Spring 2011 Bernardians outside St. Peter's with our chaplain, Fr. Carola
The past few days have just flown by since they have been so jam-packed! We have had orientation sessions where we have learned the procedures of the Bernardi Residence where we live, the Angelicum (the Ang) where we are taking classes, and the library at the Gregorian University (the Greg) where we will have access. We have had our first tastes of DELICIOUS Italian cuisine, including gelato (I had been craving this for SO LONG!) and pasta carbonara (with a bacon and egg sauce). We have attended our first Italian Masses at Cristo Re Church, just several blocks from where we live. I have an English-Italian Mass booklet that is helping but I can pick out quite a few words as well! We made our first pilgrimage to St. Peter's and have already been to a papal audience! We started our Art and Architecture class as well as Italian and are learning a lot. We are beginning to know our way around town a bit and have learned to walk with purpose across the busy streets with CRAZY drivers! Imagine turning a corner and saying, "Oh look! There's the coliseum!" Or passing a dozen churches on your way home, popping in to one and finding the skull of St. Agnes right in front of you! This is ROME and I LOVE IT!!
It is amazing how in just a few short days our community has become so close. There are 32 of us students, including 9 seminarians from St. John Vianney College Seminary at St. Thomas and from a seminary in Indianapolis, 7 laymen, and 16 women, including Catherine from Notre Dame and Naomi from St. Louis University. Dr. Coulter and his wife and two children will be coming tomorrow to join us! We are a diverse group - some come from suburbs and others farms; we have sophomores, juniors and seniors; some come from large families and others small. One man is newly married, some have extensively studied Italian before and others not, and we have a variety of second majors ranging from Education to Business to History. But we are united in our love for the Lord and our passion for our Catholic faith. We have shared some great laughs and had some incredible conversations thus far. We look out for one another, just like family. In fact, Fr. Carola has told us that our task this semester is to "fall in love with each other." With God's grace, we will do that:-)
It is amazing how in just a few short days our community has become so close. There are 32 of us students, including 9 seminarians from St. John Vianney College Seminary at St. Thomas and from a seminary in Indianapolis, 7 laymen, and 16 women, including Catherine from Notre Dame and Naomi from St. Louis University. Dr. Coulter and his wife and two children will be coming tomorrow to join us! We are a diverse group - some come from suburbs and others farms; we have sophomores, juniors and seniors; some come from large families and others small. One man is newly married, some have extensively studied Italian before and others not, and we have a variety of second majors ranging from Education to Business to History. But we are united in our love for the Lord and our passion for our Catholic faith. We have shared some great laughs and had some incredible conversations thus far. We look out for one another, just like family. In fact, Fr. Carola has told us that our task this semester is to "fall in love with each other." With God's grace, we will do that:-)