The End of the Beginning

Everything has come full circle, and my first year in Rome is over. The year was filled with struggles and triumphs, and I am truly grateful that God walked with me every step of the way. What began with a trip to a new country to learn a language I barely understood has ended with a trip to another country to understand another language that I understand even less. My journey began a few weeks less than a year ago when I went to Assisi to do a month of Italian immersion. After surviving a year of theology classes taught in Italian, I find myself living in Paris for the next month while I take French classes at the Institut Catholique. After studying so many languages over the past few years, I finally understand that I will be able to learn anything if it is truly God’s will. No matter how frustrating it might be, I will achieve everything set before me as long as I do my best while trusting in God’s grace.

The other event which helped me to realize that one chapter is closing while another opens was the chance to serve for the Pope at the Pallium Mass on June 29th. Shortly after finishing my Italian immersion this past August, all of the new men for my seminary gathered at Castel Gondolpho to listen to the Pope speak at one of his Wednesday Audiences. I never would have guessed that the last thing I was going to do before leaving Rome was serve a mass for him.

As I reflect on the past year, so many events deserve entire stories rather than footnotes. I hope to slowly share my experiences of the past year that I have yet to write about as I slowly reflect on them over the summer. This past semester was very intense for me. It was filled with many competing events that all served to form me more deeply into the man God is calling me to become. I spent the entire semester working with the Missionaries of Charity at one of their Soup Kitchens. This has helped me to see ways in which I blind myself to the true humanity of the poor, and I look forward to continuing in this ministry. I also spent a large part of the semester playing on our seminary’s soccer team. We played in a league called the Clericus Cup which pits us against soccer teams from other seminaries and religious houses in Rome. We practiced twice a week and played a game each weekend which ends up being a major commitment. In the end, we shocked everyone by finishing in second place, and I think we have a good chance of winning next year.

Over Easter, I took a pilgrimage with four other seminarians through most of France. This pilgrimage was blessed by God from start to finish. My attempt to describe this trip turned into a short story which I hope to finish this summer. I also cannot forget to mention my classes. Somehow, by the grace of God, my grasp of the Italian language continued to improve over the year until I could understand most of what I was being taught. It is still tough to learn in Italian, but I am slowly improving day by day. It is amazing to look back and realize that I have been in Europe for a year now. This has been a year of grace, and I look forward to all of the years ahead. Thank all of you for your prayers and support!