Hi,
I have not checked in for a while. I have been traveling in Europe and I flew back to the US during the Minnesota blizzard. I was delayed in New York for a day. I return to Rushford on the 15th and I look forward to seeing all of you. I feel renewed and refreshed.
I have some pictures from my travel. The first is of the "Duomo" Church in Florence. Duomo means home - they wanted people to know that the church was a home for them. The second is of a gondola ride in Venice. The third is of the Alps as I traveled in snow to Austria. The last three are from Prague, a lovely city. Prague's decoration for Christmas did include reminders of the real meaning of the season.
A blessed Advent to each of you as we all prepare to allow Jesus deeper into our lives.
Fr. Pete

Assisi

Hi,
I hear that Minnesota has been wet and that the Twin Cities received a foot of snow. I thought that this is a good time for me to be in Rome, but I will a difficult time adjusting to the cold when I return.
I hope you are well and healthy. I will be returning to the parishes on December 15 - time has gone so fast. I hear that Fr. Ernster is doing very well - I am glad for this.
I was on retreat last week at Assisi. I am feeling refreshed in my prayer and I am finding a deeper place withing for God. I am also at peace with myself. So I will be renewed when I return home.
Below are picture from Assisi. The first is of the city, the second taken at the Franciscan Hermitage, the third is an ancient painting from one of the churches.
May God bless all of you. I think of you every day and I continue to pray for you.
Fr. Pete

Malta

Hi,
I had another good week of classes, mostly on ethics, especially biomedical ethics. There is so much going on in this world that we know so little about. Some of it is frightening.
I spent last weekend in Malta which has so much history from prehistoric people to the infamous Knights of Malta to the World War II bombings they received as they held the island for the allies. The oldest standing temple in the world is in Malta. Named Hagar Qim, it was built in about 3600 BC. Below is a picture of the entry to the temple and a picture of an altar with a design of a tree chiseled out of the rock - this is before the bronze and iron ages, so all the work was done with stone.
I also listed a youtube internet site of a church in Malta. From my camera I videotaped the Church of Mary, Mosta which has one of the largest domes in the world. During World War II, during mass, a German bomb went through the roof, hit a side wall and fell to the floor spinning, without exploding. Three hundred people were unharmed. Two other bombs hit the domed roof and bounced off. The people of Mosta told me that this was their miracle. God surely was with them that day.
God's blessings to all of you. I hope all is well at home. You are in my thoughts and prayers.
Fr. Pete







http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4S0eENS7ekI

Pantheon

Hi,
I haven't written for a while, so it's time for me to check in. I am close to being in my last month of sabbatical. I have learned so much and my relationship with Christ is deepening. I will be bringing home so many insights in our faith and in the world.
Classes these days have covered topics of preaching, sacred scripture, morality, role of Mary in the church, etc. These have been uplifting classes and I am still feeling very blessed. I also have been touring the city of Rome and surrounding area. I was very privileged to concelebrate mass at the Pantheon in Rome on November 1, Feast of All Saints. The Pantheon was a temple to all gods during time of the Roman empire which was converted into a church in the 6th century. Named St. Mary of the Martyrs, this was the church where the Feast of All Saints began. After mass, the pastor showed me an icon of Mary with the child Jesus from the 3rd century AD. Please see below pictures of the Pantheon and the icon.
Blessings to all of you. Know that I still think of you every day and that I keep you in my prayers.
Fr. Pete

Batumi, Georgia

Hi,
I hope all is well at home. I still think of you and pray for you. I often light a candle in churches for you, especially for those who are ill or struggling. I have been on sabbatical for three months now. I have one and a half months left. It is going very fast, yet I have seen much and learned lots. This week our classes in Rome were on reading the Bible for preaching. This I know will improve my preaching - it was very helpful as scripture is taking on a new life in me.
I had done some traveling. I am attaching a picture I took in Mykonos and a picture from Soshi, Russia of Stalin's Villa. Soshi is the sight of the 2014 Olympics. Also, here is a youtube video that I loaded of a folk dance in Batumi, Georgia. I enjoyed their dance - it is of another culture. I took this with my camera: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6-c1gmE1VUI
Blessings to each of you,
Fr. Pete

Sumela Monastery, Trabzon, Turkey

Hi,
I have done some traveling so it has been some days since I published a post in this blog. One place was the Sumela Monastery at Trabzon, Turkey. This, once a Greek Orthodox Monastery now long abandoned, was built on the side of a cliff. The artwork in and around the chapel was amazing. It depicts redemption from stories in the Bible. The gift of art preserved in this monastery is a gift to teach all people about Jesus - it just needs to be shared.
I am so aware as I travel of how others around the world need Jesus. This art reminds me that Jesus who is present in all of us needs to be shared. It is up to every one us us to do so.
Blessings to all of you,
Fr. Pete

Instanbul

Hi,

I had a couple of days in Istanbul, Turkey. It was different than I expected. There were so many mosques and signs of the Muslim religion. Once a Christian country, Turkey is now 99% Muslim. There is a message here: we could lose our Christian faith. We have such a gift in belonging to Jesus Christ. We need to pass this on to others to keep life in our religion. This is a challenge for every one of us.

The pictures below are of the Haghia Sophia Mosque, once a Christian Church, built 1500 years ago and still standing and a picture of me at the spice bazaar in Instanbul.

I hope all is well at home, Fr. Pete

Pompeii

Hi,
God's blessings to all of you back home as you enter the season of Autumn. I miss the colors of this season, but I am not complaining. I also miss the parish dinners and other events.
I am still seeing much of Italy and attending class at the North American College.
Last weekend, I toured Pompeii, the Roman city of 20,000 people that was buried under 25 feet of ash from the Mt. Vesuvius volcanic eruption in 79 AD. One forth of the city still has not been excavated. I have attached some pictures of the ruins of the city, some paintings on streets. So far, 3000 bodies have been found in the ruins of Pompeii, a number that had to effect all of the Roman empire. I cannot imagine the devastation for the area where nine cites were destroyed. It reminds me of the fragility of life.
This week in class we are studying the lessons of Paul in the Bible. It gives me more understanding of his person and message.
Peace to all at home. Enjoy the season.
Fr. Pete

Catacombs of Priscilla

Hi,
I went to the Roman Catacombs today. In this catacomb named after Priscilla, there we Christians paintings from the second and third centuries. One painting in the oldest image we have of Mary. She is holding the infant Jesus. This image below is from the 2nd century. Many people were buried in the catacombs. During times of persecution, they sometimes prayed and offered mass in chapels in the catacombs.
Some of the early martyrs were buried here. It makes me consider what my faith means to me. Would I die for Jesus?
Have a great day,
Fr. Pete

The New Roman Missal

Hi,
I hope you are all well. These days I find myself missing you and I thinking about you often. I cannot believe that my sabbatical is almost half over. It has been very enriching and challenging.
This week, Msgr. Jim Moroney, a consultant to the Pope and the Congregation for Divine Worship in Rome, is presenting to us the changes in the New Roman Missal that take effect in December, 2011. This has been very helpful for me. I can now understand the reason for the changes and I have a better idea of how to implement them in our parishes. I also see how this can be beneficial for us. Most of the changes are in the words we use. There are no dramatic changes. I will have much to share when I return to MN.
I am so glad to hear positive reports about Fr. Ernster. I am sure that you are good for him also.
I loaded some pictures from Venice. I spent last weekend there. It is such a lovely city and more interesting than I expected. What a gift it is to me to have my weekends free.
Blessings to all of you,
Fr Pete