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Youth Blog: The Journey of Faith |
Luke Yamnitz, a freshman at De Smet Jesuit High School and a member of Mary, Mother of the Church Parish in Mattese, wrote the following about his experiences on the return trip from the pilgrimage to the youth rally with Pope Benedict XVI at Saint Joseph Seminary in Yonkers, New York. It is the third and final part of a blog that was previously published on the archdiocesan website on April 21 and May 6.
 Saturday, April 19, and Sunday, April 20, 2008—Coming Home
We arrived back at Yonkers Raceway and boarded our bus. We had to wait for the St. Louis seminarians to get back to their bus (they took the shuttles back to the raceway), and we finally pulled out of the parking lot around 9 p.m. Most of us hadn't had anything to eat or drink since breakfast early that morning. After 11 p.m., we stopped at a gas station and grabbed a snack dinner. We were all asleep soon after.
A delicious Cracker Barrel breakfast was a wonderful treat Sunday morning. They informed us that we would be arriving back in St. Louis around 7 p.m....six hours later than what was originally scheduled. No one minded—this merely meant more sleep time! The ride back was full of sleepy faces, but everyone was still in a good mood. One of our companions was slightly upset that she would be missing her younger brother's production of The Wizard of Oz. To cheer her up, one of her school friends asked me to write up a short skit, a playoff of The Wizard of Oz, if possible, to perform on the bus for her. I got to work. An hour and a half later, I had The Ozzicle Spontaneous Melodrama written up. I found some volunteers to take over the parts. Characters included: the Wicked Witch, Dorothy, Toto, the Pope, Loretta, and (the hero) Sister Consolata. The bus joined in with laughter as all of the weekend's inside jokes were brought together into one skit.
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Archbishop Burke, Father Benedict Groeschel To Receive Pilgrims at Wisconsin Shrine |
Our Lady of Guadalupe Shrine in La Crosse, Wisconsin. A pilgrimage is planned to coincide with its solemn dedication, July 31-August 2.
Archbishop Raymond L. Burke and author, preacher, and Franciscan friar, Father Benedict Groeschel, will serve as the spiritual directors for a pilgrimage to the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe in La Crosse, Wisconsin, Thursday, July 31, through Saturday, August 2. The pilgrimage has been planned in part to celebrate the solemn dedication of the of the Shrine, which takes place on the afternoon of July 31. Archbishop Burke and Father Groeschel will be on hand to meet pilgrimage participants at the Shrine and to facilitate spiritual exercises, although they will not be traveling on the pilgrimage.
The pilgrimage, which is sponsored by the Archdiocese of St. Louis, departs from and returns to the Cardinal Rigali Center in Shrewsbury. The cost per person is $300, which includes transportation by deluxe motorcoach, accommodations at the Courtyard by Marriott in La Crosse, two breakfasts, one lunch, and one dinner. Registration for the pilgrimage is limited to 50 participants.
Regristration for the pilgrimage will open on May 12. For more information or to register for the pilgrimage by phone, call Jennifer Stanard at 314.633.2212. Online registration will also be available via the archdiocesan website.
The itinerary of the pilgrimage is as follows:
The pilgrimage begins on Thursday morning, July 31, with 6 a.m. Mass in the Chapel of Saint Vincent de Paul at the Cardinal Rigali Center, with departure following. Upon arrival in Wisconsin, pilgrims go directly to the newly-dedicated Shrine Church to participate in solemn Vespers with Archbishop Burke. Following Vespers, pilgrims travel to the hotel. The evening is free for pilgrims to make plans for dinner or other activities.
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Missionary Blog: A Spanish Adventure |
By Colleen Coughlin
Buenos dias, amigos!
As you are reading this, some of you might be thinking, "What did she just say?" It's alright—I recently found myself in the same situation!
About a week and a half ago, our office made a phone call to Maria Reina Parish in La Paz, Bolivia. Normally our director, Msgr. Blood, is here to initiate the phone call conversations with La Paz, but this time we found ourselves alone, and in the end, realized that we were long overdue for a lesson in Spanish! After my co-worker Connie asked for "Padre Brian Fischer, por favor," and the secretary at Maria Reina responded with "Un momento," we thought that we were in good shape. But with no luck in finding Fr. Brian around the parish, and a phone call all the way from Saint Louis to La Paz on the line, it was time to put my rusty Spanish skills to the test!
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Holy Father Expresses Sadness, Sympathy at Devastation in Myanmar |
Compiled from Vatican Information Service bulletins
 Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone sent a telegram May 6, in the name of Pope Benedict XVI, to Archbishop Paul Zinghtung Grawng of Mandalay, and president of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Myanmar, regarding the cyclone which struck the country May 3, leaving thousands of victims in its wake.
Cardinal Bertone wrote in the telegram: "Deeply saddened by news of the tragic aftermath of the recent cyclone, the Holy Father expresses his heartfelt sympathy. With prayers for the victims and their families, he invokes God's peace upon the dead and divine strength and comfort upon the homeless and all who are suffering. Confident that the international community will respond with generous and effective relief to the needs of your countrymen, His Holiness asks you to convey his solidarity and concern to the civil authorities and to all the beloved people of Myanmar."
Additionally, at the end of the his weekly general audience on May 7, the Pope reiterated his closeness to people affected by the cyclone.
"I make my own the cry of pain and the call for assistance of the dear people of Myanmar," he said, "who without warning saw so many lives, and so much property and means of sustenance destroyed by the terrifying violence of the Cyclone Nargis. As I already said in the message of solidarity I sent to the president of the episcopal conference, I remain spiritually close to the people affected. I would also like to repeat to everyone my call to open their hearts to pity and generosity so that, thanks to the collaboration of people who can and wish to bring help, the suffering caused by such an immense tragedy may be relieved."
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