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And just like that, I'm back home. All of us at CEA had talked about it, all the more amongst us six ODU students, that before we knew it, we'd be back home and in disbelief that we had, in fact, been in Rome for nearly four months. As the days drew to a close, I bid farewell to my fellow students, professors, new friends, and even the places of Rome itself. Friday night came all too quickly, and as I walked out of St. Peter's one last time, I found myself still caught up in a confusion that in only so many hours, I would be in America; the possiblility of me returning to Rome are just as unknown to me as the chances of my never seeing it again. The academics were done, and I'm pretty sure I handeled those well enough, and the apartment was cleaned up between the six of us. At two in the morning on Saturday, we packed ourselves in a shuttle-taxi (think of sardines- eight students and their luggage!), and off to Fumicino. Sleep-deprived and slap-happy, we had an enjoyable time in the airport. Our flight to Amsterdam was short and but nap-worthy, and the long hop to Detriot was all-in-all pretty fun, from sleeping, to the neat little TVs on our seats, to the disgruntled stewardess. Our first hours back in America were mainly spent going through customs in Detriot, but then... Port Columbus! Home! As we headed to baggage claim, there suddenly was a great deal of yelling and cheering- friends! Chris, Chrissy, Dan, Jeremiah, Josh, Nicole, Phill, Stefan and a family-folks had banners and cameras and smiles awaiting! It was a wonderful reception- I was home. I got to spend the evening with my friends, starting with a trip to the all-American Steak-n-Shake! There were plenty of stories to swap and catch up on, and lots left to go! We returned to campus and enjoyed one another's company for several hours before getting some much-needed rest- at least for me, as I'd been flying for fifteenish hours that day. Sunday allowed me to walk around campus a bit; I felt at peace to be walking through Erskine or around the Oval once again, yet at the same time, I imagined hopping onto the 62 bus or the 19 tram and riding over to St. Peter's. Even with nostalgic memories of Rome, I was so glad to be back at ODU, a place which has been my Home-away-from-Home since 2006. That afternoon I went to mass with Chrissy and Nicole, and couldn't help but imagine the basilicas I'd gone to in Rome in comparison with St. Joseph Cathedral. Ancientness aside, the awesome mystery of the Eucharist remains constant, a far more ancient truth than any church building. I got to celebrate my faith with two dear friends, and it was only my first full day back! Later that afternoon, we were enjoying a tasty lunch (more pasta!), when a large white truck pulled into the parking lot- my family had arrived! I tackled my sisters and hugged my parents; they went through my pictures as I finished lunch and answered questions and told stories. Soon enough, we headed home, all five of us together for the first time in four months. Home again. There is so much for me to reflect and pray over; so many memories to keep fresh and share. I've lived an incredible blessing these past four months, and now I am blessed to return to my "normal" life here in the States. "Normal" shouldn't in any way be confused with "boring;" I must see who I am now that I've gone through this experience, and each day brings a reunion of sorts- either with people or simple things of home itself. So here I am, typing away back at Willowmere. Mom is working in the barn, Dad is relaxing to some TV, Jen is back in Kentucky for work, and Jac is finishing homework. In a little bit, we'll get together and play Scrabble and eat home-made bread. Home. This is farewell for now, as many will be on Christmas break at this point- this blog will resume in January. For now, we continue in Advent, in waiting. I continue to celebrate the season with expectation of Christmas and the joyous arrival of our Savior- but now I can do so together with my loved ones. Merry Christmas to all of you, and thank you for reading along with my experieces. God Bless!! "Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus. He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father, and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end." -Luke1:31-33 "And I, I celebrate the day
That You were born to die
So I could one day pray for You to save my life" -Relient K, 'Celebrate the Day' Next Month: Heading Back to ODU!
Happy Thanksgiving! Merry Advent! Welcome December! Happy Immaculate Conception! Now that we're all caught up, I would humbly recommend (as I seem to do now and then) that if you find yourself with the opportunty to visit Fanjeaux, France, then please, please, take that opportunity! My pilgrimage was a chance to reflect over my Roman experience, devote some special focus in prayer, and enjoy a beautiful walk in the footsteps of St. Dominic. An incredible blessing! So here's some of how the story went, mainly paraphrased from my journal, and now in past-tense...
Thanksgiving Day, 5:54am, Termini Station: Awaiting my bus for the Ciampino Airport. All of my possessions for the trip are in a single bag, all of which weighs around fifteen pounds- pretty much all clothing. I had a hand-drawn map of the western side of Carcassonne, which had both the airport and hotel at which I'd be staying, and to serve as my starting point for my hike to Fanjeaux the next day. But first, I'd be flying to Brussels, a major hub of the Ryanair network. From there I'd head to southern France.
9:07pm, L'Etoile Balladins, Room 30: Armed with my hand-drawn map, I found my hotel with ease- a short walk form the airport. The room was comfortable and, most importantly, warm. Once settled in, my main plan was to rest up for the day ahead, but I at least needed to explore the area a bit. My evening walk brought me through a shopping district that reminded me of Easton Mall near Cincinnatii, all the way to an old railway near the center of town. Despite much internal debate, I decided to be as American as possible and eat McDonald's for Thanksgiving Day. Judge me if you want, but that was a really good burger! Friday, 8:19am, Balladins Dining Room: Some juice, cheese, and bread served as breakfast. The sun has only been up for about twenty minutes. Again, my hand-drawn map would lead the way: I would follow the main road to within a mile of Fanjeaux, and had estimated a hiking time of six hours, not including stops. Well-layered and with a full belly, I departed around 8:45!
12:24pm, Montreal: My halfway point of the trip, Montreal is a town at the top of a hill, crowned by a large gothic church. Probably home to some of the folks who grew the grapes and tended the vineyards throughout the region. Picture walking through southern Ohio, but anything that should be corn or soy is replaced by grape vines. Even though it was after the colorful summer months, the landscape was incredibly beautiful; the view from atop Montreal alone was stunning. Far to the west I could already see Fanjeaux! Not only that, but my stop allowed me to buy some real French baguette! 2:52pm, hill: Only a mile from Fanjeaux, I took a rest on a small hill beneath the town, which was itself located on a rather steep hill. Everything along the way had been so beautiful, and now the long walk was nearly over... 5:55pm, Signadou: Finally! Instead of making a reservation for a place to sleep in Fanjeaux, I had simply planned on walking around until I found something that would work. Upon climbing up to the town, I found a tourism map that mentioned three possible places for travelers: the convent, a hotel, and "Les Halles." The nearest one, Les Halles, turned out to be a French couple who rented out rooms for folks who happened to need one for a night or two, just like me! So I got settled in there and proceeded to explore Fanjeaux. At the northeast tip of town lies the site of the Signadou, the place where St. Dominic looked out over the valley below and saw a vision of a flame designating the place where he would later establish the first Dominican convent. What a blessing! Nearly eight hundred years ago, Dominic himself stood and prayed at the spot I found myself! (And more recently, my ODU friends Amanda, Jeremiah, and Kathryn were there for a summer study abroad program!) Sitting there, enjoying the last of my baguette and freshly purchased fruit, I was quite pleased. Saturday, 9:14am, Les Halles: My hosts, Michel and Cathy, had a few other tenants during the my stay. An old French couple (no younger than sixty five), their cousin and I would all enjoy breakfast together. The man didn't speak english, and I don't know much french, but his wife spoke some italian, and Cathy, who knew all of the languages well, helped. So much fun! Not only that, but the food was so good- Michel was quite the cook! Once the others had left, Michel gave me a few maps of the area and explained how to find the trail for the Walk of Dominic. The trail went all over the immediate countryside, looping from Fanjeaux to Montreal and back again. More walking! Saturday, evening, Les Halles: Completed half of the walk, as there wasn't enough daylight left to risk venturing out away from the roads. Granted, the walk is meant to be a two-day venture anyways, so no worries. I got to meet two of the Dominica sisters at the convent in Prouille, though! They were soincredibly sweet and were overjoyed when I told them about the Dominican Young Adult movement in the States. The sisters, Marie-Paul and Marie-Noel, said they'd be praying for us and our Dominican Family! My entire walk was so beautiful, and allowed me so much time in prayer. Back in Fanjeaux, I was treated to dinner (a spaghetti-beef-carrott dish cooked in red wine, yum!) and an incredible conversation regarding the Christian faith. Another full and wonderful day... My travels continued through Dublin, Ireland and Frankfurt-Hahn, Germany. By the time I got back into my own bed in Rome, I had walked somewhere around thirty five miles in five days! Though the pictures along the way will be incredible reminders, nothing captures the moment quite the same. Guess I'll have to go back someday... And just like that, my time in Rome is nearly over. Finals will take place over the next three days, and the ODU crew will be flying most all of Saturday until we arrive safe and sound at 4:09pm. I can foresee the next few days flying by, but when has that ever been a news flash? What will these final few days bring, I wonder...? God Bless, Barry "Arm yourself with prayer rather than a sword; wear humility rather
than fine clothes." -St. Dominic "They that hope in the Lord will renew their strength, they will soar on eagles' wings; They will run and not grow weary, walk and not grow faint." -Isaiah 40:31 Next Week: Home-Home!!
Ciao, belli! Rome has been fairly rainy for some time now, these past few days exceptionally so. Though understandable, I still chuckle at how much the Italians bundle up (or better, my Miami roommate) for what Ohioans would consider jacket-weather in terms of temperature. I've remained holed up in the apartment on Via Ravenna or in the small library at CEA campus, typing out my papers. Granted, they aren't quite the same as a paper for Dr. Madeen or Sister Fatula, but they're researched-based nonetheless, and I've enjoyed learning through all the typing. (It's so fun to look in a history book or academic textbook to find pictures of famous things I've seen with my own eyes!) I need to get the papers squared away in the next two days, as I'll be departing Rome for a bit of a pilgrimage this Thursday. In the morning, I'll fly from Rome to Brussels, have a brief stopover, and continue onwards to Carcassonne, France. After a night's rest, I'll proceed to hike about fifteen miles to two villages on opposite ends of a small valley that Dominicans should be familiar with: Prouille and Fanjeaux. I hope to spend most all of Saturday exploring the area, giving myself time to pray and reflect over these past few months. On Sunday I'll hike back to Carcassonne and catch an evening flight to Dublin, where I hope to go to mass for the first day of Advent. Monday will be my day in Dublin, after which I'll catch another evening flight to Frankfurt, Germany. (Turns out my twin cousin Chris isn't terribly far from there!) Because this is Frankfurt-Hahn instead of Frankfurt-Main, I'll be in the Germany countryside for the day, and finally catch a late return flight to Rome on Tuesday evening. Upon my return, I'll have my last two days of class for the semester. (Wow!) I'll be a tad late on the next blog post, but it should be a rather full one! Thanksgiving! Enjoy the company of your family, friends, or pet turkey this season. (Because turkey is expensive here in Rome, I hope to try out pigeon sometime soon. Really. They're in abundant supply.) Please keep me in your prayers for my pilgrimage this weekend, and especially more so for those who are cold and hungry this Thanksgiving season. God Bless, Barry "oh and bring water on your pilgrimage, i'm sure finding a dehydrated american 15
miles from everywhere isn't that great heehee" -My little sister, posting on my Facebook Wall Next Week: Return from pilgrimage!
Last wednesday was a day that brought one of those experiences in which I could pull out the proverbial checklist and write in a pleasant "Been there, Done that." I got to see the Pope! Waking up earlier than usual to a cool morning, I met up with my four classmates and professor at the southern collinade of St. Peter's Piazza at 8:30am. We five students proceeded into the fenced-off area near the facade of the basilica, moving to get as close as we could to the front of the seats; we managed to get close to the very center, as a large group of Italian students were taking up most of the seats in front. The trade-off for the prime seating is, of course, the resulting wait, as the procession wouldn't begin until 10, and the Pope's arrivial would be at 10:30. The wait was nothing compared to our excitment and anticipation of the event to come; we even got to chat with some older American pilgrims who were touring through Europe. (God Bless, Rosemae!) Time flew, and the seats filled up. At 10ish, a procession of color guard entered the piazza, with plenty of music and fanfare. By the time they had taken their places, everyone was eager for for Pope to arrive. I had overheard plenty of pilgrims asking their tour guides how to get the best view of the Pope, since he would be driving around the seating area in the Popemobile before the audience actually began. Taking their advice, I moved to the very front where other folks had gathered with the same intention of being as close to the Holy Father as they could. At 10:30, organ music started playing, and cheers went up from those near the southern side of the piazza- the Pope had arrived! Blocked by the many people to my left, I didn't see the approaching Popemobile at first. A young Italian girl cried out "Mama mia!" and a moment later, there he was, Pope Benedict XVI, waving and smiling to the droves of people who were now screaming and shouting for joy at his presence; I shouted myself as he drove by, only several feet away, and was rewarded with a pleasant glace and smile from the successor of Peter. Hoping to get one more recording of him going by, I rushed to the back of the seating area, where, only a couple minutes later, he passed by again, and continued on his way to his own seat up front. The audience went it's course, with the reading from Paul being said in six languages before the Pope Benedict give his teaching; on this day, he gave the twelfth section of his catechesis on St. Paul. Given in Italian and nearly twenty minutes long, I couldn't hope to grasp what he wanted to share with us, but I know the vatican.va website will have an English version up in time, if I don't do it myself first. He proceeded to greet the various tongues of people in their own language, welcoming each from their homes and blessing their stay in Rome. Before we knew it, a final benediction was given, and the crowds slowly dispersed as the attending cardinals greeted the pontiff. Thinking over the experience, I tried to put a finger on what about it was so meaningful to me (beyond simply saying "I WAS FIVE FEET FROM THE POPE!!"). As a Catholic young adult pursuing a theology major and discerning God's will in my vocation, the man I had just exchanged waves with and listened to for nearly an hour was a powerful compliment to my aspirations: not only Catholic but the very leader of the Catholic church on this side of heaven, he possesses an incredible mind steeped in theological knowledge and wisdom, who has not merely only heeded the Lord's will in taking up Holy Orders but has been elevated to the highest position thereof. The legacy of the Catholic faith can be seen in many monuments in Rome or throughout the world, but there is a uniqueness in seeing the man whose life in bound up with Jesus' words of "You are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church." My stay in Rome continues. After the audience, my class went back to the Vatican Museums for the third time, another experience which never grows old. Later that evening, a number of us students viewed an exhibit of Bellini, a highly talented painter of the Renaissance (though I've never seen so many pictures of baby Jesus in one place in my life!). Friday, CEA provided a day trip to Assisi, the home town of Saints Francis and Claire. The experience of seeing their hometown so well preserved, the relics of their habits, their tombs, and the unbelievably beautiful countryside was such a blessing, but not nearly long enough. Sunday, too, was another sweet experience, as I was given a tour of the Pontifical North American College by my friend Scott. We prayed the morning prayer together on the roof overlooking Rome, and celebrated mass on the campus (though I've never seen so many seminarians in one place in my life!). After an American brunch, Scott and I returned to St. Peter's for Pope Benedict's Angelius prayer at noon. Though much farther away from him than before, the Pope's words remained powerful.
I continue to face the grueling fact that I have lots of work left to do, and the mixture of sadness and excitement at the few weeks I have left here. Most of my classes will only meet three more times before finals, and time seems to fly very quickly these days. Despite all of my blogging, I know I am unable to capture how I myself have changed through this trip, though describing events like the Papal audience certainly highlight some fantastic moments. Thanks for reading along; there's still a bit left to do! God Bless, Barry "Our life
in this world, marked by trials and tribulations, must be inspired by the hope
of heaven and the expectation of our resurrection to glory. Paul’s rich
eschatology, linking the 'already' of Christ’s resurrection to the 'not yet' of
our life in this world, is reflected in his statement that 'in hope we were
saved.' This same joyful expectation of the Lord’s return and
the fulfilment of the Father’s saving plan is seen in the ancient Christian
prayer with which he concludes his first Letter to the Corinthians: Maranà,
thà! Come, Lord Jesus!" -Pope Benedict XVI, from Nov. 12th audience Next Week: The end of Ordinary Time is upon us!
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