CATHOLIC DEAF CONFERENCE, ROME, ITALY
THREE REMEMBRANCES:
1) Yesterday afternoon, 11/21, our group was on its way to the Post-Conference meeting and Mass. Our van driver took us to a beautiful spot that overlooks Rome.There is a large fountain that was built over 400 years ago(it still works!). While we were there, there was a very attractive,welldressed couple standing off to the side of the fountain. The sun was shining; the fountain was flowing.Suddenly the guy got down on his knees, opened a small box, and asked the young woman to marry him! (In the box was the ring!). She yelled in surprise "Si, Si!"(YES!). We all started clapping. Then, Fr. Tony and I walked over. We asked our tour guide to tell the couple we were Catholic priests and did they want to be married right then and there???(We were teasing.) They were stunned that two priests were with them at that moment. So we took some pictures, and gave them a blessing for a happy life together!
2 FR. CYRIL AXELROD is a deaf-blind priest. He was born to Jewish parents before World War II.He was deaf. The parents gave him to a Catholic family to raise him because of the Nazis. In fact, the Nazis did kill his parents. Cyril was ordained a Catholic priest, went to work in South Africa, but then began to lose his vision.Cyril now lives and works in London. He travels around the world, giving Missions and Retreats to deaf communities(he just got back from Slovakia, and his next trip is to China!). He has a wonderful sense of humor, a great curiosity about life,a strong Faith, and is way to busy to ever feel sorry for himself!
3 It is November21-22nd here in Rome, a city of over 4 million people. There are NO Christmas ads, displays, almost nothing to convince us to do Christmas shopping! When I left Chicago last week, there were signs and ads everywhere telling people that they had to start their Christmas shopping early. In America, the Wal-Mart, Kohls, Target, etc have stolen Christmas from us. These businesses(and so many others) have convinced us that Christmas is about buying things. Here, people are getting ready for ADVENT, the time of preparation for the Birth of Our Savior. I asked someone who lives here if there is a Christmas shopping "season". She said that it is about two weeks before Christmas; that's all. I told her that Christmas ads in Chicago were up at Halloween. She said, "now that is REALLY scary!"
1) Yesterday afternoon, 11/21, our group was on its way to the Post-Conference meeting and Mass. Our van driver took us to a beautiful spot that overlooks Rome.There is a large fountain that was built over 400 years ago(it still works!). While we were there, there was a very attractive,welldressed couple standing off to the side of the fountain. The sun was shining; the fountain was flowing.Suddenly the guy got down on his knees, opened a small box, and asked the young woman to marry him! (In the box was the ring!). She yelled in surprise "Si, Si!"(YES!). We all started clapping. Then, Fr. Tony and I walked over. We asked our tour guide to tell the couple we were Catholic priests and did they want to be married right then and there???(We were teasing.) They were stunned that two priests were with them at that moment. So we took some pictures, and gave them a blessing for a happy life together!
2 FR. CYRIL AXELROD is a deaf-blind priest. He was born to Jewish parents before World War II.He was deaf. The parents gave him to a Catholic family to raise him because of the Nazis. In fact, the Nazis did kill his parents. Cyril was ordained a Catholic priest, went to work in South Africa, but then began to lose his vision.Cyril now lives and works in London. He travels around the world, giving Missions and Retreats to deaf communities(he just got back from Slovakia, and his next trip is to China!). He has a wonderful sense of humor, a great curiosity about life,a strong Faith, and is way to busy to ever feel sorry for himself!
3 It is November21-22nd here in Rome, a city of over 4 million people. There are NO Christmas ads, displays, almost nothing to convince us to do Christmas shopping! When I left Chicago last week, there were signs and ads everywhere telling people that they had to start their Christmas shopping early. In America, the Wal-Mart, Kohls, Target, etc have stolen Christmas from us. These businesses(and so many others) have convinced us that Christmas is about buying things. Here, people are getting ready for ADVENT, the time of preparation for the Birth of Our Savior. I asked someone who lives here if there is a Christmas shopping "season". She said that it is about two weeks before Christmas; that's all. I told her that Christmas ads in Chicago were up at Halloween. She said, "now that is REALLY scary!"
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