.::Firmum Est::. - - My Heart is Steadfast

Tomorrow, Nick Schneider (Bismark, ND) and I will take a flight to Krakow, the home of John Paul II in Poland. In our first few days, we plan to visit the shrine of Czestochowa, a local Passion Play on Passion/Palm Sunday and the Nazi Concentration camps at Auschwitz. For the Triduum, the center of the Christian Mystery - Jesus’ Passion, Death, and Resurrection, we will travel east to L’viv, Ukraine to celebrate with out brothers in the Byzantine Rite. Following Easter, we will return to Krakow to walk in the footsteps of Servant of God, John Paul II. I will update and explain more soon - but I wanted to get the over outline of the next two weeks posted first.

I guess old photos can come back to haunt…

In today’s daily Italian newspaper Il Messaggero, a stock photo taken during the Conclave that elected Pope Benedict XVI was on page 2. It features Deacon Ryan Bredemeyer and I praying our breveries.

This is a phrase used by one of my professors to describe the weather - March is crazy. Today has been very crazy - from a beautiful morning to numerous small hail storms to powerful rolls of thunder. Many umbrellas have also been destroyed today by large gusts of wind.
But all these aside, the highlight of the day was a visit to the cell of St Dominic, the founder of the Order of Preachers. Mass was celebrated for us by Father Buckles and we prayed over Patrick Yungwirth as he prepares to enter the Dominicans during the summer. Patrick is part of a group from the University of Maryland who have come on pilgrimage during their Spring Break. Beats Cancun in my mind. Keep them and all pilgrims who are coming to Rome for Lent and Easter in your prayers.

Not much green beer here in Rome. But the Irish have flocked to the city to see their rugby team beat play the Italian Team.

Slan agus beannacht!

We are into the Third week of Lent and I have yet to remind you of the Roman Tradition of the Station Churches. Each morning, english speakers from Rome gather at a different church in the city of Rome for the Celebration of the Eucharist. Please follow us through the rest of Lent by checking out PNAC.org