Champaign-Urbana Deaf Catholic Ministry

Take time...

I have been using a book titled "Daily Prayers for the People of God", by Owen O'Sullivan (Pauline Press, 2000) recently to help me with my daily prayers.  As I was reading the entry for tonight ("Friday Evening, week 3), I came upon a prayer that I feel compelled to share.  The source is cited as "anonymous" - everytime I see that, I think of God using someone for His work!

This is the prayer:

Take time to think: it is the source of power.

Take time to play: it is the source of perpetual youth.

Take time to read:  it is the fountain of wisdom.

Take time to pray:  it is the greatest power on earth.

Take time to love and to be loved:  it is a God-given privilege.

Take time to be friendly: it is the road to happiness.

Take time to laugh:  it is the music of the soul.

Take time to give:  it is too short a day to be selfish.

Take time to work:  it is the price of success.

Take time to do charity:  it is the key to heaven.

Today, I went to the wake for a friend's grandmother.  She was 99 years old and was well-loved by her family and friends.  Her family and friends told stories of how she always took care of her children, always had dessert at every meal, and always wanted to make sure that her family was safe and happy.  She is now in a better place, reunited with her husband and watching over us all.  Although I did not know her personally, from the stories at the wake, it is evident that she heeded the prayer above.  She loved, laughed, gave of herself, played, lived and was friends with many.  This is the second week I have attended the wake of someone who lived a long, well-lived, well-loved life.  My prayer tonight as I go to sleep will be that God will see fit to grant me the same thing that these two women have enjoyed:  a long life and a happy death.

In the words of the dear friend who died last week:  "May God bless you, and angels watch over you." 

Holy Mary, Mother of God

I've been thinking a lot about Mary, the Mother of God, recently. 

A week ago, on December 8th, the Catholic Church celebrated the Feast of the Immaculate Conception.  Every year I get the question, "How can Jesus be born on December 25th if His immaculate conception happened on December 8th?"  Every year, I explain that it is the Immaculate Conception of Mary that we are celebrating.  (Jesus' conception is celebrated March 25th with the Feast of the Annunciation.)  God, in His infinite wisdom, created the perfect vessel to carry His Son, granting her the freedom from original sin and grace to resist sin as she grew up.  Sometimes God's actions are part of a long-range plan.  He had to wait for Mary to grow up before she could become the Mother of His Son.   

Last week, a very dear friend passed away.  She was 90 years young, full of faith and love, and leaves behind a large loving family.  Seeing them together at the wake was a lesson in how a family should be - husbands and wives openly holding hands and supporting each other, grandchildren telling loving stories of "Life with Lee" and just giving thanks for a life well-lived.  Mary's beautiful Magnificat - the hymn she sings upon visiting her cousin Elizabeth - was on the back of the memorial cards handed out at her wake and funeral.  This song was also sung during Communion during her Funeral Mass.  It is one of my favorite songs - and reminds me of God's wonderful graces and promises.

On December 12th, the Church celebrated the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe.  On December 12, 1531, Mary visited St. Juan Diego, a humble peasant, near Mexico City and told him she wanted to have a church built in her honor on the site.  Juan Diego went to visit the bishop, who requested a sign to prove that his claim is true.  When Juan went back, Mary told him to gather some flowers and take them to the bishop.  He found some roses (even though it was winter), Mary arranged them in his cloak, and he went off to the bishop.  When St. Diego arrived back at the bishop, he opened up his cloak and the picture of the Virgin Mary had miraculously appeared on his cloak.  This cloak is still preserved at a shrine outside Mexico City. 

The stories of Mary herself and Juan Diego remind me that God visits those that are humble, the ones that "others" don't seem to think are "important".  Every time I read the biblical story of the Annunciation, I get goosebumps.  Imagine you are a 13-year-old young woman.  An angel appears to you and says you are going to bear God's son. Your first question is how in the world this will happen, since you are a virgin.  The angel tells you, "The Holy Spirit shall come down upon you and the Power of the Most High will overshadow you.  Therefore, the child to be born shall be called holy, the Son of God."  Now - this is where I get goosebumps.  How many 13-year-olds do you know who would listen this - this preposterous idea that a humble virgin would give birth to the Son of God - and say, "Behold, I am the handmaiden of the Lord.  Let it be done to me according to your word."  There's no way she could have known exactly what she was saying "yes" to - but we, her spiritual sons and daughters, owe her a great debt of gratitude and praise, for her "yes", for her faith, and for her example.

This Advent season is truly challenging for some of us.  Times are uncertain, some people have no jobs or homes.  We don't know what's coming in this next year.  Maybe we need to be willing to step outside of what is comfortable and what is "usual" to actually believe in God's preposterous plans and say "Yes, Lord, I will follow you.  I don't know where it will all lead, but you do and will give me the tools I need."  Who knows?  Maybe your "yes" will lead to something even greater than you could imagine! 

May each of you have a Blessed Advent. 

More information on Vatican Conference

Hello everyone!  Father Joe Mulcrone and Father Tony Schueger have been very busy putting together their notes from the Vatican Conference in November.  These notes, along with other information, (including the text of what the Holy Father said when we saw him that Friday morning) can also be found on the following website:

Chicago Catholic Office of the Deaf

In addition, the International Catholic Foundation for the Service of Deaf Persons has pictures and links to other news articles on the conference:

International Catholic Foundation  

 

Thanksgiving 2009

Tomorrow we celebrate Thanksgiving Day in the United States.  Looking back over my recent trip to Rome, I think our group celebrated a little early.  I want to take a little of time to reflect over the things I am most thankful for this year.

1.  I am very thankful, and grateful, for the fact that I was able to go to Medjugorje with my mother in October.  Medjugorje is a wonderful place of peace and faith that really woke me up to the benefits of prayer and reflection.  I am particularly glad I was able to go with Mom and give her the ability to see me with other Deaf people and see how we interact together.  It was a revelation for her, as well as for me.

2.  I am extremely thankful that I was able to attend the recent Conference in Rome on "Ephphata:  Deaf People in the Life of the Church", and some of the activities before and after the conference.  I was able to meet people who have spent their entire lives in Deaf ministry and never dreamed about the possibility of the conference at the Vatican.  I met a Deaf/Blind priest from London who does not let the fact that he is Deaf and Blind stop him in any way from participating in the faith-filled life he lives.  I met a Hearing priest who has worked for years in Cambodia and has worked for the last 12 years to help the Cambodian Deaf develop a nationally recognized Sign Language.  To echo what someone else told me, "There are no words or Signs that are enough to fully show how I feel about this conference."  It was a profound blessing.  I am grateful, also, for the support from the Chicago Archdiocese Catholic Office of the Deaf and St. Patrick's parish in Urbana, IL, which provided funding for me to go.  It is not a trip I will forget anytime soon.

3.  I am thankful that, in these troubled economic times, I have a roof over my head, food in my refrigerator, a stable job, and a car that runs.  While there are certainly adventures in taking care of the house and car, there are too many people here in the U.S. and in other parts of the world that do not have adequate food, shelter or transportation.  In Ecuador, the government has decided that the Deaf cannot get a driver's license.   If they can't drive, they can't work, have money, buy food, or have the basic necessities of life. 

4.  I am grateful to live in the United States.  While there are certainly things about our country that need to and should be fixed, both in everyday life and in our interactions with the disabled, we have it so much better than other countries.  There is no such thing as the Americans with Disabilities Act in Europe.  There are still countries that actively oppress the Deaf and those with other disabilities.  Attending the conference at the Vatican opened my eyes to these needs and make me appreciate where I live all the more.

5.  I am grateful that I have a family that loves me.  While we certainly have our differences at times, at the core we love each other and try to do our best for each other.  There are people around the world who have had to leave their families in search of a better life, without knowing if their family is still alive or dead. I recently read a story about the Lost Boys of Sudan.  You can find it here.   One of them recently went back and found his mother.  They hadn't seen each other for 20 years.  These young men, in their late 20's, want to go back to a country that brutalized them and their families, and make things better.  They inspire me to think about how I can help others. 

6.  I am profoundly grateful for the gift that God sent us more than 2,000 years ago - His Son.  On Sunday, we start the season of Advent and a new church year.  We will focus on the Gospel of Luke and prepare ourselves for Christmas and the coming of Christ.  The ads and stories right now tell us that to be happy we have to buy things - for ourselves and for others.  Just once during this season of Advent, and during Christmas, try to take some time out to say "Thanks" to the One who started it all - God, His Son, and His Holy Mother.  Mary, who was barely a teenager at the time, willingly said "yes" to a preposterous idea that she would bear the Son of God.  Let's each try to take some time to say "yes" to God and some of the preposterous ideas he plants in our heads to help further His purpose and His kingdom.

My Thanksgiving wish for each of you who takes the time to read this blog is a happy, healthy, grateful Advent and a wonderful, faith-filled New Year.

Our Last Day - November 22

The weather changed on us a bit today and turned a little cooler and cloudy as we left Roma heading to Assisi.  We first stopped off at Ovierto, a city literally on the top of a steep cliff that dates back to Etruscan times (800 BC).  They have a magnificent cathedral that has frescoes inside that we painted by the TEACHER of Michelangelo.  He wasn't able to complete them all, but his students continued his work and completed them.  The outside of the Cathedral has four pillars.  The first pillar is decorated with statues and stories of the creation of the world.  The second pillar is decorated with scenes from the Tree of Jesse (Old Testament).  The third pillar has scenes from the life of Jesus (New Testament) and the fourth is decorated with scenes from the Last Judgment (Revelation).  The pillars were started in the 13th century and completed in the 14th century.  Since they had better tools and better knowledge in the 14th century, the fourth pillar has more complex designs and faces than the first. 

The facade of the cathedral is very beautiful and includes mosaics of the Virgin Mary, the four Doctors of the Church, and several other scenes.  We didn't have much time to walk through and admire the church - the bishop was coming to celebrate the feast of Christ the King and there was to be a parade and procession.  However, our guide (who lives in the town) told us that the Feast of Corpus Christi (Body and Blood of Christ) is more important to this town because of a wonderful miracle that happened in nearby Bolsena. 

In 1263 a German priest, Peter of Prague, stopped at Bolsena while on a pilgrimage to Rome. He is described as being a pious priest, but one who found it difficult to believe that Christ was actually present in the consecrated Host. While celebrating Holy Mass above the tomb of St. Christina (located in the church named for this martyr), he had barely spoken the words of Consecration when blood started to seep from the consecrated Host and trickle over his hands onto the altar and the corporal.

The priest was immediately confused. At first he attempted to hide the blood, but then he interrupted the Mass and asked to be taken to the neighboring city of Orvieto, the city where Pope Urban IV was then residing.

The Pope listened to the priest's account and absolved him. He then sent emissaries for an immediate investigation. When all the facts were ascertained, he ordered the Bishop of the diocese to bring to Orvieto the Host and the linen cloth bearing the stains of blood. With archbishops, cardinals and other Church dignitaries in attendance, the Pope met the procession and, amid great pomp, had the relics placed in the cathedral. The linen corporal bearing the spots of blood is still reverently enshrined and exhibited in the Cathedral of Orvieto. On the Feast of Corpus Christi, the corporal is placed inside a special holder and paraded through the streets of Orvieto.  Pope John Paul II himself has carried this monstrance! 

Orvieto is also closely related to the papacy - one of the Popes was installed there instead of the Vatican and several have lived there while fleeing Rome and the various armies that wanted to kill them.

We also took the time to tour one of the underground caves that date back to Etruscan times and include a burial tomb, a well and kilns.  We also saw a well that was ordered by Pope Urban IV so that the city could have water.  Finally, we saw an area where they put up a Christmas nativity every year with statues that move.  Each year, a different group is responsible for putting this together and running it.   Once our tour was done, our host (the cave's owner) provided us with a wine tasting with some great bread and olive oil.   Brian liked the wine so much he got a bottle to take home!

We then headed to Assisi past some great scenery.  Just before heading into the town, we stopped at a family-owned winery for lunch.  Lunch was a little different - it was a wine tasting coupled with little hor d'ouevres.  We tried one white wine and two reds.  One of the red wines is cured in steel casks instead of wood and it definitely has a different flavor.  I bought a bottle of that to take home.  At the end of our lunch, we had a special surprise birthday cake for Father Joe.  His birthday is Tuesday and he said later he couldn't think of a better place to celebrate his birthday than in Italy!  The cake was wonderful - a sponge cake with chocolate truffles on top! 

We finally got into the town of Assisi about 3 pm and headed to the church of St. Clare.  When I was here last year with a big group of Deaf people, we weren't able to get into the church of St. Clare because it was closed.  This church is special because it holds the original San Damiano cross.  St. Francis was praying in front of this cross when he heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Francis, repair my church for it is in ruin".  We were able to spend a little bit of time praying in front of this cross.  We also went down to the tomb of St. Clare.  She died in 1253 (more than 750 years ago) and her body is still uncorrupted (hasn't decayed).  I have to admit it's a little odd looking at the body of someone who died over 750 years ago but it was definitely a holy place.

Once we all finished our meditation and prayer time, we walked through the town (stopping at various shops along the way, of course!) to the Basilica of St. Francis.  Inside the basilica walls are frescoes that, as our guide said, "are basically an open book about the life of St. Francis."  Included is the famous story of St. Francis renouncing his birthright to his father, literally stripping himself of all of his clothing in the middle of the town square and choosing God in front of all the bishops and townspeople.  St Francis' father was a wealthy cloth merchant, so St. Francis was giving up a significantly privileged life to be among the poor.  There is also the story of when he went to Pope Innocent III to ask permission to establish his order.  The night before he met Francis, Innocent III had a dream about meeting him and immediately recognized him when he met him the following day. 

We spent a little time looking at the various stories and then went down to the tomb of St. Francis.  We had some time to pray in front of this very holy man and then headed back down to our bus.  By this time it was almost 5:30 pm so it was dark - it was interesting to look over the valley and see lights coming on in various houses and homes. 

We got back to Roma at about 8:30 pm and split off into a few groups.  Some of us met Jimmy Smith at a restaurant around the corner from our restaurant for a last meal, I headed over to the "wifi restaurant" for one last computer session (and gelato with strawberries!),  a few people headed up to their rooms to PACK and REST.

Tomorrow morning we get on the bus at 9:15 and we fly out of Rome airport.  I can't remember what time our flight leaves but it's probably about noon or so. 

THANK YOU to everyone who has prayed for us, made this trip possible, and supported us on this journey.  It has definitely been a trip we won't forget. 

Saturday November 21

I am writing this post in a little restaurant near our hotel with a bowl of gelato and strawberries.  It's the perfect ending to the day!  Today was the last day of the Conference.  It started off with a bang with Cardinal Angelini of the Vatican presiding and offering his remarks.  He said he had traveled over the world working on health care issues for the Pontiff and was glad to be back "home" - he is Italian. 

Father Joe had a very good summary of the conference, talking about how this conference was the beginning of a journey to open - open doors, open hearts, open minds.  He also remarked that 80% of the Deaf are poor with no access or rights in the world.  We have to remember those people as well.  His full remarks will be on the ICF website soon.

Archbishop Kelley remarked how the Deaf have taught him many things and how one of the other Archbishops that attended our conference briefly told him that he (the other Archbishop) now understands that there are differences between American Sign Language, British Sign Language and Italian Sign Language.  He hadn't realized there were so many differences!

Matthew, the hearing child of one of the couples that shared their experiences yesterday, shared his thoughts after being questioned and said he would definitely be sharing his experiences with his classmates!  His favorite moment was when he was able to meet the Pope!  (Some of the speakers were able to meet him, not all.) 

After that, there was an opportunity for people to share their comments and concerns.  Most were saying how they were happy to have this conference, one of them said to please make sure we consider adults were become Deaf late in life and don't necessarily know Sign Language when considering the needs of the Deaf.  Father Cyril Axelrod also said the church needs to continue to support the Deaf, provide opportunities for Deaf to meet other Deaf, and help Deaf teach other Deaf about God and faith.

Father Cavaglieri shared how we need to see the glass as "half full", not "half empty" in some of our concerns and needs.  

Bishop Zimorski then said there will be a number of recommendations made to the Vatican as a result of this conference.  They will be included in the published report of the conference proceedings.   Among the recommendations are a central office at the Vatican that focuses on pastoral work for the Deaf; the need to have specific training on Deaf culture and sign language for seminarians; that each diocese should have at least 1 priest who knows Sign language and can provide the sacraments and ministry for the Deaf; that Deaf people should be included as memers of the group that teaches about the Deaf; each diocese should have at least 1 church where Deaf people can go and participate in the Mass; that Church ministry to the Deaf also include the needs of Deaf families; Deaf people should be able to study faith formation at all levels (including seminarians); list certified interpreters so people have resources to go to for interpreters; and the Holy Father needs to remove all barriers so that the Deaf can fully participate in the liturgy and sacraments.  These are pretty important recommendations and it will be interesting to see what happens after this.

Bishop Zimorski also said that the Deaf need to be able to use their skills to contribute at all levels of teaching.  Jesus wants us to touch all the Deaf all around the world. 

Finally, the Archbishop (I can't remember his name) said that as a result of this conference, two of the things that will be recommended are (1) to develop a working group with Vatican participation to work on the recommendations of the conference and (2) to add a question to the Ad Limina questionnaire that asks each bishop what they are doing for Deaf ministry in their diocese.  Every 5 years, bishops from each region have Ad Limina visits to Rome.  Before they go on this visit, the Vatican sends them a questionnaire to fill out and send back before they come.  When they come for their visit, the answers to that questionnaire are part of the conversation of the visit.  Having a question on the questionnaire related to Deaf ministry would be an important way to communicate to the Bishops that the Vatican feels Deaf ministry is important.  After closing with a prayer, the conference was over!

I grabbed a quick lunch with Sister Pat Francis, Maryann Barth and Jim Dunne then we took a bus over to the Little Mission of the Deaf here in Rome.  We had a meeting at the church near there where there were more opportunities for people to provide comments and concerns.  One priest noted that there was no discussion of the Deaf in the developing countries - Malaysia, Cambodia, Indonesia, China, Africa during this conference.  He serves 14 million Deaf in Indonesia and other areas of Southeast Asia - and is simply one priest who is becoming old.  Who will replace him when he can't serve anymore?  He has a strong point.  Another Italian woman asked why we didn't have more Deaf presenters.  Terry O'Meara, the US Head of the ICF, said he provided a list of suggested presenters.  He had only two hearing people on that list, Chelo and Ian Anderson.  All the other people on the list were Deaf.  The Vatican chose the presenters so we have to work with the Vatican.

We then had Mass that was concelebrated by Archbishop Zimorski and Archbishop Holley, along with the visiting priests.  Afterwards we walked back to the Little Mission for some social time and a quick bite to eat before heading back to the hotel.  Some peope headed off to another restaurant to get some more food (we didn't have time to each much at the Little Mission), while others went to get some gelato and then headed back to the hotel.

Tomorrow we head to Assisi and Ovierto.  Our bus leaves at 7 am, so many of us are going to bed early!

Please pray that we have a safe trip and good weather!  We hear that the weather at home is less than wonderful so we are thankful for the good weather we have here. 

Friday November 20

Today we started the 2nd day of the conference.  A woman from Ireland who runs a school there (and is Deaf) talked about her experience being raised oral and how the Deaf institutions in Ireland are declining as more and more students are mainstreamed (sounds much like the situation in the US).  She also talked about how it's essential that the parents be able to communicate with their children to be able to give them the religious background and values that they need.  It was a good talk.

Then, there were three different families that shared their experiences.  One was Deaf parents with a hearing child, they are the only Deaf in their village and have to drive a ways to connect to other Deaf, it's hard for them to connect to their church.  Another was a Deaf husband with Hearing wife.  She shared how she doesn't want to be called "her husband's voice".  The third was two Hearing parents with 3 children, 2 Deaf and 1 Hearing.  They shared how it's hard to teach the Deaf children what's happening at Mass without interpreters and access to training at church.  They have concerns about their children feeling isolated and not meeting other Deaf.

Then - we gathered for a semi-organized trip through the Vatican grounds to see the Pope!  We all gathered in groups by Sign Language (English, Italian, American Sign Language, etc.)  We walked past a square where the original cross where St Peter was martyred was actually located, past the outside of the Sistine Chapel, into a building.  Then we climbed 3 flights of stairs (marble!), then waited outside a hallway for a bit then went into what is known as the Clementine Chapel.  No, it's not because of something related to Clementine, it is related to Pope Clement.  (Can't remember the number.)  Once we got all our seats (Alas, I wasn't in the front row this time), we waited a bit longer, then IN COMES THE POPE!  He made some remarks, some people got to meet him, including one deaf/blind priest from South Africa.  What a moment!  We also had a group picture taken.

We went to lunch and rest, then this afternoon had a round table with some pastoral workers.  Archbishop Kelley signed his talk in British Sign Language, talking about how the Deaf have taught him how to be a bishop.  Cyril Axelrod, the Deaf/Blind priest, shared several dreams that he had.  One of them was that the Pope currently knows 8 languages.  He needs to add another one - Sign Language!  (Just basic international Sign would be fine!)  He also called on changes for the Bishops to support Deaf vocations.   A hearing pastoral worker from Australia shared how access to language was improving there but the church need to support her ministry more.  A nun from Italy shared her experiences teaching deaf Youth.  She also told us "You are workers from the vineyard.  It is not yet done, Jesus trusts you to work on his vineyard."  Then - Ian Robertson from the US shared his work with St. Thomas University in Florida, the first university in the world with a Master's Degree in Pastoral Work with the Deaf.

There were some other remarks made by other bishops.  I almost forgot - at the session on Thursday morning, a Cardinal was there (red hat).  Father Joe said that man was the 3rd ranking person in the Vatican!  That would be like the Speaker of the House Pelosi attending a conference like this in the US!  Quite a presence!

We had dinner tonight and I'm logging on using their free wifi.  (Always nice!)  Tomorrow we finish the conference in the morning and then have a post conference meeting.  Sunday we head to Assisi! 

Ciao for now!  The weather has been wonderful - 60s and 70s with sunny skies every day.  Romans are shocked - this is NOT normal weather for Rome in November.  Usually it's in the 50s and rainy every day.  God has blessed us abundantly! 

Thursday November 19

Today the Conference started!  We have 520 people registered at the conference and about 11 different Sign Languages.  It's fascinating to see how they have things set up.  English, Spanish, Italian and British Sign Languages are set up on video screens.  Germany, Ireland, France and some other countries are set up with their interpreters in one row and the Deaf from that country in a row behind the interpreter.  (The interpreter stands up and faces towards the Deaf.)  We have color coded badges so they know who are the Deaf and who are the Hearing.  Deaf have yellow, Hearing have blue and Interpreters have orange badges.  It's pretty effective - they have reserved seats for the Deaf in various areas.  The Italians actually sit where the Italians are designated!  (This does not always happen!)

This morning we first started with a medical explanation of Deafness (this is, after all, run by the office on Health Care in the Vatican).  Then, the "real" presentations started with Deacon Pat Graybill, who said that we need to have a "New Pentecost", with all different languages and everyone understanding.  Very inspiring!  Mary Ann Barth and Chelo (I can't remember her full name) presented together.  Chelo is Hearing from Mexico, Mary Ann is Deaf from the US.  They intentionally did their presentation together, alternating back and forth, to show the people at the conference that Deaf and Hearing can work together.  Chelo reminded everyone that "Deaf can do everything - except hear!"  At lunchtime we went to a restaurant nearby then we went back to the hotel to rest before the afternoon presentations.  In the afternoon, there was a little different tone with presentations from a professor in Belgium and some others who focused more on "fixing" Deafness, cued Speech and Cochlear Implants.  It was a big change from this morning!  After the conference, all of the group seemed to disappear!  I walked down the street near St Peter's and found a nice little restaurant to eat in, took a few pictures in the nighttime and headed back to the hotel.

They made one big announcement this afternoon - tomorrow we see the Pope!!!!  (His schedule changed, and we all know that the Pope's schedule trumps anyone else's!)

Wednesday November 18

Today is Wednesday, which is a Papal Audience day.  Some members of our group headed over there for the audience.  I headed over to the Basilica of St. John in Lateran.  There is a building across from the Basilica that used to have the private chapel of the Popes and also has what is called the Holy Staircase.  If you look at my posts from last year's trip, you will see that this was one of my favorite places in Rome.  I took the time to climb the 28 steps of the staircase on my knees, using a prayer book as I went.  It was very hard to do and really made me appreciate more and more the suffering Jesus bore for me.  Once I was upstairs I went into a little chapel behind the Papal chapel where there is a beautiful crucifix.  I spent some time praying (and resting) there.  Then, I headed over to the Basilica itself.

Off to the side of the entrance was a sign for a museum.  The tour was going to start in 5 minutes so I decided to take the tour.  It was fabulous, showing some of the living areas of the Popes and some of the original tables and chairs used by the Popes.  There were also fabulous frescoes on the walls and ceilings of the various rooms.  Our guide also showed us the "most valuable artifact in this building", which is the guest book signed by all of the guests that came there.  I didn't understand who the guests were but I understood the "most important artifact" part!  There were also paintings of each of the popes and some of the chairs that you see in the paintings that they still have.  There is a gorgeous painting of Pope John Paul II that I hope turns out well.  They also have uniforms of the Papal guards.  It was worth the 5 Euros that it took to get in here! 

Once I went into the Basilica itself, I saw some things I didn't notice last year.  Then, I went into one of the gift shops and they had ANOTHER museum off the gift shop!  I paid one Euro and went in there - and was immediately awed by the huge crosses and monstrances they had displayed.  There were papal vestments and other things there too.  The quality and attention to detail in the craftsmanship of these things was just breathtaking.

Once I finished in the museum I went back out into the basilica, took a little more time, then headed back outside and found a bus back to Termini train station.  I found a restaurant there for some lunch and was able to make a pit stop there (had to pay to get into the toilet!) before heading back to the hotel.  I need to get back and change clothes for Mass tonight! 

Thanks so much to everyone for the prayers so far.  I know that we all feel your prayers and protection.  Tomorrow the conference starts in earnest and we hope to have lots and lots of prayers.  Richard Kush, past president of the ICDA (International Catholic Deaf ASsociation) will be offering the opening prayer at one of the sessions!  I will try to get a picture of that.  Please pray for the success of the sessions and the ability for all of the Deaf participants to fully understand and see what's going on! 

Tuesday November 17

Today was our last 'free' day before pre-conference activities start.  Our group split up again.  The tour group went to the Colosseum, the Basilica of St. John in Lateran, and Father Joe's "favorite church in Rome", St. Paul Outside the Walls.  They had lunch as part of the tour and I'm sure went to a few other places as well, such as the Pantheon.

I went over to the Basilica of St. Peter's and spent quite a bit of time there in the morning.  First, I went over to Michelangelo's beautiful Pieta.  I offered a Rosary there, reciting the Sorrowful Mysteries.  I then wandered around St. Peter's for a bit and ended up at the tomb of Pope John XXIII.  I offered another Rosary there, this time reciting the Glorious Mysteries.  I was grateful for one of the guards.  I decided to sit down as I was reciting the Rosary (silently, of course).  The guard saw me praying, came over, and motioned me into one of the pews in front of Pope John's tomb.  I was able to sit in the relative luxury of the pew while I said the Rosary!  How lucky for me!  I then finished my circuit of St. Peter's and headed outside again.  To the right of the main entrance (as you are looking at the entrance) is an entrance to the Tomb of the Popes.  I went there because we had not had time last year to see the tomb of Pope John Paul II.  I followed the signs and saw the tombs of a number of popes, then came upon the tomb of Pope John Paul II.  There is an area roped off for people who want to stay and pray a little bit, so I went over into that area and offered my 3rd rosary of the day, this time offering the Luminous Mysteries that Pope John Paul II gave us. (Thanks to Father Tony for a great idea!)

After I finished going through the tomb, I went back outside and back around to the entrance again - this time to join the line for a climb up to the top of the dome of St. Peter's.  Father Hogan had told me I HAD to do this for the great view of Rome and he was absolutely correct!  There is a warning sign - after you pay 7 Euros (about $10), you can take an elevator to the top of the Sistine Chapel and VAtican Museum buildings.  From that point, you STILL have to climb 312 steps (according to the sign) to get to the top of the dome.  You first can go inside to see the inside of ST. Peter's from that dome and see the people down on the floor.  They look like ants!  After climbing the 312 steps (stopping a few times to catch my breath), I went outside around the dome and saw a fantastic view of Roma.  Thanks to Father Hogan for the suggestion! 

After coming back down, I walked to the colonnade (street) in front of the Vatican to Castel d'Angelo, or Castle of the Angels.  This looks like a museum now.  I didn't go inside but walked across the Tiber River to another major road on the other side of the river and caught a bus to St. Mary of the Angels.  We did not see this church last year so I decided I wanted to see it this year.  It is quite pretty.  They also had an exhibit in the church about Galileo (Galilei in Italian) and some of his famous inventions, including the pendulum.   I spent some time praying there and completed my full Rosary of the day by praying the joyful mysteries there. 

After seeing all this, I caught a bus back to our hotel and rested a little bit before the big event last night.  Mary Ann Barth is here to present and her sister, Pam is also here with her husband.  Pam and Father Joe got together and planned a surprise party for Mary Ann's birthday here in Rome.  The big surprise is that Mary Ann's birthday isn't until JANUARY!  Anyway, I met Father Tony, Sister Pat Francis, Deacon Pat Graybill and Father Joe in the lobby.  Father Joe told us where the restaurant was and we went on ahead.  We met Mary and Terry O'Meara and Chelo on the way, Ian followed a little bit later.  Mary Ann showed up at 7 pm and was VERY surprised!  We then had a FEAST!  We started off with antipasto platters too many to count - salmon with oil, fried anchovies, fried clams, calamari, all sorts of seafood.  There were also a few platters of roasted breaded vegetables, including eggplant, tomatoes and others.  It reminded me of Thanksgiving when you have so much food you have to have another table for all the plates!  Then, we had a risotto with tomato/cream sauce (very good).  THEN we had a lettuce salad.  Soon after that (we didn't even have time to finish the salad!) came this wonderful, melt in your mouth fish.  It was absolutely divine.  There were also crab legs and seafood on the side.  FINALLY, they brought out a cake made basically with layers of thin cookies with custard and chocolate chips inside.  Pam brought candles so they had those on the cake and we all sang happy birthday.  It was so great!  An archbishop and priest were sitting behind us and also wished Mary Ann a happy birthday.  They were from Venezuela.  In addition to the cake (as if we needed more!) they also brought some fresh fruit, including watermelon, pineapple, grapes and other fruit.  THEN, they brought three bottles.  One bottle was limoncello, which Father Joe (very appropriately) called "lemon with a kick".  A second was grappa, which is made by boiling the 2nd pressing of grapes after the first pressing for wine is done.  Father Joe says if you drink grappa you will fall over!  None of us knew what the 3rd bottle was.  I tried a couple sips of limoncello and it definitely has a kick!  We gave the archbishop some limoncello and he had 2 glasses!  When he got up to leave, he serenaded Mary Ann before he left the restaurant.  Mary Ann's sister and brother-in-law both tried the grappa.  Pam's husband had 2 glasses, and the second definitely hit him!  Pam herself was getting pretty friendly with the waiters when we left!

Both Mary Ann Barth and Pat Graybill had to leave by 9:40.  Why??? Well, they are both staying at the Vatican because they are presenting at the conference.  They are staying at the same hotel that the Cardinals stay in when there is a meeting to elect a new Pope.  Mary Ann was describing her room - it sounds very nice!  Anyway, they had to leave and get back because THE VATICAN GATES CLOSE AT 10PM!  If they are not there by 10, they are stuck outside for the night.  On the other hand, their room key opens many, many doors at the Vatican!  We were teasing them that they have the "keys to the kingdom"!  One other quirk about this hotel is that only single people stay there.  Couples are not allowed to stay because all of the rooms are single rooms. 

I made it back to the hotel with Father Joe, Father Tony, Sister Pat Francis with no problems!  Tomorrow morning we have free time before our "work" tomorrow afternoon!