-Classes began, day at Vienna, Mass with Bishop Kung

School started last week and I wanted to have a good start, so I was not able to blog till now. Thanks for the reminder, Dan, in which order to do things, I appreciate that. And it was great to get a comment. I like to hear comments, because I only hear one side, my side, it's nice to hear what ya'll think.

I'm enjoying all of my classes: Church Theology, Moral Theology, Principle Biblical Studies II, Liturgy and the Catechism in Scripture, Christian Spirituality, and European History. I'm really getting into all of them and learning many things.

We had another school trip to Vienna last Saturday. It was neat to see what used to be the capital of Europe. We had Mass there at Our Lady of the Snows. I very much enjoy going to all the old Churches, not American old, but real old. It's hard to describe my entire experience, but I will brief over some of what I saw. What was interesting about Our Lady of the Snows Church, was the fresco behind the altar. The smaller fresco that you see inside of the larger fresco was the image that was there before the religious that were there were told to leave during time of persecution. When they returned they brought it back and there is now the other one surrounding it.

This other is a bigger than life-size fresco of the Last Supper. Incredible to see in person.

After Mass, we toured the city, split into groups some of the staff and faculty were out tour guides. The tour guides in my group were Vince (on the right), the resident director, and Father Brad (on the left), one of the Franciscan Friars here. Both seemed to know a lot about the city and its history.

Things I liked seeing in Vienna:

the palace where the Hofsburg family lived,

Saint Michael Church (also known as the servant's church),

Cafe Griendsteide where Bambi was written,

all from the same balcony at the palace - Hitler gave a speech, Pope John Paul II gave a speech about peace, and Father Denny and some students gave praise and worship to God,

a confession sign in one of the churches (next to each word is a switch, I assume to light up a confessional or something of the sort),

a store I thought had a neat name (my favorite color),

the end of some of the best horses in the world (I apologize I forgot the name of them, and that I got only the end of the horse, camera difficulties),

and a statue. I learned that if two of the horses feet were up, it meant the man was wounded, if only one was up, he died a natural death.


It was all neat, and a great experience. I cannot emphasize enough how incredible it is to see these things and pray in these churches. I could spend all my time in these churches and praying in them.

Yesterday there was a lot of excitement at the Kartause. Bishop Kung came to welcome the students. He celebrated Mass and then had a group picture with the students. I was the reader. It's different reading in a Church that echoes so much. The Bishop spoke about christian unity.

Tomorrow morning I am leaving for Salzburg and Munich later on. Salzburg is where The Sound of Music was recorded. Right now the students and I are gathered in the Kartause, watching the movie in preparation for the trip, haha.

I'm praying for ya'll every where I go.