Return to Houston
Mood:  happy
Topic: Theology III '05-'06
We have returned to St. Mary's Seminary after a nervious and stressed filled weekend. I returned to a room that was unchanged from when I left it, but a seminary that was not...a few trees were downed by Rita. Though I did not have class it was not a restful time. I was worried about family the whole time. Please pray for them and all who were affected by Rita as they return to their homes to assess the damage and start looking toward needed repairs.


Rewind to Thursday morining when we left for College Station. -- We started out at 5:45 am planning on taking mostly back roads knowing that the major outlets would be parking lots literally. Due to the help of a map program on a guy's lap top we navigated away from packed thoroughfares and off of roads when they became backed up. We knew we were off the beaten path when a paved road we took ended and a dirt road continued in its stead. Twenty minutes and four roads later we were back on black top and moving North by Northwest, with the occasionaly jaunt eastward to catch our next back road. Five hours and thirty minutes from the time we pulled away from St. Mary's Seminary in Houston we pulled up to St. Mary's Catholic Center in College Station...Our Lady Queen of the Highways was surely looking after us and guiding us to open roads. This trip on a normal day takes approximately one hour and thirty minutes, but on this day took others up to sixteen hours. In all the trip was adventerous and a blast though it was tiring and I was glad to be out of the car.

Now we are back in the seminary with classes resuming tomorrow. Pray for us!

UST Intramurals Volleyball
Mood:  celebratory
Now Playing: "We are the Champions"
Topic: Theology III '05-'06
Tonight the bottom seed team from St. Mary's Seminary; Bump, Set, Pray; went 4-0 to get past the first two teams (one being "The Killer Bunnies" looking frightening in their pink shirts) to make it to the finals to play the top seeded team, "the Blue Team," that had two volleyball players. The first game went to the lose collomn with a score of 25-14. Knowing we had our work cut out for us...we had to win the next two in the best of three set. We returned the favor with a win of 25-8. The third and final game would be our 7th game in a row to play. Though fatigue was starting to set in, we played like bandits and came away with the game and the championship with a final score of 25-9. The final point was scored by our manditory girl (coed teams are manditory) who claimed she wasn't that good but scored many points for us, including the one to clinch the championship. Now we can be seen sporting our new maroon and gold trophy shirts.

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This excitment comes amidst thoughts of concern as we might be evacuated out of Houston due to Rita's unwelcome landfall projected to be Galveston on Friday afternoon. Please pray for the Katrina victoms that are being forced out of Houston to Arkansas and for those who will be displaced from their homes if this storm hits the coast of Texas. The seminary may be evacuated Thursday if need be, with Austin guys going to the heavenly land of Bryan-College Station, and all others (including me) going to San Antonio until we can return to Houston. I hope to have another entry soon with good news, but time will tell.

Wassup Pre-K Style
Topic: Funny/Cool
Here is a video of the original "Wassup!" comercial, but done Pre-K style.

http://www.davesdaily.com/videoclips/116-wassup.htm

World Youth Day Pictures
Topic: World Youth Day 2005
I finally have the pictures ready to go up on my blog from my experience in Koln. These are just a few of the pictures. I don't have enough memory to put them all on my blog.

Here is the "first among equals," "el Papa," "Papa B."

This is a picture of the cathedral (dom) whose two steeples can be seen all over town, literally. If you look in the back ground of the picture on the right, you can see the dom which is about 5 miles from where I was standing taking the picutre.

Here is a picture taken at the volunteer Mass where everyone is wearing their red volunteer shirt and/or rain coat. In all, we were told there were 20,000 volunteers working this World Youth Day.

We hosted groups from France, Italy, and the Ivory Coast at the school that I was stationed. One morning while they were waiting to group up and leave the school, the pilgrims from the Ivory Coast gathered and started playing the drums and dancing. This, a typical World Youth Day activity, serves to praise God and bring everyone together, because others begin to join in the circle and follow the movements of the others.

After big events, mainly those in the evening, everyone decends upon the train stations to catch the train "home." With an overwhelming number of people on the platform, when the doors open everyone rushes for a door and tries to push their way on, making each train car like a package of pilgrim-sardines.

One day we were waiting in the que (line) for food near a basilica when its doors opened and a newly married couple emerged from the church to thunderous applause and cheers from us. They were grinning from ear to ear.

The pilgrimage on Saturday, though we tried to make it as close as possible, it ended up turning out to be about 13 kilometers. We thought since we were volunteers we could minimize this hike, but reluctantly we set out on the pilgrimage. However, once on the road, I was glad to be amongst the other pilgrims as we were being gathered into one flock by the shepherd of the Church Militant (us on earth) in order to join our voices in praise of the Good Shepherd of us all. As you can see in the picture on the left, the path set before us led us down community roads. A nice gesture these people offered, was their presence by leaning out the window or siting along the road waving as we went by. Some even gave out little treats and water to help nourish us on our journey. They were exemplifying what it means to be Christian. The picture on the right shows the goal the sight (white dome-like object to the rifht) just across a pasture. Here you get a sense of the number of people present.

This is a time exposed close up of the cloud that was the sactuary for the weekend Pilgrimage destination. There were candles set all over the hill that added to the prayerful feel of the area. Off to the right of the Sanctuary was a cross and a Marian icon prsent during the time we were in this sacred place.

Meet my team...the whole team. I work with a small handful of this big group over the week, but still got to know the other members before and after the pilgrims were there. My team was comprised of Americans, Germans (one local of Koln), Polish, Hungarians, Slovanians, one Kenyan and one Lithuanian.

Now you know I can't go to Germany without partaking of the food and refreshments. The chunk of meat set before me is basically a leg of pig slowly roasted where the meat is juicy and tender and the skin is perfectly crispy. This was served with, whatelse but, German potatoes and Saurkraut. Delicious! The beer is a Kolsh. Everyone in Koln produces their very own Kolsh, so there are sign everywhere advertising the infinite brand names of this local recipe.

This last picture has nothing to do with World Youth Day, but shows a bit of the culture of the area. These are small adjacnt plots of land where poeple who live in the city have a garden. There is a maze of small ally ways that the owners walk down to get to their garden. This was the view from our window of the school at which I was stationed.

Cajuns forced to Houston
Topic: Theology III '05-'06
I just came from Reliant Center where the one of the "temporary homes" for Cajuns that has sprung up in Houston. I use the term "home" loosely becuase the meaning here is cots on either the Astrodome Field, the floor of the Reliant Center (not stadium), or George R. Brown Convention Center (not counting the ones in Dallas or San Antonio). The unfortunate people who lost their homes in Katrina have now fled to Houston, Dallas, or San Antonio (Houston being the main Texas location) for shelter. This afternoon, myself, a few other seminarians, and our rector went to do our part. Though I kind of expected to be there more in a pastoral care role the greater need today was setting up the Reliant Center for 12,000 to 18,000 people. My part was to help set up cots and arrange them in an orderly fashion. When this was done, we prepared ourselves to reveive and feed bus loads of people who had been sitting on their buses for approximately 13 hours and could not get into the Dome due to fire codes. Yet before the people could get over to my station, food lines, we had to return to the seminary. My plans...our plans are to return over the up coming weeks and months to continue giving aid where needed, especially spiritual care. Sunday Mass is already in the workings to happen on Sunday at 10:00am. These people could be here for 6 months or more.

Lastly, aside from this, St. Mary's may, for the next 6 months be busting at the seams when or if seminarians from Notre Dame Seminary in New Orleans come here to continue their formation during this semester or year. Fr. Brendon has extended the invite as did many other seminaries across the country from Philly to Houton to Ohio (that I know of) so that the seminarians don't fall behind.

Please pray for these people of New Orleans who are the weak and weary, and who are in need of God's love and hope. Also, pray for those giving of their time, because it is exhausting work, physically and/or emotionally and we all could use your prayers. Thank you and may God bless you with His graces of faith, hope, and most importantly love.

World Youth Day 2005 Main Event
Topic: World Youth Day 2005
I am writing from the main event of World Youth Day, after a long journey via foot. We have just had vespers with the Holy Father and are now hunkering down for the night. Everyone is doing the praise thing in their own language and culture.

To catch you up I went to a seminarian and priest gathering yesterday where Pope Benedict reminded us that we need to have a close relationship with God and to pray for good formatters. He said, “This is what a seminary is: More than a place, it is a significant time in the life of a follower of Jesus.”

I have continued to have a wonderful time here in Koln and look forward to returning to the states and sharing my experience with everyone.

WYD 2005 mid-week
Topic: World Youth Day 2005
Howdy from Koln!

I have now bought me an American Flag and am easily spotted by other Americans. The flag also makes me a "rock star" as a team member puts it, because now when I go around Koln people from all nations, shout USA just like we shout their country name when we see their flag. It is great!

Pick up my papal audience ticket yesterday and can't wait for Friday noon...I will be kickin' it with Papa B.

In other news, my team is gellin' and where one is there another (or two) can be found. We are having a blast.

Weltjugendtag - Day 1 & 2
Topic: World Youth Day 2005
(Disclaimer: The keyboard is slightlz rearranged with the main differences being the y & z are switched and an o & a are added to the main set of keys moving the keys that are normally in their place)

Day 1 - After Amsterdam

The fun was not over with Amsterdam.

It continued once when I landed in Cologne (Koln) I made my way to the train station but had to go back and ask for directions not on where to go, but how to work the machine for the ticket, figure out what line I needed, and which platform. This done I get to the station near the Volunteer registration and was picked up by three other volunteers who guide me to registration...not the end of the line but to the front a back way. There were no complaints from me. This was however providential because I ended up spending all evening at the center getting things straight on my acomodations.

Once I received directions from my team leader on how to get to the parish where I will work and stay, I embarked on the third part of my journey. One train, a short walk, a bus ride, and a short walk to the front door. What could be hard about that? Leave it to me to screw up. The train was a minor difficulty, because I am a pro at it now aided with free pass with my WYD ID. The problem arose once I was off the train and looking for the metro. With no sun to tell me north from south...it is 10:30pm by now...I set out on what I think is the correct direction but seem to have trouble locating the streets on the map, not that reading German was a piece of cake especially when the street names are so long the sign spans one whole block. I see a store open and drop my stuff and ask the owner for help who shows me on my map where I am. This gives me bad news...I have been walking down the correct street in the wrong direction.

A patron of the store was sent by God, because after hearing my delima and seeing no easy solution save one, he opted to offer the easy solution. When I heard those glorious words in broken English--You want that I take you?--I nearly colapse and started kissing the mans feet. We had a pleassant drive and talked about Koln's preparation for a surge in the Catholic population by approximately 1 million and he gave me a German lesson by helping me pronounce the streets we took to get to St. Franuziskus (Francis). The gentleman dropped me off basically at the door of the parish. Night came morning followed the first day.

(This is the general nice-ness that the people of Koln have shown us foreigners.)

Day 2 - First fool day

This day was given to us as a free day to walk around Koln and see the city. Done. The cathedral is a massive gothic building in the middle of town that is breathtaking. Lunch was fun waiting for...got in line at 1:50 and got lunch at 4:10, but ended up getting two lunches and dinner all at once because one in my group is more shameless than me and finagled the extras. I sit now in an internet cafe for volunteers...free internet, WHOOP!

Pictures hopefully to come.

First Leg of my World Youth Day Pilgrimage
Topic: World Youth Day 2005
I got to the ticket counter in Intercontental Airport in Houston and found out that due to a strike in England at my arriving airport (not the other one) my flight was canceled. After some time at the counter we found me a flight that actually arrives in Cologne sooner than my original flight would have. I was not routed through London but through Amsterdam, which is where I sit right now waiting for my next flight to Cologne.

The flight was rather uneventful...read my book, Chronicles of Narnia (the complete collection), and watch a movie, Miss Congeniality 2. I was lucky though. No one was in the seat next to me in a two seater row and I could spread out...well sort of spread out.

More at a later time.

Stick a fork in me.
Mood:  happy
Topic: IPF 2005
I breathe a sigh of relief as I type this. The program is officially done. I have finished the IPF program and will shortly be heading back down south...HOME. Though I enjoyed the program a great deal, I am excited about finally seeing Texas again.

See you down there!