Greetings from the Belly of the Beast

Brother Maximilian Maria and I are in DC, on a layover in Dulles International Airport (named after Cardinal Avery Dulles’ famous Dad — go figure!). We’re to board a 767 soon, headed to Rome’s Da Vinci Airport. For the next fortnight, we’ll be in the capital of Christianity. Among other things, we will attend a Wednesday audience of Pope Benedict XVI, and assist at His Holiness’ Solemn First Vespers for the First Sunday of Advent, this Saturday evening in Saint Peter’s. We’ll be ringing in the ecclesiastical new year with the Pope. Can’t think of a better way. Naturally (or supernaturally?), we will see the “Seven Churches of Rome,” and numerous of the other sites I visited last year, like the Purgatory Museum.

So, for a couple of weeks, I’ll be Catholicism.org’s “Rome correspondent.” Depending on time and WiFi constraints, I hope to make a few postings about our places of pilgrimage during the visit.

All of Saint Benedict Center’s benefactors and friends will be in our prayers during this pilgrimage, which is kindly sponsored by two benefactors whose generosity over the years has been superlative. Please pray that our journey will be fruitful.