Back to Mundelein 2011

Hi again,

So I am back here at Mundelein getting ready for the second year of pre-theology.  Our silent retreat starts tomorrow night and runs until Friday so I thought I’d write quickly before then.  I am then occupied the next day, so if you are going to contact me wait until next week Sunday.

Since I wrote last I have had a few things go on while I have been getting ready for the new school year.  One of these is a fundraiser that the seminarians help out with.  The money raised helps the vocation program for the Diocese of La Crosse.  This year it was a bit different than the way it had been in the past, but I liked this a bit better. 

We converted the large dining room at the diocesan center to look somewhat like a place that you would see in Rome.  The event was titled “A Night in Rome with Bishop Callahan”.  We borrowed a lot of props from the local Catholic University’s theater department and I would say that it looked wonderful.  In the past there had been a nice served meal, this year it was kind of buffet style of Italian dishes.  Part way through the night the vocation director and the bishop talked for a few minutes and then it went back to just a socializing evening with seminarians and the bishop mingling and talking to people.  It was nice.  I left shortly after the talks so I had gone down early to set up.  I was leaving to go to a friend’s birthday parting across the state. 

I had thought that the friend’s birthday party was Friday night when I set up to leave early, I found out shortly before the event that it was Saturday, but I still left early to drive part way across the state so that I could get to my friend’s early.  The friend whose birthday it was is one of my dearest friends.  She has moved to the west coast for work and we don’t get to see each other much.  I was so happy to go to this party, see her and some other friends.  We had a bonfire and camped out in the back yard before going to church together the next morning. 

After Mass I headed to see another friend who lived near that area before driving back to Stevens Point for a few days.  Again this time in Stevens Point was nice and relaxing.  I did some chores around the parish, and went out to dinner with a few parishioners before getting ready to head back to Mundelein.  I got in here on Thursday afternoon and got to work setting up my room.  I built a loft for my bed to give me more room, this was a big project but it makes my room very livable, I like it a lot.  It has been great spending time with friends and catching up after the summer before the retreat begins.

You will all be in my prayers during this silent retreat.

Peace,
Adam