Winter's Wonders & Life's Surprises

So the craziest thing happened during the first week of December-

 

I was sitting at my desk preparing for a quiet evening of study when I received a phone call from my diocesan brother seminarian Peter informing me that we had been given free VIP tickets to the Andrea Bocelli & orchestra concert tonight at the Vatican's Paul VI Audience Hall as a fundraiser for the Bambino Gesu children's hospital, next to our seminary here!

 

A priest of our diocese works at the Pontifical Council for the Family but wasn't able to use the tickets due to his workload. How could I turn this down? Long story short, we passed where Pope Francis is staying and once through security, were escorted to the front....7 rows from the stage and 6 rows behind the Cardinals and bishops! Woah! Bocelli was so amazing to see in person- very kind and gracious! When does this happen in real-life? The good Lord is truly amazing in His surprises!

 

 

A day or two later, I found on one of the Rome for Expats blog, that there was going to be a Swedish celebration for the Feast of St. Lucy here in Rome.  Peter & I went, and it turned out to be a wonderful Christmas concert and procession, coupled with free special ginger cookies and hot mulled wine!  Peter studied abroad in Sweden a few years back before he entered seminary, so it was helpful to have a fluent guide!  It was a great preview for our next travel period after exams, when most of us Florida seminarians will be visiting Sweden. I can't wait!

 

 

Back at the NAC, December continued to fly by, culminating in the last week before Christmas break.  We had an intensely competitive hall decorating contest, and I'm happy to report, my hall won with a theme of Christmas through the eyes of child.

 

 

At the Gregorian University, where I study here in Rome, all the different countries represented took turns singing traditional Christmas carols.  Here's the Americans:

 

 

Also, the highlight of the week was my first visitors- relatives from Ohio!  It so nice to see familiar faces and be a tour guide around the Eternal City! They were spending a few days here before heading to Spain to meet up with other family members! :)  Here we are dining in the Roman neighborhood of Trastevere:

 

 

By the end of the week, as the holy season of Advent drew to a close, I packed up and prepared for another adventure- Christmas in Germany! But that, dear friends, is another post!

 

God Love You!