An evening in Springfield

I am fortunate enough to have been able to spend this evening Springfield with some good friends whom I have not seen in some time (Brian particular wants me to mention him in this post).

I am in Springfield on my way to Quincy in the morning for a planning meeting for an upcoming Teens Encounter Christ retreat. I will be the spiritual director of a TEC retreat July 18-20. Please keep this retreat and its participants in your prayers.

A priest-friend and I went to the roof of the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception to watch the fireworks launched (this word came from Brian, who teaches English and is commenting as I type this post) from the Capitol lawn.

It was a foggy evening, which made for good fireworks viewing and this shot of the capitol dome:

Were today not Independence Day, one might have thought the Capitol was beseiged.

I will sleep in tomorrow morning - a most welcome thought - and leave for my meeting. I will celebrate a quiet Mass upon my return to Effingham tomorrow night.