A brief post today.

I arrived at the retreat center after an evening of gracious hospitality with M. et Mme. Garde. I have no internet connection until tomorrow. So via the VERY expensive international rates thanks to Sprint and thanks to Margaret Dors, for posting this, I begin blogging about my retreat. The retreat center beautiful and peaceful. Stay posted tomorrow when I hope to have more including pictures.
Off to vespers now.
God bless.

Arrived safe and sound

I arrived Monday morning safe and sound in Paris, checked into the hotel - all without incident.
First things first - lunch. A great little restaurant called "O Philos Off" (I think from now on I will use italics for all the French and Italian words that will be included in this blog) The decor in the entire place is books - wall to wall, floor to ceiling - like dining in a classic library. The waiter was very chatty, not a lot of people in the place. His suggestion was a board of "charcuterie" (sliced meats and sausages with local cheeses) with glass of house red wine. It was a good recommendation.  After lunch, I went explroing the neighborhood around the hotel which is close to the train station, Le Gare de Lyon. I had never been in this area of Paris before except to pass through underground on the Metro to make a connection. The Gare de Lyon Metro station is a major hub connecting other parts of the city. After resting a while, I went out for some dinner. I chose the restaurant across the street from the hotel, La Nouvelle Epoque. A plate of the traditional cassoulet. Duck breast confit, sausage, stewed together with white beans. A half-bottle of of 2008 Bourgueil - Prestige et Tradition (I think this blog will also document - maybe more for myself - the wines and food I discover here).
A good night sleep brings me to this morning when I am preparing to board the train for Marseille. I am meeting Francoise et Jean-Francois Garde, friends of Janet and Paul Mathieu. They will pick me up at the train station, and have graciously invited me to stay at their home tonight. Tomorrow they will take me to La Sainte-Baume, about an hour away from their home.

I never sleep the night before I travel

     I never sleep the night before I travel. Even for a short vacation, I find there is so much to do to prepare - preparation for the trip and preparation to leave things in order in both the parish and in my life.  This sabbatical experience of course meant making preparations for things 4, 5, and 6 months in advance. Thanks to Father Rodney and the parish staff, all things parochial are in good hands. So I basically pulled an all-nighter last night to get last minute personal things in order.
     Fast forward to the waiting area at gate 5 at T.F. Greene. The place was empty today. I have never seen it with so few people. I wasn't sitting 10 minutes when I entered a "profound state of meditation". I was returned to reality by hearing my name being called repeatedly. In any other situation, I would think it was a beatific vision. But it was the airline staff. So I headed to the desk not realizing that all the passengers had boarded. I actually said to the nice lady, "Am I the only one?". "No sir", she said, "you are the last one."

     So begins the adventure of a lifetime.

Thank you for the beautiful celebration

Thanks to everyone for the beautiful "leave-taking" celebration last Wednesday. The Lilly Endownment asked the question, "How will the congregation celebrate the pastor's leave taking and return?" I could think of no better way than to gather as a parish family and celebrate the most important thing we do as Catholic Christians - Eucharist. The happy coincidence that it also took place on the feast day of our patron, St. John Neumann, made it all the more special. I was very much moved by Father Rodney's leading the whole congregation in the beautiful prayer for a pilgrim. To see all of you with your hands extended in that ancient gesture of blessing was a graced moment for me. Father Rodney's explanation that because we are all baptized into the priesthood of Jesus Christ, we all have the priviledge of calling down the grace of God upon one another. That moment of prayer will remain with me and travel with me over the next few months. I am also moved by the pledge of prayers on the calendar which many of you signed. This has been copied onto the website as a sign of our congregation's union in prayer. I will access that calendar each day to see who is praying for me and reminder of my own prayers for you.
I am still 5 days away from my departure. Preparations continue. I pray that God will bless us all and renew us in holiness.

This is the chapel of the Domincan Community at Ste. Baume.

It's all in the details!

I have prepared for vacations and trips in the past. But I have never prepared to be away for 6 months. Well not since I left to go away to college in 1971. I have spent the past few days working out questions like: How will I get laundry done while at the retreat center since I intend to travel light - with only a week's supply of clothing. I intend to check no bags at the airport.  My month at the Ste-Baume retreat center is a new experience for them also. They have not received someone for periods longer than a week. So when I sent an e-mail to Frere Hotellier, (Brother Hostel Keeper  -  that's his real title) he had to consult with the community. So now I have permission to use their laundry facilities.
I also asked about a piano to practice on. Unfortunately, their only piano is in a hall which is not heated in the winter. There are many miles (kilometers) of hiking trails and I'm looking forward to spending time hiking. I was reminded that the retreat center is at an elevation of 700 meters (approximately 2296 feet) above sea level. And the trails climb to 1150 meters, or 3775. Frere Hotellier reminded me that they do get snow at that elevation. So much for the warm, sun-bathed days in Provence. The good news is that by February, the weather is already turning spring-like.

For the less mundane preparations, I have been doing some spiritual reading in French. In Trouver le Paradis dans nos Deserts. (Finding Paradise in our Deserts) Luc Baresta begins his reflections on the experience of the "garden" - Eden - as the first paradise. He continues by saying that culture has fooled itself by creating a human garden; into thinking that prosperity and affluence, individualism and even personal liberties are paradise; that somehow the human person has achieved the pinacle of being. But this human-created paradise is too often to the exclusion of God, and therefore no paradise at all. We need to be open to the realities for which we were created, namely realities of the gardens: Eden, Promised Land, and even Gethsemani.

The prospect of this sabbatical is very exciting. But leaving family - personal and parish - sometimes seems like going into a desert. I want to leave myself open to what the Lord has in store for me. I need the renewal that is openning up to me. As the grant proposal says so beautifully, " [this] is the optimum time to renew the spark that gave birth to this parish and drew Fr. Degagne to the priesthood." This is my personal hope and my prayer for our parish.

WE GOT THE LILLY ENDOWMENT GRANT

Happy Advent everyone.
It's been a while since I posted anything. Its great news that brings me back here.
On November 11, the Lilly Endowment notified me that our grant proposal was acccepted and St. John Neumann Parish is the recipient of the 2011 Clergy Renewal Program Grant. The funds will offset the expenses incurred by the parish for my sabbatical. It will also greatly reduce my out-of-pocket expenses for personal travel and activities not provided by the diocese or the parish. The Lilly Endowment Clergy Renewal Program envisions time away from ministerial duties to include a well-balanced agenda including time for spiritual growth, theological updating, and personal enrichment. I am grateful to the committee who worked to envision this time for me and for the parish. The grant proposal narrative is posted on the parish website.
This is a real Advent experience for me. The preparation and the anticipation of all that awaits me is a bonus of this year's Advent season. Thanks for all your support and prayers.