A Different Week...

UPDATE - 11/26/09 - So guess who scored the winning touchdown in the Turkey Bowl - that's right, not me! The Diocese of Brooklyn, led by our Rector, Fr. Peter, defeated Rockville Centre, 3-1 (each touchdown was a point). It was much more serious than I thought - there were rules, plays and penalities....but certainly a lot of fun. Have a great Thanksgiving!

The abbreviated week ahead brings a different pace here in the Seminary. There are no academic classes and our regular routine will be altered a bit. So what will be doing, you might ask?

These three days began tonight with an Evening/Day of Reflection with Bishop Frank Caggiano of the Diocese of Brooklyn. He spoke tonight and will speak tomorrow about how we can be more effective ministers in what can be a very unreligious or non-religious world. Part of the day of recollection includes the silence that I’ve written about before. Even as I type this at 11:30 at night, it’s even quieter than usual. There’s a nice sense of peace about that.

Tuesday and early Wednesday are Work Days. I cannot tell you exactly what they entail because I haven’t lived through them but they are ways for the seminary community to work together and contribute to the life of the house. We have been divided into work teams which range from outside work, working in the Library, cleaning and reorganizing the Chapel, among many other tasks. So all day Tuesday we’re working. I bet it’s not only going to be a day where a lot gets done but it gives us who live here a chance to work on a different level. So we’ll see how it goes.

On Tuesday afternoon, I’m told, there a tradition of a Turkey Bowl where the seminarians from Brooklyn take on the seminarians from Rockville Centre. Those who are from other dioceses get drafted, I believe, on to one of the teams. Pray for me :)!

On Wednesday, we conclude with a ½ work day, then Mass followed by lunch together. From there we return home and get the chance to spend the holidays with family and friends. This upcoming weekend, we’ve been asked to speak in our home parishes about our experiences at the Seminary, Bishop Murphy’s Pastoral Letter and a real invitation to invite others to consider the seminary or religious life.

On Sunday, some of us will go to St. James Cathedral to celebrate with our Rector, Msgr. Peter Vaccari, as he is official recognized by the Bishop for the title of “Monsignor”. Then it’s back to the Seminary on Sunday night as get the place ready for Advent.

So as you can read – there’s a lot happening here in this “different week”!

Have a great Thanksgiving!