Home

I arrived in Mankato on a beautiful day.  The memories of the last months were swirling in my head.  The desire to return to familiar people and places was there.  But I knew it also ended a great time of discovery, adventure, travel and new life.  It was hard to say it is over.  As I begin to unpack and sort through everything, I find  that I want to carry the new life I was given with me as i re-enter.  Somehow God will show me a way to make this a new adventure also.  Thanks to all those  I encountered during this sabbatical.  It was meant to be a sacred time with family and friends.  You certainly made it that for me.  As I write this blog today I am also

conscious of the many who followed me by reading along as I travelled.  That connection meant lots to me.  I will try to write a bit as these days unfold.

End reflections

It is hard to believe that they final hours have arrived to this four month journey.  I found a worthy chair to do some last journaling.  The experiences have been many, the traveling much, and the blessings countless.  So now is the transition back home.  I am grateful that you have followed me in my reflections upon all the experiences.  Writing this blog has been a gift for me.  It felt like I was connecting with many people even though I was miles away.  I will continue to write a few more in this re-entry time.  But I will soon see many of you.  But until then I will treasure and carry all the memories.

The Ocean

I had been in Oregon for two weeks and had not seen the ocean.  Today was the day.  The weather forecast was not the best but so far the weather gods had been on my side.  My two cousins, Srs. Virginia and Marilyn, and I made the trip.  

We stood on the sand, at first hoping to go barefoot.  But the wind, the rain, and the cold changed our minds.  At least I had to touch the Pacific Ocean.  

As the day wore on, we experienced sun and clouds, rain and dry times,  wind and calm.  It is all a part of living here.  Maybe its a reminder that life carries so many realities that seem contradictory.  But then we discover the richness and rhythm of goodness and God in each day.

Mt. Angel

Many of my grandparents family settled in Mt. Angel, Oregon.  The visit to this town of 3500 people seemed a lot like home to me.  There is the downtown glockenspiel which makes it feel decidedly German.

 It is not quite the granduer of the Marienplatz in Munich, yet still an attraction.  The small shops felt like mainstreet Madelia, MN.  There were two significant places, 1) the Benedictine Abbey in Mt. Angel where four of my cousins were monks.  

2) the grave of my great grandmother, Rosalia Keber.

 These pieces of my family made me feel more a part of Oregon.  Maybe some day I can get a picture with the Oregon duck!

City of Roses

I must say that Portland is a beautiful city because of its preservation of so many green areas.  

In passing through the sections of the city, the parks and preserves remind one of the beauty of the northwest part of the United States.  Portland, the City of Roses, has a large park dedicated to that majestic flower.  However my visit is a bit early to catch them in bloom.  A stop at the local Catholic high school was a must.  I was very interested because of my involvement in Loyola in Mankato.

 But my cousin, Fr. Tim, has been involved for much of his life at Central Catholic--graduate, teacher, principal, president and now president emeritas.   It was a gift to share for a moment in the energy of the youth and the dedication of so many in Portland to Catholic Education.  

Natural beauty

A brother-sister team were my guides on a trip up the Columbia river gorge.  

It has many breathtaking scenic moments.  Fr. Tim Murphy and his sister Maureen made the day most enjoyable.  They are related on my grandmother's side and are my cousins.  We had time to catch up on each other's lives and just be together.  Multnomah Falls was a great picture and a spot for a picnic lunch.  

But then Fr. Tim said, "We must go up!"  And so we did.  It was 1.2 mile hike with a steady climb.  

Our legs and lungs got a good work out.  To be there and to see the vantage points is hard to explain and even the pictures don't do it justice.  

Our final destination for the day was Mt. Hood.  It has its own dignity and sense of power.  We watched it grow in size as we approached.  

The skiing season is over but it was fun to be there and sense the life that is there throughout the winter.  It made me want to strap on a pair of skiis and tackle the slope at least for one run.  After a great day of beauty and excercise the bed came quickly and offered a time to collapse in rest.  God's creation had blessed me on this day. 

Kunz-Keber connection

My grandmother's maiden name was Keber.  Frances Keber and her siblings were born in Madelia, MN.  After the death of their father, Peter, in 1906 some of the adult children wanted a bigger world and moved to Mt. Angel, Oregon.  Even my grandparents, Frances and Henry, moved there for a while.  Henry is known to have said that, "it rains 300 days a year" and soon return to Minnesota.  However the majority of the Keber family stayed and prospered and grew.  They assured me it doesn't rain that much.  The distance between our two sides of the family have limited the travels to each other's homes.  My time in Oregon has been a chance to meet and connect with this part of the family.  Naturally we had a Keber family reunion.  The food was delicious, the conversation lively, and the laughter often.  Of course there was time for a family picture.  Believe it or not, I am the tallest one and won the award for coming the farthest.

Trusting Oregonians

Part of my time in Oregon is to connect with relatives here.  The difficulty is that I have not met most of them.  They are my cousins but somehow the distance between us has kept us from ever meeting.  So I suggested that they create my schedule for the next week.  I had to let go and trust that I would be taken care of.  Ken, a cousin, picked me up at the monastery and delivered me to the home of Jim and Donna, living in West Salem.  Donna is Ken's sister.  They have a lovely home and have welcomed me grandly.  

Its been a great place to be for the last two days.  Today happened to  be the weekly gathering of the men's group--many of them are my relation.  So I got to meet some more and eat some good food.

 I was reminded that Salem is the capital of Oregon and so a nice stop and site.  

All this prepares me for the family reunion tomorrow in Portland.  Again I will meet many new folks and learn more about the goodness of the family I have been born into.

Rocking chair

My room at the monastery had a comfortable chair--a rocking chair.  I have spent hours in it--reading, reflecting, praying.  As you know in the past months I have been to many places, seen amazing sites, and encountered lots of people.   Besides the blog, I wrote a personal journal as I went.  These days I read my journal and all the memories came flooding back.  God has been so faithful and often has gifted me in ways I did not expect.  Today I leave the Trappists behind, treasuring the times of prayer,

the beautiful setting of the place,

and my chair for a week.  

Trappist for a week

Our Lady of Guadelupe Trappist Abbey is my home these days.  Trappists live a life of prayer and contemplation.  But they do some work to be able to sustain their abbey.  Prayer is 5 times a day:  4:15am - Vigils, 6:30am - Lauds and Mass, 12:30pm - Angelus, 5:30 - Vespers, 7:30 - Night prayer.  I have entered into their prayer schedule and found it a great way to be on retreat.  With no other demands on my time it provides a ready discipline of prayer.  Obviously I've been going to bed early with the early vigil time.  It has given me time and space to read and reflect on what has happened to me in the last months.  Today I was especially conscious of all the First Communicants at St. John's in Mankato.  It is hard not to be a part of those festivities.  But it reminds me that I will be back soon.  Blessings to all.

Come aside...I will refresh you

The plane ride from Rome to Portland was over 15 hours, with a short stop in Atlanta.  It was managable for a long time until those last hours.  The seat gets pretty uncomfortable by then.  However I arrived safe and well, and was met at the airport by my cousin Sr. Virginia.  My relatives in Oregon have been planning for my arrival.  It was great to be welcomed and given a bed.  So today I was delivered to the Trappist Abbey in Carlton, Oregon.  

There are about 30 monks living here, praying and working on the 1400 acres in this beautiful rural setting.  

I came exhausted and the brochure simply said,  "Come aside....I will refresh you...." Mt. 11:25.  My quiet begins.

Coin in the fountain

I have thrown my coin in the Trevi fountain, which means I will be back some day.  Rome has been a real blessing--the sites, the Holy Week liturgies, the food, the many good times spent walking the streets.  The list goes on.  But now it is time to leave.  This is my last blog from Europe.  So dinner was shared with two good friends from SSND.

 Srs. Mary Willette and Roxanne Schares have been acquaintances since the 1980's  or before.  Their ministy is now here at the Generalate.  They have been very kind and hospitable to me.  The pull to return to the States is in me.  Please send a prayer for safe travel my way.  

SSND revisited

In these months I have traveled to some of the heritage sites of the School Sisters of Notre Dame.  They were my teachers as I grew up and my three aunts kept our family close to this community of religious women.  My connection to SSND was solidified by my 7 years as chaplain at Good Counsel.  In the 1960's the order moved its leadership from Munich (where it was founded) to Rome.

 So before I leave Rome I'm spending a few days at the Generalate for SSND which is the home and office for those chosen to be the leaders of this religious community.  

The picture is of the Council who serve the Sisters world wide.  It's a gift to be here.  Today as they went off to work I decided to visit one of the big basilicas in Rome--Mary Major.

 Since SSND is closely connected to Mary, the mother of Jesus, this church is a fitting stop for me.  The mosaics are spectacular even though the lighting is a bit dim.

 I prayed today for all SSND's living and deceased.  I know they are special women through experiencing my aunts, Sr. Agatha, Sr. Beatrice and Sr. Lucida.  They are deceased but the charism of Blessed Theresa Gerhardinger lives on in so many other sisters.  

Racquetball in Rome?

It was moving day today.  I left the North American College (NAC) which had provided a great place to live during Holy Week.  It is a brisk 5 minute walk from the seminary to the Vatican and thus easy  access for my participation in  the Holy Week services.  

It is home to about 250 students from America who come to do their final 4 years of study in preparation for priesthood.  They let me be a guest for one week.  Although founded in the 1800's the present buildings were erected in 1953.  It is a beautiful campus, with an athletic field, tennis courts, basketball court, and RACQUETBALL COURTS.  

Yes, its true.  However as you look at their condition, they are obviously not used much.  The students could hardly remember seeing any activity in them.  So I'm giving a shout out to my racquetball family--Don, Phil, Bob, Harry, Dick, Earle--how about a road trip to Rome sometime?  We have some lessons to give.  My new home has no courts at all.  More about that later.

Easter-- with thousands, quiet

The celebration of the Easter Vigil began after dark inside St. Peter's and we priests had very good seats.  

It was most enjoyable and prayerful as we had a nice view of the Baptisms and Confirmations.  

We sang and prayed the evening away until almost midnight.  So it was only a few hours later that we gathered for Easter morning Mass.  I had volunteered to be a Communion Distributor.  Outside there was a steady rain coming down and we were scheduled to be outside in the square.  And so it was.  I expected to be drenched by the end.  But they kept the Communion distributors in the portico, out of the rain.

 By the time of communion, it had quit raining and we went and distributed to the 1000's there.  At least we tried. As I returned to St. Peter's to undress from my vestments, the interior was practically empty.  It is rare to find that.  So I walked up front and quietly prayed for a solid 10 minutes--alone!!  

Afterwards Pope Francis was giving his Easter message (its called 'Urbe et Orbe'   translated--'to the people present and to the world').  So I returned to the thousands to listen.  

There was a great excitement in the square as he proclaimed his message of hope.  The Risen Christ was present to me in the 1000's and in the alone moments.  Alleluia!

The constant waiting line

We finished the Good Friday service about 7:30pm last night and I snapped this picture as St. Peter's was going to shut down and rest.  

I walked through the square about 11am this morning expecting things to be quiet, anticipating the Easter Vigil tonight.  But here there were 1000's of people waiting in line to just walk through this famous church.

 It has amazed me these weeks that there is always a serpentine line throughout the square, the wait is often 2 or 3 hours.  The need to go through security has really slowed things down over the years.  But it doesn't seem to dampen the desire to go and maybe to somehow touch God in this sacred place.  And of course the workers are preparing for the Easter celebration tomorrow.  

I pray that these final hours before Easter may help us touch that desire and search in each of us.

Cassock again

On Good Friday I was able to be a communion minister for the Papal liturgy.  We vested in the side chapel where Pope John Paul II is entombed.  

So I was able to be close, which is normally not possible.  We had a beautiful service except that we did not have very good seat and were unable to take any pictures.  I did stop to get a picture of the crucifix we used.  

I just saw the facebook pictures of St. John's service.  There is a real unity in the Church, as we celebrated the same ritual.  On this solemn day we bring all our human struggles to Jesus, who was human just like us.  

Priesthood

Holy Thursday morning is the traditional time for the  Chrism Mass.  The holy oils used throughout the year are blessed by the bishop.  Here in Rome Pope Francis is the bishop.  

At this liturgy the priests annually renew their commitment to priesthood.  What an occasiion.  There were over 1000 priests present in St. Peter's for this important moment.  It was a thrill to be one of them.

 The pope told a funny thing and everybody  laughed (except me).  My Italian is still very weak.  On this day I say 'thank you' to God for this gift in my life.  I am remembering my loved ones--family, parishioners, friends.  May these days of the Sacred Triduum bless us.