Ski Date!

Today was opening day at the ski resort closest to us and we were there! Thanks to some wonderful students who babysat for us, we were able to spend the day on the slopes at Lackenhof.

It took literally 15 minutes from our driveway to their parking lot. Which was perfect because we could ski all morning, come home for lunch, and then go back out for a few more runs. We bought used skis and boots at the ski flea market over a month ago so we just threw those in the car, got our lift tickets, and we were off. 

Only two of their runs were open today. It wasn't crowded at all - probably because there are bigger places to go not far from here - but it was perfect for us. At the top of the second lift the visibility was maybe 25 feet so that was a little scary. But closer to noon the sun came out and the clouds/fog lifted so it was great to look around and actually see the trails we'd been skiing on - and all the amazing surroundings. 

After lunch the sun was hidden again, the clouds were back, and it snowed several inches. Thus we spent equal times on the slopes and in the bar at the top of the first lift half way up the mountain. 

The sun sets at 4 o'clock and that's also the time of the last lift. So we had one more run down before packing up our skis and heading out. I think we may have been the last ones down; it was fun feeling like we had the resort all to ourselves! The short drive home through the mountains with snow covered trees as it continued snowing was a beautiful trip to end our little adventure!

Our First "Austrian Thanksgiving"

Our first real snow came overnight and it continued snowing all day long. It was amazing to look around at the snow covered buildings, trees, and foothills of the Alps.

It was the perfect morning to be outside sledding, building snowmen, and making snow angels. (And sleeping all bundled up.)

Because our American Thanksgiving is not an Austrian holiday, Brian had to work today.  But we went to Mass with the University students, had lunch together and then Brian was back home before the kids were up from their afternoon naps to get ready for the "Thanksgiving Dinner & Ball" that the University hosts. Everyone wears traditional Austrian clothes...as we celebrate our American holiday!

They bring out a huge turkey with sparklers in it, while everyone gathers around singing God Bless, America. I'm not sure what Ellie loved more - the sparklers or extra time with her friends here!

Francis and I headed home, a short walk up the snow covered street with snow still coming down, as Brian and Ellie were off to the ball. They're still not home (someone's up past her bedtime!) but I believe the first part of the ball is professional Austrian folk dancers teaching everyone some dances and the second part of the night is a regular dance. So not a bad way to spend Thanksgiving! Although we are missing the Burgetstown 5k, watching the Macy's Day Parade and football, and whatever funny incidents are bound to happen at our extended family gatherings!! Missing you all. Happy Thanksgiving!

Assisi: City of Peace

After five days in Rome, we took buses about three hours to Assisi. It was such a blessing to spend three days in this beautiful, peaceful town.

Here are the highlights, in no particular order - because every stop could probably rank as #1!

1) Mass at Basilica of Santa Maria degli Angeli. This is the Basilica built over the Portiuncula that St. Francis built. Out back is the Rose Garden - here Francis had thrown himself into thorn bushes to resist the temptation to lust and roses (that to this day, don't bloom on any other of that species of bush) sprung up. 

2) Mass at Santa Chiara (St. Clare).  The church now houses the San Damiano Crucifix that spoke to St. Francis telling him to go and rebuild the Church! The tomb of St. Clare is also in the church. 

3) Pilgrimage walk to the Hermitage of St. Francis. We walked about an hour up the mountain to the hermitage and cave where St. Francis used to pray. 

4) Mass at the Basilica of St. Francis, at the Tomb of St. Francis.  This is one of the holiest place in Assisi, built over the tomb of St. Francis. The upper church is covered with frescoes by Giotto depicting St. Francis' life. Dr. Alan Schreck (Professor and our next door neighbor for the semester) led our wonderful tour of the basilica. 

5) Walking Tour of Assisi

Chiesa Nuova - Cell where Francis was imprisoned by his father. The church is built over Francis'  birthplace and family home.

In front of the Santa Maria Maggiore (Assisi's first cathedral) where Francis threw off his clothes, renouncing his father and wealth - and embracing Lady Poverty during his trial with Bishop Guido II.

Abbey of St. Peter - where Francis and his revelers met on June 13, 1205. Francis was bound and his experience of Divine Love led him to espouse Lady Poverty.

House of Bernard of Quintavale - he was the richest man in town and he gave it all away to follow Francis after he witnessed him praying all night long as a guest in his house.

6) The best cannolis ever! Went there everyday!

7) Santa Maria sopra Minerva - built over an old pagan temple.

8) Cathedral of San Rufino. Outside is St. Clare's birthplace. Inside is the baptismal font of St. Francis. 

9) San Damiano. Here St. Francis heard the words, "Go and repair my church, which is falling into ruin." Also it was here that St. Francis wrote Canticle of Sun. And it is where St. Clare died. It is also the place where our family and our nephew, Timmy, took a picture!

10) Maro aka the amazing leather man! Many of us bought beautiful leather bags, wallets, belts, and covers for Bibles, Magnificats, etc. Here's what I walked away with, and the view across from his little shop. 

Bonus: the gorgeous views of Assisi!

Throughout our pilgrimage we were able to pray for many intentions. What a beautiful privilege it was. On our last full day in Assisi the terrorist attacks in Paris occurred. From this "city of peace" we pray many continue to follow Jesus bringing peace and love to the world, and the hope of eternal life in Heaven. 

When in Rome...Top 10!

1) Pope Francis blessed Francis and Ellie

Nothing could top these precious moments in our trip to Rome and Vatican City! We have to first thank  so many of the incredible Franciscan University students for making this possible. The plan to get Francis blessed began a week earlier in the students' meeting on the trip when the Director of the study abroad program mapped out where the best spot was to see the Pope during the Wednesday Audience. He called it "Operation White Smoke," and the mission was to get Baby Francis - aka, "Pope bait" - blessed. In order to get this spot you needed to be the first ones through the security gate when it opened at 7:30am. In order to secure this spot students got in line as early as 1:30am!! Others made their way there at 2:30am, 5am, and 6am. We showed up at 7:05am and joined many others in the line. As the line started to move we could see our students get through security and take off sprinting for the coveted section. They then formed a line around perimeter so that all of us later arrivals to the line could enter their section. Amazing. At 9:20am, Francis and I got in position - front row right where the Pope was expected to first appear. At 9:29 we saw him get in the Pope Mobile. As everyone screamed and cheered his car entered St Peter's Square. As I held Francis out over the blockade, students held the Franciscan University banner, cheered, cried, and pointed at our son. A security guard quickly approached us. The Pope mobile stopped. And, the next part is a little blurry because I was shaking and crying, the security man took Baby Francis and handed him to Pope Francis! The Pope kissed him and blessed our son.

Our section went wild. After I took my blessed baby back from the security man, I regained a bit of my composer and locked eyes with Pope Francis. As his eyes met mine, he said something and I just said "thank you, thank you."  He was smiling and nodding, he then continued on blessing us all. He went around the crowds for about 25 minutes blessing other babies and small children. He drove by us in the front row again. That's when I took a few pictures in my phone. 

Then he went down the other side the students had staked out, where Brian was waiting with Ellie in hopes of her getting blessed by the Pope. But as everyone cheered she clung tighter to daddy. So no direct blessing that time around. Around 10am, Pope Francis began his prayer, speech, and blessing for the Audience. The theme of his speech was the family. You can read a summary here -- and see more photos of our son (here and here) who was apparently very photogenic that day! After the blessing, which extends to all our families, most of the crowd left as Pope Francis met with people up on the platform. A smaller group of us waited, hoping to see him up close again as he exited in the Pope Mobile. About an hour later he began his departure. The students still held their secured spot up front. Brian joined them along the front perimeter this time and held Ellie, who had watched students' video recordings of her brother being kissed by the Pope and decided she'd like that too. As Pope Francis approached our section he was waving and smiling. Brian held Ellie up. The security men didn't pick her up, but Pope Francis bent over and made the Sign of the Cross directly in front of Ellie. One of the students recorded the video of it on her phone!  Amazing. Absolutely amazing. 

Ps, we also saw Fr. Dave, who married us, at the Audience. He used to seem pretty cool, before we met the Pope. Speaking of Fr Dave you should check out his new book and this cool FREE online series he's been working on.

2) Mass at St. Peter's Basilica (Altare della Cattedra)

The Audience with the Pope happened on our last full day in Rome (before heading to Assisi) so everything else that preceded that moment built our excitement from being in such holy, historic places. One of my favorite experiences on the trip was Mass at the altar behind the High Papal Altar in the center of St. Peter's Basilica. With one exception, all of our Masses were celebrated by our Franciscan TOR Friars and music by the University students. If you've been to a Mass at Franciscan University before then you know how amazing it is to be among all these young people, truly in love with Our Lord, so actively praising and adoring Jesus, filled with the Holy Spirit. At a certain point during the Mass, as I stared up at Bernini's Holy Spirit window with my family next to me and the students all singing around me and Jesus on the altar in front of us, I felt so incredibly blessed. 

Other highlights in St. Peter's Basilica included: 

Altar over the tomb of St. Pope Pius X. I went to St. Pius elementary school for K-8 grade so it's incredible to see the incorrupt body of this holy man for which our school was named. 

The Pieta

Altar over the tomb of St. Pope John Paul II

3) Vatican Museum and Sistine Chapel

Brian watched the kids while I went on this tour. Our tour guide has been living in Rome for 8 years and has her masters in Theology from Notre Dame. She did an amazing job taking us through the museum. Unfortunately no pictures in the Sistine Chapel were allowed, but other highlights included:

Resurrected Jesus tapestry - wherever you stand in the room it seems like Jesus is looking at you

Raphael Rooms

The view of Vatican City exiting the museum

4) La Santa Scala, the Holy Stairs

These are the stairs Christ climbed to meet Pilate. They were brought to Rome from the Holy Land by St. Helen. The pilgrimage up the stairs can only be made on your knees. Brian and I went up the stairs on an afternoon when both kids were asleep, Ellie on Brian's back and Francis in my carrier. The extra weight of the kids made the climb a little more painful, but I knew it must have been nothing compared to what Jesus felt. A few days later in Assisi I was praying beneath a statue of the crucifixion and I looked up and saw Christ's knees, completely destroyed, knee caps split open...oh the agony He endured for our salvation. 

5) Praying the Angelus with Pope Francis

On Sunday, our first full day in Rome, we all went to St. Peter's Square at noon to pray with the Pope. This was our first time seeing Pope Francis in person. There was a lot of cheering, crying, and rejoicing as we saw our Holy Father in the window up above us. 

6) Catacombs of St. Callixtus

A short walk from our hotel took us to the outskirts of Rome to the catacombs. These catacombs are among the greatest and most important of Rome. They originated about the middle of the second century and are part of a cemetery complex that occupies an area of 90 acres, with a network of galleries about 12 miles long, in four levels, more than twenty meters deep. In it were buried dozens of martyrs, 16 popes and very many Christians. (Almost all of the known remains were removed and safely relocated to churches all over Rome) We saw the crypt where the Popes were buried referred to as "little Vatican." And we saw where St. Cecilia was buried. We prayed the Divine Mercy Chaplet at one of the small altars. Sorry, no pictures allowed underground. 

Ps, there was a cool playground on our walk there!

7) Mass at St. Mary Major

We went to Mass at all four of the major basilicas in Rome, St. Mary Major being one of them. Here we were also able to see the manger (feeding trough) where Jesus was placed at His birth. 

8) Mass at St. Paul's Outside the Walls

We joined others for Mass in Italian. We saw the tomb of St. Paul and the chains he wore while imprisoned. 

9) Mass at the Basilica of St. John Latern

Our Friars celebrated Mass on the main altar of the Basilica of St. John Lateran on our last full day in Rome. This is the Pope's church. Pope Francis celebrated the Mass of the Basilica's Feast Day, which was on Monday just two days before we had Mass there. 

10) Walking Tours of Rome

Trevi Fountain

Pillar where Christ was Scourged, now displayed in Santa Prassede

Icon of Our Lady of Perpetual Help 

The Colosseum

The Pantheon

So there are the main highlights from our wonderfully busy pilgrimage to Rome!