Exams are over!!!

...but with more adventures, I've still managed not to have time for writing them up. It's hard to know where to start. But I think I'll begin just before ending exams, wandering around Rome with a friend. You see, when one is stressed out from studying, the remedy is a nice walk around town and gelato with a good friend!

And then, company for the end of the year of the priest, just as I finished up the individual finals. Then were the adventures of the prayer vigil and Mass of the Sacred Heart. I think I'll need a special post for my last exam.

I had no ticket, but I wanted to go to the vigil of the Sacred Heart with the Holy Father. I had spent all day studying with a classmate for our BIG exam, and she was going, and I knew some of the 15000 priests in town who were to meet with the Pope Benedict XVI for this occasion.


So, we crowded onto a bus, and headed that way. Squished next to us were a couple of Spanish-speaking sisters, from Poland and Spain. They were going the same place we were. When we got of the bus, my classmate ran off to meet her friend for her ticket, and I walked with the sisters to the entrance of St. Peter's Square. Apparently the Congregation for the Clergy had only expected about 2000 priests. Oops. So we were outside. The sisters had me stick close to them, and the Swiss Guard directed us to the sisters' section, and in I went. We were right in front of the giant screen, and we could see from a distance the actual stage. The event was set up like a world youth day encounter, with lots of entertainment before the Holy Father actually came out and greeted us, and then 5 priests representing so many continents came asked him questions. His answers seem to have been prepared in the notes he held in his hand, but he never once looked down at them, or unfolded them even, as he gave beautiful answers to each.
During the entertainment part, we were shown videos of Ars, Argentina, the Holy Land, and California. I was surprised to see familiar faces in the choir that sang, too.


The man nearest the center is a seminarian who goes to the same church I do. As does the gentleman next to him whose face is also not covered up. The video camera really liked the seminarian and kept centering on him when they sang.

And so the vigil lasted until about 11:30, which had started about 8:30. The next day I slept in and missed early Mass, but I got a phone call offering me a ticket for the papal Mass concelebrated by roughly 20000 priests from around the world! This time, with my ticket, I was unable to sneak into such a good seat as the previous evening.