Today I arrived in Rome for my first-ever pilgrimage to the Eternal City.
I still can't believe I am actually here. Right now I am about to go to bed after being up for nearly two days--that is how it is when one takes an overnight flight--so it feels like I am dreaming. The day passed like a fantastical blur--taking a bus from Fiumicino Airport to Termini, walking to the convent where I am staying, then walking to St. Peter's Square for the papal Angelus, meeting a seminarian friend who helped me get the lay of the land, going to Santissima Trinita for evening Mass, eating "Jewish-style" artichoke ... it's all so wonderful and yet unreal. Perhaps after waking up in Rome tomorrow morning, after a good night's sleep, I will begin to absorb this experience more fully. I hope so.
While I am here, I'll be taking photos and video, but probably won't get to post them until returning home at the end of the week, unless I can find a better Internet connection than the one where I am staying. Please know that, although it's not easy for me to send e-mail here, I am sending up lots of knee-mail for all my family, friends, and blog readers--yes, that means you. If you are reading this blog, you are in my intentions here as I walk in the steps of the saints. I am also sending up special prayers for all those who have prayed for me over the years, including those Dawn Patrol readers who helped to pray me into the Church, and those who have donated to support me in my graduate studies. Please pray for me, especially for my studies, as, while I am here, I will be meeting with the professor under whom I am hoping to study for my doctorate once I complete my sacred-theology licentiate.
Also, just a reminder: If you are in Washington, D.C., on April 23, you are cordially invited to attend the book launch event for My Peace I Give You: Healing Sexual Wounds with the Help of the Saints.
