Dear friends, I thank Lisa for giving you news of my arrival in Rome. I do not have internet access as yet and so have to write to you in the Comments section. The technician is supposed to be coming today to set things up.
I have been given a different cell: this one is enormous: my apartment in Hamden could easily fit into it twice. The ceilings are at least twelve feet high.
Right outside my door is a lovely sculptured shrine of the Madonna of the Rosary of Pompei. That, of course, made me very happy. My cell is at least 1/4 mile from the refectory - well, perhaps I am exaggerating a bit, but not much. It is very, very far. The abbey is huge and the distances require that one leave for every exercise well in advance.
I thank you all for your prayers. Although I arrived with a sore throat and a ear ache, I quickly recovered and have been sleeping well. Twice a day in the refectory there are fresh greens from the garden: surely that helps! Soon I will be able to resume writing on Vultus Christi and I will have much to share.
A note from Don Marco
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About Father Mark, Benedictine Monk
His Excellency, Bishop Edward J. Slattery of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Tulsa, Oklahoma has given
Father Mark a special mandate to live under the Rule of Saint Benedict in adoration before the Eucharistic Face of Jesus, offering thanksgiving, intercession, and reparation for all his
brothers in Holy Orders. In this way, Father is preparing the foundation of the new Diocesan Benedictine Monastery of Our Lady of the Cenacle. Father Mark is available to the
priests and deacons of the Diocese for spiritual and sacramental support in their pursuit of holiness. He is also charged with the spiritual formation of women who desire to dedicate themselves to spiritual motherhood in favour of priests.
I will be looking forward to your future posts. I finally got around to reading all the copies I had printed out on the O Antiphons. It was a couple of weeks late liturgically speaking, but they were spiritually edifying nonetheless. Thank you.
Fr. Mark:
So glad your flight and all went well. Glad you got to share the Icon in the Emerald Isle!
Prayers for you during this time in Rome. Please too remember me in your prayers.
God Bless!
So glad you are back...I want to be a monk at Santa Croce! (Could I do what I want?)
Still no internet connection, Have to use the community computer at odd moments when it is available. I have so much to write about but it will have to wait. The most glorious thing was a long-desired pilgrimage to the Holy Face of Manoppello, a gift of Mother Clare Millea, A.S.C.J. Indescribable! Today Father Jeff Keyes, C.PP.S. of Rifugio San Gaspare is coming here to pranzo with three of his parishioners. Later in the afternoon we will concelebrate a Votive Mass of the Passion of the Lord in the basilica, singing everthing, Ordinary and Proper, in Gregorian.
Dear Father Kirby,
"Sung everything"...sounds lovely. So does the pranzo.
I look forward to your post on the Manopello.
Looking forward to more of your reflections. Hope you are well soon.
+Dear Father,
Just Checking in to see if you are posting yet. Thanks for posting the comments, and I look forward to more... I am so glad that you were able to make a pilgrimage to the Holy Face of Manoppello. What a special grace! Speaking of such, your package arrived, and we are humbly grateful to you. It is absolutely, gloriously beautiful! We are overwhelmed at your generous goodness to us. It will be one of our greatest treasures. We are trying to find just the right place for it. You are in our thoughts and prayers always!
Dear Father Dom, Peace and Grace, Oh how wonderful to be in the Presence of Our Lord Jesus Christ. We wil patiently wait for your return to the site. In the meantime soak in all the Blessings and joy as to be strong for all when you return. josephine
Dear friend, You remain in our thoughts and prayers. We are patient in prayer with and for you.
Bless.
Kate
Dear Father, Your Dad gave me your card at St. Mary's after a Providence College Alumni Mass. Fr. Bernard Killeen (our brother-in-law) is back at Holy Infant and still saying mass at Mariner's Point on Sundays. He celebrated his 82nd birthday Dec. 22nd. Your mom and dad look good. Regards-Peg and Charlie Schlegel
I hope we will be able to read your meditations that are so full of spirit very soon again.
It's only now, when you don't write, that I understand how nice it is to have a blog like this one.
I've learned a lot from your posts and once you start writing again, I'll recomend this blog to few of my friends.
Following your book recommendations, I've recently bought two books of Blessed Columba Marmion, Christ, the Life of the Soul and Christ, The Ideal of the Priest. From the little I've read so far, I am very satisfied, you can feel the holiness flowing from the thoughts in those books.
Thank you for your work on this blog and may God bless you and protect you. May Blessed Virgin Mary and Saint Joseph pray for you.
Dear friends, No internet connection yet! Things take a very long time in Rome. Workers were here for one day last week to begin threading the cable through our ancient walls. Then they disappeared and have not returned since. When I inquire, the answer is usually "the Roman shrug." I have so much that I want to write about. Help me to be patient.
+Dear Father,
So glad to hear from you! I was getting worried a little that you would not be able to post at all from Rome. I know what it is like to deal with workmen, so I pray for your good patience and ours! God provides such delays for a good reason...I hope you are doing well. Did you get any news of your dear Dad's condition? We are thinking of you and praying for you with much love. There is an envelope coming your way via "snail mail". United in Him...