Monday, January 30, 2006
File this one under "Fascinating, Confusing and Comforting a.k.a Mom's Approval"
My mom just emailed me in regard to the pictures from the March for Life that I sent her. She said she likes them very much. The one she liked best, though, is located here.
She said she put it as her desktop on her computer at work, even though it's not company approved (i.e. is against the rules).
Very, very interesting.
In other news, I taught my first after-school Spanish class today. I have nine 7-9 year olds, and they are terrific. I have every stereotypical student: the one who is just dying to learn everything, the one who alread knows everything, the one who can't sit still and doesn't care to try, the one who has something to say about everything...you know the cast of characters of which I speak.
They are hilarious. We had fun getting to know each other today. Plus, I have really cool names in my class, which makes me very happy. Names like Sophia, Scarlett, Martha, Quinn...I just love those traditional/quirky names. :) Yay.
An update to the March for Life funny moments list is coming...if I were you I'd wait in joyful anticipation. :)
Friday, January 27, 2006
Happy Feast of St. Angela everyone!!!
Woooooo hooo!!!
St. Angela, dying.
St. Angela, incorrupt (yessss)
St. Angela, as a young girl.
And for your own reading pleasure: some information about St. Angela. :)
Thursday, January 26, 2006
I love this guy.Me hugging JP the Great at the JP2 Cultural Center. :)
Well the March for Life was awesome.
We drove 18 hours to get there, arriving at about 3:45pm on Sunday. We had just enough time to change our clothes and brush our teeth before running to Mass at the Basilica. I called Betsy to plan on meeting up with her, and off we went. When we got there, we waited outside the Basilica for a bit, seeing if we knew anyone. Then a Sister of Life went flying up the stairs, and I ran after her in hopes it was one of the three we knew; however, it was not. She said that her sisters are around, though, and to keep looking. So we did. Then we ran into Sister Mary Gabriel and Sister Antoniana and the whole crew! It was so great. They're wonderful. After that we found Betsy, and waited in the really long line in the cafeteria in the basement of the Basilica to get some dinner. After dinner, Betsy left, and we went to try to find a seat in the Basilica (which was not happening!), and we ended up standing all the way in the back next to some Missionaries of Charity, and a guy dressed like Jesus. It was pretty sweet being at Mass next to some Missionaries of Charity! After Mass we went back to our hotel (in the RAIN). We woke up Monday morning and took the Metro to St. Joseph's for Mass. It was a nice Mass, with a pretty cool priest. Then we had breakfast at Johnny Rocket's at Union Station. It was great fun. We went out to the rally, which was nice, until we had to move to line up for the March and some angry high school moms got upset with me. Argh. Then we ran into the Sisters of Life again, which was awesome. We lined up for the March (a bajillion different ways, since the Knights kept telling us something different, getting quite angry since we weren't listening (when actually we were really confused by a lot of different commands!). That was not fun. However, Rusty's seminarian friend, Chris, came over to march with us, and he lightened the mood. When the March began, we all got out our rosaries and prayed our way through it. It was very very moving, seeing so many people, each group conducting their own rosary or hymn or other form of prayer whilst marching. It was beautiful. Then we ran into Sister Immaculata, which was really fun. She's so great. :) Then Chris (Rusty's friend) ran into Brother Bonaventure, from EWTN, who he knows from class. Brother invited us to be interviewed on EWTN. We, of course, obliged to his request. ;) It was pretty great. We weren't on for very long, but it was long enough to excite us! Then we kept marching, running into the Nashville Dominicans. I said hello to Sister Mary Emily, and we took a picture. There were a lot of people around, so we didn't get to chat with them as much as we had with the Sisters of Life. However, we ran into them in front of the Supreme Court, so we stood around, watching the enormous crowds of people keep filing in. It was outstanding. Then we ran into the Sisters of Life again, and Rusty asked Mother Agnes if the Sisters could come out to Loras again next year. :) Hoorah. We watched the Silent No More women for a little while (all I can say is "wow" - there are no words for the experience those women have had - I don't know how they even articulate it...). Then we went back to the hotel via the Metro in order to be back for the monument tour we were going on that night. We drove to a few monuments (the Lincoln Memorial, Vietnam, WWII, Korea, Washington Monument, FDR Memorial, and a drive-by of Jefferson's). It was really amazing by night. Then Tuesday morning we woke up and went to Mass at the Basilica in the Crypt church. We toured the Basilica then went to the JP2 Cultural Center. It was pretty sweet. Then we went over to the Holocaust Museum. That's another thing that I can't really put into words. The parallels between the museum and the reason I was in DC were too strong. Both heinous crimes leave my soul pierced and my mind forever wondering how we can continue doing this to ourselves, disguising it a bit so as to make it look less disgusting (when in actuality, it's worse, because we have no excuse at this point...not that we ever have). Then we Metro'd our way back to the hotel and took off for Dubuque, once again. It was an awesome time.
Now for the silly parts.
The List of Things Done/Things Said That Made the DC Trip HILARIOUS:
1. Kanye smashing the bus into the wall.
2. A hunk of the bus hanging off afterwards.
3. Joking about getting Kanye some duct tape.
4. "Lolita, sweetie, I need another cocktail."
5. Losing Chartreuse at the Basilica.
6. Losing Chartreuse again.
7. Chartreuse hating us.
8. Chartreuse thinking Rusty's name was Brett.
9. Charlie showering at 3 a.m.
10. A pro-life dog named Meatball (a.k.a. Rum and Coke).
11. Brother John Maximillian CrimeFighter.
12. Leaving 5 minute long voice mails for Padre.
13. Pizza at Sbarro with the Franciscan Friars of the Eternal Word.
14. Rusty, the Dutch girl.
15. Not being able to sleep on a bus = flopping like a fish.
16. "Loras Colegge"
17. After each great quote by FDR at his memorial: "I'll drink to that!"
18. Laverne singing.
19. The yarn knot ball.
20. Posing like saints for pictures with them.
21. "Positively No Admittance" = try the door to see if it's open.
22. Wanting to ask the guy dressed like Jesus if he was saved.
23. Singing the blessing song over the rosary to "bless" it.
24. The deacon saying "Beleezebel"
25. Charlie calling Rusty "Randy."
To be continued...
We drove 18 hours to get there, arriving at about 3:45pm on Sunday. We had just enough time to change our clothes and brush our teeth before running to Mass at the Basilica. I called Betsy to plan on meeting up with her, and off we went. When we got there, we waited outside the Basilica for a bit, seeing if we knew anyone. Then a Sister of Life went flying up the stairs, and I ran after her in hopes it was one of the three we knew; however, it was not. She said that her sisters are around, though, and to keep looking. So we did. Then we ran into Sister Mary Gabriel and Sister Antoniana and the whole crew! It was so great. They're wonderful. After that we found Betsy, and waited in the really long line in the cafeteria in the basement of the Basilica to get some dinner. After dinner, Betsy left, and we went to try to find a seat in the Basilica (which was not happening!), and we ended up standing all the way in the back next to some Missionaries of Charity, and a guy dressed like Jesus. It was pretty sweet being at Mass next to some Missionaries of Charity! After Mass we went back to our hotel (in the RAIN). We woke up Monday morning and took the Metro to St. Joseph's for Mass. It was a nice Mass, with a pretty cool priest. Then we had breakfast at Johnny Rocket's at Union Station. It was great fun. We went out to the rally, which was nice, until we had to move to line up for the March and some angry high school moms got upset with me. Argh. Then we ran into the Sisters of Life again, which was awesome. We lined up for the March (a bajillion different ways, since the Knights kept telling us something different, getting quite angry since we weren't listening (when actually we were really confused by a lot of different commands!). That was not fun. However, Rusty's seminarian friend, Chris, came over to march with us, and he lightened the mood. When the March began, we all got out our rosaries and prayed our way through it. It was very very moving, seeing so many people, each group conducting their own rosary or hymn or other form of prayer whilst marching. It was beautiful. Then we ran into Sister Immaculata, which was really fun. She's so great. :) Then Chris (Rusty's friend) ran into Brother Bonaventure, from EWTN, who he knows from class. Brother invited us to be interviewed on EWTN. We, of course, obliged to his request. ;) It was pretty great. We weren't on for very long, but it was long enough to excite us! Then we kept marching, running into the Nashville Dominicans. I said hello to Sister Mary Emily, and we took a picture. There were a lot of people around, so we didn't get to chat with them as much as we had with the Sisters of Life. However, we ran into them in front of the Supreme Court, so we stood around, watching the enormous crowds of people keep filing in. It was outstanding. Then we ran into the Sisters of Life again, and Rusty asked Mother Agnes if the Sisters could come out to Loras again next year. :) Hoorah. We watched the Silent No More women for a little while (all I can say is "wow" - there are no words for the experience those women have had - I don't know how they even articulate it...). Then we went back to the hotel via the Metro in order to be back for the monument tour we were going on that night. We drove to a few monuments (the Lincoln Memorial, Vietnam, WWII, Korea, Washington Monument, FDR Memorial, and a drive-by of Jefferson's). It was really amazing by night. Then Tuesday morning we woke up and went to Mass at the Basilica in the Crypt church. We toured the Basilica then went to the JP2 Cultural Center. It was pretty sweet. Then we went over to the Holocaust Museum. That's another thing that I can't really put into words. The parallels between the museum and the reason I was in DC were too strong. Both heinous crimes leave my soul pierced and my mind forever wondering how we can continue doing this to ourselves, disguising it a bit so as to make it look less disgusting (when in actuality, it's worse, because we have no excuse at this point...not that we ever have). Then we Metro'd our way back to the hotel and took off for Dubuque, once again. It was an awesome time.
Now for the silly parts.
The List of Things Done/Things Said That Made the DC Trip HILARIOUS:
1. Kanye smashing the bus into the wall.
2. A hunk of the bus hanging off afterwards.
3. Joking about getting Kanye some duct tape.
4. "Lolita, sweetie, I need another cocktail."
5. Losing Chartreuse at the Basilica.
6. Losing Chartreuse again.
7. Chartreuse hating us.
8. Chartreuse thinking Rusty's name was Brett.
9. Charlie showering at 3 a.m.
10. A pro-life dog named Meatball (a.k.a. Rum and Coke).
11. Brother John Maximillian CrimeFighter.
12. Leaving 5 minute long voice mails for Padre.
13. Pizza at Sbarro with the Franciscan Friars of the Eternal Word.
14. Rusty, the Dutch girl.
15. Not being able to sleep on a bus = flopping like a fish.
16. "Loras Colegge"
17. After each great quote by FDR at his memorial: "I'll drink to that!"
18. Laverne singing.
19. The yarn knot ball.
20. Posing like saints for pictures with them.
21. "Positively No Admittance" = try the door to see if it's open.
22. Wanting to ask the guy dressed like Jesus if he was saved.
23. Singing the blessing song over the rosary to "bless" it.
24. The deacon saying "Beleezebel"
25. Charlie calling Rusty "Randy."
To be continued...
The Duhawks for Life who attended the March! Yay Duhawks!! 
Me in front of the Dominican House of Studies (picture taken from across the street). I wanted to spend a little more time there, but time simply did not permit.I do wish to return some day to truly experience it...I've heard such amazing things!
Then we ran into the Nashville Dominicans, which was very fun.Here is Sister Mary Emily along with us Loras kids. The actual picture has another sister in it (you can kind of catch the side of her in this picture), but when transferred to the computer it got kind of crazy. And I don't do technology, so it's staying like this.
Yay for this picture, though! :)
The Duhawks for Life being interviewed for EWTN.We are sooooo cool.
Hooray for Sister Immaculata! We were so excited to run into her along the way.Check out the Capitol in the background.
Guess who I found in DC?Betsy from A Little Flower Garden!
We met up at the Basilica, and she got to meet the OM. It was great fun.
Wednesday, January 18, 2006
Benedict XVI Defends the Unborn
Pope Sounds a Recurring Theme at Christmas
ROME, JAN. 14, 2006 (Zenit.org http://www.zenit.org).-
Over Christmastime the Pope repeatedly focused on the value of human life in its initial stages. The backdrop of celebrating Christ's birth gave Benedict XVI the opportunity to touch on the gift of new life. In his homily at Christmas Eve Midnight Mass the Pontiff drew attention to how God came down to us as a defenseless child. The Almighty has become one of us, noted the Pope, and we first come to know him as a child. On every child shines something of the splendor of that first Christmas night, the Holy Father commented. This splendor also "shines on every child, even on those still unborn." A day before, during his speech welcoming the new British ambassador to the Holy See, the Pope stressed the importance of respecting the unborn. Noting that the ambassador, Francis Campbell, mentioned the importance of remaining faithful to Europe's traditions, Benedict XVI added that this fidelity should also include "a profound respect for the truth that God has revealed concerning the human person." This truth, the Pope continued, "requires us to recognize and protect the sanctity of life from the first moment of conception until natural death." During his general audience Dec. 28, the feast of the Holy Innocents, who were martyred by Herod, the Pope returned to the theme of protecting innocent life. He gave a commentary on the second part of Psalm 138(139). In the psalm the human being, while still an unformed presence in the womb, is the subject of the Creator's gaze. Biblical experts agree that this refers to the embryo, the Holy Father said. "The idea in our psalm that God already sees the entire future of that embryo, still an 'unformed substance,' is extremely powerful," he commented. "The days which that creature will live and fill with deeds throughout his earthly existence are already written in the Lord's book of life." This psalm, the Pope explained, makes clear "the greatness of this little unborn human creature, formed by God's hands and surrounded by his love." It is, he noted, "a biblical tribute to the human being from the first moment of his existence."
[...]
The Pope returned to the theme of protecting nascent life during his homily last Sunday closing the cycle of Christmas celebrations. He gave the homily in the Sistine Chapel on the occasion of administering the sacrament of baptism. Baptism is the sacrament of life, he explained, as it gives us the possibility of being in communion with Christ, who is life. In accepting this gift of life we must also say "no" to its opposite, a culture dominated by death, the Pope said. We must fulfill the Commandments, including the prohibition against killing, he added. A fitting conclusion to a liturgical season centered on a redemptive Babe.
What a great thing to find in the back issues of ZENIT stored up in my inbox from Christmas break. Especially since I am headed to the March for Life in just a few days! Hurrrah!
Our Lady of Guadalupe, patroness of the unborn, pray for us.
Pope Sounds a Recurring Theme at Christmas
ROME, JAN. 14, 2006 (Zenit.org http://www.zenit.org).-
Over Christmastime the Pope repeatedly focused on the value of human life in its initial stages. The backdrop of celebrating Christ's birth gave Benedict XVI the opportunity to touch on the gift of new life. In his homily at Christmas Eve Midnight Mass the Pontiff drew attention to how God came down to us as a defenseless child. The Almighty has become one of us, noted the Pope, and we first come to know him as a child. On every child shines something of the splendor of that first Christmas night, the Holy Father commented. This splendor also "shines on every child, even on those still unborn." A day before, during his speech welcoming the new British ambassador to the Holy See, the Pope stressed the importance of respecting the unborn. Noting that the ambassador, Francis Campbell, mentioned the importance of remaining faithful to Europe's traditions, Benedict XVI added that this fidelity should also include "a profound respect for the truth that God has revealed concerning the human person." This truth, the Pope continued, "requires us to recognize and protect the sanctity of life from the first moment of conception until natural death." During his general audience Dec. 28, the feast of the Holy Innocents, who were martyred by Herod, the Pope returned to the theme of protecting innocent life. He gave a commentary on the second part of Psalm 138(139). In the psalm the human being, while still an unformed presence in the womb, is the subject of the Creator's gaze. Biblical experts agree that this refers to the embryo, the Holy Father said. "The idea in our psalm that God already sees the entire future of that embryo, still an 'unformed substance,' is extremely powerful," he commented. "The days which that creature will live and fill with deeds throughout his earthly existence are already written in the Lord's book of life." This psalm, the Pope explained, makes clear "the greatness of this little unborn human creature, formed by God's hands and surrounded by his love." It is, he noted, "a biblical tribute to the human being from the first moment of his existence."
[...]
The Pope returned to the theme of protecting nascent life during his homily last Sunday closing the cycle of Christmas celebrations. He gave the homily in the Sistine Chapel on the occasion of administering the sacrament of baptism. Baptism is the sacrament of life, he explained, as it gives us the possibility of being in communion with Christ, who is life. In accepting this gift of life we must also say "no" to its opposite, a culture dominated by death, the Pope said. We must fulfill the Commandments, including the prohibition against killing, he added. A fitting conclusion to a liturgical season centered on a redemptive Babe.
What a great thing to find in the back issues of ZENIT stored up in my inbox from Christmas break. Especially since I am headed to the March for Life in just a few days! Hurrrah!
Our Lady of Guadalupe, patroness of the unborn, pray for us.
Monday, January 16, 2006
Back from Christmas break!!!
It's been a great day. I drove back to Dubuque today, arriving at about noon. It took me about an hour to restore my room to its original (pre-break) condition, then I went to Dubuque County Right to Life to check up on things and hand in some checks, etc. I was informed that the group that we'll be attending the March with is the group that will be leading the March! How ridiculously exciting is that?! I cannot wait. I cannot believe it's this weekend!! Hoorah! Then the roommates and I went to get our books and whatnot. We made dinner for Rusty, Jon and Dan and then played "Would You Rather?", which is a very fun game. Then the boys left and we played another game called "Whoonu?" which is quite interesting, also. I recommend both of them.
To summarize break quickly:
January 3rd was my 21st birthday.
I worked 8 hour days at the bookstore nearly every day over break, minus a few days which consisted of:
1. Visiting my friend, Erin, at her apartment in Chicago.
2. Riding the bus into Chicago with my mom and her friend and my best friend, Elizabeth to do a little downtown shopping.
3. Meeting up with Brother Anthony Joseph at the St. Therese shrine in Darien, Illinois, then going to visit some really incredible Polish Dominican sisters. We got there at 1:30 and planned on staying until about 2 or 2:30. We left at 6. They were so awesome!!
My family bonded over jigsaw puzzles, finishing two really cool ones.
My mom and I had some good time together, laughing a lot and whatnot. It was fun.
My dad and I bonded too - over banana splits. :)
I watched a lot of TV, mostly of the CSI variety. I love mysteries and science and all of that stuff put together. I, after all, did entertain the idea of going into forensic science at one point.
That's pretty much it. There were some random shenanigans here and there, but that's expected.
My roommates Andrea and Mindy are abroad now. Andrea is in France and Mindy is in Ireland. I miss them, but I'm very excited that they're abroad, because being abroad is probably one of the coolest things I've ever experienced.
Something discovered over break: www.prolifesearch.com - it's powered by Google, and funds great great great organizations! Use it in place of Google!!!
That's about it for now. I need to get to bed. Tomorrow's the first day of classes. Gotta be ready! :)
Caritas et veritas, y'all!
It's been a great day. I drove back to Dubuque today, arriving at about noon. It took me about an hour to restore my room to its original (pre-break) condition, then I went to Dubuque County Right to Life to check up on things and hand in some checks, etc. I was informed that the group that we'll be attending the March with is the group that will be leading the March! How ridiculously exciting is that?! I cannot wait. I cannot believe it's this weekend!! Hoorah! Then the roommates and I went to get our books and whatnot. We made dinner for Rusty, Jon and Dan and then played "Would You Rather?", which is a very fun game. Then the boys left and we played another game called "Whoonu?" which is quite interesting, also. I recommend both of them.
To summarize break quickly:
January 3rd was my 21st birthday.
I worked 8 hour days at the bookstore nearly every day over break, minus a few days which consisted of:
1. Visiting my friend, Erin, at her apartment in Chicago.
2. Riding the bus into Chicago with my mom and her friend and my best friend, Elizabeth to do a little downtown shopping.
3. Meeting up with Brother Anthony Joseph at the St. Therese shrine in Darien, Illinois, then going to visit some really incredible Polish Dominican sisters. We got there at 1:30 and planned on staying until about 2 or 2:30. We left at 6. They were so awesome!!
My family bonded over jigsaw puzzles, finishing two really cool ones.
My mom and I had some good time together, laughing a lot and whatnot. It was fun.
My dad and I bonded too - over banana splits. :)
I watched a lot of TV, mostly of the CSI variety. I love mysteries and science and all of that stuff put together. I, after all, did entertain the idea of going into forensic science at one point.
That's pretty much it. There were some random shenanigans here and there, but that's expected.
My roommates Andrea and Mindy are abroad now. Andrea is in France and Mindy is in Ireland. I miss them, but I'm very excited that they're abroad, because being abroad is probably one of the coolest things I've ever experienced.
Something discovered over break: www.prolifesearch.com - it's powered by Google, and funds great great great organizations! Use it in place of Google!!!
That's about it for now. I need to get to bed. Tomorrow's the first day of classes. Gotta be ready! :)
Caritas et veritas, y'all!
