Christmas
2009
G'day
all!
I am well
overdue for
an update.
Sorry about
that. Since
the last
update I
have begun
classes at
the
Pontifical
Gregorian
University.
It has been
a
challenging
start. It's
fair to say
I am not
understanding
a lot of
what the
lecturers
are teaching
in Italian!
I am lucky
to have a
few classes
in English.
One of those
is Ancient
Greek, and
it is
certainly
lucky that I
can do that
in English.
In the first
week of uni
I was
attending a
modern
philosophy
class in
Italian. It
was a bit
silly.
Modern
philosophy
is hard
enough to do
make sense
of in
English. I
have delayed
that until
next
academic
year when I
will
(theoretically)
have a
better
command of
English.
After three
weeks of
total
bewilderment,
I was able
to recover
with a
weekend in
Venice at
the end of
October. My
camera went
flat not
long after
we arrived,
but there
are a few
photos at
this link:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=183375&id=617590147&l=c163a3e8ad
(you may
need to
paste it
into your
address bar
to make it
work)
It's a
beautiful
place. We
spent much
of the
weekend
wandering up
and down the
canals, or
on ferries.
The food
there was
excellent.
We found a
restaurant a
little bit
out of the
way, run by
an older
woman and
her
children, or
so it
seemed. It
was
authentic
Italian food
and good
value. On
another
occasion we
caught a
ferry to an
island away
from the
main one,
and ate
lunch at a
restaurant
on a canal.
A great
life!
The main
event in
November was
the 'New
Man'
weekend.
This begun
with the
celebration
of
Thanksgiving.
Having never
celebrated
this day
before, I
was looking
forward to
it. I mean,
it's pretty
hard to turn
down
Christmas
Dinner a
month early!
All the
students at
the NAC sat
in their
respective
US states,
with tables
decorated
with things
unique to
their state.
The
Australians
all sat
together,
and also
decorated
the table in
the spirit
of the day.
Our can be
seen at the
following
address:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=183376&id=617590147&l=b75838e5a6
The desert
was pumpkin
pie. And it
tasted very
nice. I
never
thought I'd
be eating a
vegetable
like that as
a dessert...
That was a
Thursday. On
the Friday
all the 'New
Men'
gathered for
a dinner
along a
Mexican
theme. ON
the Saturday
we had a
sketch show,
which was
rather
entertaining.
Then on
Sunday there
was a game
of American
football -
New Men v
Old Men (all
the other
year levels
combined).
It was a
tight game,
and we went
down by 3
points. It
would be
fair to say
that I don't
understand
the rules
very well,
but that
didn't stop
me having
very little
voice left
at the end
of the game.
I wasn't
playing in
the game
myself
because I
have been
struggling
with a back
problem for
the last few
months. I
have two
bulging
discs. While
looking
quaint and
adding
character to
the city,
the uneven
cobblestone
roads have
not been
kind to me.
So I haven't
run for the
last two
months or
played any
other sport.
I have been
seeing a
physiotherapist
regularly
and
hopefully
it'll start
to come
good.
I have just
finished
classes for
the
semester.
It's been
strange as
we approach
Christmas
that the
weather has
been colder,
and that I
was still at
uni until
the 18th
December.
It's crazy
stuff. I'm
now looking
forward to a
good break.
In a few
hours I'll
be flying to
Spain to
spend
Christmas
with some
Australian
friends
there.
I hope you
all have a
blessed and
joyful
Christmas.
God Bless,
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Sunday 13 September
G'day all,
Firstly, my apologies to
those who didn't receive my
last update. I think the
photos I attached prevented
it from getting into some
people's mailboxes. So
instead of attaching photos
this time I include below
links to three photo albums.
The first is of Assisi, the
second the Swiss Guard
Barracks in Rome, the third
a few photos of the new
Australian seminarians in
Rome.
Since my last update, life
has been very busy. I
completed the intensive
Italian course in Assisi.
The course was a three-month
a bit course compressed into
one. I certainly wouldn't
claim I can speak Italian
yet, but I've been
introduced to all the
grammatical structures that
I'm likely to need n my
studies. It's now a matter
of remembering them all and
practising using them all
both in written and oral
forms. I still have a lot of
work ahead of me!
On our arrival back in Rome
we had a few days of
orientation activities. One
of the highlights for me was
the experience we were given
of St Peter's Basilica.
Firstly, we were given
thorough two-hour tour of
the main part of the
basilica by some of the
second-year seminarians
here. I have found the
basilica inspiring already,
but having all the artwork,
statues and architecture
explained with all the
meaning intended in it's
creation has made it an even
more special place for me.
It's an amazing building.
On another day, we were
taken on the Scavi Tour,
which goes underneath the
basilica. Down there are
tombs from a pre-Christian
burial ground. We were
walking through tunnels that
more than 2000 years ago
were Roman streets and
laneways. Unbelievable. St
Peter was martyred close to
where the basilica is now
built, and the historical
understanding has always
been that he was buried in
the same burial ground, and
that Constantine built the
first basilica over St
Peter's tomb in about the
fourth century. The 'new'
basilica was then built in
it's place in the 16th
Century (someone please
correct me if these dates
are wrong).
However, it was never known
for sure exactly where St
Peter's tomb was. In the
1940s excavation began below
the basilica. After many
years of careful work, St
Peter's tomb was found. It
is directly below the main
altar of the basilica. On
the Scavi Tour one can see
his tomb, the altar the of
the first basilica built
directly above the tomb, and
the foundation of the new
altar. To see the resting
place of the Prince of the
Apostles, who actually lived
with Christ and died for his
faith in Him, was awesome.
Such a tangible link to the
First Century of the Church.
On the Sunday after these
two experiences the first
year group travelled to
Castel Gandolfo, the Pope's
summer residence, to pray
the Angelus with the Holy
Father and listen to him
address the crowd. The North
American College has some
good connections which meant
we were standing very close
to Pope Benedict XVI's
balcony. He waved at us when
he first appeared (we were
in clerical dress so easily
recognisable) and after
praying the Angelus he
welcomed us to Rome with
these words:
“I greet all the
English-speaking pilgrims
and visitors at this Angelus
including the first year
seminarians from the
Pontifical North American
College. May your time here
at Castel Gandolfo and in
Rome deepen your integral
understanding of our faith
and strengthen in you the
desire to be consistent in
word and deed, following the
heart and mind of our Lord.
Upon each of you present and
your families, I invoke
God’s blessing of peace and
joy!”
This can also be
viewed on Youtube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KkG97I5w21w
If you fast forward to
10:50min you'll hear us
attempt to sing for him as
well. Again, it was an
inspiring experience to be
so close to the Successor of
St Peter. After a nice lunch
in a flash restaurant down
the road, we returned to
Castel Gandolfo for a tour
of the Pope's private
gardens. My favourite part
of that was seeing the
grotto where he prays the
Rosary every day.
Since those exciting days
we've been brought back down
to the earthy reality...with
Italian lessons. I has
another week of intense
Italian lessons at the NAC.
We were having four hours of
class in the morning, then
orientation conferences in
the afternoons and
excursions to different
parts of the city. It's been
very busy. Given the time
and study I had already
completed in the Melbourne
seminary, I have been out
into the second year
programme here. That means
that means that in the last
week I have been attending
all the conferences with the
2nd years, as well as all
the orientation talks and
excursions, etc. I'm sort of
living two lives and it's a
bit tiring.
My academic programme is
also a bit messed up because
the Roman system is
different to the Australian
system. One result is that I
have to study a philosophy
subject in my first
semester...in Italian. So
I'll need to learn
philosophical Italian as
well as theological
Italian...pretty soon. I'm
choosing to laugh at the
predicament...it's quite
entertaining really.
Lectures don't start til the
second week of October, so
there is still time.
Nevertheless, I have managed
to keep up at least with the
results of the AFL Finals.
Was not happy to see the
Blues go out from a winning
position in the last
quarter. And I still have an
uneasiness while Collingwood
is still alive - there is
always a chance a dud team
like them could accidentally
win a flag. Let's hope that
doesn't happen. One of the
challenges in the next week
will be to find a place to
watch the GF. Important
task. I have managed to
avoid speaking about the
Ashes to anyone and I intend
to keep it that way. The
One-Dayers just don't
console me.
I am excited that two of my
fellow seminarians in
Melbourne were ordained to
the Priesthood yesterday
(Saturday morning) at St
Patrick's Cathedral.
Congratulations to Frs
Cameron Forbes and Joseph
Truong.
It's funny hearing about the
weather warming up back
home, as we are finally
starting to feel a little
bit cooler here in Rome.
Today I leave for a week's
silent retreat in a retreat
house on a mountain
overlooking a lake, opposite
Castel Gandolfo. I'm very
much looking forward to it.
Hopefully you are all well
and I look forward to
hearing news from home.
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Monday 3 August
I thought it was time for a quick
update. It is now two weeks since I arrived in Italy. I was made
to feel very welcome by the students and staff of the North
American College as soon as I arrived. The first week in Rome
was a quick orientation to a few aspects of the city.
One of the highlights for me was
visiting the tombs of some of the early Christian martyrs. I
have read about these saints for years, but to be praying at
their tombs was quite an extraordinary feeling. We also visited
St Peter's Basilica and I was in a small group that was
fortunate to be taken up to the top of the Dome of the Basilica,
free of charge. It was breathtaking. The view was stunning, but
I think I was more impressed by the fact that such an enormous
and intricate structure could be built in the first place.
The facilities at the North American
College are fantastic. It's a big place. The rooms are
comfortable. We have some good sporting facilities on the
college grounds. But the best part for me has to be the roof on
top of the fifth floor. It is basically a long patio, with views
over Ancient Rome in one direction, and a clear view of St
Peter's Basilica in another. In my first week, I spent more than
one late night chatting to blokes up on that roof! And I'm sure
there'll be much more of it in future!
After a week we shifted to Assisi,
where I am about to begin my second week of an intensive Italian
course. It is a full programme, with four hours of class in the
mornings and two hours in the afternoons. With prayer, study and
two three-course meals a day(!) plus breakfast, there is little
time for anything else during the week. Fortunately, our
weekends are free.
The town itself is beautiful. I am
staying almost on the top of the hill, with a view over parts of
the old town and views over the valley. With the little laneways
and stone buildings, there is a sense that the atmosphere of the
town must be similar to what it was when St Francis was walking
these streets about 800 years ago (someone Franciscan please
correct me if that date is wrong.) I have had the opportunity to
pray at the tomb of the great saint, as well as that of St
Clare. There are so many beautiful churches in this town that I
still haven't had the chance to visit them all.
I'm enjoying getting to know the
others seminarians that are starting with me this year. There
are about 50 who have arrived so far, and another 8 who are
coming later. There are 5 of us from Australia in the group - 2
from Perth, 1 from Sydney, 1 from Wagga. The Americans love
Australians apparently, and are happy to have us at their
seminary. I have met some very impressive men. They are a high
quality group of seminarians, and it's a real pleasure to be
part of it.
We have had some problems
though...there is a language barrier. Apparently I use more
uniquely Australian terms than I realised, and many
conversations have stopped mid-sentence as I explain what I
mean. Words such as blokes, breaky and footy have cause
problems. A few of the boys have started trying to imitate my
accent - and not very well at this stage. I am doing my best to
introduce them to a real football code. There have been several
discussions about the rules of footy, and I managed to get one
bloke to sit down with me and watch some season highlights on
Youtube. He now wants to learn how to play. We'll just convert
them one at a time. Explaining cricket is not going quite so
well. They struggle with the idea that a game can go for five
days...and that sometimes that's still not long enough to get a
result. And of course, I am learning much more about American
ways of doing things.
We've had the usual conversations
about kangaroos and boomerangs. I've also dispelled the myth
that all Australians drink Fosters. The "Aussie Posse' as one of
the American boys has called us, have decided we need to get
them drinking some Australian beer at some stage, because
basically they have no idea what good beer is. I've also had to
explain to a several that Italian coffee is far superior to
American style coffee. So many arguments to have! They do like
to stir me about Australia, but (perhaps not surprisingly) I
have not yet been short of a response to stir them back. It's
fair to say they don't necessarily understand my humour yet, but
hopefully that will come!
I will be in Assisi until then of
the month, at which point we return to Rome for more language
classes. Forgive me for not writing to you individually.
God Bless,
Michael
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