This morning, I concelebrated Mass at the Church of San Lorenzo. This is the site where St. Lawrence Martyr gave his life for the faith. Look at yesterday's blog post for the details about his life and his ministry. Today was also important to attend because Deacon Riley Williams was serving as deacon for the Mass. Remember, the St. John Neumann Women's Guild has been praying for Riley Williams since he entered the seminary. We should be proud of Riley and look forward to his ordination to the priesthood in July. Check out the pictures I have for this morning's Mass.
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| The facade of St. Lawrence Martyr Church. |
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| St. Lawrence Martyr Church has a wonderful courtyard in front of the main steps of the church. It provides an enclosure which is restful and prayerful even before you enter the church. |
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| The reredos of the altar is the second largest wall fresco second only to the Sistine Chapel's "The Last Judgement" by Michaelangelo. It depicts Lawrence being martyred and the poor gathered in front of him already mourning his death. After Lawrence had given away the wealth of the church, he was asked to produce the treasures. He gathered the poor before the emperor and said, "Here are the treasures of the church." |
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| Deacon Riley Williams, native of Osterville in the Diocese of Fall River, proclaiming the Gospel at the station church Mass for Thursday of the 1st Week of Lent. The Women's Guild of St. John Neumann Parish has been praying for Riley since he entered the seminary as part of an "adopt a seminarian" program hosted by the Diocesan Council of Catholic Women. We are looking forward to Deacon William's ordination to the priesthood in July and hoping he will be able to come to St. John Neumann to celebrate Mass soon after. |
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| Meeting with Deacon Riley Williams after the Station Church Mass. |
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| The chapel of relics of St. Lawrence in the crypt below the sanctuary. |
After the Station Church Mass, we were back to the Casa O'Toole for another morning with Fr. Mark Attard, O. Carm. who continued his discussion on Moral Theology with us. He again emphasized the impact of the Second Vatican Council on the development of the thinking on the church in this important area of the the spiritual life. Tomorrow, we will hear his presentation in the area of medical ethics.
Tonight, some of the priests of the sabbatical Institute were invited to share thoughts on the spirituality of the diocesan priesthood with the 1st year men of the seminary. Msgr. Bob Lawrence of the Diocese of Harrisburg, PA; Msgr. Jerome Martinez y Allire, Archdiocese of Santa Fe, NM; Rev. Stanley Klasinski, Diocese of Cleveland; and Rev. Dean Wilhelm, Diocese of Austin TX gave presentations to the 1st year seminarians. Many of us on sabbatical attended to show our support for our brother priests and to show a priestly solidarity for the men preparing for priesthood. The presenters were thought-provoking, and at times very humorous. It was great even for me to hear other priests give witness to the life of prayer, service, and ministry. Its what this sabbatical is all about.
After the presentation, most of the priests who live on my floor at the Casa O'Toole gathered for a bit of St. Patrick's Day happy hour - although a bit late. I'm back now to finish the day's blog, pack a bag, and prepare to leave for the weekend. I have decided to take my self to Naples for the weekend. The computer is traveling with me. I will not forget my camera this time. So unlike Bologna, there will be pictures to show.
God Bless, everyone.
