We've Arrived in Assisi!!!

After a week in Rome for basic orientation to our new school, we took a bus to Assisi to begin to study Italian. All of our Theology classes, when we return to Rome, will be in Italian; so it is a bit important to learn, and quickly! Luckily, our courses don't start until October, so we have two months to devote to learning the lingua bella. And this is what brings us to Assisi. We started classes on Monday at an excellent language school just off the town center. We have four hours of class in the morning, Monday through Friday, and then we break into small groups for two more hours of class in the afternoon. It can really leave us mentally drained by the end of it, but after four days I think I've already made significant progress.

It is incredible to be staying in Assisi. We are almost directly between the basilicas of Sts. Fancis and Clare. Yet it seems my excitement to come here was odd

ly misplaced. I thought a lot about my first day in Assisi: the holy sights to see and the deep peace I would find on this little hill in Italy. But when we got to Assisi on Monday, it was pouring down rain. My first time in Assisi, and spent it running with my head covered trying to avoid puddles! Moreover, it is amazing how, in the town of a saint whose motto was pax, it is incredibly hard to find a quiet place to pray. The sheer number of pilgrims (praise God for it) provides constant movement in the holy places here.

Yet I take solace in that I am not alone in the disgraceful entrance into Assisi. As the first picture shows above, there is a statue out front of St. Francis’ Basilica of the saint return from battle, weak and defeated. The young Francis filled his he

ad with dreams of glory and honor and what his future would be like. Yet on his way to earn it in war like the rest of the men in his time; he was captured and was held prisoner for a year. He returned defeated with hanging head. But, in God’s great providence, it was this failure that brought about the conversion of a saint that still has an amazing impact on the world today.

Defeat, weakness, failure is what brings about true discipleship. Our expectations and grand desires only express how weak we really are. But it is when we are at our very lowest that God’s grace shines through. It is when we are defeated and broken that we find the Crucified One.

(For more picture go to: https://picasaweb.google.com/114615063407525807083/Assisi?authuser=0&authkey=Gv1sRgCIPb2Kenp5n0FQ&feat=directlink )

First Week in Rome

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Praised be Jesus Christ!

Kevin and I have been in Rome about a week now.  We have been warmly welcomed to the Pontifical North American College by a group of second-year seminarians who have been leading us along daily excursions around Rome and surrounding areas.  Already in a week, we have received countless blessings in being immersed in the Eternal City.  Around each corner there is evidence of great saints and martyrs who have spent their lives in witness to Jesus Christ and His Church.

As we begin our journey in Rome and our final formation for the priesthood, we are accompanied by over 70 seminarians from dioceses in the US, Australia, and Canada.  It is a tremendous blessing to have so many wonderful brothers in Christ who share our vocation and desire to grow in love of Christ and His Church.

Once again, Kevin and I thank you for your prayers!  Thanks to your prayers, our transition has been filled with great joy.  In turn, know that we pray for you all daily.

All to the greater glory of God!

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The pictures are of some of the highlights of our time so far in Rome.

First, is a view of the seminary's roof.  There is a view of St. Peter's Basilica in the background. In the lower center of the picture can be seen the courtyard of the seminary where there is a fountain that is surrounded by 50 orange trees which represent the number of states in the US.

Second is the seminary's "campo sportivo," which includes a soccer field, softball field, basketball court, and racket ball courts.

Third, St. John Lateran which is the Cathedral of the Rome and thus the mother and head church of Rome and the world.

Fourth, you see where the remains of St. Catherine of Sienna are in the church Santa Maria sopra Minerva.  Kevin and I visited as we were strolling through Rome.  This church is located very close to where we will be going to school.  What a blessing to be able to pray before the remains of such a awesome saint as St. Catherine!

Praised be Jesus Christ!

And so we pause for a deep breath before the jump.

Welcome to In Via Solis! We are two seminarians from the Diocese of Phoenix studying for the Catholic Priesthood. We are so blessed to live in the beautiful desert and to have been formed by the living faith of the people in the Valley of the Sun. However, our pursuit of the priesthood for the sake of this community has led us to phase in our formation. This Sunday Fernando and I will travel to Rome to continue our studies over the next four year (that's in four days for those who are keeping count)!

We take with us the entire diocese as we, in the way Phoenicians do, follow The Way of the true Sun from whose heat nothing can escape. This blog is to express our gratitude to all the faithful of Phoenix for this incredible opportunity and to keep everyone informed and a part of what this journey brings us.

Yet, on the verge of our departure we were graced to take a joyful step toward the priesthood. Today, Fernando and I were admitted to Candidacy for Holy Orders. This was a moment for us to declare in front of the Church our desire and intention to pursue the priesthood. In turn, the Church, with joy, accepts us as Candidates and pledges spiritual support for our journey. This truly marks the beginning of our journey to Rome. Sure, temporally it comes right before we leave. But well beyond that, it is the source of the mission for which we are going. Our pursuit for the priesthood, express in our Candidacy, comes from our desire to follow God's will and serve the people of Phoenix. Inspired by the words of Bishop Olmsted's homily at this mornings mass, we hope to live in accordance with the joyful life of service to God and the Church. In these moments of peace we find leading up to our trip, we are filled with the breath of the Spirit which strengthens and encourages us.

Please keep us in your prayers as we start our studies in the Eternal City and look back here for updates on the graces God gives us. May Our Lady of Guadalupe intercede for us and all the faithful of Phoenix.