Sunday / Medjugorje

I met this really nice group of pilgrims from New York. I got to hang out with them yesterday and again for lunch today. I had the honor of being the main celebrant at the English Sunday mass. Being a newly ordained has its perks!!!






This is what it looks like going up apparition hill. Its not easy at all...especially with ice and very strong cold winds and wrong kind of shoes!









This is the site where the first apparitions occurred. The children first saw the vision of the Blessed Mother holding the Infant on June 24, 1981.



This is my last post from Medjugorje. I leave very early in the morning for Rome. I will post from there once I am reunited with the group.

My take on Medjugorje: Something definitely is happening here. There is a real strong presence of the HOLY! Many hearts are being converted. I have seen nothing that is in contridiction with the teachings of the Church. Many beautiful people with a great desire to change their lives for Christ. I really think that the true miracle of Medjugorje is how Our Blessed Mother truly leads pilgrims to prayer, to fast, to mass, and to love her Son above all things! People really walk away from here with that urgency to be a better person...to walk in the light of Christ!


I publicly want to thank my Pastor, Fr. Marino, for allowing me the time to come on this pilgrimage. I thank God for the opportunity to be alone for a few days and to reflect on the beauty of the priesthood and to gain some perspective on the enormity of the call. I think it takes being away from all the hustle-bustle of the day to day work to be able to reflect and give thanks for it all.

I will post from Rome - ciao.

Full day in Medjugorje

A picture of undisturbed snow on an outside pew. One of the good things about being here in the dead of winter is that not too many pilgrims come here during this time of the year. I have really been able to pray and meditate with lots and lots of silence!

Fr. Slavko Barbaric (statue of him above) was very involved with the visionaries and apparitions that took place here for many years. He regularly gave talks to visiting pilgrims, and wrote numerous books about the messages of Medjugorje. Fr. Slavko suddenly passed away on November 24, 2000. The day before he was to be transferred. From all the stories I have heard, Fr. Slavo must of been an amazing priest. They placed a beautiful stone up on Cross mountain where he had the heart attack.

Last night I went to the main International Mass (primarily in Croatian), occurs each night at 6pm, with the rosary one hour prior to Mass. I was amazed to see so many people come out to attend this mass. After the mass they had the Veneration of the Cross... it was a great way to end the day...a good opportunity to encounter the Cross of our Lord, from whom salvation comes...a real sign of His love.

PS> thanks for all the comments...I read them all.

Medjugorje

I arrived late last night to Medjugorje... I flew into Split and from there a driver took me here to Medj. Its a beautiful trip through the mountains of Croatia.

I woke up early...had a huge breakfast (BTW: the food here is excellent!) and then off to the church for mass. I missed mass because I was in the wrong place. The language here is so difficult to understand. So i stayed in the church for a good long while letting it soak in. This place is so beautiful. I keep trying to imagine what this place must of been like before 1981 (before the Blessed Mother appeared to the 6 young children.)


I met some really nice people from Boston...they were coming out of mass just as i was searching for it... It turned out to be great...they let me tag along...they had a private meeting with: Jakov Colo. He had daily apparitions from June 25th, 1981 to September 12th, 1998. On that day, entrusting to him the tenth secret, Our Lady told him that for the rest of his life he would have one yearly apparition, on Christmas Day. Jakov is married, he has three children, and he lives here with his family in Medjugorje.




After that I went up Cross mountain: The Cross of Mt. Krizevac (Cross Mountain) is the most significant, and dominant feature in the landscape of Medjugorje. It gives us a clue as to why Our Lady chose this village and region for the manifestation of Her love and concern for us. Overlooking the church of Saint James, and visible for miles and miles around the valley below.


The fifteen ton concrete Cross was constructed by the people of the area in 1933 in thanksgiving for the cessation of crop damaging hail storms, and to commemorate the nineteenth centenary of the Redemption. Their spirit of penance, and the understanding of its importance, were shown by the simple fact that all the material which went into its construction, was carried up the 1770 foot mountain by hand. The cross was so important to the people that they changed the name of it from Sipovac to Krizevac (Kriz is the Croatian word for Cross). It became the custom, even prior to the apparitions, to celebrate Mass there each year on the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross (September 14). On every Friday, people would climb the mountain to pray the Stations of the Cross which were led by the parish priest. Clearly, the little village of Medjugorje was filled with the faith and love of God even before the apparitions began.

It was a real test to go up that mountain! It was so cold and I had on the wrong kind of shoes...no traction whatsoever! And the descent was even trickier... It was great experience of prayer and penance.

Happy Birthday Liz!!

Happy Birthday Elizabeth! I am very proud of you! You are an amazing mother, wife, daughter and the best sister ever! I will remember you at mass tonight. I hope that you have the best birthday!!

I love you very much!

Fiumicino Airport-Rome

Just arrived in Rome... Woke up early this morning to ALOT of snow in San Giovanni Rotondo. I woke up fast and a taxi took me to Foggia.  In Foggia i took the train to RomeTermini then in Rome i took another quick train ride to the airport.  Here i wait until 4pm for my flight to Spilt, Croatia.

Pray that the other group can make it out of San Giovanni Rotondo safe in those big huge buses!!!

I hope to be able to post from Medjugorie.  I have no idea if they have internet.  If you see no more posts...you will know what happened.  

more pics from yesterday: 

Padre Pio

What an incredible day!

The picture above shows the exhumed body of St. Padre Pio. The body is in a glass case so that pilgrims can venerate and pray for his intercession. It was very powerful to see him lying so peacefully!

I can not begin to express to you what an amazing day it has been today...filled with so many blessings.

I got to celebrate mass at the same altar that Padre Pio celebrated mass each and every day. It was so emotional!

Fr. Joe was concelebrating with me.

Here you can see how much it was snowing. All the snow actually turned out to be a blessing! We were able to stay in the crypt where St. Pio is for as long as we wanted... we were the only ones there.

There is so much snow. I hope my group can leave here tomorrow! I leave by taxi to Foggia and then by train to Rome... in Rome I will get on a flight to Split, Croatia.

Medj here I come.

San Giovanni Rotondo

We woke up this morning to a huge snowstorm...we are trapped in the hotel trying for it to slow down to go and see Padre Pio! 

Sorry for no new post or pics.  I'll post tonight.  

God Bless! 

A Loreto Monday

Hello Folks! How's sunny South Florida?  Have I complained that it is freezing cold here?? Well it is! 

Today we finished up our visit in Loreto.  I was able to spend some good quality time in the Holy House.  

Here in this picture you can see the whole group taking time to say a rosary to Our Lady of Loreto.  

An intense moment during the rosary! 

Here you see a close up picture of Our Lay of Loreto. 

Misc...

Some more random pics...

The San Damiano Cross is the one St. Francis was praying before when he received the commission from the Lord to rebuild the Church. We saw the cross in person...it hangs in Santa Chiarra (St.Clare) Church in Assisi, Italy. All Franciscans cherish his cross as the symbol of their mission from God. The cross is called an icon cross because it contains images of people who have a part in the meaning of the cross. 

Mother Adela with Fr. Joe, Craig (a seminarian at the NAC), Deacon Theo, and me.  

Loreto

Loreto at night!!! Spectacular! 



Well today we arrived in Loreto...still very cold! It actually snowed in Assisi yesterday.  It was so beautiful-huge snowflakes.  

We arrived at La Casa Santa (the Holy House) the house at Nazareth in which Mary had been born and brought up, had received the annunciation that she would bear the child Jesus, and had lived during the childhood of Jesus and after his Ascension, was converted into a church by the apostles. In 336 the empress Helena made a pilgrimage to Nazareth and directed that a basilica be erected over it, in which worship continued until the fall of the kingdom of Jerusalem.

The Holy House was threatened with destruction by the Turks, the house was carried by angels through the air and depo

sited (129

1) in the first instance on a hill at Terasatto (now Trsat, a suburb of Rijeka, Croatia), where an appearance of the Virgin and numerous miraculous cures attested its sanctity. These miracles were confirmed by investigations made at Nazareth by messengers from the governor of Dalmatia. In 1294 the angels carried it across the Adriatic to the woods near Recanati; from this woods ( Latin lauretum, Italian Colli del Laurie), or from the name of its proprietrix 

(Laureta), the chapel derived the name which it still retains (sacellum gloriosae Virginis in Laureto). 

From this spot it was afterwards (1295) removed to the present hill, one other slight adjustment being required to fix it in its actual site. It is this house that gave the title Our Lady of Loreto sometimes applied to the Virgin. The miracle is occasionally represented in religious art wherein the house is borne by an angelic host.

Standing outside the Basilica of the Holy House

Huge picture of our patron saint: St. Michael the Archangel.  

This Basilica is so beautiful.  I celebrated mass for everyone downstairs in the Crypt.  Truly a blessing to be among the very walls where Our Blessed Mother grew up, and received the Annunciation... if those walls could talk!!!

St. Francis

Today we are in Assisi. This morning we celebrated mass in the Church of St. Francis. After mass they gave us a tour of the church which includes his tomb...very impressive.

I will try and post tonight. The wifi is not working in my hotel so it makes it a bit of a challenge!

Ciao!

Eucharistic Miracle of Siena

August 14, 1730, thieves entered the Church of St. Francis picked the lock to the tabernacle and carried away the golden ciborium containing consecrated Hosts.
The theft went undiscovered until the next morning, when the priest opened the tabernacle at the Communion of the Mass. Then later, when a parishioner found the lid of the ciborium lying in the street, the suspicion of sacrilege was confirmed. The Archbishop ordered public prayers of reparation.
Two days later, on August 17, while praying in the Church of St. Mary of Provenzano, a priest's attention was directed to something white protruding from the offering box attached to his prie dieu. Realizing that it was a Host, he informed the other priests of the church, who in turn notified the Archbishop and the friars of the Church of St. Francis.
When the offering box was opened, in the presence of local priests and the representative of the Archbishop, a large number of Hosts were found, some of them suspended by cobwebs. The Hosts were compared with some unconsecrated ones used in the Church of St. Francis, and proved to be exactly the same size and to have the same mark of the irons upon which they were baked. The number of Hosts corresponded exactly to the number the Franciscan friars had estimated were in the ciborium -- 348 whole Hosts and six halves.
Since the offering box was opened but once a year, the Hosts were covered with the dust and debris that had collected there. After being carefully cleaned by the priests, they were enclosed in a ciborium and placed inside the tabernacle of the main altar of the Church of St. Mary. The following day, in the company of a great gathering of townspeople, Archbishop Alessandro Zondadari carried the Sacred Hosts in solemn procession back to the Church of St. Francis.

During the two centuries that followed it has sometimes been wondered why the Hosts were not consumed by a priest during Mass, which would have been the ordinary procedure in such a case.

To the amazement of the clergy, the Hosts did not deteriorate, but remained fresh and even retained a pleasant scent. With the passage of time the Conventual Franciscans became convinced that they were witnessing a continuing miracle of preservation.
By this miracle the Hosts have remained whole and shiny, and have maintained the characteristic scent of unleavened bread. Since they are in such a perfect state of conservation, maintaining the appearances of bread, the Catholic Church assures us that although they were consecrated in the year 1730, these Eucharistic Hosts are still really and truly the Body of Christ. The miraculous Hosts have been cherished and venerated in the Basilica of St. Francis in Sienna for over 250 years.

I can not begin to express what I felt celebrating mass and also being able to bless the people with the miracle.

I never imagined that they would allow me to pick up the miracle. I was so nervous and overwhelmed. I kissed it and then placed it back in its place. I could not believe what had just happened. What a blessing! One of the greatest gift of my priesthood to date!!!

Assisi

Just arrived in Assisi after a very long day.

I wont be able to post pictures due to the fact that the wifi in the hotel is down. The Fransican Frair at the front desk was kind enought to allow me to use the front desk computer t0 post this for you guys.

I have so much to tell you all! We were in Siena all day and you wont believe all that I have to share...and the pictures!

I pray all is well. I hope to post tomorrow.

God Bless!

Baby Marcelo Update

Baby Marcelo is finally home and doing GREAT!  I got a comment post from mom and Abuela and he is doing fantastic.  Thanks to so many people who have prayed for this baby.  God has big plans for this kid... he truly is a miracle baby!   

Congrats Cristina and Ramon.

more pics from today...

Its Sister Amanda's birthday.  We celebrated with a surprise cake.

Happy Birthday Sister! 
*another pic of me at the St. Augustine's tomb.  

St. Augustine

Hi All! 

Just got back to the hotel after another great day in Italia.  We spent the day in Pavia.  A very nice town...

One of the things that struck me the most is how in this small out of the way town...in a relatively small Basilica, you find the remain of one of the greatest doctors of our Church!!! 

After studying so many years in the seminary and especially studying the works and writings of St. Augustine... it was such an overwhelming feeling to be in the presence of his remains- what a blessing!

(picture of me praying at the tomb of St. Augustine)

One of the beautiful things about this pilgrimage is the theme: "Family...be who you are" The trip is full of young families committed to the Catholic faith.  I see these kids and i am amazed at how much they know about the faith.  Since a very young age they have been around these incredible sisters.  

Good morning Pavia!

Awake, lyre and harp, with praise let us awake the dawn... Man is it cold! 

Pavia: Basilica of St. Peter in Ciel d'Oro
The original church dates back to the year 604 after Christ. The actual Basilica we see today dates to the twelfth century.  It was consecrated in 1132 by Pope Innocencio II.  It called Ciel d'Oro because of the gold colors on the ceiling.  

I'll post more about the visit later. 

Milan

Hi guys! 

Great to have so many comments.. i love them!

Happy Birthday Lyanne on this the feast of Our Lady of Lourdes!

What a beautiful trip thus far.  Just arrived at the

 hotel  after a very long day.  

We crossed over the snow covered Alps to get to Milan... absolutely spectacular! 

After arriving at the airport we headed to central Milan to the Cathedral- Il Duomo.  what an incredible place...they told us that this is the 2nd largest Cathedral with the capacity of 40,000 people... truly a site to see.

We had a great lunch at the galleria and then returned for the Holy Mass.  

It is absolutely freezing... when i was standing in line to go into the Cathedral i was thinking to myself... "oh good... let's go inside it will be warm"... yeah right! it was colder inside then out! I didn't have on all my layers... Tomorrow i will be ready for the cold.

The statue behind me is of Leonardo (not a ninja turtle or Dicaprio) ...Davinci. 

Standing in front of the Cathedral: Beatriz, Indigo, Me, Mother Adela, Sister Ana Margarita.  

Tomorrow we head to Pavia where the remains of St. Augustine are kept. 

(I promise to post more pics...)

Ciao

JFK

We just landed here in JFK New York at 3pm.  We took time to pray the chaplet of Divine Mercy...

Our plane leaves for Milan around 5pm.   

Ciao. 

PS> By the way, i love the comments... keep them coming!