Celebrations and audience with the Pope

Hi everyone.

Tuesday began with an early morning trek to St. Peter's Basilica to concelebrate Mass with Fr. Joe Porpiglia who was ordained 25 years ago today.

Fr. Joe Porpiglia of the Diocese of Buffalo at the ofertory of Mass on his 25th Anniversary of Ordination.

Fr. Joe delivering a homily at the altar of St. Columban in the crypt of St. Peter's Basilica.

Tuesday's program was presented by Dr. Donna Orsuto, S.T.D., professor at the Gregorian University, Angelicum, and other Rome schools of Theology. She offered two lectures entitled, "Three Women Doctors of the Church and their message to Priests", and in the afternoon, "Three Influential 20th Century Women of the Church."

The three doctors of the church are St. Catherine of Siena, St. Theresa of Avila, and St. Therese of Lisieux. In the afternoon, Dr. Orsuto presented the works of Dorothy Day, Edith Stein, and Blessed Mother Theresa. The power of the lessons taught by these women is in both the depth and the simplicity of the messages - which is generally true of all great spiritual teaching.

Each one cultivated a particular intimacy with Jesus and strived to give their all to the Lord who had given his all to the world.

Catherine of Siena lived in the 14th century, a time of immense turmoil in the church - plague, western schisms, and the Papacy abandoning Rome for Avignon in France. Her writings, much of which is letters, offer three themes;

• Knowing the truth about love, (she uses the phrase that God is "patso d'amore" or God is madly in love, crazy in love, with all of creation, and especially with human creation.
• Knowledge of self, and knowing God; this overlapping of knowledge creates a "cell" where we live and meet Christ.
• NOT individualism. This is way ahead of her time. She writes that we need each other. Her spirituality is a radically ecclesial spirituality.

Pope Paul VI called her, "the saint who loved the church the most."

Catherine of Siena was influential in convincing the pope to return to Rome, stop relying on the cardinals who were controling him. She called them, "the devil incarnate".

Theresa of Avila offers the church a spirituality of prayers when she says, Prayer is 5 steps.

• taking time
• frequently
• to be alone
• with Him
• who we know loves us

HOwever in the mind and heart of Theresa, all this is God's initiative, not ours.
She calls us "to do what stirs us to love"

St. Therese of Lisieux (1873-1897) She is also known as the Little Flower.
Therese is declared a doctor of the Church, even with the writing of one small book called "The Story of a Soul". Therese contracted Tuberculosis, as a time when there was no cure. This was the great darkness in her life - knowing that she would not survive this disease. Her spirituality can be summed up by saying she lived and proposes to us a spirituality focused on a total confidence and abandonment of oneself to the merciful love of God. It is apiritual path for those who feel that they are imperfect, weak, or little. It is a spiritual path that relies on the purifying love of God that evokes in one the desire to return love for love.

Dorothy Day is a 20th century spiritual giant who began her adult life anything but holy.  A common law relationship, an abortion, and weak faith. She brought her daughter to be baptised even though she was not Catholic, and through the instruction of the priest, she herself becomes a convert. She founded the Catholic Worker movement and spent her life working on the lower East side of New York City with the poor. She is know for her activism for justice, a fierce pacifism, and her work for peace. There is a great deal of information on line about her. She was an avid letter writer, and has a huge correspondence with Thomas Merton.


Edith Stein was part of a devout Jewish family in Belgium. She was a brilliant young woman who taught philosophy. After reading St. Catherine of Siena, she declared, this is the truth. She converted to Catholicsm and entered the Carmelites. After the northern European Catholic Bishops strongly denounced Hitler and the Nazis, attacks against the Jews were stepped up. Many convents were attacked and sisters who were belived to have Jewish roots were rounded up and taken to the concentration camps. Edith Stein died in Auschwitz even as she ministered to the victims of the Nazi horror.

Mother Theresa of Calcutta. Well, what can we say. She lived with us in our homes via television and media. She was the first saint to part of our daily lives all around the world. Her lessons for us can be summed up in one of her most famous statements, "Do small things with great love"

Later on Tuesday, 11 of us priests joined Father Joe Porpiglia for an Anniversary celebration at the Abruzzi Restaurant in Rome. Ad Multos Annos, Joe.


Wednesday: the Papal Audience.

Here are a few pictures.

Crowds is St. Peter's Square for the audience.

Pope Benedict XVI approaching the steps of the basilica in the now famous "Popemobile"

Pope Benedict XVI approaching.

While waiting for the arrival of the Holy Father, I met Sr. Nieves, of the Sister Disciples of the Divine Master. Sr. Nieves is a friend of Father John Ozug at Our Lady of Fatima and she knows several other priests of the Fall River Diocese. She has served at their center on West St. in Boston. The sisters have an apostolate of prayer, particularly for priests. They also operate stores where they sell religious goods, books, and their handmade liturgical vestments. Sister Nieves was joining about 30 others of her community at the audience while participating in their general chapter in Rome. 

The Holy Father leading us in prayer.

As the Holy Father was leaving the square, I was in the right place at the right time.

I was no more than 20 feet away.

The rest of the day was spent with Deacon Riley Williams who joined me in a little shopping expedition through the liturgical supply stores around Rome. I enjoyed dinner back at the seminary and spent a quiet evening in my room writing, skyping, and blogging.

Good night everyone.