May 17, 2005

Another update: I did make it to San Giovanni and after I said my prayers and poured out my heart to good ole Padre Pio, I heard the Mass beginning in English. I could hardly believe my ears! Tim Friend gave me a holy card with the stigmata of Padre Pio and on the back of the card it says: "All day should be a preparation for the Eucharist." Well, I stood up from kneeling at his tomb and turned around and there at the altar behind me was another priest beginning the Mass in English. This was truly Padre Pio's gift to me and all of you who I have been holding in my heart. His grave is so simple and yet so full of grace and goodness. I also met a family in San Giovanni and their young daughter is learning English as well. I gave her a rosary from Assisi and they provided me with some Ritz crackers and homemade jelly for my trip on the train back to Assisi. God is so good!
Love, ole padre Dennis

Today is 05-05-05 and a very special celebration of May’s arrival in Assisi. It goes from today, until the 7th of May. Something is happening in the cosmos. I was able to get my Franciscan shroud! Praise God and thanks to Sister Rosita of the Franciscan Sisters of the Atonement, from America, who told me where I might find the material! It is made here in Assisi from Franciscan material. Wow! God is good, all the time. Madre Abbes Giacinta, OSB, and Bishop Sergio blest it. Wow!!! Also I was able to get three Sacramentaries in Italian, one for Fr. Joseph Mancuso, and one for Fr. Mario Moscaritolo and one for me. We have to keep that Italian language alive in ole KC.

I am attaching a couple of pictures from the Basilica of Santa Maria degli Angeli. This is the major Church that houses the Porziuncola of St. Francis. This is the little chapel that St. Francis and his companions repaired after San Damiano. This became the headquarters for the first Franciscan community. And its simplicity is so striking inside this basilica. Wow! I prayed for all of you here especially. Also next to the little church, was an infirmary and this is where St. Francis died. I also got to see this spot that commemorates his death. He died on Oct. 3rd, 1226. He was only 44 years old. There is one of the Basilica and the other is from the Rose Garden next to the basilica. This is a famous statue of Francis with the lamb. Here they have roses that do not have thorns. Francis is said to have thrown himself into the roses as a penance and because of his sanctity the thorns are gone. Wow and Praise God! This is where Francis began and this is where he returned.

I am walking an ancient Roman road and also just returned from the Roman Forum of Assisi (where by the way, Francis and his first companion, a wealthy man of Assisi, Blessed Bernardo, went to read the scriptures about selling everything and following Christ) and I feel a connection between so many people who have gone before us with Faith that enable us today to persevere in our faith walk with the living God. When the Romans said to the people have good prosperity; I can hear Francis retuning this ancient wish, with, "Pace e Bene", Peace and everything good be yours! I pray our lives today in Italy and America and across the world will also bring a new retuning of these ancient words that we too will have the courage, as Jesus commands, to lay down our lives out of love for God and each other: Therefore, Pace e Bene e Amore! The wandering padre Dennis

5-6-05

Since they are celebrating calendrimaggio, a feast which is in May and goes back to medieval days; I am unable to get to the internet. So I will keep writing, until probably Sunday or Monday before I can send them to you.

My deepest thanks to Santuario di Gibilmanna and San Giuseppe Monastero in Assisi. These two institutions let me stay at their places while in Sicily and Italy. The first one is a Community of Capuchin Franciscan monks and the other is a Community of Benedictine Sisters. Fr. Salvatore is the superior of the first and Madre

Abbes Giacinta is the mother abbess of the second. I would have never been able to make this adventure without their support and prayers. I have been praying for these two communities that God grant them new vocations and the resources they need to do His holy will. (I might have to send these pictures by separate email, as not to overload the system.)

As I was coming down from The Rocca Maggiore in Assisi (ancient fortress that overlooks Assisi), I was grateful to God for helping me get thru the fortress, since you have to walk thru a very narrow passageway from one tower to the other and I felt I was in a tomb. Well, I saw a narrow path outside that went down toward Assisi; so I decided I would take this path. I wasn’t sure where I would end up at. There were some barking dogs along the path, but their was a fence that kept them at bay. I met another English speaking young lady and she asked me what was ahead and I told her that if she followed the path, she would find that it goes all the way up to the fortress. So she thanked me and went on. I didn’t even think, until she left, that I should have asked her what was in the direction from which she was coming. So I kept on walking and low and behold I ended up at the Poor Clares Capuchin Convent, called, “Santa Croce.” I was so happy to find this place, because the name reminded me of the parish where I help out on weekends, Holy Cross, in Overland Park, KS. I even took a photo of the sign. I saw an open door and so decided to ring the bell. One of the Poor Clares answered and said the Church would be open in about 10 minutes. So I waited and one of the sisters came out and showed me to the Church. I told her I was a priest in America and that the parish’s name is “Holy Cross.” She was delighted. We went into the Church and the Blessed Sacrament was on the altar in the monstrance. So I went into pray and couldn’t believe that where I was going was straight, sort of, to God Himself. As I was praying and thanking ole Il Signore (the Lord) the sister brought me two postcards of the place. The one has the Crucifix of Jesus that is so prominent in the Church. It is a large, wooden statue of the Crucified Savior. Wow! A Franciscan father came into the Church and he had Benediction for all of us. Hearing the Poor Clares sing was like being in Heaven. Some of them are cloistered and they had a screen that opened on the other side of the altar. I made it back to San Giuseppe Monastero and said my evening prayer and this is what I read in Psalm 116: “They surrounded me, the snares of death, with the anguish of the tomb; they caught me, sorrow and distress. I called on the Lord’s name…he has kept my soul from death, my eyes from tears and my feet from stumbling.”

And in Psalm 121 (one of my favorites): “The Lord will guard your going and coming both now and forever.” Amen!

Pace e Bene, ole padre Dennis

May 10, 2005

May 3, 2005

I am back in my room, staying at the Monastery of St. Joseph, ran by the Benedictine Sisters.  They have been wonderful to me.  I am trying to sing the Liturgy of the Hours in Italian with them.  Their voices are so beautiful.  I have concelebrated Mass a couple of times with the Bishop of Assisi, Bishop Sergio Goretti.  He is close by at the Cathedral of St. Maria Maggiore Church.  He is a man of prayer and a good heart.

 Yesterday, I went to visit San Damiano Church.  This is the Church that was in ruins and when Francis was praying he heard the words from the Christ on the San Damiano Cross say:  “Build up my church; you can see how it is in ruins.”  This Francis did.  This is also the place that Francis gave to St. Clare for herself and the Poor Clares to begin their ministry.  Francis and his community of Brothers visited this place often.  Matter of fact, when Francis died, his body was brought here for the Poor Clares to venerate, before he was buried.  I can’t tell you how touched I was at this site.  You can feel the holiness of this place and St. Clare’s presence too.  It is so humble and holy.  I hope to have evening prayer here with the Franciscan community.

 From my journal please add these words of St. Clare that are carved into one of the wooden chairs at San Damiano:  “Not a voice but a desire-not clamour but love-not instruments but hearts singing in the ears of God.”  This is the essence of Prayer.  Wow!!!

How true this is.  I remember once that Satan was speaking with one of the saints and Satan could keep up with the Saint’s prayers, but when it came to “desire,” Satan was no match for this Saint.  I pray that all of us have this kind of desire that leads us naturally into prayer and sustains the “sacred cosmos” in us by God’s passionate love for us and our love for God.

Love, ole padre Dennis and today with St. Catherine of Siena.

April 28, 2005

I just had to write you this story.  On Sunday night, last Sunday, I was on the train out of Sicily to Italy.  I wanted to see the straits of Messina, but knew I couldn't leave my luggage alone on the train and I would have to stay with the luggage.  Well, God had other plans.  When we reached the last stop before Messina, a young man by the name of Salvatore, Savior, got into the same cabin on the train that I was in.  He was very friendly and we got to sharing and he works for the Italian railroad.  He said that he would watch our luggage and I could go up on board of the ship and look out.  Well, there I was on the deck of the ferry looking at both Italy and Sicily at night with the wind blowing and the waves and the dark sea below me.  In the distance was a large lit statue of Our Lady, a gift to Messina, like our statue of Liberty.  I know Our Lady had something to do with this miracle.  Salvatore got me to Rome and on the correct train to Assisi.  God is good all the time and in every place.