A Year of Grace and Blessing
It has been my tradition to write a Christmas letter every year to share with friends and family some of the highlights of the past 12 months. This year I thought I would use my blog since it will allow me to share pictures as well as reflections. Some will be new and others will be repeats from earlier posts. I encourage you to look over previous posts if you want more information on my experiences while on sabbatical in Leuven, Belgium.
The New Year began with my annual New Year's Eve party. I try to take a different country or style of cooking each year. I enjoy researching recipes and trying new things. Since I was going on sabbatical I decided to do some Belgian specialties. I started with Mussels, continued with a Carbonade (a beef stew made with beer) and a chicken in beer. To accompany them I made Belgian Fries which are fried twice at different temperatures. The finale was Belgian cream puffs which I bought. Belgian beer was served. Everyone seemed to have a good time.
The next weeks were spent in packing and saying farewell. It was a bittersweet time. Since I had been at the Cathedral for 11 1/2 years I had a lot to pack. In fact, I didn't make my self-imposed goal even though I had been working on it off and on since before Christmas. In the end I got it done and spent a few days at my parents. While there I celebrated my birthday with a family dinner at a local restaurant. It was a great way to end January. These pictures are of my family from that event.
My sister Lori and I
My brother Steve and his wife Michelle
My niece Katie
My parents and my nephew Michael
I left for Belgium in late January. On my way to Belgium I stopped to see some classmates on the East Coast. It was great to reconnect. My friend Fr. Tom is pastor of St. Nicholas of Tolentine parish in Jamaica, NY. It was once run by the Augustinians who had a large residence there. I later discovered that one of our sabbatical group was ordained at St. Nicholas - how's that for a small world.
The flight to Brussels was uneventful. I had two large bags, a carry on and a computer attache. It was a lot to manage. When I arrived in Brussels I changed some money, took the train into the city and got a taxi to my hotel. Unfortunately, the street in front of the hotel was all dug up and so I had to wrestle my bags through the mud and muck. Finally I made it to the hotel. Luckily, there was a room ready so I was able to check in. I stayed at the Floris Arlequin. It was centrally located and the internet rate was quite good. I would recommend it for anyone travelling to Brussels. Although the weather was rainy and overcast I did do some exploring. Brussels is a beautiful city and a lot of the best sites are in walking distance so it worked well.
The spire of the City Hall as seen from the breakfast room of the hotel
The City Hall in the Grand Place
The famous Manniken Pis - a little boy "taking a leak" which is dressed in a variety of costumes throughout the year
My second day in Brussels was Ash Wednesday. Mass at the Cathedral was enhanced with beautiful music. Lunch was a simple Belgian Waffle with fruit and dinner was a tuna salad sandwich purchased from a newly opened grocery store. As a special gift I received a small box of three pieces of chocolate - I think the best I have ever had in my life! And it was free! That night I attended a performance at La Monnaie -the opera house. It was Julius Caesar by Handel with a great cast - Danielle de Niese as Cleopatra and countertenor Lawrence Zazzo as Caesar. The rest of the cast was excellent as well.
The next morning I got up, wrangled my bags to the station and got on the train for Leuven.
I arrived in Leuven in the morning and took a taxi to the American College. I arrived at the courtyard and was welcomed and shown to my room. It was small but had a beautiful view of the gardens and the Great Beguinhof which is just down the street from the college. This is the courtyard looking at the grand doors to the chapel. Sabbaticals arrived throughout the day and we began the process of getting to know one another. What an interesting group with a diverse set of expectations for the time together. Three women were a part of the group - two women religious (one from Ireland and one from Australia) and a lay woman who is principal of schools and would spend part of her time in Leuven and part at Tantur, an ecumenical institute just outside of Jerusalem in Israel. The men included diocesan priests from Detroit and Australia, a Trappist from Australia, an Augustinian from the US and a Salesian from Australia. We gathered in the late afternoon with Kevin Lenihan, a priest from Austalia in graduate studies. Kevin would serve as our contact and mentor.
That evening Kevin took us to a local restaurant for dinner. The street pictured here is the Naamsestraat (road to Namur). The college is on this street and we took it often.
At the end of the street is the Great Market which is the city square. On one side of the square is the beautiful city hall - built in the 15th century. Leuven was an important regional center in the medieval times. It has lots of wonderful buildings. Unfortunately, over the centuries it has also often been a place of war. In the First World War it was bombed and many buildings were destroyed. They were rebuilt after the war and have a date on them which indicates when they were rebuilt. Despite these challenges, Leuven remains a beautiful and interesting city which retains a lot of the charm of its past.
On the other side of the square is the Church of St. Peter. It is a wonderful gothic building. On the top is a typical bell ringer which includes the bell and a figure with a hammer who rings the bell. A portion of the tower was not completed and has remained unfinished throughout the centuries. At some point in history a number of houses were built against the side of the church, a fairly typical occurance throughout Europe.
Inside the church is this beautiful screen which separates the choir area (an area for the clergy attached to the church where they pray the office together). Today this area houses a number of works of art which are on display. A major exhibition of the works of Rogier van der Weyden is scheduled for next fall. I have come to appreciate his work and would love to see the exhibition - I guess I would have to save my pennies!
This is the image of Our Lady, Seat of Wisdom - the patroness of the city and of the Catholic University of Leuven. The statue itself is quite old and is one of the treasures of the church.
Another great spot is the Old Market. It is party central for the town, especially the students. It is completely lined with bars and restaurants. Many an evening was spent sitting and watching the world go by. Most of my time in Leuven was winter. Although not as cold as Minnesota it was not exactly warm so most of the time we sat inside. However, as the weather warmed the number of tables in the square increased until there it looked like this.
Of course, part of the reason for the sabbatical was to study. I attended class at the Catholic University of Leuven (KULeuven). It is one of the oldest universities in the world. It has a long and venerable tradition. Some of the great thinkers of the Middle Ages and Renaissance taught at Leuven. The buildings were built over time and are being constantly renovated. These pictures show the entrance to the University and the courtyard which was surrounded by the classrooms. The porticoed building is the main lecture hall which is used for large lectures and conferences.
On a lighter note, this statue represents a student pouring knowledge into his head. Of course, the locals would claim that it is something else that is being poured in - and with over 400 different beers in Belgium you can't blame them!
The month of March was filled with a fair amount of travel - both close to Leuven and further away. There are greater details and more pictures in earlier posts. One interesting visit was to The Hague. After the beach we went to the Mardurodam which is a miniature village which has replicas of many famous buildings. This picture shows one of the models. As you can see they are very detailed. Some of them even had mechanized sections with parades, liturgical processions and the like.
I had the opportunity to celebrate the Easter Vigil in Paris at Notre Dame. I visited St. Chappele which was built to house relics of the Passion. Now it is just a tourist destination. I learned that the cost of acquiring the relics was greater than the price of the building. This shows the main reliquary altar in the upper church which is filled with light from the famous and beautiful windows.
From Paris I returned to Leuven for an overnight and then headed to Cologne on my way to Budapest. Unfortunately the weather was rather rainy and cold in Cologne so I did not get much chance to really see the sites. In addition, it was Easter Monday so not much was open. I did get to see the Cathedral with the reliquary of the Three Kings and some other sites. I took the train to Budapest and arrived late at night.
One of the very interesting sites in Budapest is the synagogue, one of the largest in the world. In the memorial garden is this tree monument to those who died in the Holocaust. It is in the form of a weeping willow and each leaf has a name on it. I am not sure the picture does it justice.
Another site is the fishmonger's building. It is up on a hill near St. Matthias Church which has incredibly elaborate paintings on the walls. Every inch is covered with the painting. The view from here is tremendous of the Danube and the city. It was really interesting to visit one of the major European cities that was under Communist rule for many years. The city is alive and culture is booming. You can still see the effects of the former regime but it is a beautiful city. I would like to go back some day and see more. Especially interesting would be a park where they have collected many Soviet era statues. It would be fascinating.
From Budapest it was on to Rome. A wonderfully memory laden visit to some of my favorite spots from the days I studied there. We even stopped in the bar at the Gregorian University for a cappaccino. We spent a lot of time walking which became tiring but had a terrific time. The picture is of the baptistry at St. John Lateran, the Cathedral church of Rome. The baptistry is very ancient but has been remodeled through the years.
April was quieter with studies and a few local trips. Life in the College was very enjoyable. The students and faculty were very welcoming and supportive. They made us feel a real part of the community. We joined them for daily prayer and Mass. We had meals together and over the months came to know and appreciate each one of them. They are fine young men and have so much promise.
Classes were interesting. Under the program we could take whatever classes we wanted and did not have to worry about tests or papers. That ws a blessing. Our sabbatical group took a wide variety of topics from Sacraments to Social Justice, from Philosopy of God to roots of the Eastern Churches. I enjoyed being back in school and learning new things. It was also interesting meeting people from all around the world. Surprisingly many Americans study in Leuven. Some are part of study abroad programs. Others just come for the quality of the university. I feel blessed to have had the opportunity for the time on sabbatical.
May was the final month of my sabbatical and it was filled with adventures. I spent a week in Paris and made some side trips to Bayeaux to see the famous tapestry and to Blois to visit the chateau. Unfortunately the weather did not cooperate in the early part of the week - lots of rain. But I was able to take advantage of a couple of opportunities, including a cooking class. It was held in the kitchen of a Paris apartment with just 5 students. The school is called, A World in a Pan. If anyone is going to Paris and interested in a reasonably priced, fun time I would recommend it. Unfortunately my camera was out of battery power so I was not able to take any pictures.
Back in Leuven we entered the final weeks of sabbatical. Participants in the Sedes Sapientia program (a two week continuing education program) arrived and we spent some time with them in class and in travel. We took three day trips - Antwerp, Maastricht and Bruges. Each was beautiful and had interesting things to see.
The Cathedral in Antwerp is beautiful. We had a tour from one of the associates who helped us understand the history of significance of the building. That evening we spent time with the St. Egidio community, a group which seeks to live the Gospel message in daily life and in outreach to others. They have developed an incredible complex which includes a dining room for evening meals, laundry facilities for the homeless, access to doctors and dentists. There is also a chapel and a home for the elderly poor. An impressive ministry.
In Bruges we had a guided tour of the city. Among the sites is this chapel which houses relics of the Precious Blood. It is carried in procession throughout the city on certain days. The chapel is just off the main square which also contains civic buildings and merchants.
Also in Bruge are significant works of art. Here is a statue by Michaelangelo. It is one of the few works by Michaelangelo outside of Italy. The church which it is in was fairly dark so the picture did not come out well. However, it was beautiful to see.
Also in Bruges is a Beguinhof. These were communities of women who came together and lived a common life. They were not religious but sought a common life and a certain amount of freedom as unmarried or widowed women. Often the Beguinhofs are surrounded by walls as a form of protection. Many Northern European towns had these communities. Leuven itself had two - a "Great" or large Beguinhof and a Small Beguinhof. One of the sabbatical members, Sr. Elizabeth had come to Leuven to study this movement. It was interesting to see this unusual form of life.
One morning we had the opportunity to say Mass at the tomb of Damien of Moloki. Most of us think of him in terms of his life and ministry in Hawaii with the lepers. But he was from Leuven and his body was transferred there some time ago. The tomb is very simple but impressive in its own way.
The final days also saw a trip to Mont St. Michel described in an earlier post. It had been a dream of mine to see it from the time of high school French class. I also took an afternoon in Brussels to see the Museum of Musical Instruments which was fascinating.
On our last day together we celebrated Mass with the seminary community and received a certificate of completion for the program. We are also considered alumni of the American College of Leuven. That means I am an alumnus of both American Seminaries in Europe. I don't think a lot of people can say that!
The last six months have been a time of new learning and new adventures. I am settled into my new parishes - Sacred Heart in Owatonna and Holy Trinity in Litomysl. Sacred Heart is about 1200 families and Holy Trinity about 120. In many ways life in the new parishes is similar to that at the Cathedral. We have lots of wonderful ministries and activities. We have schools. I do weddings and funerals, baptisms and hear confessions. It is a great life.
One of the interesting new parts of my ministry is work with the Hispanics. I have learned enough Spanish to say Mass but not yet preach. I really can't converse as yet but hope to work on that some more in the New Year. I am using Rosetta Stone which has been helpful. The picture is a group of us during a pilgrimage to the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe in LaCrosse. If you are ever in the area it is worth seeing.
My parents celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary in August. My brother, sister and I hosted an open house and Mass at their parish. It was fun to see relatives that I seldom see. I was able to take the weekend off and be part of all the preparations. In November I travelled to Virginia for the wedding of my cousin. Although it was a very quick trip I had a lot of fun. Tracey and Dennis were married at Camp Levoir. The reception was at the officer's club. Due to sharing of vehicles I arrived at the venue quite early and had a chance to sit on the patio overlooking the Potomac and read. There were still some colored leaves on the trees so it was very pretty. I also got a tour of the Pentagon from my cousin who works there with the Marines. It was fascinating to see a building we hear and read so much about.
On a sad note my godfather passed away just days after my return from sabbatical. I was able to celebrate his funeral as I had for my godmother a few years ago. In addition, a cousin passed away at the time of my folks annivesary and I was able to be present for that funeral as well.
In October we learned that the Holy Father had appointed a new bishop for our diocese. He is Bishop John Quinn who was an auxiliary in Detroit just like Bishop Harrington. The priests gathered in prayer on the night of the announcement with the new bishop. The director of my choir, Axel Theimer, wrote a piece for the occasion and I put together a small group to perform it. Although we only had one hour to rehearse we pulled it off fairly well. The Mass of Welcome was on December 11 at the Cathedral. This week Bishop Quinn is going around visiting the deaneries. We are excited to welcome him and I think he will be a great blessing to us. For the immediate future he is actually a coadjutor bishop which means he will assist Bishop Harrington until his retirement is accepted at which time he will automatically become the new bishop.
Well, as you can see it has been a very full year. It has been fun recalling the places and events of the year. I wish you all a very blessed Christmas and Joyfilled New Year.
The New Year began with my annual New Year's Eve party. I try to take a different country or style of cooking each year. I enjoy researching recipes and trying new things. Since I was going on sabbatical I decided to do some Belgian specialties. I started with Mussels, continued with a Carbonade (a beef stew made with beer) and a chicken in beer. To accompany them I made Belgian Fries which are fried twice at different temperatures. The finale was Belgian cream puffs which I bought. Belgian beer was served. Everyone seemed to have a good time.
The next weeks were spent in packing and saying farewell. It was a bittersweet time. Since I had been at the Cathedral for 11 1/2 years I had a lot to pack. In fact, I didn't make my self-imposed goal even though I had been working on it off and on since before Christmas. In the end I got it done and spent a few days at my parents. While there I celebrated my birthday with a family dinner at a local restaurant. It was a great way to end January. These pictures are of my family from that event.
My sister Lori and I
My brother Steve and his wife Michelle
My niece Katie
My parents and my nephew MichaelI left for Belgium in late January. On my way to Belgium I stopped to see some classmates on the East Coast. It was great to reconnect. My friend Fr. Tom is pastor of St. Nicholas of Tolentine parish in Jamaica, NY. It was once run by the Augustinians who had a large residence there. I later discovered that one of our sabbatical group was ordained at St. Nicholas - how's that for a small world.
The flight to Brussels was uneventful. I had two large bags, a carry on and a computer attache. It was a lot to manage. When I arrived in Brussels I changed some money, took the train into the city and got a taxi to my hotel. Unfortunately, the street in front of the hotel was all dug up and so I had to wrestle my bags through the mud and muck. Finally I made it to the hotel. Luckily, there was a room ready so I was able to check in. I stayed at the Floris Arlequin. It was centrally located and the internet rate was quite good. I would recommend it for anyone travelling to Brussels. Although the weather was rainy and overcast I did do some exploring. Brussels is a beautiful city and a lot of the best sites are in walking distance so it worked well.
The spire of the City Hall as seen from the breakfast room of the hotel
The City Hall in the Grand Place
The famous Manniken Pis - a little boy "taking a leak" which is dressed in a variety of costumes throughout the yearMy second day in Brussels was Ash Wednesday. Mass at the Cathedral was enhanced with beautiful music. Lunch was a simple Belgian Waffle with fruit and dinner was a tuna salad sandwich purchased from a newly opened grocery store. As a special gift I received a small box of three pieces of chocolate - I think the best I have ever had in my life! And it was free! That night I attended a performance at La Monnaie -the opera house. It was Julius Caesar by Handel with a great cast - Danielle de Niese as Cleopatra and countertenor Lawrence Zazzo as Caesar. The rest of the cast was excellent as well.
The next morning I got up, wrangled my bags to the station and got on the train for Leuven.
I arrived in Leuven in the morning and took a taxi to the American College. I arrived at the courtyard and was welcomed and shown to my room. It was small but had a beautiful view of the gardens and the Great Beguinhof which is just down the street from the college. This is the courtyard looking at the grand doors to the chapel. Sabbaticals arrived throughout the day and we began the process of getting to know one another. What an interesting group with a diverse set of expectations for the time together. Three women were a part of the group - two women religious (one from Ireland and one from Australia) and a lay woman who is principal of schools and would spend part of her time in Leuven and part at Tantur, an ecumenical institute just outside of Jerusalem in Israel. The men included diocesan priests from Detroit and Australia, a Trappist from Australia, an Augustinian from the US and a Salesian from Australia. We gathered in the late afternoon with Kevin Lenihan, a priest from Austalia in graduate studies. Kevin would serve as our contact and mentor. 
That evening Kevin took us to a local restaurant for dinner. The street pictured here is the Naamsestraat (road to Namur). The college is on this street and we took it often. 
At the end of the street is the Great Market which is the city square. On one side of the square is the beautiful city hall - built in the 15th century. Leuven was an important regional center in the medieval times. It has lots of wonderful buildings. Unfortunately, over the centuries it has also often been a place of war. In the First World War it was bombed and many buildings were destroyed. They were rebuilt after the war and have a date on them which indicates when they were rebuilt. Despite these challenges, Leuven remains a beautiful and interesting city which retains a lot of the charm of its past.
On the other side of the square is the Church of St. Peter. It is a wonderful gothic building. On the top is a typical bell ringer which includes the bell and a figure with a hammer who rings the bell. A portion of the tower was not completed and has remained unfinished throughout the centuries. At some point in history a number of houses were built against the side of the church, a fairly typical occurance throughout Europe.
Inside the church is this beautiful screen which separates the choir area (an area for the clergy attached to the church where they pray the office together). Today this area houses a number of works of art which are on display. A major exhibition of the works of Rogier van der Weyden is scheduled for next fall. I have come to appreciate his work and would love to see the exhibition - I guess I would have to save my pennies!
This is the image of Our Lady, Seat of Wisdom - the patroness of the city and of the Catholic University of Leuven. The statue itself is quite old and is one of the treasures of the church.
Another great spot is the Old Market. It is party central for the town, especially the students. It is completely lined with bars and restaurants. Many an evening was spent sitting and watching the world go by. Most of my time in Leuven was winter. Although not as cold as Minnesota it was not exactly warm so most of the time we sat inside. However, as the weather warmed the number of tables in the square increased until there it looked like this.
Of course, part of the reason for the sabbatical was to study. I attended class at the Catholic University of Leuven (KULeuven). It is one of the oldest universities in the world. It has a long and venerable tradition. Some of the great thinkers of the Middle Ages and Renaissance taught at Leuven. The buildings were built over time and are being constantly renovated. These pictures show the entrance to the University and the courtyard which was surrounded by the classrooms. The porticoed building is the main lecture hall which is used for large lectures and conferences.
On a lighter note, this statue represents a student pouring knowledge into his head. Of course, the locals would claim that it is something else that is being poured in - and with over 400 different beers in Belgium you can't blame them!
The month of March was filled with a fair amount of travel - both close to Leuven and further away. There are greater details and more pictures in earlier posts. One interesting visit was to The Hague. After the beach we went to the Mardurodam which is a miniature village which has replicas of many famous buildings. This picture shows one of the models. As you can see they are very detailed. Some of them even had mechanized sections with parades, liturgical processions and the like.
I had the opportunity to celebrate the Easter Vigil in Paris at Notre Dame. I visited St. Chappele which was built to house relics of the Passion. Now it is just a tourist destination. I learned that the cost of acquiring the relics was greater than the price of the building. This shows the main reliquary altar in the upper church which is filled with light from the famous and beautiful windows.
From Paris I returned to Leuven for an overnight and then headed to Cologne on my way to Budapest. Unfortunately the weather was rather rainy and cold in Cologne so I did not get much chance to really see the sites. In addition, it was Easter Monday so not much was open. I did get to see the Cathedral with the reliquary of the Three Kings and some other sites. I took the train to Budapest and arrived late at night.
One of the very interesting sites in Budapest is the synagogue, one of the largest in the world. In the memorial garden is this tree monument to those who died in the Holocaust. It is in the form of a weeping willow and each leaf has a name on it. I am not sure the picture does it justice. 
Another site is the fishmonger's building. It is up on a hill near St. Matthias Church which has incredibly elaborate paintings on the walls. Every inch is covered with the painting. The view from here is tremendous of the Danube and the city. It was really interesting to visit one of the major European cities that was under Communist rule for many years. The city is alive and culture is booming. You can still see the effects of the former regime but it is a beautiful city. I would like to go back some day and see more. Especially interesting would be a park where they have collected many Soviet era statues. It would be fascinating.
From Budapest it was on to Rome. A wonderfully memory laden visit to some of my favorite spots from the days I studied there. We even stopped in the bar at the Gregorian University for a cappaccino. We spent a lot of time walking which became tiring but had a terrific time. The picture is of the baptistry at St. John Lateran, the Cathedral church of Rome. The baptistry is very ancient but has been remodeled through the years.April was quieter with studies and a few local trips. Life in the College was very enjoyable. The students and faculty were very welcoming and supportive. They made us feel a real part of the community. We joined them for daily prayer and Mass. We had meals together and over the months came to know and appreciate each one of them. They are fine young men and have so much promise.
Classes were interesting. Under the program we could take whatever classes we wanted and did not have to worry about tests or papers. That ws a blessing. Our sabbatical group took a wide variety of topics from Sacraments to Social Justice, from Philosopy of God to roots of the Eastern Churches. I enjoyed being back in school and learning new things. It was also interesting meeting people from all around the world. Surprisingly many Americans study in Leuven. Some are part of study abroad programs. Others just come for the quality of the university. I feel blessed to have had the opportunity for the time on sabbatical.
May was the final month of my sabbatical and it was filled with adventures. I spent a week in Paris and made some side trips to Bayeaux to see the famous tapestry and to Blois to visit the chateau. Unfortunately the weather did not cooperate in the early part of the week - lots of rain. But I was able to take advantage of a couple of opportunities, including a cooking class. It was held in the kitchen of a Paris apartment with just 5 students. The school is called, A World in a Pan. If anyone is going to Paris and interested in a reasonably priced, fun time I would recommend it. Unfortunately my camera was out of battery power so I was not able to take any pictures.
Back in Leuven we entered the final weeks of sabbatical. Participants in the Sedes Sapientia program (a two week continuing education program) arrived and we spent some time with them in class and in travel. We took three day trips - Antwerp, Maastricht and Bruges. Each was beautiful and had interesting things to see.
The Cathedral in Antwerp is beautiful. We had a tour from one of the associates who helped us understand the history of significance of the building. That evening we spent time with the St. Egidio community, a group which seeks to live the Gospel message in daily life and in outreach to others. They have developed an incredible complex which includes a dining room for evening meals, laundry facilities for the homeless, access to doctors and dentists. There is also a chapel and a home for the elderly poor. An impressive ministry.
In Bruges we had a guided tour of the city. Among the sites is this chapel which houses relics of the Precious Blood. It is carried in procession throughout the city on certain days. The chapel is just off the main square which also contains civic buildings and merchants. 
Also in Bruge are significant works of art. Here is a statue by Michaelangelo. It is one of the few works by Michaelangelo outside of Italy. The church which it is in was fairly dark so the picture did not come out well. However, it was beautiful to see.
Also in Bruges is a Beguinhof. These were communities of women who came together and lived a common life. They were not religious but sought a common life and a certain amount of freedom as unmarried or widowed women. Often the Beguinhofs are surrounded by walls as a form of protection. Many Northern European towns had these communities. Leuven itself had two - a "Great" or large Beguinhof and a Small Beguinhof. One of the sabbatical members, Sr. Elizabeth had come to Leuven to study this movement. It was interesting to see this unusual form of life.
One morning we had the opportunity to say Mass at the tomb of Damien of Moloki. Most of us think of him in terms of his life and ministry in Hawaii with the lepers. But he was from Leuven and his body was transferred there some time ago. The tomb is very simple but impressive in its own way.The final days also saw a trip to Mont St. Michel described in an earlier post. It had been a dream of mine to see it from the time of high school French class. I also took an afternoon in Brussels to see the Museum of Musical Instruments which was fascinating.
On our last day together we celebrated Mass with the seminary community and received a certificate of completion for the program. We are also considered alumni of the American College of Leuven. That means I am an alumnus of both American Seminaries in Europe. I don't think a lot of people can say that!
The last six months have been a time of new learning and new adventures. I am settled into my new parishes - Sacred Heart in Owatonna and Holy Trinity in Litomysl. Sacred Heart is about 1200 families and Holy Trinity about 120. In many ways life in the new parishes is similar to that at the Cathedral. We have lots of wonderful ministries and activities. We have schools. I do weddings and funerals, baptisms and hear confessions. It is a great life.
One of the interesting new parts of my ministry is work with the Hispanics. I have learned enough Spanish to say Mass but not yet preach. I really can't converse as yet but hope to work on that some more in the New Year. I am using Rosetta Stone which has been helpful. The picture is a group of us during a pilgrimage to the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe in LaCrosse. If you are ever in the area it is worth seeing.My parents celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary in August. My brother, sister and I hosted an open house and Mass at their parish. It was fun to see relatives that I seldom see. I was able to take the weekend off and be part of all the preparations. In November I travelled to Virginia for the wedding of my cousin. Although it was a very quick trip I had a lot of fun. Tracey and Dennis were married at Camp Levoir. The reception was at the officer's club. Due to sharing of vehicles I arrived at the venue quite early and had a chance to sit on the patio overlooking the Potomac and read. There were still some colored leaves on the trees so it was very pretty. I also got a tour of the Pentagon from my cousin who works there with the Marines. It was fascinating to see a building we hear and read so much about.
On a sad note my godfather passed away just days after my return from sabbatical. I was able to celebrate his funeral as I had for my godmother a few years ago. In addition, a cousin passed away at the time of my folks annivesary and I was able to be present for that funeral as well.
In October we learned that the Holy Father had appointed a new bishop for our diocese. He is Bishop John Quinn who was an auxiliary in Detroit just like Bishop Harrington. The priests gathered in prayer on the night of the announcement with the new bishop. The director of my choir, Axel Theimer, wrote a piece for the occasion and I put together a small group to perform it. Although we only had one hour to rehearse we pulled it off fairly well. The Mass of Welcome was on December 11 at the Cathedral. This week Bishop Quinn is going around visiting the deaneries. We are excited to welcome him and I think he will be a great blessing to us. For the immediate future he is actually a coadjutor bishop which means he will assist Bishop Harrington until his retirement is accepted at which time he will automatically become the new bishop.
Well, as you can see it has been a very full year. It has been fun recalling the places and events of the year. I wish you all a very blessed Christmas and Joyfilled New Year.
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