~~MY NEW BLOG~~

The End and A Beginning

Friends, this is both a "goodbye" and an invitation to a "Hello!!" - This will be my last post here at Faint Hue of Grace.

Ah! Wait!  Don't panic! (Because I know you were... ;) )  I'll still be blogging.  I'm just moving over HERE.

Why the move?  Well, since August 19, 2011, when I began blogging at FHOG, I have written 154 posts and received over 19,000 views.  Some of you join me from Russia, the UK, Turkey, and Indonesia.  What began as a simple way to keep my family and friends updated about my life as I moved on to college has turned into something much more.  

I never thought that I would write as much as I have, and never in a zillion years did I think that anyone would read what I had to say.

My hope for my new website is threefold.  One, to write frequently.  Two, to write deeply.  Three, to write passionately.  Whether I'm writing about my classes, a conversation with a friend, or a recent thought, my desire is to share something real.  In short, I hope that this move to what I consider a more simplistic and professional blog layout will allow me to focus my writing and be more motivated to continue after college.

I've moved all my meaningful or personally important posts over to the new site, as well as all my posts about Crossroads.  This blog hosted on Blogger will still exist, but I will no longer be updating it.  You will notice new sections to my new blog, including a "Blogging for Books" page!

Thank You from the bottom of my heart to all of you who have popped in for a visit over the last 2 years.  It's been such a blessing to write and know that someone out there finds it a little interesting!  And please join me over on my NEW BLOG and let me know what you think!

In Him,

Allison

Sunday Musings: Vol. 6

Time and Place: my room at home, 8:51 pm

What I can hear... the breeze through the open window... and that's about it

This past week... I've been concentrating on unpacking and getting my room organized.  It's nowhere near being done, but I'm closer than when I started!!

I've been reading… On Heaven and Earth by Cardinal Bergoglio (aka Pope Francis).  

Recent realization... that since my Austrian campus isn't reachable, main campus is the next best thing.. I miss it! I'll be there in 3 weeks, and it will be a delightful 'homecoming'.

I'm oh-so-grateful for... all my friends being done with school! Let the catching up begin!

Next week...  when I'm not talking to friends, I will be continuing the organization process!  (and I'm also getting a long-overdue haircut.  Call me crazy, but my hair's been driving me nuts for the last 2 months! Thursday it will be chopped off, and I can't wait!)

I'm looking forward to... just being in each and every moment this week, whether that's cleaning, talking with friends, reading, or whatever.

7 Quick Takes Friday (vol. 10)

(Hosted at Conversion Diary)

--1--

Oh, hello from the United States!  I returned back home this last Monday after a beautiful 3 days in Ireland.  I still have a hard time wrapping my mind around the fact that I'm not just on a long weekend to Virginia and won't be returning to my room at the Kartause tomorrow.  As much as I don't want to admit it, I really, really miss it.  I've grown so attached to a European way of life!

--2--

They say that jet lag is a lot easier "coming this way" (from Europe to the States).  I'm not so sure about that...  I mean, when my family and I went to Europe 3 years ago, I found it very easy to come back to the States.  2 days of being tired, and I was back on track.  This time, though, I get hungry at Austrian meal times, and I'm pretty ready for bed at 6.  Thankfully, I just grab a little snack and always get a second wind to stay awake 'til 11!

--3--

I love organization.  Maybe too much?  That's questionable.  While I was gone, my parents began construction in our upstairs, which meant that my bookshelf and closet were emptied, and all the 'surfaces' in my room were cleared.  (By "my parents began construction", I mean "the workmen began construction..."

What does this mean?  That I'm starting completely from scratch!  It's great!  I'm getting to go through all the little papers I've kept since forever, and look at each piece of clothing before I put it back.  I'm realizing I don't need to keep all these things, which leads me to say...

--4--

...I think I've come home much more 'detached'.  Because we didn't have internet in our dorm rooms, and my cell phone didn't work, and I only had 2 suitcases worth of clothing, I've found that I don't 'need' as much to be happy.  Yes, of course it's nice to have more than 3 skirts to choose from, and I was anxious to wear sandals again instead of black sneakers, I've realized that it's not necessary to  have these things to be happy.  Of course, I knew this in concept, but living like that for 4 months helped solidify it in my mind.

--5--

I have 3 weeks at home.  There's a lot to do in that time!  Today was my niece's first communion, I have friends to see, birthdays to celebrate, coffee to drink, organization to finish, and packing to do before I leave for Steubenville!!!!  I am really looking forward to working on campus this summer and getting to know the other student workers who I otherwise wouldn't be able to!

--6--

I am getting ready to move my blog to a different host.  Blogger was great for getting this started, but as I near the 2-year mark of blogging (yikes!), I'm realizing how different I want my blog to look/be, and the best way to do that is to move it altogether.  It's about 95% set up, and I hope to share the new link with you in the next week or so!  

--7--

whoops... I'm a day late in posting this... That's what happens when I try to do too many things in a day, and get carried away with all of them. :P

europe reflections

Whew.  So, there’s a lot going on!  Spring is finally here in Gaming, after a record-breaking sunless winter (least sun in 100 years. Vitamin D deficiency, anyone?)  The bikes are out, the birds are singing, and we as a student body are significantly happier! :)

It’s hard to believe that I have less than a week left in Europe.  In 5 short days, I’ll be back in Virginia.  Yikes!

I am both looking forward to and dreading it.  I am, of course, anxiously waiting to see my family, to spend time with them, to tell them about my adventures, to give them the little things that I may-or-may-not have picked up around Europe :)  I also haven’t seen my friends in a very long time (some in over a year!), so it will be nice to see them too.  I want to eat chicken, be able to read signs in the grocery store, and listen to the radio.  As many little issues that there are in American culture, I miss it as a while.

So, what will I miss from Europe?  I’ll miss the beautiful buildings, the historic churches.  the easy public transportation.  The nature here in Gaming.  The culture and the food (granola! wienerschnitzel! wine!)  Traveling virtually anywhere I want.  Experiencing these countries with wonderful friends.

I’m afraid that I’ll be overwhelmed at first, with the airport and the grocery stores and the traffic.  I’ve been to 3 international airports while I’ve been here- each of them has had a maximum of 50 gates, I believe.  Grocery stores? Ha.  The one we go to here in Gaming has maybe 8 aisles and 2 checkouts.  I’m used to stepping into the road and having all cars, trucks, and buses stop for me instantly.  (Last week, I rode in a car for the first time since January 13.  So strange!)

And what am I returning to?  Well, my first stop in the states will be the Chicago Airport, which essentially has 3 different buildings depending where in the world you desire to go.  Gone will be the days of 10 airline counters, all of which do check-ins for the other airlines.  Macy’s at home is the size of an entire mall in the town of St. Pölten here (which is about 40 minutes away from campus).  In Virginia, I wouldn’t dare cross the street except on the sidewalk, and I have to wait for a break in the traffic to do it.  Otherwise, I’d probably get run over.

This week, I have been very grateful that the rest of my family has lived in Europe before.  Because at least they will have some idea of what it’s like to return to the hub of civilization after living in the middle of the Austrian mountains for 4 months.  (My family didn’t live in the Austrian mountains, but they lived in very-small-town Belgium.  You know.  Same thing, right?)

So, next Monday, I will board a plane and fly across the ocean, leaving what has become “normal life” and return to what is really “normal life”.  And next thing I know, my “normal” will probably change once again.

Because life tends to happen spontaneously.  And know what?  That’s ok.

and Then my eyes were[n't] opened

10-day is meant to be a time of adventure.  Of learning about European culture and about yourself.

I got that and more.

I also learned about the Church.  Of how it is different everywhere we go.

I think I mentioned in one of my Sunday Musings that I have come to a better understanding of how the Church is Divine, yet made up of human members.  And sometimes (read:a lot of time), those human members mess up.

Last summer, as I traversed all over the northern states, I saw some interesting things within the Mass.  Sometimes, I scratched my head and thought, "Uh, why was that necessary?"  But still, I could accept it.  I mean, I grew up in what is apparently one of the "top 2" conservative dioceses in the States.  Who am I to comment on the Liturgy in other places?  I don't know the background, therefore I can't judge.

But when I was in Lourdes earlier this month, I was shocked.  The numbers of "off" things happening at almost every single Mass were astounding.  Slide shows, music during the consecration, and summaries of the readings... where on earth was I?  Is this not a Marian apparition site?  Of all places on earth, shouldn't this be one of the most reverent?

I stood in the sanctuary, reading the Epistle for the International Easter Vigil Mass, and I was shaken.
What am I doing here?  What is going on in this place?

It is unnerving to be part of something so great and grand, but is at the same time, to be uncomfortable with it.

Again and again I questioned.

Again and again, I forgot what was really important.  

I had to get over the fact that I had expectations, and remember for a moment that the Mass is still the Mass, Jesus is still Jesus.  He is present, even through our human failings and mistakes, both great and small.

In Lourdes, I learned the power of prayer.  The beauty of raising voices in petition, with people I don't understand and who I have never met.
In Lourdes, I learned priority.  Would I rather receive the King of Kings (while hearing drums and saxophones), or would I rather sit by myself in a chapel?
In Lourdes, I learned acceptance.  Acceptance of God's will and of the difficulties He places in my life. Difficulties that are always for my own good.

In Lourdes, I learned love.

Sunday Musings: Vol. 5

Time and Place... 4:13 pm, the library

What I can hear...  Grace sketching of Van Gogh’s “Starry Night” and this: 

This past week... Whew.  So much this past week.  It’s been a week of ‘lasts’: last one of each of my classes, last Sunday brunch, last Liturgy Committee meeting… yeah. It’s bittersweet.

I've been reading... The Catechism and Canon Law (for finals, of course.  I wish I was cool enough to make those my choices for casual reading.)

Recent realization... 8 days.  8 freaking days left in Austria.  that is all.

I'm oh-so-grateful for... chocolate and coffee, and my awesome roommate Grace.  She’s been such a blessing this semester, and I don’t even want to think about not seeing her for 3 months this summer.  waahhhh… I’ll miss you, girl!  Prepare yourself for frequent visits in your room next semester.

yeah, we've had a lot of fun in Europe together :)

Next week... 3 days of finals, 1 full day of cleaning and packing, 1 (literally, purposely*) sleepless night, 3 days in IRELAND, 16 straight hours of travel, and home.  Yes.  It’ll be one heck of a week.

(* since most people are flying directly home, we have a midnight mass and then they keep us up and drive us right to the airport around 2:30 am.  It should help with jet-lag in the States.  Unless, of course, you’re making another stop before the States, as we are.  So basically, we’ll be 5 completely exhausted, brainless, wanderers meandering around Ireland.  Hey, I’ll take it.)

I'm looking forward to... Right now, I’m really, really looking forward to Ireland.  It’s been my dream since I was 7 to go there, and Irish Dancing for 11 years definitely helped that wish increase.  Homeland, here I come!!

And last but certainly not least, prayers for my sister, brother-in-law, and their 5 kiddos, as they've all caught a stomach bug.  Not fun!

7 Quick Takes Friday (vol 9)

7 Quick Takes Friday, hosted at Conversion Diary

--1--

It's finals week..... which means that we're all stuck in the library while the birds are chirping and the sun is shining!  Thank goodness for European windows which really allow the breeze (and bugs!) inside while we're working.  Finals start tomorrow (Saturday) and go through Wednesday; Thursday is 'packing and cleaning' day, and we're out of here on Friday (at like 3 am... meh).

--2--

We're doing ALL the Austrian things!  Last Friday was the Austrian Ball, which involves dirndls and leiderhosen, Austrian dancing, and yummy food.  AND I finally climbed a mountain!  Book mountain, to be exact.  Josh was here visiting, so Sunday after Mass and brunch, we set out to climb to the top.  We made it, and even though it was exhausting, it was totally worth it.  Gaming is beautiful from above!  And now I have a better picture in my mind of the whole town.

(Gaming from above)

--3--

As the finals-mindset really sinks in, I begin to realize how many other things I want to be doing.  Things like re-organizing my computer files, or setting up a different personal website, or going through all my photos from the semester... The good thing is, I will able to do it all when I get home!

--4-- 

I don't want to go home.  I will miss Gaming, the Kartause, these friends I've made, my amazing classes, the professors who live what they teach, the scenery... Heck, just Europe in general!!  Let me stay!!!!

(Vienna and the Kartause)

--5--

I can't wait to get home.  There are some things that just aren't the same here that I really miss... and my goodness, I've missed my family and friends!  

(suffice it to say- I WILL be back some day.)

--6--

I just found out about a program called "Blogging for Books".  Very simply, it involves the company sending me a book, which I review and blog about.  They get honest reviews about their books, and I get free books!  (Because I definitely need more books... *ahemahem*)  I've already ordered the first one, entitled "On Heaven and Earth", co-authored by Pope Francis (pre-papacy) and Abraham Skorka, a Jewish rabbi.  I'm really looking forward to both reading it and sharing my thoughts with you all!

--7--

And finally, a quote from my Scripture class for you to ponder:

"Since Christ, in instituting the Eucharist, linked it in such an explicit way to the priestly service of the Apostles, it is legitimate to conclude that he thereby wished to express the relationship between man and woman, between what is 'feminine' and what is 'masculine'.  It is a relationship willed by God both in the mystery of creation and in the mystery of Redemption."

-JPII, Mulieris Dignitatem

that time of year

Yes, it is once again the week before finals week.  And as my dear friend Robyn pointed out, the week before finals week is always worse than finals week itself.

What does that mean?  That blog posts will be sporadic over the next 8 or so days.  I will most likely post when I need a study break, but who knows when those will happen?!

Please say a prayer for us all as we study, write and edit papers, and prepare to leave Europe for our homes in the States!  It's a stressful time of the year for any college student, but especially for students living abroad.

Sunday Musings: Vol. 4

Time and Place: 10:35, the hallway outside my room ('cause that's where the internet is!)

What I can hear... the guys upstairs talking, and a door squeaking very loudly

This past week... I had class and more class, wrote some papers, read some catechism, and went to Vienna to meet up with Josh*!!  It was also the Austria Ball, where we all wear dirndls and leiderhosen.  It was a lot of fun!!

I've been reading... articles about the role of women in the Church and purity, for two different papers

Recent realization... 3 hours of sleep + 2 1/2 hour trip to Vienna + walking around all day + playing Settlers of Catan = very tired Allison ;)  (I'm caught up now!)

I'm oh-so-grateful for... the hike I took today- it was amazing to see Gaming from 'above', and all of the beauty in the mountains!!

Next week... exams start in 6 days.  6 days.  That is terrifying beyond belief!!!!

I'm looking forward to... Saturday afternoon.  It means more time to study, and no exams the next day!

*Josh is one of my friends I did Crossroads with- he's in the seminary, studying in London this semester!  I visited him and another friend there a couple weeks ago.

Sunday Musings: Vol. 3

Time and Place: 10:17 pm, one of the smaller classrooms at the Kartause

What I can hear...  Grace skyping her parents and “Feels Like Today” by Rascal Flatts

This past week... I was back in Gaming after 10-day, for which I am very grateful.  10-day was good, but Lourdes was unfortunately not what I was expecting.  I also got to talk to and catch up with my friends Robyn and Stephanie this last week.  Today I took a break from schoolwork and went on a bike ride with Grace and Elyse!

I've been reading… articles for one of my papers :P

Recent realization... The Church may be of Divine origin, but She is made up of human members.  Which means they mess up.  It’s such a comfort to know that no matter how far “off” the members of the Church go, Christ is still there guiding her!

I'm oh-so-grateful for... the opportunity to get to know some people better over break.  Friendship is a beautiful gift!

Next week... we have 5 days of classes, instead of the usual 4.  Friday is always the hardest…. but we will make it!

I'm looking forward to... being done with these papers!

7 Quick Takes Friday (vol 8)

(7 Quick Takes is hosted at Camp Patton this week!)

--1--

I have just gotten back from 10 days in France.  My goodness, my brain is cooked!  Who knew that speaking in French for that long would lead to thinking in French by the end of the time there!

--2--

Lourdes was beautiful, but… not exactly what I was hoping for.  I was surprised that the liturgies weren’t more ‘traditional’, and that at times, it seemed too much of a ‘Disney World’ atmosphere.  Still, Mary is guiding all the pilgrims towards her Son, and He will lead their hearts to Himself!

--3--

I miss reading.  Like, a lot.  I miss being able to grab a book off my bookshelf and sitting for an hour (or two).

--4--

I have a job for the summer!!  I will be the sacristan for the Steubenville conferences on main campus!  I am really excited to 1) serve in this way 2) get to know the rest of committee 3) maybe hear a couple of the talks!  The great thing is, I'll have about 6 weeks at home over the course of the summer to see people and do "home-y" things.

--5--

Someone recently asked me if I was ready to go home.  That’s both a yes and no answer.  There are a couple more places that I wish I had been able to see (Belgium especially!), but I am also ready to dive back into American everything.  And see my family and friends :)

--6--

Speaking of home, I will be home in 24 days!  Yikes!  It’s so hard to believe that in less than 3 weeks, exams start.  And that before that, I have 3 papers due.  *sigh* It’ll all get done, somehow!

--7--

And lastly but not leastly, Congratulations to my niece who made her First Holy Communion last weekend!  And Happy Birthday to my godson and my mom who both celebrated birthdays last week.  :)

The Pen is Mightier than the Sword

It’s not just a saying anymore.  It’s oh-so-true.  Every single one of us communicates with others every day.

Words.

They are beautiful.

They are powerful.

They can build up or they can hurt.

I have been what could be considered hyper-aware of words recently.  I think there are words that we use in our daily language that are used almost equivocally.*  This understanding has been heightened very recently because of my trip to Lourdes, and my contact with the sick there.

Take, for example, the word “retarded”.  It makes me shudder to hear this used casually.  I think in the past couple years, more awareness has come concerning using the “retarded”, vs. actual mental retardation, which is certainly not something to joke about.

Well, what about other similar colloquialisms?  In the cafeteria on a typical day, you can hear “That’s so depressing” or “I’m starving”, among any number of other such phrases.  Are you really experiencing depression?  Are you actually dying of hunger?  I doubt it.  

Using these terms in such a common and thoughtless manner is decreasing the significance and knowledge of these problems.  As we incorporate “starving” into daily language, it ceases to take on the shock value when I say that “These children are starving in China”.  When the professor says that an idea is depressing, it decreases the impact of someone saying that they legitimately have depression.  We are de-valuing these problems and saying that they are less serious than they should be.

Why do we joke about such things?  There are such huge problems in the world today like eating disorders, cutting, depression, psychological issues, etc., and these should not be discounted or minimized.

I can’t say I’m great at this right now.  But I am actively working on it, and I encourage you to do the same.

Pay attention to your words.  They can build up, or tear down to the ground.

*please take note: despite my apparent lack of understanding, I am incorporating philosophy into daily life.

#OhHey Blessings

Woke up in London yesterday, found myself in the city, near Piccadilly; don't really know how I got here.  I've got some pictures on my phone...Day turns to night, night turns to whatever we want.   

We're young enough to say 'Oh, this has gotta be the good life.'  

I say, 'Oh, got this feeling that you can't fight', like the city is on fire tonight.  This could really be a good life. 

To my friends in Cali, I say hello.  My friends in VA, they don't know where I've been for the past few months or so: Paris to Poland, to Colorado

This weekend reminded me that there is always beauty within the drizzle.

I journeyed to London Victoria by bus, it was windy and a little bit snowy and a little bit rainy.  But honestly, I was too excited to care.  I jumped off the bus and found my way across the street to Josh and Renée.

#OhHey awesome friends in another country.

We walked through the streets, trying unsuccessfully to find Josh's favorite pub and Mozart's Terrace.  But we found an Indian restaurant instead and laughed while assuring the owner that no, we didn't want meat on this Friday in Lent.

#OhHey Catholicism.

We traipsed through the streets, snow swirling around us, and laughed over the most minuscule things.
As I sat in a pub drinking beer (#ohhey I'm legal here), there was peace within the chaos of the talking, friendship at the table in the back, and deep conversation amidst the frivolity of pub life.

The next day, we set out to see everything and anything London-y.  Of course, that meant going to the World's End neighborhood.  And drinking English Breakfast tea in the Victoria Station while eating tuna sandwiches, oranges, and caramel-filled Cadbury eggs, at 10 in the morning.  And seeing the Colossal Foot and Sir Robert Smirke's bust at the British Museum.  And poring over an old French book for 15 minutes instead of looking at the description.  And holding ancient stone knives.  And of course, that also meant going to Ben's Cookies and seeing where My Fair Lady took place, and yes, I did eat fish and chips.

Ben's Cookies are the greatest food since sliced bread.*
*photo is lovingly stolen from Renée.

#OhHey we-saw-everything-except-the-tower-which-doesn't-bother-me-in-the-least.

Cooking with friends is one of my favorite experiences ever.  Because you're working together towards the same simple goal, and somehow, that puts you in a frame of mind to have very neat conversations.  Don't ask me how it works, but it does.

#OhHey I've missed this.

Good food and drink also bring people together like no other.  The hours flew past from 8 to 9 to 11, and we sat, covering everything from adventure stories to classes to Lent to the meaning of life.

#OhHey we're so deep.

Saying goodbyes is never fun.  But hidden within a goodbye is always the promise of see-you-later.  Saturday night and Sunday morning were full of see-you-laters.

And that is a beautiful thing.

Sunday Musings: Vol. 2

Time and Place: 11:55 pm, The Nook 

What I can hear...  "It's Gotta Be You", on Grace's computer ;)

This past week... Yes. Just yes. Loved it.  (#soblessed)

I've been reading... Nothing, sadly.  

Recent realization... Sometimes, it's good to get outside yourself and meet new people in a new city.  Or to talk to the person next to you on the plane.  

I'm oh-so-grateful for... Renée and Josh, who welcomed me to London with open arms and are just the best! We had some beautiful long conversations over pints and/or dinner, and I was reminded once again why friends are wonderful!

Next week... I'm headed to France!  Let's hear it for les francophonies!  I'll be going to Lisieux and Paris for the Easter triduum, and then to serve at Lourdes for a week.

I'm looking forward to... Being in one place, away from Gaming, for a whole week.  Lourdes will be crazy and hectic, but I'm also expecting at least a little bit of peace.

Sunday Musings: Vol. 1

(In an effort to keep you all updated about my life, and so that I don't start only posting semi-deep thoughts, I've decided to start what will hopefully be a weekly Sunday series.  And I am planning on bringing back the 7 Quick Takes.)

Time and Place: 9:28 pm, The Nook (aka, our dorm room)

What I can hear... One Tribe by the Black Eyed Peas (this song is really, really dumb.  Last summer, we spent lots of time making fun of it :P )

This past week... was crazy! We just got back from Rome and Assisi, and hey, it's time for classes again.

I've been reading... Selections of The Forge by St. Josemaria Escriva.  Such wisdom!

Recent realization... I need to finish journaling from our pilgrimage!  I think journal-wise I'm still on the first day of Rome.  Whoops!

I'm oh-so-grateful for... Friends to laugh with over dinner.

Next week... I have 4 days of classes, will get back a Philosophy midterm, and will turn in a paper!

I'm looking forward to... London!! Friday! 5 days and counting!

where you decide it's Home

I have been known to call our Austria campus Home.  Some are surprised at this, others shocked, but I honestly think nothing of it.

As I walked into the vastness of St. Peter's Square, I was at home.  Somehow, being amongst 249,999 other Catholics didn't phase me in the least.  The intimacy and communion between all the faithful was comforting, and I could have sat in the hubbub for hours more.

Kneeling at Blessed John Paul II's tomb in St. Peter's Basilica, I simultaneously felt like an ant and an elephant.  The blessing of being a Catholic in a Catholic Church is that it is familiar.  Despite the tour groups passing through behind me, I might as well have stayed there forever.  Again, I felt at home.

This is Home.  I am finally where I belong.

Yeah, this is Home.  I've been searching for a place of my own.

Now I've found it.

With a hushed heart I approached the door to the Opus Dei chapel.  Silently, I pushed open the door, and entered the room.  I knelt, I reached out, and for several moments, I touched the glass surrounding St. Josemaria's tomb.  His holiness was tangibly present to me.  Now.  Now, at last, I had found my home.

It's not exactly simple for me to understand how I can walk through the streets of Rome, wander through alleyways in Assisi, and feel like I've been there my whole life.  Like I belong there.  This is why I am hesitant to call my home in Virginia my sole home.  I miss people in the States, but I am not homesick in the least.  Because somehow, I find home wherever I am.

I have decided that Home is ultimately where you decide it's Home.

"Lowly, and Yet Chosen"

HABEMUS PAPUM!!

Oh my goodness, I wish you all could have witnessed our campus here in Austria tonight!  We have a new Papa... I can't express the joy in my heart right now.

I was in the TOR sister's house at 7:10 pm, ready for Women's Scripture Group, and Meredith came bursting in the doors: "Habemus Papum!".  We all screamed rather loudly, and then Sister Maria Teresa ran to get the sisters' TV from the other room.  About 3 minutes later, we had EWTN all hooked up and playing in their living room.  There were only about 30 of us, and it was really neat to experience this history with the sisters.

We all waited with bated breath to hear who it was, and we jumped every time that silly curtain on the balcony twitched.  Finally, the cardinal emerged and told us who it was- Bergoglio.  But none of us could seem to remember who exactly he was.  

Pope Francis.

A Jesuit.

An American.

Being from Franciscan University, we kinda went nuts: St. Francis of Assisi! (We were just in Assisi praying for him!)

Being Franciscan, we are excited to see the spirituality of a Jesuit Pope.

And being American (honestly, who cares if it's North or South!)..... we have an American Papa!!!!

As I read about him, I am struck by his humility.  Even as cardinal, he took public transportation in Argentina, and cooked his own meals.  He preferred to live in a flat heated by a simple stove.  And as we watched him tonight, this humility shone through.  Before giving us all his blessing, he first asked for our prayers and blessings.

After the papal address, we gathered in the Church to sing in Thanksgiving and then to pray a rosary together, as a campus, for our new Pope.  It was beautiful to be with my classmates, offering our prayers for this man who we already love.

I cannot wait to get to know Pope Francis better.  To read his writings and to listen to his teachings.

St. Francis of Assisi: Pray for us!

St. Peter: Pray for us!

Yes, this is my life

Some people live for Mumford and Sons concerts, or seeing One Direction, or the possibility of going to the Grammys.  Some people would give their right arm to meet Josh Groban, or to visit the White House and see the President.

But when you're a Catholic young adult, you get excited over something else.

Your ears prick up when you hear the church bell right, but then you realize that it's only ringing the hour.

You hear "live stream of St. Peter's Square" and strain to hear the rest of the conversation.

And the word 'cardinal' no longer simply means a bird not yet seen in the Austrian winter.

We are, my friends, awaiting the election of a new Pope.

Any day now, we will have a new leader of our Church.  As much as we may miss Blessed John Paul II and His Holiness Benedict XVI, we are simultaneously enthralled by the idea of getting to know a new papa.

He will lead our generation to holiness.

We will listen to his every word and follow his example.

Right now, we live for that moment that we hear our Kartause bells ringing, that we hear someone running through the halls of our dorms screaming "Habemus Papam!", and that we see the new leader of our Church emerge on a balcony that we gazed on only one short week ago.

These are the moments we live for.

And this is why being a Catholic young adult is the best kind of young adult to be.

Come, Holy Spirit!  Blessed JPII, Intercede for our Church!

Blessed Beyond Measure

About 250,000 people were in St. Peter's square for the last audience of His Holiness Benedict XVI.

I was one of those people.

Some people got to watch the helicopter take off from the Vatican on TV.

And I was less than a mile away.

Lots of people read about saints in books and online.

We saw incorrupt saints and had Mass at their tombs.

Only the Pope and appointed Cardinals can say Mass at the high altar in St. John Lateran.

But when there's no Pope, our own Franciscan friars can say Mass there for us.

The area around St. Francis' tomb is somewhat small.

But our awesome travel agent got all 200 of us permission to have Mass there anyway.

(Can you tell that Mass was kinda one of the highlights of the trip?!)

And then there are "everyday" blessings- Old Bridge gelato, 'Habemus Pizza', praise and worship at the seminary in Rome, having a dear friend for dinner with the school, and walking through the streets of Assisi with a wise Friar.

I can't comprehend how many times we all looked at each other after one experience or another and thought "That shouldn't have just happened.  We shouldn't have been able to experience that".  And yet it did, and we were.

As I think through these last 2 weeks, I will be posting my thoughts about Rome, Siena, and Assisi.  

Sts. Francis and Clare, Pray for us!