Saturday, March 16, 2013

Guess who just went unicycling at the Pontifical North American College while Cardinal Dolan was walking around the track?  It was pretty fun!  The story is that I went to the annual play that the North American College Seminarians put on (this year it was A Separate Peace), which was very good.  Then afterwards one of our seminarian friends who unicycles invited me to their track to use his for a little while.  And who is walking on the track but Cardinal Dolan?  We had a lot of fun.

But that's not even the best part of my day!  That's because this morning I was invited through my internships to Pope Francis' private audience for journalists!  It was great, because the hall was practically empty, and he spoke so candidly.  The best part was when he decided to tell us the story behind his name.  He said that when it was determined that he had been elected pope, his good friend, the Archbishop of Sao Paolo, turned to him and said, "Don't forget the poor."  He said that that really struck him, and so he chose the name Francis, not after Francis Xavier (the Jesuit), but after Francis of Assisi; because he would, "love a Church that is poor for the poor."  It was a very beautiful address, and I left feeling so privileged to have been there, and so blessed to have him for our pope.  I think he is exactly what the Church needs right now.  In fact, our group of students here is so excited about him and his election that we are having a Pope Party tonight with our own rendition of Argentinian cuisine, so it should be fun!