No General Audience; the Pope is on Summer Break

Pope / Courtesy of Fr Rosica's blog

Pope Francis’ Summer Break Has Begun

General Audiences Suspended Throughout July

July 01, 2020 11:08Deborah Castellano LubovMeetings

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As is the case every summer, Pope Francis takes a break from his public meetings: his weekly Wednesday morning General Audiences are suspended throughout July.

For this reason, July 1, the Holy Father did not have his weekly Audience streamed from his private library, according to Vatican sources.

While no statement was issued by the Vatican Press Office, usually the Pope’s morning Masses in the chapel of his residence Casa Santa Marta, are suspended until September.

Francis will continue celebrating Mass in private and the Vatican will not publish the content of his daily homilies.

Despite his ‘break’, the Pope will continue to give his Angelus address each Sunday at noon. He will do so, as usual, from St. Peter’s Square, given Pope Francis has opted since the start of his pontificate to stay in Rome over the summer, rather than to go to Castel Gandolfo like his predecessors.

For the moment, the Pope has no other appointments confirmed as the world continues to battle against the COVID-19 pandemic.

Of vacations, sinus infections, impeachment and Advent

I hope everybody who reads me understands that it still is NOT Christmas as we navigate these last few days of Advent.  In fact, as we arrive at church for Mass this weekend there should be no Christmas decorations yet, no Christmas carols yet and a beautiful Gospel that tells us what we have to look forward to.  It is pretty darn close to Christmas, I'll give you that, but I love celebrating Advent for as long as Advent is with us.

Since my knee surgery was cancelled several weeks ago I was able to take a full week of vacation starting last Friday, the 13th.  What a nice opportunity to relax before Christmas action and also prepare, gift shopping and attend some extra church functions.  Well, best laid plans.  I awoke last Saturday sick, so much so that I was convinced it was the flu.  I remained so sick through the weekend that I actually missed out on even attending Mass let alone assisting as Deacon.  On Monday I ventured to the urgent care to get the diagnosis of a sinus infection.  It did hit me hard as it took until Thursday to feel able to leave the house.  I missed our parish Advent mission and even the annual Christmas party for the men at Rayburn.  That, for me is a heartbreaker.  What I did get to do, and this is not necessarily a good thing, I watched the whole impeachment debacle.  Despite all the tie, money and bluster, that impeachment thing is nothing more than what side are you on.  We have a country where 50% hate Trump passionately and 50% like and defend him no matter what.  All I know for now is the President stands impeached, well maybe depending on delivering articles to the Senate and a trial, we believe, awaits.  Trump will clear that hurdle and move on and then we can watch the national debacle that will be the 2020 election.

I guess the highlights for me, TV wise, as I lay sick was watching LSU's Joe Burrow win the Heisman Trophy and then watch the Saints destroy the Colts on another prime-time Drew Brees record setting performance.  At least we have the College Playoffs looming for us LSU fans and the Saints moving forward to the NFL playoffs.  Not too shabby for south Louisiana.

Today and tomorrow I will be preaching and I pray I can get through it without coughing up a lung.  I a still not 100% recovered but trying.  We will also enjoy our first family event for the upcoming Christmas season tomorrow at my daughter's house and a chance to see the baby!  And then comes Monday where I return to work after being so sick for vacation.  As we say all too often, it is what it is!

Still vacationing with the family

Posting will remain somewhat light as Wendy and I continue to vacation with Calvin & Katelyn and of course mom & dad, James & Sara.

Today was a full day and we still have several full days with these active, smart, witty, beautiful 4 and 7 year old grandkids.

Will update when I can as I can.

The Adventures of the Deacon and his wife on a cruise; a first

On Thursday morning last, a cold and crisp morning, Wendy and I really did board a cruise ship; after 42 years of marriage, I finally took Wendy on cruise; something she has desired for a long time.  For my part, I had no real desire for a getting on a cruise ship, getting out over water and getting far from high ground, yet I knew it was time to take care of the good wife!  We climbed atop the Carnival Triumph, found our balcony state room and immediately went to lunch at Guy's Burger Joint.  We explored all the various places to eat and then returned to the room to watch the ship leave the port of New Orleans.  Being a local we watched the ship turn around to pull away from the Crescent City Connection as we enjoyed the pre-sunset view of Algiers Point and then many familiar points downriver. Dinner was next where we met a nice couple from Birmingham As we left the river, close to midnight, we began to see the big majestic oil rigs that dot the landscape.  Friday was travel day, all day on the sea.  Unlike what I had been told by so many, we actually experienced some rough weather late in the day and we rolled a bit, even rocked some.  Although apprehensive, I was managing the situation.  Friday was a mix of food, drinks, activities and shows.  I was getting the hang of this but walking on a big boat that moving was a challenge.  Friday night Wendy and I took in a great show with excellent dancing and singing.

Keep in mind we are on this boat now at a day and a half and on the water for well over 24 hours.  Everything Wendy and I are doing is learning on the fly and then add in the rough weather and things are interesting.  We are now so looking forward to Saturday morning because we are going ashore, a 6 hour stay in Cozumel, an island part of the Yucatan  and what will be for us stepping upon our 4th foreign country.  But when it came time to disembark, the rain came down, hard and sideways.  If we carried it, owned it or wore it, it was soaked.  We boarded buses soaking wet and made it to a Mayan village for a folklore event; various cooking demonstrations, a Mayan prayer of some sort, a demonstration of a Mayan sporting event, kind of like soccer but played on a most unusual field, oh by the way, if you were the winner, you earned the right to be sacrificed to the "gods".  Oh, did I mention there was tequila tasting, not once but a few times.  Then finally lunch and some Mayan folk dancing and our day was done in Cozumel Mexico.

Now this is where things get very interesting.  Not maybe 15 minutes after leaving port, the seas became angry.  We were now in some uncharacteristic rough seas for a Carnival cruise and was all you could do to get your legs under you.  For that reason, and because we had such a busy day in Cozumel, we called it quits after dinner.   Sometimes, when you are in bed, the rocking of the boat is kind of peaceful, and sometimes when it actually shakes, it's quite disturbing.  Come Sunday morning, still rough seas and even more seasoned cruisers and some staff were mentioning the unusual aspect of that days weather event.  Scheduled activities were being moved or cancelled, the pools were drained of the waters and deck chairs removed, it was something else.  Yet, Wendy and I endured and found various fun things to do.  Finally, as we approached the Mississippi River, the seas calmed a bit and once in the river, no more problems.  Wendy and I took in a show dedicated to New Orleans music, had dinner, packed our bags, prepared for today, our return trip home.  And home we are; we did it; Wendy and I successfully navigated our first cruised and really enjoyed it, despite the bad weather and rough seas.

Some things I found interesting: only a distance of about 90 miles, it takes 7 hours or so to navigate the Mississippi River to the Gulf of Mexico and vice-versa.  Also, it is approximately 640 nautical miles from New Orleans to Cozumel.  I also found out that the ship we were on, the Triumph, is scheduled for a complete overhaul soon in dry-dock.  Also, there are employees on board from over 80 nations and I think we were told there is approximately 50 languages spoken by the crew.  Final interesting tidbit, despite the Mayan history, culture and presence in the Yucatan, since the arrival of the Spanish, there is no longer anyone living there that is fully 100% Mayan.

So even though there is so much more I could add, and may at some point in the days to come, that's about all for now.  So the question needs to be asked, will I do this again?  The answer is I would be very open to it.  So we will see.

Cruise, check; Mexico, check; we survived(and had fun), check!

And the blogger returns

Well, I did it and nothing bad happened; I did not get sick or fall down and I survived my first cruise and my 4+ day self imposed exile from blogging!

Today I hope to get back on board, tell you quite a bit about my first cruise and catch up on what's big and important in the Catholic world and things concerning the diaconate.

I'm back and excited to be back online!

For this blogger a first: a four day blackout

I can't believe I'm posting this as I will be off the grid until Monday afternoon.  Yes indeed I am taking a few days off from blogging so to fully enjoy my first ever cruise with the wife.  It only took 40+ years of marriage for Wendy to convince me to get on a boat.  And it is a short cruise; we leave this evening about 5 pm, cruise down the Mississippi River into the Gulf of Mexico and head straight for Cozumel.  After one day there, we reverse course and arrive home around 8 am Monday morning.

I am not even taking the computer with me; quite a commitment from me to be fully present to the adventure and to my wife, who waited patiently for decades for this opportunity.

Yes, I will miss blogging about the events of World Youth Day, the Saints of these days in January and whatever crosses my mind.  But I promise to be back fully engaged starting Monday afternoon!

So wish me well, I have no idea what to expect, I guess it's Bon Voyage!

It's my last day of vacation and I feel fine about it; Happy New Year and still ok to say Merry Christmas

The first morning of 2019 and I've been relaxing since about 6 am(it's now 10:30).  I had a successful New Year's Eve because I was in bed before 9:30 and slept through any neighborhood craziness.  This morning ushering in a new year also means for me the last day of a great vacation that started on Friday, December 21st.  By now you all know that our vacation ended up being a stay-cation and that was all ok by me.  For Wendy and I the time spent together this Christmas season was awesome, we made memories and had fun together and probably spent more time together than we get to do all throughout the year, especially 2018.

On this morning I was reflecting how 2018 brought some great memories and some of the saddest memories we've ever experienced.  Everyone knows and I've blogged previously that 2018 was dominated by my mother-in-law's long illness and death in November, sandwiched in between two pretty debilitating illnesses for Wendy.  Yet 2018 brought us such great joy in the March birth of our 3rd grandbaby, precious and beautiful Brennan Leigh!  And with Brennan being just 25 miles down the road, we visit with her often; Wendy even watches her one or two days per week.  I want to mention a few other highlights of 2018; Wendy and I had two awesome trips to North Carolina, one in May and the other in September, to visit grandchildren #'s 1 and 2.  We even had our first ever all day only Katelyn day as our #1 Calvin is now a full time student.  The other big event was the 2018 National Diaconate Convention in New Orleans where I was affirmed in my ministry, met with deacons from all over the country, even other countries, got to spend a week in my city of birth, and spent a nice quality week with Wendy, at the time a much needed break for her.  And we had some great food while in New Orleans.

So as I mentioned tomorrow it's back to work for me.  The break could not have come at a better time as the last 6 weeks of the work year were nothing but stress.  I will admit, I did not handle it well; not at all.  So I did use this time to recharge my batteries, adjust a little attitude and I return fully understanding the work I do is important and so needed.  So back to work I go.  I will tell you this; I'm going to miss spending time with Wendy and that's a good thing.  We discovered this week, among others in 2018, at the end of the day we not only love one another, but like one another and spending time together is enjoyable, even fun.

2019 does indeed mean Happy New Year but for now, until the 6th, then for another week until the 13th this year, it is still Merry Christmas.  Heck the 12 days of Christmas does not end until January 6th.  The Church extends Christmas season until the Sunday when we celebrate the Baptism of the Lord, this year the 13th.  So Happy New Year yes but don't mind me if I still say Merry Christmas!

Looking forward to 2019 I now know that you can't plan life so meticulously as life happens.  One year ago we certainly did not anticipate Wendy's illnesses or her mom passing.  Think of the folks in the Carolinas or the eastern Florida panhandle; a year ago they never expected such devastation from hurricanes, or the people who lost everything in the California fires.  Yes, it is ok to plan, and certainly to look forward, but life is much easier lived when we realize that things happen, we are not in control and we truly need to depend more on God for everything.

I do have some high hopes and plans and I did even make a resolution for the new year.  The resolution is to use my turn signal/blinker always!  Yep, I'm one of those drivers.  And by the way, I'm serious.  In 2019 Wendy and I are off on our very first cruise, in fact, later this month and we will be visiting Cozumel.  I'm not a cruise guy so we will see; however, Wendy could not be more excited.  Also in 2019 we will be celebrating Brennan's 1st birthday in early March.  Perhaps, and I stress perhaps, 2019 will bring some hard decision related to my chronically ill knees.  In the ministry of the Permanent Deacon, in addition to always being present every weekend at Mass and every other Wednesday at the prison, I will be looking forward to our next Bible Study, starting just next week, as we cover the Book of Revelation.

I will turn 62 this year, entering the 63rd year of life and Wendy and I will celebrate anniversary # 42.  These "numbers" are starting to become overwhelming both in terms of reflection and memory making and the realization that now more than ever, everyday counts.  While I minister as a Permanent Deacon and count the titles of husband, father, "Pops" among my most cherished, it's also time for me to grow closer to and depend more on God.  That personal relationship thing is real.  I really want to spend more time in Scriptures this year as well as church history.

So the college games are now starting to come on, Wendy has some cabbage and black-eyed peas going on the stove so time to wrap this up.  Welcome 2019, thankful for my long vacation and time spent with Wendy, looking forward to the future, remembering fondly the past year while we miss Wendy's mom and hopeful for a big LSU Tigers win today(Geaux Tigers) and playoff success for the New Orleans Saints!

Thanks be to God for blessings and life and love!

Happy New Year; Merry Christmas(still)

Papal Vacation

Don't forget, no General Audience with the Pope today; July = vacation!

Make it a great Wednesday!

Travel update

After working full days my wife and I packed up the van and began the long trek north and east to be with #1 grandson.  We did not get to leave until 6:30 so we are resting our heads tonight in, wait for it:  beautiful Tuscaloosa Alabama!   And yes, I am rocking the purple and gold.


This represents about 30-32% of the total mileage and hours all the way to North Carolina.  So we hope to be at it early so we can arrive late afternoon or early evening.


Progress!


Blogging resumes tomorrow evening, unless I can't sleep in this Crimson Tide hotel room!

On the road again

This Saturday morning, rain and all, begins our summer journey north and east for our 5th visit with #1 grandson and my NC family.  Our 12 hour drive looks like a soggy one so the going may be slower.  Along the way we traverse Mississippi from Poplarville toMeridian, into Alabama driving past Tuscaloosa and Birmingham, into Georgia driving right through the middle of Atlanta, into South Carolina, and finally North Carolina, through Charlotte and on up into Greensboro.  We have made the drive so many times I can see the landmarks, towns and cities in my mind as I write.

This trip finds #1 daughter along for the ride.  As she puts it, probably the "last" time she rides off on vacation with mom & dad.  Probably true; as Elizabeth just completed her masters and begins her next new great adventure in just a few weeks.

So off we go, with my house sitters arriving soon to watch over my home and garden.  Our 1st challenge will be finding a Catholic Church this weekend but I think we found our answer in the Greensboro area tomorrow night.

So for my grandson Calvin, today making 10 months old(where did that time go) it's your Louisiana family week.  Hang on brother, Pops is on the way!!!

A traveling update

When last we visited I mentioned 2 hours to leaving #1 grandson home as we return to our Louisiana home.  But what an eventful 2 hours it would be.  Mom & dad brought Calvin to the hotel for his first swimming adventure and he loved it.  Calvin had a blast swimming with momma while we all watched and encouraged and snapped pictures.  Photos soon!  Swimming checked off the list Calvin accompanied the adults to lunch at a nice Italian Restaurant before we all parted ways.  He was so well behaved!  Leaving our little fella behind is tough; for us that is, as we won't be together again until July.  But leaving him with his mom & dad, our daughter-in-law and son, makes things a-ok as they are awesome parents.

About 2 pm EDT we departed south by southwest and made it to the other side of Atlanta, leaving Wendy and I a simple 6 hour drive on Monday before we return to the reality of work and yard-work and ministry.  I in fact have a busy week ahead.  By Sunday though I will be on Skype with my Calvin!

As I mentioned in a recent post, being a grandparent(Pops) is so cool and the source of profound peace.  I am so honored to be my little man's Pops!

And I am at peace with our realities because we manage it very well; my little family has a great life in northern North Carolina; my wife and I a great life in southeast Louisiana.  It is all good.

So as I just posted on facebook, sleep well little man.  Your Pops(and Nona too) miss you so already but flat can't wait to see you again!

Your prayers for continued traveling mercies are very much appreciated!

Having fun times with #1 Grandson

This morning finds me in North Carolina visiting with #1 grandson Calvin.  He sure was active last night.  At a little over 7 months old it's a whole new experience for me as last I saw him he was not quite 4 months.  Here he is last evening jumping!

Traveling update

On this warm & muggy Wednesday night I find myself with the Mrs. in northern Georgia, settled in for the night before the final 5 hours or so to the Talbot family home in northern North Carolina.  A nice 4 day visit awaits with son, daughter-in-law and Calvin, my #1 grandson!  As a grandfather(Pops for short) it is a thrill to anticipate seeing, holding and just getting to know this new young life that stole my heart from day one!

So Calvin is now 7 months old; I last saw him when he was about 3 and a half months old.  Thanks to Skype and copious amounts of pictures I have watched him change and grow from afar.  The Skype thing is really quite amazing.  But there will be nothing like seeing him in person.

For today, when you drive with the Talbots, it would literally drive most of you nuts.  We take our time.  Literally, you could get from our place to their place in 12-13 hours.  All it would take for a one day trip is hit the road around 6 AM and go, go and go.  Well, our go-go got up and went.  We opted today for a 10 AM leave time so we could meet up with our daughter in Hattiesburg, have a nice visit and lunch then off we went; now it's 12:30 in the afternoon!  We did not even hit Atlanta until 7:30 PM.  But settled in we are; getting some rest and we really don't need to leave until 10 AM again to time our arrival for all the Talbots to be home!

So day #1 is in the books; tomorrow is grandparents time and just good times to be with family.

Thanks for the gift of family dear Lord, and for continued traveling mercies!

On the road again; north by northeast; Calvin, here we come!

The abitadeacon is on vacation and will be so for 1 full week, beginning today.  We will be leaving a little later this morning so we can eventually be with our North Carolina family; son James, daughter-in-law Sara and yes, #1 grandson Calvin!  Hey Calvin, Pops is on the way!

One of the great things in the life of the Permanent Deacon is indeed these family moments.  Make no mistake, the family of the Deacon, especially the spouse, make many sacrifices for the Kingdom in being that support for all the ministries and responsibilities the Deacon fulfills.  Often, this includes missing out on dinner, or family events, or rescheduling vacations, etc.

When big events like this vacation and the opportunity to be with family we just don't see enough of come along, well, it is a big deal.  These days will be such a blessing and will become those moments and memories that help me in fulfilling the ministry of the Permanent Deacon.

So blogging will come from places like Georgia, N. Carolina and Alabama over the next several days.

In addition to visiting my family I am looking forward to attending Mass at our adopted parish in North Carolina, Blessed Sacrament in Burlington, and actually sitting with my wife in the pew.

Traveling prayers please as we begin our adventure shortly.

And thanks to our friends, Aimee & Keith, who will be house, horse and garden sitting over the next week!

No vacation from vocation; and no vacation from Sunday Mass

>>>>Having just coming home from vacation I loved our visit to a nice Catholic Church in Cullman Alabama and have posted before about our great stops along our country's highways.  Deacon Greg, at DeaconsBench, saw this and posted it and I thought it should be spread wide and far as we are in the height of vacation season:



Miami's Archbishop Thomas Wenski published this column in his diocesan newspaper this week, and it bears reprinting:

When I was a young seminarian, the rector, before dismissing us for our summer break, would admonish us: remember, guys, there’s no vacation from a vocation. This was certainly wise advice — we were after all still seminarians even when away from the structured environment of the seminary with its fixed times for prayer and daily Mass. And I think this is wise counsel to all of us Catholics even as we plan for vacations that take us away from our homes and parishes. There can be no vacation from our fundamental Christian vocation to holiness. Fidelity to weekly Mass attendance is inextricably linked to that vocation.
When I was bishop in Central Florida, I was edified by those Catholics who came to the many attractions of that area and sought out Sunday Mass even though they were far from their homes. The Basilica Shrine of Mary, Queen of the Universe, still welcomes thousands of such visitors each week. The priests of the Shrine provide an important service to these vacationers in making the Sacrament of Penance readily available to them and providing them the opportunity of participation in Sunday Mass. (And, when I had the occasion to celebrate Mass there, I often met many of you from South Florida at Sunday Mass.)
While there might not be a Shrine Church like Mary, Queen of the Universe, at our particular vacation destination, we too must make every effort to make sure that we attend Mass on Sunday. Participation in the Sunday Eucharist is an obligation for every practicing Catholic — and vacation does not dispense us from this weekly encounter with Christ in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass — for it is only through these sacramental encounters with the Lord that we can grow in the grace necessary to be faithful to our baptismal vocation to holiness.
Finding a place to attend Mass while far from home may often not be easy — but with the help of some advance planning, we can usually find one wherever we may go. The website www.Masstimes.org has a listing of Mass schedules in parishes throughout the United States. Also, most tourist friendly places readily offer information as to the location of the nearest Catholic Church.
As Catholics we belong to more than just our parish — we are members of a universal Church and therefore we are never strangers when we meet with other Catholics to celebrate the great Mystery of our Faith which is the Holy Mass. Vacations are a time of rest — a time to recharge our batteries so to speak. But as we take advantage of our vacation days to spend time with our loved ones and to rest from the everyday demands and routines of work, let us not neglect to also “rest in the Lord” on the day in which we commemorate his love for us in the Sunday Eucharist.
If we are serious about our Christian commitment, we cannot neglect to recharge our spiritual batteries in the central act of our worship, the source and summit of all Christian life: the Mass. There can never be a vacation from our vocation.

My exceptional Sunday

I love Sunday's; love everything about being involved with beautiful liturgies and the more relaxed pace of a Sunday afternoon.  I really love Sundays that are followed by no-work Mondays so the last two Sundays have been awesome.  And this Sunday has been exceptional.

Riding the high of our week long plus adventure, making great memories with a wonderful visit with son & Sara, beautiful vistas in Asheville, Knoxville, Chattanooga, etc. not to mention reuniting with the rest of my family here in Alabama for my nephews wedding, today became the proverbial icing on the cake.  After saying goodbyes to all the family, daughter Elizabeth in that number, Wendy and I decided to take a breather, right here in Cullman, Alabama.  For Mass we decided to stay in town and visit Sacred Heart of Jesus for the 11 a.m. liturgy.  I was blown away on both arriving at the church and entering the church.  Huge romanesque building with marvelous stained glass, splendid archways and ceiling work, topped off by an exquisite worship space and altar, I felt like I was in a little slice of Heaven.  Of course, every Mass is a little slice of Heaven!  The singing at the Mass was outstanding and traditional: Panis Angelicus, Pie Jesu', with a little God Bless America thrown in to remind us of the upcoming 4th of July.  Beautiful Mass.  Also, I found great encouragement in the robust numbers of worshippers and the worship itself as I continue to think that north Alabama can't be a hotbed of Catholicism.  You can pass a Baptist Church or Church of Christ every few miles but the Catholic Church is alive and well around these parts.  (You may remember some previous blog posts about the growing Catholic numbers in many deep south locales).

Here is the website for this beautiful Catholic Church: 
http://sacredheartchurchcullman.org/home.htm

Immediately after Mass, Wendy and I drove a few miles to a Benedictine facility that houses the Ave Maria Grotto.  Located on the grounds of Alabama's only Benedictine Abbey named for St. Bernard, the grotto was the magnificent work of Benedictine monk, Brother Joseph Zoettl.  Here he created more than 125 miniature replicas of of biblical scenes and scenes in the life of the Catholic Church.  Reproductions of Jerusalem, Rome, the Vatican, many beautiful Italian churches, Shrines from across the world dot the 2 block long stroll carved out of a 4-acre landscaped park.  Just breathtaking!
The Grotto along with the grounds of the Abbey are a nice visit that does not take too much time unless you chose to linger.  I wish we could have stayed longer but the stroll is pretty steep in spots and the temperature was 102 when we visited.

Here is the website for this wonderful Catholic Grotto:
http://www.avemariagrotto.com/

Now if these two wonderful visits would not be enough, consider our final stop for the day.  Located just 18 miles or so from my hotel is the countryside community of Hanceville, Alabama where Mother Angelica, of EWTN fame, built the beautiful shrine, known as the Shrine of the Most Blessed Sacrament located on the grounds of the Our Lady of the Angels Monastery.  The Shrine is beyond description, although, like me, I hope you have seen it at least on TV.  We were spellbound by both its size and sheer beauty; a true worship space worthy of a loving, merciful God.  We arrived in time to sit in the Shrine, which has all day Eucharistic Adoration, to listen as the nuns chanted Vespers and Fr. Jospeh led Benediction.  This Benediction is shown live every Sunday afternoon on EWTN at 5 p.m. central.  If you watched today, you might have seen me and Wendy.  The gold and cedar and marble were personally selected by Mother Angelica who was given a vision for the scope of this spiritually inspired project.  She has dedicated the Shrine to the Child Jesus and a statue of a young Jesus, already showing us His Sacred Heart greets after you ascend the steps and enter the courtyard.  As beauiful as the Shrine is, what is really beautiful is the chanting of the nuns, cloistered behind an ornate gate, and the reverance of the place.  The Blessed Sacrament exposed certainly helps the church to be quite free from useless chatter.  After Benediction and the lovely signing of Holy God We Praise Thy Name I could have floated out of the place.  Another grand visit; 3 for 3 on this exceptional Sunday.

Here is the website for the Shrine:
http://olamshrine.com/

So tonight I'm relaxed, reenergized and re-fired up after a beautiful vacation, topped off by this beautiful day.  Good memories of these last 8 days for sure; now back home in the morning to continue to preach the Gospel; and when necessary, use words!

The Road Long Traveled

Vacation continues for me and the wife and we have now left the son & daughter-in-law's in the Greensboro suburbs for a trip west and south, landing today in Cullman, Alabama.  Why Cullman?  Well, we have a family wedding tomorrow in the big city of Arab, Alabama; about 35 minutes away.  In Cullman I am right down the street from the Ave Maria Grotto and not too far from both Hanceville and Irondale; home of EWTN.  I hope to manage both Mass and Benediction at the Shrine.

Our vacation in Greensboro was awesome, mostly because we only see James & Sara once or twice a year; literally days in a span of 12 months.  Sara, 7 months pregnant, and glowing by the way, is carrying my 1st grandchild, a boy, whose name is yet to be determined.  We enjoyed seeing her carrying our precious 1st grandchild.

James and Sara brought us to a movie, a minor league baseball games, which was lots of fun, and we also went out to eat.  On Wednesday, a busy work day for both of them, Wendy and I took a 3 hour each way road to the Biltmore Estates in scenic, mountainous Asheville, North Carolina.

All in all, what a nice visit.  How interesting that while N.C. is baking today in 102 degree heat, on Tuesday a front pushed through and we had 50's for a low and 79 for a high.  The baseball game was so comfortable.  Alas, we all are under the dome of hot air now.

But then comes today and the realization that the road trip from Greensboro to Cullman is a 9 hour plus drive.  We usually plan better but it happens.  At least the drive back through Asheville and then into the Smokies, driving through both Knoxville and Chatanooga, was gorgeous.  Just too long!

After the 9 plus hour drive, the last 90 minutes of which was spent on small Alabama roads, we are here!!  And off to the rehersal dinner we go shortly, then the wedding and then two days of touring all things Catholic.

This was the perfect break after making that huge decision last week to leave Capital One Bank after 18 years.  I am starting the new job on the 9th of July so I don't want to focus there yet; afterall, I have another 9 days to vacay!!!

Thanks Be to God for these blessed opportunities to relax and recreate!

Still on vacation

Still vacationing with my son and daughter-in-law in North Carolina and enjoying the visit.  We will continue to visit with them through Thursday before heading to Alabama Friday for a family wedding.  My ability to post often seems to be impeded by some on the road computer issues so the updates I had promised from the various Catholic dioceses I'm traveling through may wait to I am back at home.

There are so many things happening back home too as this is the week we see many clergy changes, moving from parish to parish ahead of the July 1st start-up date.  Again, this will wait until I'm back.

For now, I continue to relax, enjoy visiting with my son and really enjoying this unexpected North Carolina weather; the high was 80 today, right now mid 60's.

So stay tuned and I'll keep on enjoying my latest vacation!

So what about the Archdiocese of Atlanta

So from my earlier post you would know that I'm on the road this week and we have made our first stop in the Atlanta suburbs.  I have vactioned only once here and most of my experience with Atlanta is I got to get thru it to get from home to the home of my first born.  Atlanta always conjures up thoughts of all things Falcons and well, you know, we Saints fans really hate the Falcons.  All in good natured sportsmanship; the Saints/Falcons rivalry is one of the best in the entire NFL.

As I find myself with a little more time on my hands in a nice comfortable hotel room I thought I would do a little digging around the website of the Archdiocese of Atlanta.  Almost everything I know about Catholics in the Atlanta area comes from my opportunities to listen in to the radio show The Catholics Next Door, on Sirius/XM radio.  I am very familiar with the Archbishop, Willton Gregory, from his time as head of the USCCB.

From the website I was able to ascertain that the Archdiocese has 101 church parishes in 10 deaneries with about 25 Archdiocesan Catholic schools.  The Cathedral, in downtown Atlanta, is named for Christ the King.

Instead of picking out points of interest throughout the Archdiocese of Atlanta, here is the link to their website:

http://www.archatl.com/index.html

Hopefully, over the next few days perhaps some info on the Dioceses of Charlotte, Raleigh-Durham and Birmingham, Al.

On the road again

Will be taking some time off over the next week or so for vacation and hope to do some blogging from the road.  This is a much needed trip and should give me plenty of time to unwind and prepare for the 1st career change in almost 19 years!

Plans call for a nice visit with my son and his wife, expecting their first born in about 9 weeks, and of course, my 1st grandchild.  Right now we call him BBT(baby boy Talbot) because the name remains a secret.  After that visit it will be off to the wedding of my nephew in northern Alabama and while there, a visit to EWTN.  Hope to see the shrine.

I have my house sitters in place who will enjoy their break from the normal routine as they tend to the garden and watch over my place.  I pray they don't have to deal to much with effects from T.S. Debby.

If all goes according to script, next post update from Atlanta!