Sat-Sun, 11/14-15: Sat., 11/14 was an incredibly hectic day. Thanks to a wonderful committee (and beautiful weather!), the day was a success. From the racetrack, a group of us took a van to O'Hare airport. At 8:45pm, we flew out of Chicago on British Airways. en though I tried to sleep, it was impossible. I was too stressed from all the prepaprations during the week for Hawthorne, then this trip.
We arrived at Heathrow airport, London, England at 9:45am Sunday morning. We had to check ourselves through security there (very thorough), then waited to board a second flight from London to Rome. We left at 12:45pm and arrived in Rome at 4pm. After getting our bags, we walked out the door and there was a welcome smile, MS SARAH ROSANI, who had been our tour guide for the pilgrimage last summer. She had a van waiting to take us to the hotel. Rome traffic: is ALWAYS crowded, and Sunday night was no exception.However, our driver was very skilled and we arrived at Hotel Michelangelo in good time. This hotel is about a three block walk to St. Peter's basilica. Our whole group went out to eat dinner at a very Italian restaurant near the hotel. DELICIOUS! After that, we found a "Gelataria", a place that serves Italian "ice cream", GELATO. By that time, everyone was exhausted and went back to the hotel to try to sleep(Rome is 7 hours ahead of Chicago time!).
SMALL WORLD: at the hotel that evening I met Fr. John Nolan, a priest from St. Joseph parish, Chatham, IL. He was leading a tour of Rome with his parishioners. Many of them remembered my uncle, Msgr. Mulcrone, and Fr. John and I laughed about how strange for us to meet each other in Rome, Italy!

Mon, 11/16: Most Italian hotels serve a large buffet breakfast: cereal, fruits, yogurt, breads, rolls,great coffee, and...salami & cheese! After breakfast, our group met at 8:30am. MARY ANN BARTH (deaf,from KY), her sister and husband joined us.Richard & Kathy Kush, Minette Strenke, Fr. Tony Schuerger(Clevleand, OH), and Sr. Pat Francis had been to Rome before. They decided to go on their own tours that day. Our tour group for the day was Nancy Huber, Brian Swatek, Jim Smith, Jim Dunne, Bob and Maggie Swatek,, Mary Ann Barth and family, and me! We had a tour guide, ROMI who was born in Puerto Rico but had lived in Rome for 5 years. Our sign-language interpeter was named PAOLA, who is an expert in international sign-language, but also knows ASL.
We walked to St. Peters. (One thing about travelling in Italy, YOU WALK!) Romi, our tour guide, was excellent. Standing in the plaza outside of St. Peter's, she gave us an excellent introduction to the history of this amazing church.While she was speaking and Paola was interpreting, I noticed a group of eight people watching us intently. I signed to them, and they signed back to me! This was a group of deaf from Seattle and Vancouver, WA who were touring Italy. They were not here for the Conference and had no idea that there was a deaf conference. We all chatted for a few minutes. This other group, all deaf, had a deaf, Italian guide! There is in Rome a group of deaf people who are certified by the government to be tour guides for deaf people.
We continued walking. As we were walking to the Vatican Museum, a young deaf man from NEW ZEALAND spotted Jim Dunne's Cochlear Implant (because he had one, too!). His name was David and he was in Rome to come to the Conference beginning Thursday. We went into the Vatican Museum (there is ALWAYS, everyday a long line).Somedays, 30,000 people - yes, 30,000 - go through the Museum. ROMI & PAOLA did an outstanding job explaining the exhibits, helping us go through the Museum As we were staniding in the garden and signing, there was a young deaf couple who were watching us. Theyw ere from MADRID, SPAIN and were fascinated to meet other deaf people. (Many deaf people love to tour Italy. Why? because Italy is so visual - art, buildings, etc - and because it has good tour services for deaf people.)
We went to the Sistine Chapel - amazing! Then, toured St. Peter's Basilica-inspiring. I ran into two people from Australia here for the Conference beginning Thursday morning. Thery remembered Fr. Mike Depcik from his travels there.I prayed at the tomb of Pope John XXIII to thank him for what he had done for our Church. After that, we were tired and hungry. We had a delicious luncheon (salad and pasta; oops, in Italy it is pasta and salad!). In the afternoon, the group toured St. Mary Major Basilica and then the Catacombs. That evening, people went out to dinner. I had a meeting/dinner with several people on the planning committee for the Encuentro for Deaf Youth that will happen next summer in Mexico.We ate in a small, neighborhood Italian restaurant that served excellent fish! (Most Italian restaurants, even in Rome, only have about 8-12 tables. They are not large, but very welcoming. The food is outstanding. Why? Because the food is fresh, few chemicals are added,often the people working there have been in this business for generations of family, and they cook with olive oil, not butter or fats.) By the time I got back to the hotel, I was full and exhausted.

A couple of final notes.
1 Europe is incredibly expensive. Why? Because our American dollar is so weak. We live in America and sometimes think we are so powerful. Our money is worth very little here because of the mortgage lending disaster in our country, our corrupt banks and lending companies, the war in Iraq, and all the money we spend on oil. Italian people LOVE the USA, but think our politicians are totally out of touch with what is really happening in our world.
2 Immigration in Italy is a huge problem, too. The people from Romania, Albania, Morocco, and Libya are causing immgration problems here.
3 The food here is out of this world, yet the Italians are all thin. Why? Because everything they eat is fresh (no chemicals or preservatives) and they walk everywhere.
4 The Chicago people were a big help on the trip. Carol Mullis, Lisa Masciola, and Diane Russell did a lot of interpreting.  BRIAN SWATEK was very dependable,as always, in a couple of crisis situations. PATRICIA SLISZ did a terrific job with liturgy, and photography. RALPH AND VIRGINIA HINCH were always available to help with our Masses. RICHARD AND KATHY KUSH were very supportive.
5  time to go to bed. Ciao! --

JUNE 26.  AN HISTORIC DAY. St. Peter s Basilica was orginally built over 1600 years ago. The latest building was constructed over 400 years ago. Today, for the first time in the entire history of this building, something happened that has never happened in that building before. 1,200 deaf people joined with 44 priests and two bishops to celebrate Mass at the Altar of St. Peter s Throne, under the magnificent stained glass window of the Holy Spirit. The entire Mass was in voice and sign_language celebrated by Archbishop Patrick Kelly of Liverpool, England. There were deaf priests from the USA (Fr. Mike Depcik, Fr. Joe Bruce) along with other deaf priests (Fr. Peter McDonough form England and Fr. Park from Korea). Deacon Ralph Hinch was assisted the bishop. Virginia Hinch and Mary Jo Scanlan led a choir of deaf people from the USA. Never / NEVER/ has there been such a Mass at St. Peter s Basilica. The joy people felt was overwhelming as many people were literally crying for joy as they signed the prayers in 18 different sign languages!
   That afternoon, everyone 1,000 of us had lunch together at the Divino Amore Conference Center on the outskirts of Rome. I sat down with deaf people from Wales and Hong Kong, along with Fr. Charley Dittemeier who works with the deaf in Cambodia. We ended the Conference at 4pm with Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament.  As we left, a number of people came up to me and asked,   so, when will you do this again??????     I was too amazed to give them any answer.  A lot of people thanked me for what we had accomplished this week. I say this with all my heart. It was not me, it was the Lord. Whatever credit goes to the success of what happened belongs to the Lord in whom we placed our trust at the beginning of this project.
   Tonight, I ahd my last dinner in Rome with a number of people from Chicago. We all just sat there in awe at everything we had experienced during the ten days here.We leave tmw, FRI, for Chicago. I look forward to seeing you soon.   This Sunday is the Feast of St. Peter and St. Paul. I was able to visit the tombs of both of them this week, I am very blessed. Thanks for all your support and prayers for the trip. --

It is Wednesday evening, June 25th, the end of an amazing day. However, I owe you a few days reporting so.......
JUNE 22. AWESOME ASSISI. We drove through sunny Italy Sun. morning, and as we came through the fields of central Italy, the beautiful town of Assisi came to view, resting on a high hillside. It truly was an inspiring sight. We all got out and walked through this ancient, beautiful town. Many Americans live in this area.We all went to visit the church of St. Francis of Assisi and visited his tomb. The sense of peace while being there was tremendous.  The day was very hot and we found out later the temperature was 108!  We had Mass at another beautiful church (all the churches in Italy are beautiful), then got back on our busses for another 2 hour drive to Rome.  We arrived Sunday night just as Italy was beginning its big soccer match with Spain(the city was a madhouse) and go to our hotel.
 A note about our hotels. All the hotels we have stayed at have been very nice. They all are very conscious about not wasting water or electricity.For example, the card key that opens your door, you insert in a slot that turns on your lights. When you leave your room, you have to take the card key, and 2 minutes later your lights go out.   We had a nice dinner, and went to bed.
MON, JUNE 23. REMARKABLE ROME. The weather thoughout Europe has been unseasonably hot. Monday was very hot. Luckily in Rome, there are food stands everywhere selling bottled water, Gatorade, etc, along with Italian pizza which is more tomato and less cheese than ours.
  In the morning, we went to the Vatican Museum and Sistine chapel. Wonderful, but hugely crowded. The school year in Europe ended last week, so there are thousands of school age young people touring here. We then went into St. Peter's Basilica. There are really no words to describe this.  Amazingly, there is a special altar where the body of Pope John XXIII is. We all stopped to pray for this good and holy man.
  After this, we had an hour or so to shop and grab a quick lunch. Then, we drove to the Catacombs of St. Callistus. At one point in our history, 300,000 Christians were buried there. Now, about 30,000 remain. We walked down a steep set of stairs to tour the place which has a constant temperature of 56 degrees everyday of the year.We then went to the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the walls(one of my favorite churches)  to visit the tomb of St. Paul and celebrate Mass.After Mass, we were back in downtown Rome to visit the Trevi Fountain after a delicious pasta dinner. We met a group of deaf from Liverpool. England, then the deaf group from Washington, DC, all arriving for the pilgrimage.
TUES, JUNE 24. Again, blazing hot temperatures, even by Rome standards. Everyone is drinking bottles of cold water. We visited the Colliseum, toured ancient Rome, went to the churches of St. Mary Major and St. John Lateran.(At that point I left the group to go back to st. paul s church to celebrate a First Communion Mass with Archbishop Kelly of Liverpool, England and the Robertson family of Miami, FL. Then, I took a cab to the English College to meet the various representatives of deaf groups who were picking up their packet of tickets for the events of the 25 & 26th. At one point in the room, we had 13 different sign languages going!
A NOTE ABOUT THE TOURING BUSINESS IN ITALY> Italy has a huge tourist business. So, being a tour guide is a very specialized and government controlled business. We have had two excellent guides, Sarah and Mary Agnes, throughout our entire trip. They manage everything about the trip and are wonderful. However, by Italian law, every city has its own certified guides for that city. The tourist agency must hire those local guides for whatever city we are visiting. Sarah and Mary Agnes cannot act as local guides.   I must say I have been very impressed by the local guides we have had, many of who  have degrees in history or art. Recently, the Italian government has allowed a group of deaf people to become certified guides for deaf groups who come to this city.   You can also hire a private guide/driver who also must be licensed.
WED, JUNE 25TH. AN UNFORGETTABLE DAY. The heat was beating down on us as we gathered at St. Peter s Square this morning. Nobody cared. Over 1,200 deaf and hearing(mostly deaf) from 22 countries gathered in a special area of seating at St. Peter s. We sat and met one another for two hours, with all sorts of different sign languages flying around. then, 1030 am, the  POPE! 10,000 assembled people went crazy!!!   The deaf were thrilled.   Then, during the Pope s remarks, he mentioned specifically our group and its presence. Later, he told Archbishop Kelly personally that he was thrilled we were there and gave us his blessing. Three years of work and preparation had paid off.I couldn t believe it had worked out.
Then, it was over.  This afternoon, we had a conference on discipleship in the world, and especially what does it mean for deaf people to take responsibility for ministry in the Church.This happened at a wonderful conference center on the outskirts of Rome. I met with the deaf group from Puerto Rico who told me I should move there because they don t have a priest.
  We had seven deaf people from England, South Korea, South Africa, USA, Ireland, Germany, and Mexico speak and sign of their experiences as a deaf person in the Church. Terrific day. One more to go with a special Mass for the group in St. Peter s. More tmw night. Ciao --

I am sorry i have not gotten back to you. The last few days have been incredibly busy, and today I was busy all day getting ready for the audience with the Pope.  What has complicated the trip has been the weather. It have been over 100 everyday since Sunday. Even the people of Rome are stunned by the heat.

Please check out the other blog for additional experiences about the trip. The other blog is:

http://cudeafministry.typepad.com/

I promise a full report tomorrow and a catch up report on the last few days. Ciao (good bye in Italian)!

The group gathering in St. Mark's square

Side of St. Mark's Square

Example of architecture in Venice

Golden Staircase in Palace - gold leaf covers this ceiling!

Demonstration of glassblowing.

Front of St. Mark's Basilica

A group on the gondolas

The Bridge of Sighs

The altar we said Mass - the stone is from Syria, where St. Mark reached. He actually stood on this stone!

Special thanks to the following for allowing us to use their pictures on this blog: Champaign-Urbana Deaf Catholic Ministry http://cudeafministry.typepad.com/

JUNE 21: FABULOUS FLORENCE. It is difficult to describe adequately the city of Florence. We arrived on another brilliant day, blue sky without a cloud! One thing about our trip: we walk everywhere! Europe is NOT America, and in many places there are no elevators, escalators or air-conditioning!  However, everywehre there are little shops or outdoor stands selling bottled water, pop, etc.   We toured the Santa Croce(Holy Cross) Church. In that church are buried Michelangelo and Galileo!  Florence is also the city of the great Italian writer, Dante, who wrote the DIVINE COMEDY.  We toured a leather making factory where the work with gold and leather was incredible.  More walking through streets with buildings that are 500 years old and statues even older.  Stopped for lunch, then on to the Duomo(Cathedral), then finally Mass at another parish church. No airconditioning and the temp was above 90, but we were happy to be together and pray for you and all the pilgrims coming to Rome next week.
 FOOD: Italy is a terrific place to visit for many reasons, but one of the best is the food. A few things to share:
PIZZA: Italian pizza is very thin, more with tomato and less with cheese, always fresh ingredients.
WATER: water here is safe to drink, but no matter where you go you can buy cold, bottled water.
BREAKFAST: our hotels have offered us buffet breakfasts of cereal, eggs, ham, yogurt, fresh fruit,,,,and cheese and salami!
LUNCH: usually light and simple: a salad, individual pizza or sandwich, water or pop.
DINNER: bread, then always a pasta dish, then a main course, THEN salad, then a wonderful, sweet dessert.
GELATO: you see places in the USA advertise gelato. Nothing I have tasted in the USA coems close to what they have here. the taste of this "ice cream" is beyong anything youc an imagine.
  Interesting: two of the people on our trip have suffered from headaches for years. Since we arrived, their headaches have disappeared. One of the medical people on the trip told me that is because all the food we eat here is Fresh: no preservatives, no chemicals, all natural ingredients.
Last comment: the trip has been very good. We have seen so much, but everyday we begin with the entire group praying for our safety during the day. Everyday we offer Mass, and many people offer intentions for their family and friends at home.
 Tomorrow we are on the road a lot, and I am not sure I will be able to get to a computer before Monday, however, I will get the info back to you about our travles, especially on Sunday to Assisi, the home of St. fFancis.

We left Venice this morning on a beautiful, sunny day. Our drive of over 3 hours brought us to the city of Pisa and its famous leaning tower. We walked to the center of the old city and came to the magnificent cathedral, Baptistry, and, of course, the tower.  The weather was very hot by early afternoon.  We celebrated Mass in the very historic cathedral that has so many gorgeous works of art, a person could spend an entire day(or days) doing nothing but looking at the art. The Mass was interesting because it was at the old altar, not facing the people, so with a deaf group we certainly had to adapt. Fr. Tony Schuerger from Cleveland has been celebrating Mass with us.  Deacons Ralph Hinch(Chgo)  and David Sommers(Milwaukee) have been assisting.  It s funny to see the international tourists stopping to look at deaf people signing the readings and offering the prayers at the deaf Mass in these magnificent churches. This has been an education for many of the people on the trip, and many of the people throughout these cities in Italy who have encountered our group.
  We ended up tonight in a smaller city near Florence (Terme) known for its hot springs. our hotel is very nice, a bit old fashioned but comfortable. Tomorrow is all day in Florence, then on to Assisi on Sunday,a nd finally Rome. I remember you all everyday in my Masses and prayers.

JUNE 19: AMAZING VENICE. our day began with a half hour bus ride(the coaches are very comfortable) in bright sunshine-not a cloud in the sky. We reached Venice and at 10am it was already warm. There are no cars or busses in Venice-only boats. So we parked the bus and took a large(80) seat "water taxi" to the main island(there are 117 islands) of Venice. A special day began. We visited the palace of the DOGE(duke) of Venice: a building filled with magnificent artwork. These people lived in a splendid way. Yet, we also learned from the guide that these people often were very cruel and suspicious rulers who did not care about the rights of ordinary people.  Next door, we toured St. Marks Cathedral, a very large and beautiful church. From there, we went to a glass factory(all of this walking) to see how Venetian glass(world famous) is made.We walk everywhere, there are few elevators, so a lot - A LOT! of up and down stairs.

   Venice at this time of the year is filled, packed!!! with tourists, especially many teens and young adults. The "world" seems to fill St. Mark s Square with every nation of the world. By now the day was incredibly sunny and very warm.

  After a short lunch of pizza(thin, more tomato/less cheese than American pizza), we had time for ourselves. A number of people went on a gondola ride(expensive). I had to finish a promise. I had asked the Blessed Mother for help. In Venice, there is the Church of Madonna Della Salute(The Mother of Health).  To get there, I had to take a water bus(they have bus lines like any large city, but they are boats). I ahd promised her that in response to her help, I would offer a Rosary there. I went to the church that afternoon and offered a rosary in thanksgiving for her help, then jumped back on the water bus and made it back by 4pm.

  At 4:30pm, we all gathered in the ancient baptistry of St. Mark s and offered Mass. The altar was a very large stone. I asked the sacristan why. He said that the stone was from Syria. (St. Mark was supposedly a Syrian by birth.) The tradition said that Jesus had stood on this rock to preach. When I told the group, people were stunned. At the end of Mass, all of us touched the rock in a  very quiet, humble way.

  Afterwards, we walked though the very winding, crowded, exciting streets of Venice to have dinner at one of the thousands of little restaurants that fill the city. The meal, as every meal here, was delicious and very filling.  We then walked back to our water taxi, rode back through a great sunset over the waters, to oru bus, and back home. Today we travel to Pisa and end the day near Florence.
   Everyday, we pray for you, our loved ones and friends. Please continue to pray for us.