Hosting Isabella {Day 1: Windy Waterfront}

Johnny, Chris, Joseph and Isabella picnic on the shores of Bellingham Bay.

Continued from the Backstory

With an eye on the weather forecast, we decided that Isabella's first day with us should be spent closer to home rather than up in the mountains.  As part of our normal Wednesday, we headed off to daily Mass, excited to share our beautiful little local Church with our guest.  We packed the cooler with sandwiches and fruit with hopes of a picnic lunch to follow Mass.

Outnumbered, but in good company, Isabella enjoys a stroll along the boulevard.

Upon arriving at Church, we found the parking lot empty ~ never a good sign.  Somehow we had missed the announcement of a time switch for that day's Mass, and so our plan A vanished into thin air. A few of our fine young friends from the Newman Catholic Campus Ministry at Western Washington University (including Zachary's good friend Chris) pulled in right behind us, and were also disappointed to learn that the daily Mass had been rescheduled. 

Bridget and Isabella on the edge of Bellingham Bay

Rather than crying over spilt milk, we took a moment for proper introductions, then hatched a plan to head for the closest park and share our picnic lunch with Johnny and Chris.  After all, they were all dressed up with no place to go! 

White caps on Puget Sound with full sunshine; an awesome autumn afternoon in Bellingham

We endured a short stretch of picnicking at shady table, which proved to be an act of penance.  As soon as the closest sunny table opened up, we quickly relocated and enjoyed the several-degrees increase and subsequent enhanced comfort level.  A brisk walk along the boulevard after lunch gave us an opportunity to visit and share the sights of our beautiful home town with Isabella and our friends.

Day 2 follows.

An ocean away from home, Isabella re-connects with the waters of the Pacific (a bit colder than her Aussie shores).

A picnic with Isabella's family (+my parents and grandparents) in 1990 on the shores of the Sunshine Coast.

Bridget (me), Grandma O'D, Pete (Dad), Patty (Mom), and Granddad O'D(+) on the Sunshine Coast, Australia, 1990

Italy Day 7 {Rome: Apostolic Blessing & St. Paul Outside the Walls}

Pope Benedict XVI at the general audience March 30, 2011

Our Papa!

Anticipating our Papal Audience with great excitement, we raced to St. Peter's with throngs of pilgrims in the early morning on Wednesday. Our seats, in the "speciale" zone, were up on the platform not far from Pope Benedict XVI's chair. The wait from arriving at our seats to waving at Papa was about two hours; the weather was beautiful and our neighbors in the crowd shared our enthusiasm (some shared sunscreen, and others offered to email us their photos taken with a D80+Zoom). Once the audience began, our appreciation for the great honor of being present magnified. The holy Gospel of St. John was procliamed in Italian, French, German, English, Spanish, Portugese, and Polish; and the Holy Father's teachings were also given in each of these languages (condensed in all but Italian). Our neighbors in the seats included a contingent from French L'Arche. The unbridled enthusiasm of one their young men was refreshing, and totally unprecictable (Joseph's quote)


After praying the Lord's Prayer together (chanted Pater Noster) and receiving our apostolic blessing, many of the front rows began to empty out. We rushed the stage filled in the gaps, and found ourselves at the very front row to watch Pope Benedict XVI greeting a line of guests, including a very young boy who appreared to be a cancer patient and a long line of cardinals. Still at the front row when Pope Benedict began his motored exit, we waved and even made eye contact! Lifelong memories to be sure...

Family picnic after the audience, back at our flat in the garden

Riding a wave of joy and fulfilled hopes, we enjoyed a picnic lunch in our patio garden at the flat. Sharing our impressions of the Papal Audience and reliving the exciting event in the comfort of our home in Rome kept the afterglow burning bright. Lunch time discussion also included a few decisions about how best to use our remaining days with Zachary before his early return to the US for classes. Renting a car turns out to be cheaper than 5 train tickets to Assisi, so after lunch we visited the car rental agency at Termini station in Rome, en route to St. Paul's Outside the Walls.

Amazing art at St. Paul's, Rome

Metro stop at St. Paul's Basilica

Entering St. Paul's at the exact time an English Mass began in a side chapel, we joined the pilgrims from El Paso, Texas, for the celebration. In white vestments rather than violet (Lent), the priest said a Mass remembering the Conversion of St. Paul.  The Gospel reading was from Mark: go out to all the world and tell the good news! He encouraged us to be bold in sharing our faith and living the Gospel.
Take a virtual tour of this outstanding basilica here.

Noteworthy:

• Mile-long lines at the Vatican museum disappear on a Papal audience morning.
• A high school band entertained the crowd with Amazing Grace, followed by theme songs from Indiana Jones and Blues Brothers in St. Peter's Square before the Pope's arrival.
• Our Holy Father, and shepherd, Pope Benedict XVI, captured our hearts!