there are present nonetheless reminders both of the ignominious death that the Christchild would come to suffer, foreshadowed in the gift of myrrh (used in embalming), and also the eschatological vision, when all in heaven will join in that perpetual adoration of Christ.

These are perhaps heady considerations as we start 2009, but important ones nonetheless as we remember that the Christmas season is still with us, still as present today as it was nearly two weeks ago, still alive in the hearts of all Christians always. This great season calls us to remember not only that God became man but that he became man for us, to die for us, to bring us back to fullness of life and union with Him. The events of his life among us, acknowledged first by our forebearers, the Wise Men, mark for us today a true Epiphany, a true realization of God's presence among us, a realization which truly should fill us with praise and thanksgiving as we begin this new year. As the pope remarked today, this is what constitutes for us Christians the reason for our living, the face of God in our midst.

* * *

It is, regrettably, the way of the world that as we celebrate a time of great peace and joy liturgically, the world instead witnesses in reality anything but. Most especially, let us remember in prayer at this time the Holy Land, the land of our Lord's earthly life, that peace may prevail in the hearts of both peoples and that those who need assistance may receive it. O Lord, as we pray today, may your light be strong, your love near, and "draw us beyond the limits which this world imposes, to the life where your Spirit makes all life complete." Amen.

Merry Christmas

A Nativity scene from the central panel of the Middelburg Altarpiece by Rogier van der Weyden, a medieval Flemish painter

Greetings from Belgium! Some friends from the NAC and I are here for about ten days relaxing and traveling around the Low Countries. I've enjoyed the colder weather and the different feel (still European but not Italian) that this country provides. We're guests of the American College, a seminary in Leuven, and although most of their seminarians have themselves left for the holidays, the rector and staff here have been very hospitable in providing us with a proper Christmas.

I hope to detail my travels soon, but for now, I just wanted to pass along my best wishes to you on this great day. For us Christians, Christmas not only celebrates the miracle of the Incarnation, when God became man in the person of Christ, but also reminds us and prepares us for the next coming of Christ, when he will come in glory. Since God assumed our humanity, salvation dawns for us and we come to share in his divinity. St. Augustine puts it powerfully as he writes:

If God has not been born in time, you would have suffered eternal death. If he had not taken on himself the likeness of sinful flesh, you would never have been freed from it. But for his mercy, you would have experienced everlasting misery; had he not shared your death, you would never have returned to life. Unless he had hastened to your aid, you would have been lost; if he had not come, you would have perished.

Let us then joyfully celebrate the coming of our salvation and redemption, honoring the festive day when he who is the great and everlasting day came from the endless day of eternity into our own brief day of time. He has become our justice, our holiness, and our redemption. And so, as scripture says, let those who boast make their boast in the Lord.

Merry Christmas, friends! Or, as they say here in Flemish, Zalig Kerstfeest!

London Calling

Big Ben at the Palace at Westminster

The weekend before Thanksgiving a couple of buddies and I caught a plane to London for a few days of vacation. I had visited London before in 2003, but it was a great chance to go back to one of the best cities in the world. Our trip came at a nice time for us as we were feeling the weight of the daily routine at that point, and even a few days away from it can provide refreshment and renewed focus.

The famous London Tube ... and some affectionate Londoners.

We stayed at a Catholic parish in Soho, just off Oxford Street, a locale more centralized and more lively than the district I had stayed in last time, Victoria. We spent some time visiting the familiar London attractions, including the Tower of London, the British Museum, and the Houses of Parliament. One of the best parts of the weekend was just being in a country that felt a little more like home than Italy usually does. British food generally gets a bad rap, but after weeks of pasta, it was nice to have a burger and fries (called chips there, of course) with a pint of beer for a change.

In front of Tower Bridge

We were also looking forward to hearing English on the streets, and while we did, we were astonished at how often we also heard Italian! London is of course a very cosmopolitan city, and perhaps it was because our ears were already attuned to the sounds of la bella lingua, but Italian was easily five times more common than all other foreign languages that we heard. Maybe it was because the pound was at a record low against the euro, but there were Italians everywhere!

The impressive ferris wheel at the Christmas fair

The best part of the weekend was undoubtedly the Christmas fair that we kind of stumbled upon in Hyde Park, near Hyde Park Corner at the Wellington Arch. We had been touring around west London in the early evening, stopping the Houses of Parliament and Buckingham Palace and were about to head back east when we saw some lights coming from the park. We headed over and found ourselves in a winter wonderland of sorts -- indeed, that's what it's called. It turns out we were there on opening night, so we got the best experience possible, I think. There was ice skating, a large open-air market, booths selling holiday wares, food and drink vendors (including some with great mulled wine), and a variety of rides and funhouses. The highlight of the evening was taking a turn on a large observation ferris wheel that offered great views of the fair, the Hyde Park area, and all of London.


The whole trip was great. But since Christmas is my favorite time of year, I particularly enjoyed the fair in Hyde Park. It really gave us all a little piece of home and was just a great intro the Christmas season. Hope you're enjoying this time of year as well!

Feast and Festivity

Diego Velazquez's The Immaculate Conception (1618)

On Monday, the NAC joined the universal Church in celebrating the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, the only non-Sunday feast day other than Christmas that is always a holy day of obligation. The feast day has particular importance for our community as the Immaculate Conception of Mary is our college patroness and the day we celebrate its birthday each year. Cardinal John Patrick Foley of the Order of the Holy Sepulchre celebrated Mass for us here at the college, followed by a nice pranzo complete with toasts to Pope, country, and college. Several bishops, ambassadors, university deans, and other VIPs were able to join us in the celebration as well.

This year's feast has a particular significance in that it kicks off the year-long celebrations marking the North American College's 150th year. In 1854, concerned about the status of the Church in America, Pope St. Pius IX sent Archbishop Gaetano Bedini as a legate to the United States to assess how Rome might be able to help the Church there. Bedini returned recommending, among other things, that a college be founded in Rome for American men studying for the priesthood. A few years later in 1858 the Vatican purchased a block section of Humility Street in downtown Rome, originally a Dominican convent dating from 1598. The North American College officially opened December 8, 1858, with twelve seminarians.

In its first years, the NAC grew slowly, mostly trying to survive the various political upheavals both in Italy and at home. Though the political and social movement of Risorgimento often brought Italian nationals at odds with the Church, and eventually saw the end of the Papal States the NAC weathered the storm. Likewise, seminarians from both sides of the Civil War were present at the college from 1861-1865. In order to maintain peace and fraternity, all discussions of the war and of politics were strictly forbidden.

In 1924, the American bishops purchased ten acres of the Villa Gabrielli on the Janiculum Hill, near the Vatican and overlooking the old city, as a new site for the North American College. The old site became the Casa Santa Maria, a house for postgraduate priests studying in Rome. The new building project on the land was delayed by World War II (during which time the college in fact closed), but in 1953, the new building of the North American College opened with nearly 200 students as residents.

Since then the North American College has done well for itself, training men from America to be priests back home while still providing the vibrant experience that is living and studying in Rome at the heart of the Church. The college has been graced by the visit of various popes as well, including Pope John XXIII in October 1959 for the college's centennial, Paul VI in 1970, and John Paul II in 1980. We keep up the hope, despite the slim chances, that our current pontiff might find the time in his busy schedule to visit us during our sesquicentennial!

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Thanks to all of those that sent along Thanksgiving wishes. We had a nice time here, with a lovely Mass and a huge meal, complete with turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, cranberries, pumpkin pie ... and pasta! It was quite the feast. Thanksgiving weekend is traditionally known as New Man Weekend, as it is their first time away from home for a big holiday and a chance for them to grow closer as a group. On Friday, we had a special dinner for our class and some of the staff of the college; it was a great mix of American barbecue and Mexican food, probably the two cuisines hardest to find here. On Saturday, the New Men put on the long-awaited and much-anticipated New Man Show, a variety and vaudeville comedy show of sorts, done each year by the first year students as an opportunity to have some fun and show off their class spirit. It was a rousing success. And on Sunday, in a further effort to bond as a class, the New Men participated in the annual Spaghetti Bowl, a football game between the first years and everyone else. Although we lost (it's nearly unheard of not to lose), we kept it close and competitive till the end. It was indeed a good chance to, in some sense, define the Class of 2012 for the rest of the school. I feel privileged to be a part of a great group of men seeking to serve the Lord and his Church, and I am confident that the NAC community will benefit from its presence.

Giving Thanks

When you think about it, Thanksgiving is perhaps the most American holiday of the year. It's not strictly religious nor overtly patriotic yet it's still nearly universally celebrated State-side. And it has so many great traditions -- family, turkey, football, shopping, school break, Christmas season starting, etc., that it holds for us a place of special importance.

Despite our good intentions, however, Thanksgiving is all too often merely an excuse for us to be proud of our own excesses. Rather than maintaining a focus on its theme of gratitude, that element so essential to right and healthy living, we pervert Thanksgiving to a day centered on getting more ... more whatever. It's probably a bit banal of me to preach against the evils of consumerism, and yet it remains with us, a challenge we must daily combat.

This is the first time I haven't been home for a major holiday and being away from America altogether adds to the slightly surreal feeling today has for me. The NAC does it pretty well here, but it's hard nonetheless to convince myself that today's actually Thanksgiving. Maybe it's the fact that we're the only ones celebrating it. It's an apt metaphor in general to describe the NAC as an American island in an Italian sea, but perhaps all the more so today. The rest of the city is on its daily routine, the Gregorian and the other universities hold classes, the Italian personale that work here are all here, working. And yet, we, the Americans here at the NAC, are celebrating. As we closed our turkey feast with a singing of "America the Beautiful" this afternoon, I could hear the sirens of the Italian police cars outside, the chatter of some of the Italian staff in the kitchen, the hammering of some construction being done next door.

Rather than being annoyed, however, I found this somehow fitting. Despite our American merrymaking, Italian life carried on. And despite the bustle of the usual Italian routine, we had taken time to pause and give thanks. Perhaps true gratitude is always like that, existing in a healthy tension between what we have and what we need, what we've accomplished and what we have yet to do, who we are and who we're called to become. Giving thanks, the act of thanksgiving, is never simply a reflection on all that we have but is also always a reminder that all that we have is gift. As such, though it is important to stop and give thanks, we must always also think of how this gift, these things we have and the people that we are, must be given back, given again, shared with others.

This year has, in many ways, been a hard one, for all of us perhaps, for our country assuredly, and for myself as well. For me, it's been one of preparations and transitions, realizations and new realities. I am, in the midst of it and probably because of it, thankful for so many things, so many blessings. Certainly, faith, family, country top the list, but on there as well are the daily challenges that help me to grow, the mundane details of life that require endurance, the small but real crosses that require trust in and abandonment to God. It's this attitude, one of active and humble gratitude, one of Thanksgiving, that should, especially for us Christians, envelop and animate not just one Thursday a year but every day of our lives.

To you and to yours, Happy Thanksgiving!