Greetings again from Rome! Before I share with you what the CENTERS pilgrims did on Tuesday, Oct 15, and Wednesday, Oct 16, I wish to highlight a moment of encounter on Sunday that reminded me of where to keep my attention in the midst of the grandeur of Rome. The students, Becky McIntyre and I happened to be passing the church where Catherine of Siena is buried. There was a man begging on the steps. I gave this man some money, talked with him and held his hand. When I turned to enter the church, an official was closing the door. I turned away disappointed. The man I had spoken with called out, “My friend! My friend! Come in!” I turned to see the official opening the door again. I ran up the steps, but then the official started to close the door again. Confused, I started down the steps, but again I heard, “My friend, my friend! Come, come!” The man I had talked with beckoned me to the door that was opening again. The abundance of Mercy!
I experienced more Mercy Tuesday morning when the five young women whom Maureen O’Connell, Becky McIntyre and I were chaperoning from LaSalle University — or “our girls” as we came to affectionately call them — opted to use some of our down time to visit the Botanical Garden in Rome. We enjoyed waterfalls flowing into a fishpond, a wide variety of trees, meandering paths. Does this sound familiar? Just as at Cranaleith, I was renewed by quiet time in nature. I was able to reflect on the many conversations from the previous two days in quiet and look for the spiritual invitations they held for me.
From there, we walked to the Jesuit Curia, world headquarters for the priests of the Society of Jesus. CENTERS had invited synod delegates and staff to a renewing gathering of dialogue, art and prayer. After a delicious, albeit boxed lunch – it had been far too long since my last really good donut – everyone shared how the Holy Spirit is calling them to move in a new direction. In my group, a seminarian declared he had no idea where the Spirit was leading but he felt such joy. A college professor said he was realizing how he needs to include the Spirit in his teaching and his scholarship – and how he is being changed as he does. Everyone in the room – about 175 people – wrote their prayer for the Church on a painted, canvas mosaic piece. We combined our mosaic pieces to a 6’x8’ image of the CENTERS logo, designed by community artist Becky McIntyre from the words/phrases of students as they prepared for this pilgrimage. All of us delighted in this project! We closed with the students blessing the delegates and the delegates blessing the students.
Tuesday evening, I joined a dinner with members of the US delegation to the synod. In attendance were Maria Cimperman, RSCJ; Julia Oseka, a student at St. Joseph; Wyatt Oliveras, a student from WY and the youngest delegate; Cardinal Blase Cupich of Chicago; Cardinal Joseph Tobin, CSsR of Newark; Archbishop Timothy Broglio, chair of the USCCB and archbishop for military services and Cardinal Seán O’Malley, OFM, Cap. of Boston. I sat next to Cardinal O’Malley. He told many funny stories, as well as shared the joy that Conversations in the Spirit have brought him, a feeling he said all the delegates have experienced. When asked about the difference between the General Assembly last October and this one, he noted that everyone already knows each other; resultantly, the conversations, trust and understanding are markedly deeper.
We were up very early Wednesday to participate in Pope Francis’ General Audience in St. Peter’s Square. As last year, I was moved to tears to see this person I admire so much, who has brought so much hope to me, in the Popemobile a few feet away. The square was filled with visitors from around the world. As the greetings, prayers and sermon were spoken in eight languages, I marveled at this vast communion of which I am a small part.
On Wednesday evening, Cranaleith Board member, Brother Ernest Miller, FSC hosted a dinner for Maureen, Becky, the LaSalle students and me. The two synod delegates from the Lasallian family joined us, Claire Saïd from Beirut and Grace Wrakia from Papua, New Guinea. Claire told stories of life in a war zone, with “crisis after crisis after crisis.” So much of her ministry involves caring for Syrian migrants who still flee their country in large numbers. She asked the students what they hoped for from the synod. One student, who is not religious, answered, “The Church has a lot of influence beyond itself. I hope the changes synodality brings can change the world as well.” When I turned the question on the delegates, Grace answered, “All along, women have been doing the day-to-day work of the Church. I long for the day when someone asks, ‘Who can we call on to help?’ and someone else will say, ‘Let us acknowledge the work of these women by recognizing officially the work they do.’” Amen!
