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Home > Blog > A Day in the Life > Categories

4/20/2010

Easter in Ars
During Easter week, I had the incredible opportunity to participate in a pilgrimage and retreat sponsored by the seminary to spend my Easter break in Ars, France. Ars was the village of St. John-Marie Vianney, the famous Cure d'Ars and patron saint of parish priests. What a tremendous blessing the week was!
 
The Village of Ars, where the Holy Cure was sent to minister.
 
It was a time of refreshment and renewal, and a great gift to be out in the country and away from the city, without sirens and with green grass and starry nights. Another great grace was the fraternity and brotherhood that was built up by the 30-some participants from the NAC.
 
One of the many crosses that are erected around the village, many by the Holy Cure himself! It was great to be away in the country!
 
And of course there was the tremendous grace of spending a week with the Holy Cure, the patron of parish priests, during the year of the priest as we prepare and study for ordination to the priesthood. Each day we had a few conferences which provided meditations and reflections on the priesthood and the priestly vocation to pray with throughout the day, as well as enough time to spend in prayer in the Basilica and around Ars. We also had time to enjoy the delightful French countryside and un petit boulangerie (a little bakery/ pastry shop) as well.
 
The parish church and the basilica, which was added later. The inside of the parish was very small and reminded me of the many little parishes that once dotted our own diocese.
 
St. John Vianney was a model parish priest and through my time there, I certainly felt a closeness to him, and also to the many priests of our diocese, whom I brought with me in prayer.
 
A statue of St. John Vianney in prayer - St. John-Marie Vianney, pray for us!
 
From the first moments he arrived in Ars, St. John Vianney worked tirelessly for the conversion of his small parish of 230 souls. Before he arrived, his bishop had told him that, "There is not much love of God in that village, and you must bring it."
 
A statue of the Cure asking directions when he got lost en route to Ars for the first time, where he would then spend 41 years in ministry. St. John Vianney famously said to the boy, "You have shown me the way to Ars; I shall show you the way to heaven"
 
 St. John-Marie took very seriously his obligation to pastor souls and did incredible penances and sacrificing to bring about the conversion of his parish. I'd encourage anyone to pick up a book about the life of St. John Marie, and to pray for our parish priests that they may have the grace to follow his saintly example.
 
St. John Vianney also did many things to restore and beautify his small church, by adding beautiful side altars and chapels, encouraging devotion, repairing the bell tower, and using beautiful liturgical vestments in the liturgy to lift people up to God.
 
The Statue of Our Lady in St. John Vianney's church. The silver heart she wears has the names of John Vianney's parishoners written on the back and was ceremonially given to Our Lady as an act of consecrating their hearts to hers.
 
St. John Vianney would spend very little on himself- his cassock was always in tatters. But when it came to the Sacred Liturgy and things that were for God - such as vestments and sacred vessels, only the finest would do.
 
The original parish church is preserved in the basilica today, and you can go and pray there, where he prayed and see the chapels he built. Indeed the parish is very small - it reminded me of the little churches and parishes that once dotted our own diocese (and in some places still do). It reminded me especially of the little parish where my grandparents went - the former St. Stanislaus in Calumet. Although St. Stan's was slightly larger than the Cure's parish, it had the same basic structure and even similar stained glass windows, done in the same style.
 
Inside of the Cure's parish, where he preached, prayed, and heard confessions, working tireless for the salvation of the souls of his people.
 
Despite his love for beautiful things for God's house, le Maison du Saint Cure (St. John Marie's house) was very simple. He lived a simple life of poverty, and had a great love for the poor, usually giving everything he had away to them, including the very shoes off his feet!
 
A pair of the Cure's shoes - I recalled a story where he had received new shoes, but encountered a poor man who had none, and gave his new shoes away to that man, leaving himself without any!
 
The Cure preached powerful sermons, and would often cry during them, moved to tears by the love God has for us, and how we so often reject his love by sin. He also loved to teach catechism each day to the students, and opened a home for orphan girls, called La Providence because it depended solely on God to provide for its need- even such that the Cure once worked a miracle by multiplying the grain during a famine!
 
The Holy Curé of Ars' room. Many battles with satan happened right here. Our Lady also appeared here, and so many heroic penances for the salvation of souls were performed in this very place.
 
St. John-Marie also endured severe temptations from the Devil himself, having his bed dragged across the floor at night and even burnt by Satan.
The 'Burnt Bed' was the bed that the Cure used to sleep on, calld so because the devil would tempt him, drag him across the room, and set the bed on fire. These occurances happened usually the day before a major penitent arrived in Ars.
 
The devil despises when sinners return to God, and would often act up on the eve before a big penitant was due to arrive in Ars. All of this is a reminder that we, too are fighthing in a spiritual battle, and it is important to pray for our priests who are constantly being attacked by Satan for the good works they do.
 
This stained glass window depicts St. John in prayer while the devil is trying to tempt him in his bedroom (note the chair on the ground which the devil has thrown at him). St. Michael subdues Satan so that John Vianney can continue to pray.
 
This is perhaps especially timely, given the recent attacks on the Church and our Holy Father Pope Benedict who is being unjustly persecuted, attacked, calumniated, mocked, scapegoated and himself generally abused in the media these last few weeks! Yet he bears it all as Christ did, like a lamb to the slaughter, not defending himself but rather responding with a message of love, inviting people over and over again to know the love God has for them. 
 
Part of the beautiful stained glass window in the Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
 
St. John would had a great love for our Lord, especially in the Eucharist; he would spend hours in front of the Blessed Sacrament, and had big Eucharistic processions, especially for Corpus Christi; when he arrived at Ars, his parishioners said to themselves, "he is not like other Cures, he spends all day in the church!".  It is through spending time in prayer and Eucharistic Adoration that priests and lay faithful can allow themselves to be transformed by Christ's love, and gain strength to face the challenges of life and ministry.
 
St. John Vianney had a great devotion to St. Philomena and attributed all his miracles to her. He also erected this statue outside of the town.
 
St. John Vianney is perhaps most famous for his role as a confessor. He would spend up to 18 hours a day in the confessional, hearing confessions from pilgrims from all over France, up to 80,000 of them each year! What a tremendous grace it was for me to pray in front of that confessional that I would become a good confessor, and to pray also for those who one day will be penitants coming to seek God's mercy, forgiveness and healing through me!
 
One of the confessionals where the St. John Vianney would spend up to 18 hours a day hearing confessions of the pilgrims who came to Ars.
 
The life of St. John Vianney invites us to repentance and conversion, to do penance for our sins and to pray for the conversion of sinners.
 
The tomb of St. John Vianney in the Basilique in Ars, France.
 
Me in front of the tomb of St. John Vianney in Ars, France.
 
 I'll end with a little anecdote which is more than a pious story... On his way to Ars, St. John-Marie asked a little shepherd boy, Antioine Givre, to direct him to the village. After Antione led him to Ars, John Vianney said to him, "You have shown me to the way to Ars, and I shall show you the way to heaven." It sounds cute, but what is amazing is that, more than a pious story, the story is true. In fact, Antione Givre was the first person in the village to die after St. John Vianney, 5 days later. Literally, St. John had shown him the way to heaven! There is a monument to this story, and one morning I got up to pray and watch the sunrise from there... here are some pictures.
 
I got up one morning to watch the sunrise from the Monument du Recontre
 
"Tu m’as montré le chemin d’Ars; moi, je te montrerai le chemin du ciel." ~St. John Vianney. "You have shown me the way to Ars; I shall show you the way to heaven."
 
Picture
 
The Cure literally led that little boy to heaven, as he was the next person to die in the village after the Cure!
 
Let us pray for our priests that they may be strenghtened through the intercession of St. John Vianney in this year of the priest so bear much fruit in their ministry and aid in leading us all to Heaven! 
Posted at 1:59 PM by Daniel Ulishney | Category: Travels | Permalink | Email this Post

1/7/2010

Galukkig Nieuwjaar - Bonne Annee
For the second part of Christmas break, I played a bit of the tourist around Belgium.
I stayed at the American seminary in Leuven, which was quiet and peaceful was a really blessed opportunity.
 
Sint-Pieterskerk is the main church in the center of the town of Leuven, where there is also an American seminary. It is a beautiful gothic church.
 
For New Year’s Eve, I made my first appearance in a big square. (Usually we have a quiet evening at home). Tonight, however, I went to count-down with the rest of the town in a square where they had set up--- you guessed it ---- a giant glistening ball. (it didn’t drop, though, it only spun). I was surprised to find that they actually counted down in English to welcome the New Year!
 
I decided to break from my usual quiet New Year's Celebration to go down to the square not far from the American College. They had a glistening ball (though it didn't drop - it only spun) and they even counted down to the new year in English!
 
During the time here, I was able to visit Leuven, Antwerp, Ghent, and Bruges. I could see many of the beautiful artworks and cultures in these cities. One thing of great interested was the Begijnhof, which was a sort of community for consecrated women (though not a religious community) who lived together and worked on some trade and lived a life of prayer and penance. They bricked themselves in together in these little complexes and shared life together, praying for the Church and her mission.
 
The Begijnhof was a neighborhood of consecrated women (though not a religious) who lived, worked, and prayed together in the 16th, 17th, and 18th centuries. The remains of their villiage is a reminder to us of the importance of prayer.
 
Leuven is a quaint medieval university town with one of the oldest universities in Europe.
 
This fine gothic stadhuis (city hall) in Leuven is a great example of gothic architecture. Many of the statues, however, date only to the Neo-gothic period (1800s); they depict both civic leaders and patron saints important to the city.
 
Leuven was also the home of St. Damien of Molokai, before he departed as a missionary for Hawaii. Now he is buried there.
 
St. Damien of Molokai, who was from Belgium but ministered to the Lepers of Molokai, Hawaii is buried here in Leuven. I was also at his canonization Mass in October in Rome.
 
Antwerp, a diamond capital of the world has a beautiful cathedral (and some other churches as well) which hold many Flemish Masterpieces. It is also the home of Peter Paul Rubens, and so many of his paintings are there.
 
The Gothic interior of Sint-Jacobskerk in Antwerp was also furnished with baroque altarpieces and this beautiful carved pulpit, something I found quite common in Belgium.
 
In front of the Sint-Carolus Borromeuskerk (St. Charles Borromeo), which was originally a Jesuit Church built to resemble the Gesu in Rome. Inside there was fantastic carved paneling detailing the lives of Sts. Ignatius and Francis Xavier.
 
The tower of the Onze-Lieve-Vrowekatedraal - Our Lady's Cathedral is the tallest gothic structure in the Low countries at 402 feet.
 
The Cathedral is the tallest in the Low Countries.
 
The Cathedral, the tallest in the Low Countries, was built between 1352 and 1521. Here, you can't even see the bottom part and gothic door, because the cathedral was too tall for me to fit in one picture!
 
And inside it is decorated with beautiful altarpieces, which were given by medieval guilds in the city.
 
This altarpiece, by Quinten Metsijs is one of many famous masterpieces painted for Antwerp's Cathedral. They were often commissioned by different guilds, and showed the guild's civic importance, and gave them a spiritual focus.
 
In Ghent the major attraction is Van Eyck’s Adoration of the Lamb, a vividly colorful and dramatic altarpiece masterpiece which is finally all back together after being split up for centuries.
 
Overlooking the river Leie in Gent, are the beautiful guild houses of the neighborhood of Korenlei, taken from the neighborhood of Graslei.
 
There were also some nice squares and guild houses.
 
In the Vrijdagmarkt, an important market sqaure in Gent, is this statue of a 14th century rebel leader. Gent has a pretty turbulent history of citizens who rebelled against oppressive nobles and kings. At its base are the coats of arms of 52 guilds.
 
Brugge is known for its quaint medieval feel, as well as its churches and some more museums housing world-class art.
 
A canal in Bruges along the Begijnhof, a community of consecrated (but not religious women) who lived a life of prayer and simplicity. They lived in small communities around Belgium.
 
Unfortunately for me, I wasn’t able to visit all the museums in these cities because they were closed either on the day I was there or for the holidays. Because of all the canals, it is sometimes referred to as 'the Venice of the North'.
 
A canal in Bruges, sometimes called the 'Venice of the North'. In the background is Bruges' famous belltower.
 
The Markt is a main square in Bruges, and here are some important governmental buildings and fortifications. The city of Bruges was a medieval powerhouse in Flanders but later fell into decline - which is why it's medieval atmosphere is so well preserved.
 
The Stadhuis (City Hall) of Bruges is an important governmental and cultural center. Upstairs is a beautiful Gothic hall with paintings and furnishings which tell the city's history.
 
Bruges also has a relic of the Most Precious Blood of Christ, said to be gathered by Joseph of Arimathea and brought to Bruges after the Crusades.
 
The Heilige Bloedbasilik (Basilica of the Holy Blood) houses a relic of the Blood of Christ, traditionally said to be gathered by Joseph of Arimathea and brought to Bruges after the Crusades. There was a brief opportunity to venerate the relic!
 
The sad thing about all of these beautiful cathedrals and gothic churches is that there is a strong feeling when you visit them that they are simply relics from days gone by. Though Belgium is a Catholic country on paper, many people do not practice at all. Often it is only tourists who are inside of these medieval and renaissance masterpieces. This is our goal then, to pray and work for the re-evangelization of the West!
 
Lastly, I was able to make a small pilgrimage to near the Ardennes region of Belgium to the Shrine at Banneaux, famous because the Blessed Mother appeared there to Marriet Bacon as the Virgin of the Poor in 1933.
 
Standing inside the shrine chapel built over where Our Lady appeared to Mariette Beco on several occasions in 1933. Mary identified herself as the Virgin of the Poor, and asked for a shrine to be built, but also instructed us to 'Pray hard'.
 
The miraculous spring which Our Lady pointed out to Mariette Beco in 1933. The apparition was approved by the Church in 1949.
 
It was a delightful place to pray, especially all covered with snow!
 
The shrine of Banneaux is located in the Ardennes region of Belgium, in the province of Wallonia. I couldn't help but think that this scene must have been similar to soldiers fighting in World Wars I & II would have seen.
 
It was a wonderful time of holiday, but now I return to Rome for a week of class followed by our exams!
 
Dot zines!
Posted at 1:40 PM by Daniel Ulishney | Category: Travels | Permalink | Email this Post

12/30/2009

Zalig Kerstmis! - Christmas in Holland
Away for Christmas…
Though I was unable to go home to my family for Christmas this year, I was able to spend the holiday with a friend I met in college and his family. Now he is a seminarian for the Dutch Diocese of Harleem. The time spent in Holland was truly blessed for me, and I learned so much about the Dutch culture, the Church in Holland, and got to spend Christmas with a great Catholic family.
 
My friend and I along one of Amsterdam's canals
 
The family I stayed with is a model Catholic family who have poured themselves out in witness to Christ for his church in Holland and around the world– they run the local Catholic bookstore, have written catechetical books for children in Dutch, and serve in the Church in many other ways. Their faith was a real witness to me, even down to praying the family rosary (which helped me accomplish my goal of learning to pray the rosary in Dutch!) and living life in the Holy Spirit. They were very generous to me and wonderful hosts, so ‘thank-you very much’ to them!
 
Dutch Culture
Staying with a family allowed me the unique opportunity to experience life as local people do, and it’s the best way to experience a culture. I got to see how our diets differ (and hence why Europeans are generally healthier – they eat less, and they eat healthier – more things are fresh, less is processed, and the food is generally healthier). Also, riding one’s bicycle is not just for a quick trip around the neighborhood but rather they really use them to get around town, to go to the store – I took a 25 minute ‘quick’ ride to the next town to catch the train, for example. In addition to speaking more languages than Americans (the whole family spoke English – but most could already speak also French and German – and my friend was also had studied Latin, Greek, Hebrew, and now Italian). Of course, things in general are much older in Europe, as well. For example, my friend could trace his family roots definitively to 1400, and with gaps before that. I think that Europeans generally have a great cultural sensitivity, since they are surrounded by so much beautiful art, architecture and music – it is also more readily available. During my time I also studied a bit of Dutch history as well – I think it’s good to know a little bit about where you’re visiting.
 
Christmas Celebrations
We all have our own family traditions to celebrate the Birth of Christ – for example when we go to Mass, who likes to bake the cookies or trim the tree, etc. We also have things that we do as Americans that are our Christmas Traditions (Santa Claus and Rudolf and the list goes on). What I found in Holland, at least with this family, was a more spiritual emphasis on Christmas then we see in most places in America. Not so much of an emphasis on Santa and gift giving, but an emphasis on spending time with each other as a family. Together we trimmed the tree and decorated, and everyone helped to get ready for the main meal in some way. There were also specialties like the Kerstbrood (Christmas bread) – with cinnamon, raisins, nuts and a special nougat in the middle!        
 
Everyone gathered for Christmas Dinner
 
Of course the Christmas Mass was the focal point, and I had the opportunity to serve four Christmas Masses – and each was very beautiful, and each had a different choir, too! (A children’s choir, the adult choir with orchestra, a Latin schola and then the adult Choir again on Christmas morning). In Holland (and most of Europe, I think), the holiday is celebrated beyond  December 25th.
 
Travels
 
The gate of the Palace Noordiende - Queen Beatrix's working palace in The Hague
 
During my time in Holland I also had the opportunity for travel. I went with the family for a brief trip to Amsterdam, a city with charming canals and famous museums. I also took a day trip to Den Haag (The Hague), where I saw the Royal Palace, the Parliament houses, and few other sights. I also partook of a strange Dutch tradition – eating Haring, which is a raw fish cleaned a certain way. I still can’t believe I did it!
 
The Ridderzaal in The Hague was where, in Medieval times knights would meet. It was where the country of the 7 Netherlands was formed and is where Royal coronations and other special events take place.
 
Trying a local custom - Haring is a type of fish that they eat, raw and cleaned a certain way. I still can't believe I did this!
 
 
 
Another highlight was having Mass at the beautiful Jacobskerk. Done in Gothic-revival style, the church has recently been restored; there are also many beautiful tapestries and altarpieces. Before Mass we prayed the rosary (in Dutch of course) and there was also a line for confessions!
 
The gothic interior of Sint-Jacobskerk in The Hague was very beautiful. It has recently been restored.
 
Lastly we stopped by the Mauritshuis Museum, which contained several Dutch Golden Age masterpieces by many famous artists. The Dutch Golden Age (17th century) often took a diversion from previously exlcusive religious topics, and instead focused on the beauties of home and rural life in vivacious colors and lively people.
 
Hightime
After Christmas, my time in Holland had one big highlight – and that was Hightime. Hightime is a weekend retreat/ conference for about 200 Dutch teenagers sponsored by the Charismatic Renewal Community in Holland. Through my friend, I was blessed to have the opportunity to be a small group leader at the retreat. In many ways, it was similar to some of the things I hope to do when I return to the States. I got to meet real teens, and talk with them. They are amazing and good kids, and many of them are really trying to live out their faith, despite the heavily secular cultural climate in Holland. Throughout the few days, I could really see the Lord doing amazing things in these teens – bringing healing and grace through the sacraments and through the other ministries such as prayer teams. I enjoyed participating in lofprijzen (praise & worship) in English, Dutch, and even Portuguese, and it actually began to get a bit easier to sing the Dutch songs. The teens were full of joy and enthusiasm and I think everyone was sad to see the weekend come to an end.
 
Hightimes also gave me a chance to learn a bit about the state of the Church in Holland, which is I think one of the advantages to studying in Europe. It was said to me that Holland is in ‘early spring’ right now, as things are getting much better. Though there is a perhaps more significant ‘age gap’ in the Dutch church than the American one, I can say that I witnessed a vibrant Catholic community in the Netherlands, especially within the Charismatic Renewal community. Lastly, the bishop of the diocese came to celebrate the closing Mass.
 
To be a little bit silly, I also learned the wonders of hagelslag (pronounced Ha-hel slaag with a hard ‘h’). You may know it as chocolate sprinkles. In Holland, especially the teens eat sprinkles on bread with butter. It’s not bad – you’ll have to try it!
 
Belgium
The last highlight of Christmas in Holland for me was, in fact, the trip to Belgium. I rode with the mother of one of the team members at high time. She was incredibly kind and even took me to her house for dinner and to meet her family. A devout and holy Catholic mother, she also told me all about the state of the Church in Belgium, which was, unfortunately, worse off than Holland and the USA. They are in need of many reforms, many vocations, perhaps even many missionaries. Please pray for the Church in Holland and Belgium (and also the USA!)
 
I pray that the love of the Christchild may pour into your hearts this Christmas season a we celebrate the birth of the Light of the world!
 
Posted at 12:56 PM by Daniel Ulishney | Category: Travels | Permalink | Email this Post

10/23/2009

Underneath the Vatican
One of the coolest tours in Rome is definitely the Scavi Tour – a tour of the excavations under St. Peter’s Basilica, and gives participants the opportunity to actually see the bones of the man who was entrusted with the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven.
 
St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican. The splendor of the Church really shines through here. St. Peter's is the Largest Church in the world. Here you can see Michelangelo's Duomo and Some of Bernini's Colonnades.
 
When Matthew and I first arrived in Rome, the college had arranged for the New Men to go on Scavi tours, which are - you guessed it - often staffed by NAC seminarians (at least the English tours). 
 
The tour leads a walk through the history of the Vatican Hill, dating to the first century, when Emperor Caligula built a circus near the Vatican Hill, where St. Peter was likely later martyred.
 
Note: The giant obelisk in St. Peter's Square was originally in the circus, and was one of the last things St. Peter would have seen as he was crucified.
 
After his martyrdom, Christians buried St. Peter in the nearby Vatican Hill. Later that century, a roman necropolis (city of the dead’) was built up on the Vatican hill, then outside the city, and Christians slightly built a small, roman-looking monument to St. Peter.
 
Flash ahead a few hundred years to the Battle of the Milvian Bridge (also in Rome) when the emperor Constantine, had the famous vision of the Chi-Ro, a symbol of Christ, and after winning the battle under that sign, deigned to honor the Christian God.
 
After legalizing Christianity in the empire, and wanted to thank the Christians, he began construction to build basilicas on major Christian sites in Rome, including the Vatican Hill, under Pope Leo IV.
 
For St. Peter's, this required the leveling off of the necropolis!
The Constantinian basilica over the tomb of St. Peter actually stood until the present basilica was built in the 1500s.  Later Pontiffs embellished and added to that basilica.
 
Fast forward to the 1930s and 40s – and there is an interest in excavating underneath St. Peter’s Basilica in order to lower the floor to make more room for papal tombs. In the process, they wanted to re-discover the bones of St. Peter, now long buried beneath many altars.
 
However, so as no to discover a great ‘treasure’ which Hitler might be interested in capturing, Pope Pius XII, who had a great interest in archeology, set up basically a secret excavation, which included dumping all the dirt in the Vatican gardens, so as not to arouse suspiscion. At one point, when they were though t to have found the bones of St. Peter, Pope Pius was said to be down underneath the Vatican within 10 minutes!
 
Eventually some remains which are likely St. Peter were found, since they date to the period and are of a broad man, not of Italian origin who was in his sixties, who had worked much in his life, and was missing his feet (the early Christians had likely lobbed off St. Peter’s feet from the crucifix in order to quickly remove his body, since stealing the body would have been a capital crime if caught).
 
The Scavi tour ends with an opportunity to venerate the relics of the prince of the apostles. It was an amazing opportunity for us, here at the heart of the Church.
Posted at 11:59 AM by Daniel Ulishney | Category: Travels | Permalink | Email this Post

9/25/2009

Castel Gandolfo
On Sunday, August 30, we were blessed with the wonderful opportunity to see Pope Benedict for his Sunday Angelus and address at Castel Gandolfo, south of Rome. It was one of our many exciting orientation excursions.
 
You can watch the full video at the link below. At about 8:00 in, you can hear the Holy Father impart his apostolic blessing, and the seminarians respond. At  10:50 is when the pope welcomes to Rome the ‘First year  seminarians of the Pontifical North American College.’

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KkG97I5w21w

Castel Gandolfo is the summer residence of the Holy Father, since Rome is pretty muggy at that time of year.  Since we were a group of seminarians, we got to stand in a special place near the front of the courtyard, and our dress for the day was formal clerical (cassocks and clerical shirts with suitcoats).
 
It was truly a graced and blessed moment to be so close to the Holy Father, who is Peter, the bearer of the keys of the kingdom (M 16:18). Usually the pope comes out, greets the people, gives a brief address/ catechesis, and then prays the angelus. Afterwards he greets the pilgrims from different countries in different languages, including us! We had the opportunity then to sing ‘Ad Multos Annos’ for the Holy Father, another NAC tradition.
 
His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI greets pilgrims at Castel Gandolfo for the Sunday Angelus, including seminarians from the North American College.
 
After the Angelus and lunch, we had the opportunity to go on a tour of the papal gardens at Castel Galfondo,  thanks to Archbishop Harvey who is the prefect of the Papal Household and an American.
 
The gardens were very beautiful and very well kept, and were actually orginally built by the emperor Domitian (later 1st century AD). Popes have pent their summers at Castel Gandolfo for centuries, except during the 70 or so years when the Pope was a prisoner of the Vatican after the unification of Italy, and during World War II (During the war, Pius XII and other Catholics had hidden Jews here).
 
One of the most powerful experiences for me here was the experience of closeness to the Holy Father – especially Pope Benedict XVI, but also Pope John Paul II. We saw and prayed by the fish pond where everyday Pope Benedict feeds the fish, which is near a statue of the Blessed Virgin by which John Paul would daily sing a Polish Marian Hymn. Here we sang the Salve Regina, and it was very profound!
 
After the tours we headed back to Rome to continue with our orientation.
Posted at 10:28 AM by Daniel Ulishney | Category: Travels | Permalink | Email this Post

8/28/2009

San Carlo Borromeo: Tall Shoes to Fill

Earlier this week, a group of the seminarians studying in Verbania took one final taste of the local area as we headed on a day trip to Arona, our last Italian-only excursion before returning to Rome. In Arona, we saw the famous statue of Saint Charles Borroemo, as well as the cittavechia, the old city, which was nice to stroll through. I’ll share one picture with you.

 

It’s a 17th c. fresco inside the small chapel of Cappella Ossario Beolchi. The painting is very catechetical. On the outside of the painting is an iron grill with skeletons, reminding us that none of us can escape death. On the inside is a painting depicting souls being lifted out of purgatory and guided towards heaven by the angels.

 

This painting of souls being lifted out of Purgatory and into Heaven illustrates the Communion of Saints. Our prayers assist the souls in purgatory in entering paradise, especially when we offer the Mass, here seen taking place in the background.

 

This is an illustration of the communion of saints, where know that it is only by God’s mercy and the prayers of the faithful on earth that souls in purgatory can enter paradise. The painting demonstrates that the most efficacious form of intercession is through the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, which is going on in the background. When we pray for the holy souls in purgatory, we participate in the communion of saints, and we can be certain of those holy souls’ prayers for us when they see God face to face! How great will our joy be when we meet them in Heaven!

 

So, remember what your grandmother told you, and next time be sure to ‘offer it up for the holy souls in purgatory!’

_____________________________________________________

Now, back to St. Charles, who was born in Arona in 1538, and has a huge following in Northern Italy. He was made a cardinal at the age of 21 by his uncle, (who had been elected Pope Pius IV; the Church operates a bit differently today,) and worked to bring a close to the Council of Trent.

 

The Sancarlone is a famous statue of St. Charles Borromeo in Arona, Italy (St. Charles' hometown). Construction began in 1614 and finished in 1698. He is 35meters tall (115 ft).

 

He became Archbishop of Milan, one of the most important sees in Italy at the age of 26. He worked tirelessly for the people in the diocese, and travelled all around visiting average people, something that unfortunately was not so common in those days, and so the people loved him. He implemented the reforms of the Council of Trent diligently throughout his diocese. Seeing the importance of a well-formed clergy, especially after the Protestant Reformation, he founded numerous seminaries and issued a catechism.

 

St. Charles also initiated reform in politics and in the hierarchy of the Church, which was not taken well by the nobility and even caused threats on his life. He was not liked abroad in Protestant countries because of his strong defense of the Catholic Faith. That is why in England, for example, there are many famous satirical images of him.

 

St. Charles was renowned for his charity and love of the poor, even giving the decorations, curtains, and furniture of the archbishop’s palaces away to the poor. He thrived on prayer, sacrifice and penance, and worked tirelessly for the salvation of the people entrusted him. To combat the heresies of his day he constructed several Sacri Monti – that is, ‘Sacred Mountains,’ on which was built a shrine. These places of pilgrimage for the faithful reminded them of their roots and bolstered their faith. Matthew posted about the Sacre Monte D’Orta previously.

 

St. Charles died in 1584 at the age of 46; he was a model of pastoral zeal, prayer, and charity.

 

Standing in front of the Sancarlone in Arona.

 

The famous statue of St. Charles Borromeo was commissioned by Cardinal Federico Borromeo, and construction began in 1614 and was completed in 1698. At 35.10 m (115) it is the second largest bronze standing statue in the world (after only the Statue of Liberty, whose architects used it as a model for Lady Liberty).

 

This close-up gives a little better example of just how big this statue is!

 

St. Charles Borromeo, pray for us!

Posted at 11:07 AM by Daniel Ulishney | Category: Travels | Permalink | Email this Post

8/26/2009

Mountains and Hills, Bless the Lord!

The morning sun shines crisply over the Jungfrau peak in Switzerland.

 

Since we were studying Italian in northern Italy, a few weels back I took a trip with one of the other seminarians to see the nearby Swiss Alp. Interlaken, Switzerland, is famous for its pristine views of the highest mountains in Switzerland, and as a base for their exploration. Truly it was an encounter with the creator.

 

Alpine flowers overlooking the Bernese Oberland in Switzerland.

 

It’s hard to imagine a more beautiful place. Surrounded by snow-capped mountains in the middle of August, with other tall tree-covered peaks gracefully descending to the valley below, there sits a town between two large Alpine lakes (Brienzersee and Thunersee). The rolling alpine meadows are full of summer flowers and the valleys echo a chorus of bells from the herds while the quaint Swiss chalets complete the scenic panorama. Through an exhausting yet rewarding 6+ hour hike overlooking the Bernese Oberland, I encountered the beauty of nature and the peace and serenity of the creator. What a tremendous gift to reflect on the beauty of creation, God’s great love and care for us, and in particular to pray in Thanksgiving to the maker of Heaven and earth!

 

 Scott and I at the beginning of our 6+ hour hike, which was beautiful but at times a test of our endurance!

 

For me, perhaps the most powerful yet intimate moment of the day was praying Morning Prayer, and meditating on the great gifts God has given me, and the great plan that he has as well. Since we were there for the Feast of the Assumption, our prayer had a greater solemnity.

 

I’ve included some of the text of the psalms below, which it seemed God had arranged for us, at that specific moment in time. That is the beuaty of the prayer of the Church – it is for everyone in every situation.

 

First we prayed in the Invitatory psalm:

 

Come, let us sing to the Lord and shout with joy to the Rock who saves us.

Let us approach him with praise and thanksgiving and sing joyful songs to the Lord.

 

The Lord is God, the mighty God, the great king over all the gods.

He holds in his hands the depths of the earth, the highest mountains as well.

He made the sea; it belongs to him, the dry land, too, for it was formed by his hands.

(Psalm 95)

 

One of the most spectaular moments was praying the Divine Office from the top of these mountains! The Glory of God is so apparent!

 

What awe we were filled with as we gazed upon these mountains, this wonderful creation, what a sense of reverence with which we were filled! Indeed, as the psalmist continues,

 

Come let us bow down and worship, bending the knee before the Lord our maker!

 

It only got better as we prayed in the Office of readings, and we were reminded of our vocation not only to climb this mountain, but more importantly to climb the mountain of the Lord, towards the heights of holiness:

 

Who shall climb the mountain of the Lord?

Who shall stand in his holy place?

The man with clean hands and pure heart,

who desires not worthless things,

who has not sworn so as to deceive his neighbor.

(Psalm 24)

 

What a gift it was to pray at the top of these mountains!

 

In psalm 46 we prayed:

 

God is for us a refuge and a strength,

A helper close at hand, in time of distress:

So we shall not fear though the earth should rock,

Though the mountains fall into the depths of the sea,

Even though its waters rage and foam,

Even though the mountains be shaken by its waves.

 

The Lord of hosts is with us, the God of Jacob is our stronghold!

 

Yes – The Lord was with us here on the mountains—it is as the scriptures say, if I climb to the heavens, God is there! And not only that, God was bigger than these mountains, than any challenges we may face in our lives, and he will take care of us. He is our strength! Finally, in our morning prayer we could say with Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, in the book of Daniel,

 

Let the earth bless the Lord.

Praise and exalt him above all forever.

Mountains and hills, bless the Lord.

Everything growing from the earth, bless the Lord.

You springs, bless the Lord.

Seas and rivers, bless the Lord.

You dolphins and all water creatures, bless the Lord.

All you birds of the air, bless the Lord.

All you beasts, wild and tame, bless the Lord.

You sons of men, bless the Lord.

(From Daniel 3)

 

One important part of our trip was obviously prayer, and the Rosary is one of our greatest prayers, next to the liturgy. Plus we were hiking on the Feast of the Assumption, so there were plenty of Marian themes on which to meditate .

 

Seeing all of this stunning natural beauty makes one question how anyone, on a purely natural level, could deny the existence of a good God. This scenery is so beautiful, so fantastic, so spectacular that it must have come from an intelligent being, and not from some ‘random chaos’. Indeed, what a silly idea that is! Yet, the devil has tricked so many into believing it.

 

As Catholics we know from God’s own divine Self-Revelation of the great love that he has for us –so great that our God came to live with us, and ultimately to die for our salvation.

 

Taking a quick break during our hike. Part of a seminarian's formation is called 'human formation' - where we learn what it means to be fully alive in Christ, and exercise - in this case hiking, is an integral part of that formation.

 

Time and time again as we approached new climbs on our 6½ hike , we thought of different challenges we’d face in priestly ministry or of people or causes for which to pray – for particular people, the people of our dioceses, our vocations, or things like an end to abortion and the conversion of our nation. As Catholics, part of the beauty of our faith is to encounter and experience the redemptive value of suffering – such that none of the fruits of our labors, physical or spiritual may be lost.

 

The rest of my ‘free weekend’ in Switzerland was simply wonderful. Surrounded by natural beauty I not only encountered the Swiss culture but more importantly climbed higher in my relationship with God through his creation.

 

Sheep are an important part of the local Alpine landscape, but also provided an opportunity for us to reflect on how to become a 'good shepherd' as we study for the priesthood.

 

How often do we experience the beautiful wonders of God’s creation and take them for granted? Perhaps today we can allow ourselves to be filled with a sense of awe all over again as we marvel at the handiwork of the creator – who knows and loves us intimately and is waiting for us to return that love.

Posted at 10:31 AM by Daniel Ulishney | Category: Travels | Permalink | Email this Post

8/24/2009

On a Boat

After being here four weeks, Dan and I, as well as several other seminarians finally ventured through the Italian/Swiss Alps in the area of the northernmost part of Lago Maggiore. The "Lago Maggiore Express travels through the mountains and down the lake giving a view of the area.

Dan and Matt on Lago Maggiore Express

The day started out in Domodossola, where our wandering into the parish Church became an invitation to take part in Morning Prayer (in Italian) and Mass. The six of us had the privilege of serving the Mass.

Parish at Domodossola

Sanctuary at Domodossola

Our next leg was a scenic railway, with a brief stop to see the parish Church in Re.

Lago Maggiore Express Train

Italian/Swiss Alps 1

Italian/Swiss Alps 2

Italian/Swiss Alps 3

Italian/Swiss Alps 4

Italian/Swiss Alps 5

Italian/Swiss Alps 6

When we got to the parish in Re, a Cardinal was just finishing Mass for the day - the Queenship of Mary - in a side chapel of the Church.

Re 1

Re 2

Re 3

From there we ended up at Locarno, where we enjoyed a small lunch, as well as some chocolate, during the afternoon. The last leg is a boat ride from Locarno, at the northernmost part of the lake... and it's from here that I'm writing this. Sailing through the alps is uniquely beautiful... I can't think of anything in the States quite like it. It was fitting that the Responsory for Evening Prayer this evening was "Our hearts are filled with wonder as we contemplate Your works, O Lord."

On the Lake 1

On the Lake 2

On the Lake 3

On a side note, if you have ever read Hemingway's A Farewell to Arms, ths was the lake he spoke of in part of the book - There is a "Hemingway Suite" in the hotel a few towns south of Verbania; this had been used as the military hospital where he stayed during WWI.

On the Lake 4

Back to Verbania-Intra...

Posted at 4:59 PM by Matthew Morelli | Category: Travels | Permalink | Email this Post

8/16/2009

A Brief Tour of Lago d'Orta

Matt at Lago d'Orta

This past Thursday, one of my tutors decided to offer an alternative to the regular morning class -- a trip to Lago d'Orta, a lake about a half-hour from where we were staying at Verbania. Since it was a replacement for the tutoring session, we would be speaking in Italian for the trip. She extended the offer to any of the other seminarians who were interested. In all, eight of us went.

Our main sites to see were the island in the middle of the lake, where there is the Church of San Giulio and a Benedictine monastery, and the Sacro Monte, a series of small chapels run by the Franciscans. More on those in a bit.

We had to walk down into one of the towns on the lakeshore in order to catch a ferry to the island. This is a view of the island from the town.

Island at Orta

Also, I've noticed in quite a few of these towns, there is art many public buildings other than churches. In the town marketplace, there are frescos on the building, as well as a modern sculpture (metal hats on a disc) next to it.

Marketplace

On the island is the Church of San Giulio. As is fairly common here, the relics of San Giulio are on display in a small chapel under the main sanctuary (you can see the tip of the doorframe for the stairway in the lower right corner of the the first picture). The church contained multiple frescoes, including the one shown of St. Christopher. The Ambo in the final picture is from the 12th Century, and is one of the few Ambos from that era in existence.

San Giulio Sanctuary

St. Christopher Fresco

San Giulio Church Ambo

After we rode back to the town, we went to the Sacro Monte. This is one of about eight scattered throughout the Alps in Italy and Switzerland. They served as small pilgrimage sites to counter the effects of the Protestant Reformation. This Sacro Monte was quite visible from the island. The other seminarian in the picture with Dan is Scott, one of our classmates from the Diocese of Madison, Wisconsin.

Dan and Scott

Sacro Monte

This particular Sacro Monte is dedicated to the life of St. Francis. There are twenty small chapels that depict different scenes from his life, death, and canonization. Each of these scenes is portrayed using a combination of frescoes and life-sized statues. The scene shown is St. Francis speaking with the Sultan of Egypt. The Pieta that is above the High Altar in the main Church is about a thousand years old.

Chapel at Sacro Monte

St. Francis and Sultan

Main Church at Sacro Monte

The final picture that I will leave you with is the magnificent view of the island that I was greeted with upon leaving the main Church, after the sun had come out again. Ciao until next time.

Orta Isle in the Sun

Posted at 10:24 AM by Matthew Morelli | Category: Travels | Permalink | Email this Post

8/9/2009

An Unexpected Grace
Early during the first week when we were in Verbania, one of my tutors asked me to pass along to the other seminarians information about an opportunity that had been presented to us. She mentioned that we were invited to a feast at St. Lucia on 9 August, and that Mass, dinner, and transportation would be provided. Three of us took her up on the offer. When I was preparing to leave, I grabbed my camera, my book with the Italian Mass settings, and my hat, with the thought that we would be attending Mass and then having dinner outside, similar to the parish festivals we are used to in our diocese.

I was completely surprised to find that it was nothing like I expected.

Parish of Santa Lucia e Sant'Ulderico

Parish of Santa Lucia e Sant'Ulderico
The Parish of Santa Lucia and Sant'Ulderico


The town of Miazzina is up on one of the mountainsides, about six miles from Intra, and its parish is the parish of St. Lucia and St. Uldrich (Santa Lucia e Sant'Ulderico). When we arrived, Celestino, the gentleman from the parish who was kind enough to bring us there pointed us to the rectory, where we visited with the priests who would celebrate the Mass. We then were rushed off to the Church, where there were three albs ready for us to use... even though nobody mentioned we would be helping to serve the Mass!

The Mass for the day was to celebrate the Feast of St. Theresa Benedicta of the Cross (St. Edith Stein); since she is the patroness of Europe, her feast was celebrated with great solemnity here in Italy. In addition to the other two seminarians and I who served and carried the crucifix and candles in the procession following Mass, there were five priests, two other servers, and numerous Carbinieri (police who are something like a combination of our state police and military police) serving as guards posted at the edge of the Sanctuary.

After the Mass, there was a procession, which included all of the priests, Carbinieri, servers, and many of the people in the parish. A statue of Sant'Ulderico (St. Ulrich), bishop of Augsburg, was carried in the procession as well. We went traveled outside of the Church and around a few of the streets of the town, stopping several times at temporary altar-tables to ask the intercession of Sant'Ulderico for the town. And it was of great ceremony, but these were very normal people in the procession - it was a welcome taste of parish life which I haven't encountered for some time.


Sant-Ulderico
Sant'Ulderico, Bishop of Augsburg

(If you may have been wondering why a German bishop is one of the patron Saints of an Italian Parish, it is because in the late Medieval period, German shepherds would drive their flocks into the region and brought the devotion with them.)

What struck me the most about this is that for my great-grandparents and my more distant ancestors, some of whom came from this area of Italy, this would have been a common occurrence.

After the procession, we were invited to eat dinner with the priests, some of the Carbinieri, and some other guests. The food was wonderful (I'll have to mention normal Italian dining another day), but more importantly, this gave me another chance to listen to an ongoing conversation in Italian. I understood most of it, even if I still can't put together correct sentences quickly enough in my mind to carry on a lengthy conversation. It was like being a little kid again: all of the 'big people' sit and talk while the 'kids' (the two of us that had started with no Italian) sat and mostly listened.

All consideered, this trip reminds me of how blessed I truly am. There wasn't one part of that that I actually deserved. The whole trip has provided me with a chance to see how many ways God blesses me - all the world is Grace - a gift to be enjoyed, shared, and bring me to greater holiness.


In addition to all of this, I'd like to wish Bishop Brandt, my pastor Msgr. Persico, and our vocations director Fr. Kulick a happy name-day since today is the Feast of St. Lawrence. It is most fitting that the Bishop is ordaining the diocese's first permanent deacons on the feast of his patron, a prominent Deacon and martyr.



Posted at 6:02 PM by Matthew Morelli | Category: Travels | Permalink | Email this Post
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