My First Dominican Feast Day

               It was one of those urges or nudges that I attributed to the Holy Spirit.  I had been in Italy for nearly a week and in Rome for three days.  The days had been filled with tours of magnificent churches and cathedrals, leisurely shopping for clothing and trinkets, sumptuous meals and awesome celebrations of daily mass.  Having grown up in the Mid-West, the idea that churches contained the tombs of saints seemed odd. 

 

               Well, maybe not in Assisi, after all that is where Francis and Clare lived and worked. And I was looking forward to being able to pray at Blessed John Paul II tomb at St. Peter’s later in the week. But JPII had a profound effect on my life.  So here stood, in front of  a tomb for a St. Pius and I had the urge to kneel and pray.

               I knew that there had been a number of Popes named Pius, being familiar with Pius XII who was Pope during World War II. Giving into that urge, I kneeled and my prayer may have been something like this, “St. Pius, I really am not sure why I am here, but I ask for your intercession for a job for my husband and safe travel back to my family.”  Praying to an unfamiliar saint seemed peculiar to me.  At some point I moved on to allow my eyes to feast on the banquet of art and architecture in the Basilica of St. Mary Major.

               More than a year later, I discovered that this Saint Pius was the Pope who encouraged praying of the Rosary to defeat the Turks at the Battle of Lepanto.  And, in my pursuit to find a Dominican Saint to take as my name in the Order, I discovered that he’s a Dominican.  In fact, he is one of four Dominican Popes. 

               After some weeks of trying on names such as Catherine (of Siena), and Mary Magdalene, I decided to take my Dominican name after Saint Pius V.  In the time since then, I’ve learned that he implemented the Council of Trent and was a Pope faithful to the magisterium of the church in a time when people wanted reform. 

               Today, April 30^th is his Feast Day. I celebrated by taking treats into work.  I also paused to wonder that the great treat that the Lord had prepared for me, through the work of the Holy Spirit.   If I hadn’t giving into that urge to kneel and pray, I’m sure I would not have remembered St. Pius’s name.  St. Pius, I thank you for your faith and courage.  Lord God, I thank you for your guidance through your son Jesus Christ, in the work of the Holy Spirit. 

               St. Pius, pray for us!

Three Popes and me

               The election Pope Francis has absorbed me.  I’ve wanted to sit down and write my thoughts and yet it has been hard for me to focus and concentrate. Seeing black smoke on that Tuesday afternoon actually gave me chills and I did not sleep well that night, thinking I might be missing the election of our new Holy Father.  I was home and saw the white smoke on Wednesday, and then had to meet my tax preparer at 2:30 and missed the live broadcast of Pope Francis  (what a great name) greeting the thousands in St. Peter’s Square.

               This is the fourth time that a Pope has been selected in my memory.  (John XXIII was elected Pope just after my first birthday and Paul VI became Pope when I was VI.)  I was barely cognizant of the elected of John Paul I as I was in the midst of preparing for my senior year of college.  His death after being in office for only 33 days got my attention. 

An Adult Encounter with the Church

               As a political science major, I was fascinated with the second papal conclave in 1978, following the details through the newspaper.  (The internet didn’t exist and we didn’t have a TV in our dorm room.) It was my first encounter with the Catholic Church as an adult.  The selection of a Polish Pope was fascinating. In the ensuing years, when news about the Church and the Pope became center stage, I knew who he was and had an affinity to him.   

               Nearly 8 year later, I became a member of the Catholic Church and even saw John Paul II during a trip to Italy.  As the years passed, my prayer life and relationship with God diminished as I became a full time working wife and mother. I questioned many of the “archaic” views of the church.  I did feel a person loss when John Paul II died, but was busy with daily activities and missed his funeral.

A Call Back from the Desert        

               I was distant enough from my faith to be only vaguely aware of the 2005 Conclave.  In My humanness, I thought that this new Pope Benedict could not compare with JPII.  I didn’t have any kind of connection with Pope Benedict XVI until April 2008.  After the announcement that Pope Benedict was coming to DC, my 10 year old son asked if we could go see the Pope.  I answered, “We’ll see”, as I thought that it was highly unlikely because so many others would be more worthy to see him.

               When I received the call from the rectory that we had been selected to receive tickets to the mass at Nationals Park, I felt like we had won the lottery.  The experience of worshiping with the successor of Peter and 60,000 other Catholics was the beginning of a reconversion experience for me. I became a follower of Pope Benedict XVI after seeing him in person and hearing the truth that he spoke.  I began to listen to his weekly audiences, read his books and watch him on TV. While I was in Rome a year ago, it was a thrill to see him during the general audience.  

               During the past two years, I noticed that he was slowing down.  His resignation took the entire world by surprise, yet I am thankful for the years that he was our Holy Father and for his writings. I have learned so much from him.  He has been my shepherd, leading me closer to God. I followed his last public appearances and had tears in my eyes as he left the balcony of Castel Gandolfo.

               

An Instant Admirer

               Is conclaveinesita a word?  If so, then I was one during this conclave.  If I wasn’t working, taking care of my family or praying, I was watching TV or searching the web for information about the conclave.  I spent significant time in prayer, asking that the Cardinals choose the “one” who is to lead our church.    And Adopted a Cardinal! And as mentioned above, couldn’t sleep on Tuesday night.  And now we have Pope Francis!

               This time, I am in instant admirer and supporter of him.  He is my papa - the successor of Peter.  I will depend on him to be my shepherd. I love you Pope Francis and look forward to getting to know you better!  Thank you Lord, for bringing us the leader we need for today!