A whole bunch of things....

SATURDAY
As most of you know I am a gadget man. The more buttons to push the better. Last Saturday Catholic participated in a world wide prayer vigil with the Pope and universities from Spain, Hungry, Cuba, Belarus, France, Italy, Brazil and USA (Catholic) The technology was incredible everyone was hooked up by satellite. I didn't have much to do with it except recruit the students (remember we are on Spring Break) and translate the program. I didn't want to get in the way but the producer from EWTN asked me several times to sit in the production truck and work help the director follow the script. (A gadget man's dream come true)

It was incredible to watch a television program from 7 countries and threee continents be put together on the fly. It is definately a high pressure kind of job. If EWTN ever re-airs it look for the 6th Annual Day of Prayer for European University Students... The title is long but the program was GREAT.

SUNDAY
I went to continued my Sunday pilgrimages and went to 10:00 Mass at Holy Redeemer Church in College Park Maryland. The priest greeted me at the door and he greeted everyone. The Church is warm and welcoming and there were lots of people with families there. There was definately a penitential tone in the liturgy it started at the back of the church and the congregation knelt as the penitential rite was begun. Warm Warm Warm Warm. Warm and welcoming. The music was very good and appropriate with a cantor and choir. The teenage kid was having a problem following along and staying engaged but he was there. The bulletin was chock full of stuff and I was happy to see the list of staff that Father had. I can't imagine how he could have planned everything out by himself. As I've noted before I have been in Campus Ministry almost 19 years and they have been incredible years to be sure but I feel moved to visit local churches to get a sense of the Church art large again. I realize someday when I leave Catholic I will never have the opportunity to Church hop again. Watch and learn Robert... Watch and learn.

SUNDAY AFTERNOON
It was around 45 degrees so I took my first ride of the year. I left campus at 1:35 and got to the Wheaton Metro Station at 3:06 it was around a 13 mile ride. I left Catholic and took residential streets until I got to the North Branch Bike trail near Queens Chapel Plaza then I followed the Sligo creek trail up to Wheaton. There were lots of places I could have bailed (West Hyattsville, Takoma Park, and Silver Spring all have Metro Stations). The trail kind of runs parallel to Georgia Ave but I made it all the way with just a few aches and pains.


SUNDAY NIGHT Brought Mass for some pagan s who didn't plan their day well and supper at a local Restaurant. A beautiful day to be sure.