February, 2008

Greetings vocation bloggers! I hope you enjoyed the last two months of winter. It has continued to be very cold and very precipitative up here in New England. It is hard for me to say (since I have always loved snow), but I am getting sick of the snow.

January was the month that I was on winter break, so I apologize for not writing a blog during that time. The Archdiocesan seminarians and our families were invited to Mass and dinner with Archbishop O’Brien for Christmas, and it was great. This was the first year that we had this event with Archbishop O’Brien, so my parents were excited to meet him (though we all missed Cardinal Keeler).

Many exciting things have happened in the past two months. The Diocese of Providence recently had their college discernment retreat, at which about twenty men came to discern the diocesan priesthood. It is always reaffirming to see other men consider the vocation of priesthood. It reminds me and my brothers that God is still calling many men to priesthood, and that we must continue to call others—even if just by example—to consider the possibility that God is calling them too. Another retreat for high school students is coming up in a few weeks, and I am sure that there will be at least twenty again. As I said in my last blog, what a time of hope!

Also, as I am sure you have heard, Pope Benedict is coming to the United States in April. He will be visiting Washington D.C. and New York City on his trip, and Our Lady of Providence Seminary will be having a private audience with him…just kidding! We will be going to New York City for the Pope’s farewell Mass at Yankee Stadium. Everybody is excited and the trip will be a memorable one. Sadly, I was never able to see Pope John Paul II when he visited; so this will be my first experience of seeing a Pope in the United States. I will bring my camera, and if I can I will post any pictures I take (though they probably won’t be very good). I will probably have to bring binoculars too.

Providence College midterms are only few weeks away. If you are in school, keep working hard. I will say prayer for you on those days—please say one for me! Enjoy the warmer month of March and I will write again soon.