Blessed: Pollone Pilgrimage

Brian Francis Kissinger II turned one on April 22!  He's taken his first steps, he has 2.5 teeth, adores his big sister, can say dada and (finally) mama, and still has the chubbiest cheeks!  Thank you to all those who donated to Mary's Meals on his behalf.  So far we've raised enough money to feed 31 children for an entire school year!

I made the blue frosting but bought the candies to add on top - I thought this one said, "Happy Birthday!"   Apparently it says, "Congratulations."  Good thing Francis can't read yet.

 Congrats on turning one, little Buddy!

After Francis' early birthday celebration, we put the kids to bed for a few hours sleep - before awakening them a little before midnight for a 13 hour bus trip to Italy.  We were very fortunate to travel with about 30 students and one of the amazing Resident Directors who arranged the trip to Pollone and Turin, Italy, to visit the sites from the life of Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati.  It was a 3-day trip - with 2 long nights on the bus and the other 2 at the stunning Oropa Sanctuary.

The Sanctuary of Oropa, located at 1,200 meters in the Italian Alps (not far from Switzerland and France), dedicated to the Virgin Mary

According to tradition, the statue of the Virgin Mary was brought to Oropa in the 4th Century A.D. by Saint Eusebius

On Friday, Francis' birthday, we took the bus about 45 minutes down the mountain to the town of Pollone.  Pollone is where the Frassati family had their summer home.

Pier Giorgio's mother painted this portrait of him, which hangs in the entry way of the house.

We were able to visit his bedroom and hold his skis and mountain axe.

Yup, same axe....

Mountain climbing was one of Pier Giorgio's favorite sports.  Outings in the mountains, which he organized with his friends, also served as a chance to tell others about God.  

Into the mountains we went.  Retracing a path that Pier Giorgio often took, we hiked 5 hours up the mountain.  It was the hardest, and most rewarding, hike I've ever done!  We never would have been able to complete it without the students taking turns to help carry our children up the mountain. 

A few hours into the hike....still feeling good....

An hour later, not feeling as good....notice the students ahead of us - they're the ones carrying our kids....

Starting to get colder....time to put on our jackets (here we encountered our first patch of snow right behind the rock)....

Almost there....just kidding....false summit!

That's the cloud line....

Almost there....

We made it!!! 

"The higher we go, the better we shall hear the voice of Christ." - Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati

We joined the students for a time of praise and worship at the top (in the freezing cold) and then began our two-hour descent down the other side of the mountain to the Sanctuary of Oropa.

I wasn't able to take too many pictures on the way down as it was quite steep and slippery.  But the views were amazing!

Eight hours after we began the hike, we arrived back at the Oropa Sanctuary.

The next day we went to Turin, about 2 hours away.  Pier Giorgio grew up in Turin and he is buried here at the Cathedral of Saint John the Baptist.

The cathedral also holds the Shroud of Turin, which is not currently on display.

We also visited the Basilica of Our Lady Help of Christians.  Here St. John Bosco is buried.

As well as St. Dominic Savio.

After Mass, pizza, wine, and gelato we boarded the bus and were back in Gaming by 11am on Sunday.  It was an amazing trip....a great first "birthday party" for Francis :)

As we gave thanks to God for Francis' life on this pilgrimage, we also praised Him for Gianna Rose, the daughter of our dear friends, who was born and then went to Heaven just a few days later - one year ago.

Through the intercession of Pier Giorgio (who St. Pope John Paul II called 'The Man of the Eight Beatitudes'), John Bosco, Dominic Savio, and Gianna Rose - I was able to grow closer to Jesus and to gain a greater of understanding of what it means to be "blessed."


Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of Heaven.

Blessed are those who mourn: for they will be comforted.

Blessed are the meek: for they will inherit the earth.

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness: for they will be filled.

Blessed are the merciful: for they will be shown mercy.

Blessed are the pure in heart: for they will see God.

Blessed are the peacemakers: for they will be called children of God.

Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness sake: for theirs in the kingdom of God.

Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evils against you because of me. 

Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in Heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

- Matthew 5: 3-11

What Brian Francis Really Wants For His First Birthday...

What does a baby who's been blessed by the Pope really want for his birthday?  He wants to feed hungry children.  How do I know this?  Because last night I asked him at dinner and he responded by throwing all of his food on the floor -- clearly a sign that he wants it to go to others!

In all seriousness, Brian Francis has been abundantly blessed this year.  He's been kissed by the Pope in Rome, he sat where Jesus was born in Bethlehem, and he gets to grow up in the foothills of the Austrian Alps.  He has more than enough toys, clothes, and food.

While Brian Francis never has to worry whether he'll be able to eat any given day, many children do.  These children aren't living far from us or where we've traveled.  And we want to help!

It costs $19.50 to feed a child for a whole school year.

Instead of buying Brian Francis a $20 gift (and spending at least another $20 on shipping) -- please consider making a donation to Mary's Meals.  Thank you!

Click here to donate on behalf of the birthday boy!

What is Mary's Meals?

Mary's Meals provides one good meal to some of the world's poorest children every school day.  At the time that I'm writing this post -- they are feeding 1,101,206 children each day.

Mary's Meals is a no-frills charity with a simple idea that works: by providing one good meal in a place of learning, children are drawn into the classroom where they can receive an education that could one day free them from poverty.

Mary's Meals is named after Mary, the mother of Jesus, who brought up her own child in poverty.  They consist of, respect, and reach out to people of all faiths and none.

Their vision is that every child receives one daily meal in their place of education.

Why does Brian Francis want to support Mary's Meals?

Meeting Pope Francis, the Vicar of Christ, changes you.  Baby Francis has been particularly struck by Pope Francis' words on poverty:

"Poverty in the world is a scandal.  In a world where there is so much wealth it is unfathomable that there are so many hungry children, that there are so many children without an education, so many poor persons.  Poverty today is a cry."

How did our family find out about Mary's Meals?

Through a jar of peanut butter. Seriously.  Let me explain.  

I first heard about Mary's Meals years ago when my sister asked our parish priest in Iowa if he would recommend a good charity to support.  He pointed her to Mary's Meals and she was so impressed by the organization that she shared the link to our family. Although I glanced at, I wasn't moved to donate.  Later my mom shared that she had attended a conference in Iowa and one of the speakers talked about the work of Mary's Meals.  Upon moving to Austria, I began hearing more and more people talk about Mary's Meals as many of the families and students here support the charity.  First I heard one mom mention that she tries to get all of her children's clothes second-hand so that they can give the money they would have spent on clothes to Mary's Meals.  Who does that?  I remember thinking.  Then at the campus' live auction, I watched as staff members outbid one another to "buy" a jar of peanut butter (which had been imported to Austria - where you normally can't find it) for over $200 -- all money went to Mary's Meals.   Again, I thought,  Why Mary's Meals??  That $200 jar of peanut butter pushed me over the edge -- and I finally took the time to learn about Mary's Meals.  And I was blown away.  What did I find?  A simple solution to world hunger - that works!  So often I've thought, What can I really do to help starving people?  Those really, really in need?  How can I know that I'm really helping?  I found my answer with Mary's Meals.

How can you learn more about Mary's Meals?

You can read The Shed That Fed A Million Children: the Extraordinary Story of Mary's Meals that was just published last year.  It is sooooo good!  It's such a page-turner!  Honestly, I did not want to put it down.  I skipped my daily life-saving nap (while both kids are sleeping) and I stayed up late at night to keep reading....if that doesn't tell you how good it is, I don't know what will!  The children and their families' stories are heart-warming and, sadly, heart-breaking.  How it all started in Medjugorje - a place our family will hopefully visit - is incredible.  What I - we - can do to make a huge difference is life changing!

You can also watch the 30-minute video Child 31 on your computer or phone.  It is an incredibly moving short film about Mary's Meals!

Thank you!  God bless!!

Barcelona Spring Break

The students are off on their own 9 day break, so we took the opportunity to spend 4 nights and 3 days in Barcelona.  Barcelona is the capital of the distinct region of Catalunya.  Catalan and Spanish are spoken equally on the streets (and I speak neither), and both flags wave side by side atop many buildings.

Brian and I had a pretty great spring break (despite the fact the weather was warmer back in Austria).  But our kids were the ones who really went wild. So I'll share with you some of their highlights! 

Montjuïc Magic Fountains

Our first night in Barcelona the kids stayed up extra late (the show started at 9pm) and went to the Magic Fountain show. Ellie loved dancing to the music in the spray of the water from the fountain illuminated by many bright colors. 

Cathedral of Barcelona 

The kids are daily Mass goers, so they had high expectations for where to celebrate Divine Mercy Sunday. To appease them, we went to the historic Cathedral of Barcelona in the city's Gothic Quarter (Barri Gòtic). They loved the Neo-Gothic facade, the impressive interior, and watching locals dance the sardana after Mass right in front of the cathedral. And Jesus and His infinite outpouring of Love and Mercy!!

Museu de la Xocolata (Chocolate Museum)

After seeing a frieze designed by Picasso (1960) near the cathedral, the kids really wanted to go to the Picasso Museum.  But the line was over an hour long, so we persuaded them to go to the Chocolate Museum a couple of blocks away instead. 

Columbus Monument & Waterfront

The kids love learning the history of their native land, so they enjoyed seeing the spot where Christopher Columbus debarked after returning from America. They also loved the carnival rides and playgrounds along the waterfront of the Mediterranean Sea. 

Montjuïc Castle

Cool castle.  Even cooler way to get there!

Ciutadella Park & Zoo

The kids love a good metro ride. So we rode to the Arc del Triomf and walked down to the best park ever. 

Parc Güell

The kids love Modernista architecture, especially the works of Antoni Gaudí, so they couldn't wait to see his magic in this colorful park. Well, turns out they could wait, because they slept through our stroll through this huge park. We didn't buy the tickets or wait the two hours here to enter the official entrance to see the stairway, columns, or lizard up close - but we still enjoyed what we could see while the kids slept!

Casa Batlló

We did buy tickets in advance to visit the mansion designed by Gaudí. This apartment was crazier than anything you'll see in a Dr. Seuss book! There's barely a straight line in the house and you feel like you're in a funhouse rather than what was someone's home. 

Sagrada Família (Holy Family Church)

Gaudí's vision and work in the park and the apartment were impressive, but the kids were blown away by his most famous work - the unfinished (construction is on-going and may be complete 2026), super-sized church, Sagrada Família. 

L'aquarium

The seal show at the zoo wasn't good enough for our animal-loving kids, so we made our way to the aquarium off of Port Vell. 

Basilica Santa Maria del Mar

The kids loved seeing the magnificent stained glass window at the Catalan Gothic Santa Maria del Mar.

La Rambla

They also loved walking down the tree-lined pedestrian mall, fighting the crowds to see the little shops, flowers stands, La Boqueria (produce market) - and the souvenir stores along the way like Eli & Ana.

Tapas & Treats

Eating (and drinking) was definitely a treat in Barcelona.  Francis especially loved the tapas, whereas Ellie's favorite was the famous churros con chocolate at Granja La Pallaresa.  You can definitely see who takes after his father and her mother.

As you can hopefully see now by all of the photos, the kids had an amazing time travelling to Barcelona!  That being said -- if you ask Ellie what her favorite part was, she'll tell you it was going on the little ride and getting a (free) balloon (that popped 10 minutes later) and riding the bus from the airport to the hotel.  So, bottom line, if you can't bring your kids to Spain anytime soon, try the local parking lot carnival rides - and if you're really generous, take the bus to get there! :)