Sorry I haven’t written recently. My first exam – Pastoral
Theology – was Wednesday, and it went miraculously well.
With all the studies it’s been harder to keep tabs on Pope
Francis. Last Sunday he said mass for a packed crowd of 200,000, and the Sunday
before that he made 802 new saints, the most ever in one ceremony. 800 of the
saints were the martyrs of Otranto, in southern Italy, who gave their lives
rather than deny their faith during a Turkish invasion. The other two saints
were a Mexican and the first saint from Columbia. With all the Spanish speakers
present, Francis broke down and spoke his native language again. Good for him!
802 saints is also a new world record for most saints ever.
If all goes well, I’ll be ordained a deacon on June 29th,
the feast of Saints Peter and Paul. From now until then I will be preparing for
final exams, taking care of last minute details, and going on an eight-day
silent retreat in preparation for ordination. With studies over, I will be
heading over to the US sometime between July and August to begin my assignment,
first as a deacon, and later as a priest.
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| Looking in the window of the religious goods store where I got measured for my alb |
I’d like to keep sending you cobblestones messages, but this
time with a focus on becoming a deacon. It’s already pretty interesting. On
Wednesday we had a class on what a deacon can and can’t do. We learned how to
tie a “cincture”, the cord you wear around your waist. On Thursday I went over
to “Barbiconi”, one of Rome’s myriad religious goods stores to be measured for
my “alb”, the white garment you wear underneath the cincture. Tomorrow I’m
going with my whole ordination class (about 30 guys) to Spoleto, near Assisi,
to have lunch with Archbishop Renato Boccardo, who will be ordaining us
deacons. I had said a special prayer a few weeks ago that we’d get to meet him
before the ordination, and… God is good!
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| Last week my class went to visit Maria Goretti's house - it was beautiful! |
If I don’t write, it means I’m studying theology (or playing
soccer!). Please say a prayer for me and my fellow deacons-to-be as we approach
this last month of preparation. It’s been 19 years, and everything seems to be
converging on this one moment. I promise to keep you in my prayers.
God bless you,
Brother Kevin
