The day draws nigh

I'm sorry for the quiet past two days. Monday I simply didn't have anything to post and yesterday I made the - brief - drive to Chicago and back.

In a fortnight I will be on the great island of Oahu, where I will be for four days before leaving Honolulu for Sydney, Australia for the World Youth Day 2008. You can well imagine what I'm too these days!

I spent Monday packing my bags for the thirty-one day that I will embark upon (seven of those days will be on my own, one to prepare and six to recover and recuperate). I've upacked and repacked my bags today - and I'll do so a few more times over the next few days - and I'm very happy to say at that this point it looks as though I'll be able to fit everything I'll need in one bag to be checked and two bags to be carried onboard (one of which will be the "Mass kit"). I'm still trying to decide what to do about my vestments; I may very well put them in a light and handy travel bag from Barbiconi's in Rome and have one of the students carry them onboard.

Yesterday I took one of our recent high graduates for a quick trip to the House of Hansen in Chicago to have him fitted for a cassock. I placed an order for a surplice and a new winter cloak (this one will go all the to my ankles). This young man will be entering the college seminary in the Fall (more on that come August).

Now I'm off to the rectory again to doublecheck supplies and to prepare the Mass kit. I'll blog more later today. It's a good thing things slow down in the summer!