Joyful Madness

Hey Daddy,

Of course you can post what I wrote in my last e-mail if you want, if you think other people would want to read it! No prob..

WYD is still goin' strong of course! Oh my gosh, it is madness and chaos, but it is unlike any other place that is insanely crowded, because all of us know that we are here for the same reason, and everyone is so ecstatic about it that all these hectic places are still completely joyful! Yesterday for instance, the three of us decided to start trying to head back to our little village around 7, because it is an hour from Köln by train, and there was some kind of dinner in Erpel (our village) at 8 or so. The train stations were so packed that we stood outside of one of them in a HUGE crowd for probably almost an hour and never even made it up the steps into the station. It is INSANE. But instead of all the young people freaking out or being upset, everyone just started in on the different cheers of all the countries. "I-TAL-IA" and "ES-PAN-A" and even "U-S-A"... every time another country would start in, all the other pilgrims would join them in cheering for their country. There is SUCH patriotism and national pride here, but it brings all of us together. It doesn't divide us. When I see it, it gives me so much hope, Dad. I know this is only a million people out of the whole planet... but to see such unity and comeraderie between countries that have pasts of being bitter enemies totally renews my belief that we can indeed have peace on earth. Its the GOOD NEWS!!! and I have never felt it more powerfully.

So... yesterday we sat on the banks of the Rhein and greeted our "Benedetto!" It was so beautiful. A perfect warm and sunny day, and the pilgrims stretched forever, packed onto the sides. Thousands upon thousands of elated young people from absolutely every last corner of the globe sang and cheered and waved with their whole hearts as he went by on the boat. We love the Papst!!! YAY!! Yesterday before we went to the river, we went to catechisis in the city of Bonn, which was awesome. We had a really fabulous cardinal (I think...) speaking to us, and he gave a talk about the Eucharist which brought a clearer understanding to it than I have probably ever had. Then he took questions from us. Kids came up with some truly thought provoking and intense ones... they got right down to it, and he answered every single one so brilliantly and clearly. It was a really great thing to go to overall, just because I think everybody learned something, and most of us learned a LOT. Then it culminated in a celebration of the mass which was wonderful and had great music. And to make the whole thing all the more perfect, we happened to attend the same session as the other group of American kids (Montana) who we had met in the Days of Encounter and totally hit it off with. We saw them and all of us started cheering and running and we just ran into a huge mess of a group hug. It was the BEST! So then we spent the rest of the day hanging around with them, which was fabulous. Also, we called some of the german kids and met them too, so the group was reunited a bit. it is crazy... even in so so many people, we have run into friends time and again. Its awesome. I love it! We've been spending most of our time in Köln, although I guess there is a lot going on in both Bonn and Dusseldorf as well. It is so fun being in the thick of all the action.. the cathedral is absolutely unbelievable. I know you all saw it right before you went home, and I'm really happy that you did so you can know how... unique and great it is! I think it is probably the most beautiful thing in all of Germany. No matter how many times we walk next to it during the day (which is a lot!) I always stop and stare at it with my mouth hanging open in amazement. I want to soak it up so I can always keep the memory of it locked with me until I see it again. We saw so many churches over the last month, dad. So many different ones. So many stories behind them. So many different styles and sizes. But I think that this cathedral, which they just call the Dom, is my favorite one. I still catch my breath every time I look at it! And it is such a symbol on top of that. It is in the WYD logo that we see a billion times a day on everything, so it is a symbol of the manger, the place where we come from all over the world to go into that chapel and adore Him. I love it.

Tomorrow: TO MARIENFELD!!! Woo hoo! The excitement and energy here is already out of control, and it is mounting by the second.

I love you with all my heart, Dad. Give Mom and Theresa and Dave (and Tina!) my love too! I miss you all. Today in mass we prayed for all of the people who had worked and sacrificed so much to allow us to come. Thank you so much, Dad! This has been the greatest gift I could have ever dreamed of. I know it took a lot on your part... more than I will ever really know, I'm sure... and I appreciate it with every single fiber of my being. I love you!

Love,
Selina

PS: If you think there is anything in this letter that you want to pass on (or all of it, whatever, it doesn't matter!) go ahead, k?

Letter from Koln

I asked Selina if I could post this letter I received from her on Wednesday and she agreed.

Hey Daddy.

Now we are at an internet point in Köln, so I have a little more time to write to you than usual. Thank you for the e-mails and of course for all the blogs, which I just got caught up on. Ugh... I started crying when I read the one where you were talking about us all saying goodbye to each other (a little awkward actually, since this is a tiny room and it is packed with other people...eek). Nicole is doing the duty of blogging right now, so I feel like I'm a little bit off the hook of that and can just write to you.

Of course I will tell you all about it later, but our days of encounter were the absolute best thing in the whole world. Thank you for looking into all that and getting us thinking about it and signed up for it and everything. Even when we were getting ready for that, I never really put that much thought into what that would be like, but I think it will end up being the best part of this whole youth day event (besides the end mass of course!). We met the greatest friends EVER there, Dad... I wish you had met them all. Good times and good German beer and so much intense prayer and singing and laughing and clapping and dancing and talking in some mixture of English or German or Polish or Spanish. Our day of service barely felt like service, since Nicole and I got to go to the elderly home and be spoiled with delicious food while we chatted with the senior citizens and then performed songs for them. But when an old German woman held me in her arms with tears in her eyes and said "U-S-A" over and over (which sounded like OO ES AH.) and kissed me on the cheek, I knew that we had done our part to serve. Also, it was so good, Dad. We went to a big mass in a different town on Sunday (the church of the parish we were at was pretty small) and suddenly during the homíly they were asking that someone from each of the nations represented would come forward and say something the congregation about why we were at world youth day, what it meant to us, what we hoped to get out of it...etc. So, kind of spur of the moment, I ended up going up. We hadn't really prepared a lot, even though the American kids had discussed some of that stuff to an extent... so what I said really had to just be what was in my heart. So what I told that huge congregation was that in a time when our American government has done so much to work against peace in our world, and to divide it, country against country, that we as the American youth find it to be the most important thing that we can think of to be pilgrims to a place where we can do our small part to counteract it. We want to work in the opposite way: for peace. To unite the entire world in truth and love and justice. Dad, SO many people approached me afterwards (german people) and thanked me for my words. I didn't realize that it would mean so much just to hear me say that simple bit, but it really did, and it was so happy for me to unexpectedly have the opportunity to share what is so strongly in my heart. And for that group of people who heard me say it, they can start to forgive America a bit... not for the wrongs that are still being committed, but in terms of the people, they can begin to understand that we as Americans want the same thing as them. We are all Christian and we are indeed one body.

It is too bad that we didn't get to meet up with the fam. I already miss you guys more than I can say. The mass at Rhein Energie Stadium was great and jubilant and exciting. They said there were 150,000 there, and it seemed like so much that i can't imagine the final mass with the PAPA!! Craziness. Speaking of that, our plan as of right now, if we can work it, is this: After the final mass at Marienfield, we will take the train (still free!) to Dusseldorf, with the kids from Goslar from Days of Encounter. Then from there, they are driving back to their hometown, and I am almost positive they have room on the giant bus, so that should work. We will stay Sunday and Monday night there, either still in the church where we were before, or maybe in their houses, I don't know. They said either would be fine. Then if we can find a train from Goslar to Frankfurt early wed, we will do that, if not, we can stay a night there in hotel europa or something. We are going to buy the train ticket for nicole, because I don't think it will be more than maybe 60 euro, so we will split the cost. We haven't spent any money since we left paris, so we should be good!

Today at 16:30 we make our pilgrimage to the cathedral. Then tomorrow and Friday we have catechises. Ew. I don't know how to spell that but you know what I mean.

I love you daddy. I miss you guys. Tell the family that I love them SOOO much. WYD is the best thing on the planet, for real...

God bless.
Love,
Selina

Our last night

This is the last night in Europe for four of us. We had a traditional German dinner complete with plenty of Kölche, the regional brew. The Köln dialect is so different from that spoken elsewhere in Germany, that it took a Köln native, a friend of Thomas' named Oogi(sp?) to interpret the menu, even to Thomas.

We heard from Selina and the kids spent the last couple of days in Erpel, about 30 miles south of Köln on the Reine. They were to come to Köln Tuesday evening.

Betsy, Theresa, Dave and I will take an early train to Frankfurt and board an 11:30 flight for Las Vegas.

It has been the trip of a lifetime. I will post other pics when we get back.

Peace.

Köln

After a rainy, restful night in Heidleberg, we took a 100m/h German ICE to Cologne this morning. Thomas H. met us and gave us the keys to his apartment so we could drop our luggage. We went back to the Cathedral and joined the throngs of young people arriving for WYD. Every once in a while we would hear a group break into song. We climbed the 500 steps to the top of the Dom and saw one of the largest bells in all the world and the relequary where the relics of the wise men are kept. Thomas has graciously invited us to stay at his apartment the next couple of nights.

I don't know if the older kids are in Colonge yet. We will spend tomorrow getting a look at the city.

Guten Tagg

We never made it to Amsterdam. We decided to go to Heidleberg so, here we are. The German trains are the best. They are beautiful inside and out. We cruised from Brussels to Köln at about 90 miles an hour and when we got out of the station we were standing beneath the great Cathedral. You could already feel the excitement of the events to come. It felt odd to be on our way out of the city upon which so many were converging. We were fortunate to be approached by someone taking advantage of the WYD gathering to advertise their company, a hotel reservation service. At the time, we had decided to go to Heidleberg but had no place to stay. I made a phone call to the service and found a terrific hotel directly in the old city center. We got on another train to Heidleberg and took a bus to the old city. The city is beautiful and built mainly of red stone and brick. We entered the big gothic church in the center square and saw the logo for World Youth Day. We asked a man who worked there when mass would be the next day. He said 11:00. As we walked around, I was struck with some differences from churches we had been seeing. There were no statues. There was go great art. The place was essentially bare. Then I realized there was no tabernacle. I asked the man about the blessed sacrament and when he understood he told me it was a protestant church. He said the Catholic church was about 300 meters away.

We had delicious German food and beer last night. We had bratwurst and soups and german noodles.

After dinner we went to find the chuch and heard music coming from it even at 9:00 at night. It was a concert given by young people accompanied by three adult musicians. They were singing songs from World Youth Day. It was lovely and we felt another connection to the big event.

We went to mass this morning and I don't know when I have heard more beautiful music. Two instruments, a pipe organ and a flute, filled the great church with wonderful harmony. I understood nothing of the readings nor the sermon, which were somehow still inspiring, but I was able to sing along with the music pretty well.

Heidleberg has a castle and a river and today we will go exploring. Tomorrow we are going back to Köln. I don't have any idea if we will have a chance to meet up with the older kids. It would be nice, but I'm not counting on it.



auf Wiedersehen!

Brussels

Last night, Theresa, Dave and I went up in the Eifel Tower. Not wanting the evening to end we stayed out again until after midnight. This morning, we said goodbye to Anna, our Parisian hostess, and rode a high speed Thalleys train to Brussels, Belgium. Originally, Belgium was just a pass through country on our Eurail pass, we didn't plan to stop. We decided to try Brussels and I am so happy we did. It is a sweet place. We ate Greek food because it looked and smelled so good and guys were playing accordians next to where we would dine outside. I have sampled but four of the more than twenty beers brewed in Belgium, ah but the night is young.

Brussels is the headquarters for both NATO and the European Union. It boasts the famous statue of the little peeing boy, Manneken Pis. Its cathedral is ancient and wonderful. The pulpit is giant and carved completely of oak and depicts the history of salvation from the fall through the redemption. Belgium has a king and queen.

We watched the news in Flemmish and Scoobie Doo in French. We found a really cool hotel in the St. Catherine Square called Hotel Noga. Tomorrow we are going to Amsterdam.

Capris

Today during lunch Dave observed, "You know the good thing about France? A guy can wear pink. He can wear capri pants. He can even wear pink capri pants. You'd never get away with that in the states."

Today in a huge 3 level glass and steel mall, I bought me some of them long short pants. Mine are yellow.

Change of plans

We actually decided just after leaving Rome. Betsy, Theresa, Dave and I are going to cut our trip a week short and return to Las Vegas on the 17th. We will leave Paris tomorrow and go to Brussles and then Amsterdam. We will spend Monday and Tuesday in Cologne and go back to Frankfurt on Wednesday to catch our 11:30 flight home. It will have been by then a very full four weeks.

Dave will get to begin school on time. I will get to report to my new job a day late instead of a week late. Theresa will get to spend time with friends before the Academy begins. Betsy will get to rest more than one day before she and John Henry take Sean and Selina to their respective schools. It should work out just right.

Sacré-Coure

So, our site seeing in Paris today was as a foursome. It felt odd. It was, however, much easier to get a table. Yesterday we saw a beautiful building from our perch atop the Ferris Wheel. I thought it might be a Mosque because of the shape of the domes. I actually know very little about Paris. Betsy determined that it was, in fact, The Basilica of Sacré-Coeur. Today we paid this great Church a visit. Montmartre, the hill of martres, overlooks the whole of Paris. The building was begun around 1870 by Parisian Catholics to fulfill a vow made during the terrible Franco-Prusian war. It was completed in 1914 and is another archetectural marvel. More remarkable than the building is the faith of the parisioners. The lay people have been carrying on round the clock prayer, perpetual adoration day and night, for more than 100 years. Prayer continued, unbroken, even during the invasion of 1940, requiring the crossing of military columns. Prayer continued during the bombing of 1944 when the stained glass windows were shattered and the foundation shaken. The faith is alive and well in France.

Parting company

I knew all along it was going to happen, but that didn't make it any easier. This morning, at 6:55am, Sean, Selina and Nicole left on a train bound for the north of Germany to attend their days of encounter leading up to the World Youth Day events that begin next week. Every diocsese in Germany is participating and together will host thousands of pilgrim volunteers from literally all over the world. In addition to the catecheses and prayer together, these vibrant young people will participate in a nationwide day of community service. I heard they were trying to log a million hours of visiting the sick, helping the elderly, even riding tandem bikes with folks who are blind. Monday they will all travel to Cologne and join hundreds of thousands of other pilgrims for WYD 2005. These events begin on the 16th and culminate with an outdoor mass said by the Holy Father on the 21st.

The separation was abrupt. We hadn't worked out the details of the older kids travel until the last minute. As it was, the girls were out until midnight last night, as were we elsewhere in the city. We said good night at 12:30. Four hours later I woke them up, we rode the metro to the train station and said our goodbyes.

Theresa and I ran along next to the train like in the movie "Airplane" and I pretended to run into the poles. It helped them all to laugh and blow kisses after a tearful farewell.

Exquisite

Paris is certainly that and more. I have to admit that I do not feel nearly as at home here as I did in Italy, especially Rome. But Paris is utterly remarkable. It is a very large city and more than 2 million people call it home. It is stunning. There are so many places just to be. There are huge parks and plazas and squares. It is just as beautiful as you imagine it to be.

Notre Dame is a marvel. There are signs reminding people to observe silence out of respect for the Catholic worship taking place, but it is just too hard not to gasp in awe and comment on the wonder of it all. I took a picture of one of the confessionals. This was a first, it is in a glass room. When I first saw it, I thought it was to protect the penitent's privacy. Later, I figured it was necessary to allow penitent and priest to even hear each other. The building is being restored in phases. It was great to be there.

One could lose oneself in the Louvre museum for days. It only cost 8 euro and 50 cents and kids under 18 are free. We split up once inside. The girls looked at French painting before being caught up in a rock concert style shoving match at the Mona Lisa. Seanviewed Mesopotamiann art and also got to the most famous work. Betsy, Dave and I took in French sculpture, Egyptian and Iranian treasures and then made our way to the Italian works and the smiling lady. The Louvre is a treasure for the whole world.

We walked through the streets on the Isle of St. Louise and had a nice lunch at a little place called Pauls. Ordering was very difficult. Our number overwhelmed them. Our English confused them. Our order worried them because they had run out of the fromage necessary for the sandwiches we wanted. What we really wanted were thesandwichess we saw in the case. We were prepared to pay more for them so we could sit down, but this proved difficult to communicate. In the end, it all worked out and I shocked them with a nice tip which they simply do not expect and are not at all used to. Our waitress even applauded Selina'sFrench.

The Paris metro is a model of efficiency. We bought week long passes and used the metro exclusively after our one bus ride from the train station.

I hope I sent emails inviting everyone to view the pictures. If not, these links should work. If they don't show up as links, maybe you can copy them into your browser window.

Rome http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/ghostranch/album?.dir=/cd8f&.src=ph&.tok=phoabcDBkSGpOul4

Paris
http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/ghostranch/album?.dir=/43f6&.src=ph&.tok=phhbbcDBdBpfmBu0

Peace.

Paris

The TGV is awesome! I don't know how fast we were going, but it was fast. French trains rival the German in comfort and style and the TGV moves like lightning. If it is possible, the French country side may be even more beautiful than the Italian. I don't know why but I was surprised by the open space and the forests in both countries. The sunflowers, corn and hay go on for acres and acres. The mountains visable from the line south of Paris are spectacular.

The Paris apartment is perfect. We are in a ritzy neighborhood in a huge, beautiful flat. We can walk to the Eifel Tower, church and the market. I bought bus tickets in French. The apartment has a computer with internet! I was just getting excited about uploading pictures when I discovered I left the first set, on CD, in the Rome apartment. Rats! I'll see what I can do about the more recent pics that are still on the card.

I felt so comfortable in Italy. I was a little worried about France. So far, I think I love it!

Au revoir!

Pilgrims and Tourists

We are both pilgrims and tourists. Does that make us Purists?

I have spent my limited blog time recording mainly our experiences as pilgrims. I could go on and on and on about our experiences as tourists. I love Italy. I have been treated graciously and yelled at like a dog. I have been moved to tears by an old person begging and called a fascist by a young one. I was awakened out of a dead sleep by a woman shreeking in Italian. She was yelling at me and my entire family. I was sleeping with my shoes on the seat across from me. Appearently this is an offense punishable by fines and, for a second offense, being thrown from the moving train. The Italian trains are filthy but I guess they want to hold onto at least a semblance of dignity. I didn't want to ruin her day but I did hollar back in the style of an Italian that she was free to educate me but that she should never yell at may family again. Times running out. Caio!

Its all about Italia

Our second day in Assisi was as wonderful as the first. It is a true place of peace. The people there, locals and pilgrims alike, know this and do not take it for granted. They want to build a peaceful world and believe Assisi itself can be a starting point. A huge hedge announces PAX in front of the Basilica of San Francesco. Modern sculpture engages pilgrims along side the Franciscan architecture. An older shop keeper offered us water and then engaged us in conversation because he believed dialogue was important. My nodding made him think I understood Italian much better than I do. Still, he made his meaning clear.

Our last evening was the real hostel experience. We spoke with other travelers and people took turns playing the piano and ping pong and foosball. We asked a man from Nimes, France to recommend a good place to stay before we went to Paris. He suggested Avignon and we got very excited. Alas, I could not find a place to stay and the train travel would have put us in very late. Disappointed that our only experience of France this trip will be Paris, we "settled" for Torino, Turin.

What a city! Torino will host the winter Olympics this year. It was the capital of Italy until 1945. (I am learning a tremendous amount of history. I could now tell you more than you ever thought you would know about the tiny island republic of Malta, this thanks to some fellow hotel guests we ran into at dinner last night) Anyway, I found a couple of rooms in the Hotel Bologna just across the street from the Torino Porta Nuova train station. The rooms are magnificent. On the one hand, they are in some disrepair, at least one of the floor boards feels like it will collapse with the next step. On the other, they retain their original grandeur. The ceilings must be 15 feet high. The windows are almost as tall with flowing cotton shears and grand shudders. Both rooms have balconies and one room has a terrace that extends over the street. Antique marble top tables grace the room along with a 10 foot tall mirrored wardrobe. Betsy says she feels like a queen. Dave said, "If Elvis came here this would be where he would stay."

So, it wasn't so hard after all to settle for Torino. This trip seems to be all about Italia and that is OK. We did, of course, go to the Cathedral where the shroud is kept. It was an amazing experience. The actual shroud is kept in a glass and aluminum case and covered with a cloth. It may not be shown publicly again for 20 years or so. There is a copy on display and information about its history. Like many other relics, belief in its authenticity is not required, but the copy was wonderful to see and being in the presence of the real one was moving. We went to mass there. I wish I could have a translation of the sermon because the priest was a very good preacher. I was inspired without really understanding Italian at all.

The first best things

I know that what I write cannot convey what I would like, but I will try anyway. My enconters with the relics and burial places of the saints is a connection beyond time. Growing up, the saints were something other than human. The state they achieved was unatainable. Due in large part to the numerous cannonizations by John Paul, I began to see the saints as real people, people with the same struggles as I have. I began to see them as mortal. Thinking on the lives of Dominic, Catherine, Anthony, Francis and Clare, I recognize that they believe what I believe. The same is true for other giants of the faith who have not been cannonized, Michaelangelo and numerous popes. These were not superstitious, gulable people. These were intellectual, artistic and spiritual giants. They believed what I believe and believed it profoundly as evidenced in the legacies left to us. They had reasons for their faith, as do I.

The Church helps us in our belief. The relics are not sufficient for faith, but they reinforce it. In St. John Lateren's, high up above the main alter, behind a framed piece of glass, is part of the table upon which Christ celebrated the last supper. There is no sign, there is no fee to gaze upon it. It is just something the church has always kept.

Today, in Assisi, after praying beside the tomb of St. Francis, we toured the Basilica's museum. Again, without price, without fanfair, we are able to gaze upon a relic of the cross Christ bore and, if my Italian is correct, a relic of his cloak.

Several of the frescoes we have seen depict the doctors of the Church in deep discussion over a particular doctrine. These men and women have struggled intellectually with the same issues with which I have struggled. Ultimately, they have come to the same conclusion. The conclusion is that Jesus Christ, the son of God and second person of the blessed trinity, took flesh and dwelt among us. For our salvation he suffered, died and rose again. While with us he founded a Church that would point the way to peace. He made that Church his bride. Wedded to him, with the Spirit animating our lives, we become the living body of God himself.

This is what the saints believed. This is what I believe. This is the belief cradled and nourished here in Italy. Even if many of her own have forgotten it. The faith is alive and well.

Pace.

The Eternal City

The best things can never really be spoken, the second best things are almost always misunderstood, so we find ourselves talking about the third best things.

I will never be able to express in words what our experience in Rome has meant. On Tuesday morning we lined up early for the Vatican museums. On the advise of others before us we ran, literally ran, to the sistine chapel. It was the right thing. We had uninterupted time to view the master work. It has been retored to its original magnificence. The creation of the universe, man and woman, the fall, the flood, heroes and heroines of the faith, painted on the ceiling at the height of the Renesaince. 24 years later, the last judgement. Like the Duomo in Florence, inspiring and terrifying.

Next we entered St. Peters and were, of course, inspired. We got to see the body of Pope John XXIII. We decended the steps to the burial place of the popes, beginning with St. Peter himself. Finally we got to pay our respects at the burial site of our beloved John Paul the Great. I would have been satisfied had our trip ended there. But it didn't.

St. John Lateran is like no other place on earth. Described by Dante as "More than mortal." And so it is. We felt ourselves standing on the shoulders of giants.

Finally, almost as a surprise, we were able to attend the Wednesday audience with Pope Benedict XVI, truly indescribable.

Tomorrow, on to Assisi.

Caio!

Roma

Rome is unbelieveable. It is like no other place on earth. It helps that we were fortunate enough to rent a penthouse apartment near the Colloseum. Since we are on the top floor of the building, there is a terrace overlooking the ancient city. We watched the sunset last evening gazing at the colloseum, the forum and the dome of St. Peters. I am getting the first set of pictures put on a disc, but I still haven't found a way to upload to the computer in these cafes. I'll keep working on it.

We went to mass last evening at Chiesa di San Clemente. It is a 12th century church built over a 4th century church which was, in turn, built over a 1rst century Roman house containing a temple dedicated to the god Mithras.

Peace.