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Feliz Pascua!

April 19th, 2009 Meg Masciola Comments off

Feliz Pascua de Resurrección a todos! Lent has never seemed to pass so quickly but I am happy to now be in the Easter season. Most international students traveled during Holy Week, or Semana Santa, here in Buenos Aires but I decided to stay around the city. Palm Sunday (domingo de ramos) I went to the 8pm youth mass as usual, but I was really confused not to find any palms! Instead everyone had little branches (I really should have asked what kind of plant it was, but I am sure some of you can probably tell me). The church wasn’t giving them out; you had to buy them on the street first, so I didn’t end up getting any. Mass is usually crowded but it was even more crowded that night. After some people from the parish put on a dramatization of Jesus’s life on the church steps, complete with professional lighting, music, costumes…and twelve apostles that did a conga line throughout the crowd not once, but twice, during the performance! I wish I had brought my camera!

 

I am studying at the Catholic University here, and Argentina is constitutionally a Catholic country (the president is required to be Catholic, at least in name) so we had Holy Thursday and Good Friday off from school. On Thursday I attempted to get some studying done but Friday I went to Lujan, a city about two hours outside Buenos Aires by bus. The patron saint of Argentina is the Virgin of Lujan so pretty much the main attraction is the “Basilica Nacional Nuestra Senora de Lujan.” The Basilica is HUGE and beautiful. Beneath it you can visit each of the different Virgin’s from different countries. I traveled with another American and we just wandered around the little town, people watched etc. We shared a little lunch (have to be honest, I know it was Good Friday) and thought it was a little strange how many parillas were open (parilla is a grill, so if you go to a restaurant that says parilla, you are getting a lot of meat). We also went to confession in Spanish! It was a very interesting experience. I told the priest that I spoke English straight off. I had trouble trying to explain everything to him with my Spanish but when I asked him if he could understand me he said it didn’t matter what language I spoke or how well I spoke it because I was talking to God. My friend and I compared notes afterwards because she went to a different priest and she told me that she confessed in English but the priest definitely did not understand a word. She also shared with me her penance and I realized that I had no idea what my penance was! He must have said it and I didn’t understand! Everyday I am reminded how much humility it takes to learn a different language, sometimes I think I understood every word and really I missed the main message.

 

Holy Saturday I decided to go to the Easter Vigil because I had never been to one before. I went alone, which was a bit sad because I prefer to go to mass with others. The mass was very nice and extremely crowded. After mass I realized how much I missed being home for Easter! I have never been away from my family on a holiday, honestly not in my twenty-one years, but I was trying to remember that a. Easter is a time to share with others, no matter who those others are and b. it’s about Christ, and He will rise on the third day no matter where I am, who I am with, what I eat for dinner. And with God, no one is ever alone, so this weekend was a big challenge in faith for me.

That being said, I had a wonderful Easter. My host mother bought me a chocolate egg Sunday morning and then we drove out to visit her friends in her hometown (about an hour outside the city.) Everyone was so nice and friendly and we spoke in Spanish and English so everyone could practice. We had an asado, which is a big Argentine cook-out with lots and lots of meat. And we passed the day sitting in yard enjoying the sun etc. If I couldn’t be with my family I am glad my host mother is generous enough to share hers with me. We also visited some other friends later on for dessert and then went home later, exhausted and content.

 

Other important news… I was planning on being part of a mission my university runs every May. I was incredibly excited about it. The way it works is everyone takes off a week from school to go to the Salta region of Argentina, close to the Andes. There we would split up into small groups and spend the week in small villages, just sharing faith with the people there, providing some catechism for the children and playing some futbol. Last night we had the third of four formative meetings for the mission. I had all my pesos to pay for the trip I left class early to make it on time and when I got to the meeting I found out the trip was canceled. They are thinking of holding it in September… The reason for the change of plans is that right now Buenos Aires and some parts of Argentina are experiencing a lot of cases of dengue, a disease spread by mosquitoes. There is no way to prevent dengue, other than not getting bit by a mosquito, and while not all cases are deadly, some of them are. So the university and the mission leaders decided it would be safer not to risk exposure.

 

Everyone is really disappointed, it is hard to let go of something once you grow attached, especially something like this. However, I am trying to look at it from a perspective of faith. While I did spend a lot of time praying about my decision to “misionar” with UCA and praying that I was forming part of the mission for the right reasons (God) I was very disappointed by the things that I would lose by not going. I was looking forward to spending a week not only challenging myself to share my faith with complete strangers but also to spend a week sharing it with the international and argentine students on the mission. But if I thought I was following God by going on the mission, then I must also continue to follow Him even if I will not have the opportunity to “misionar” in May, otherwise I wasn’t following Him to begin with.

 

There are just two more things I would like to share with you all and then I am done with this entry I promise! The first is a video on youtube, a cliffnotes version of a movie called Most:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vvhbL7zyYKQ

 

Also, recently I have had the opportunity to hear to chats from one of the priests at UCA, and both times he has offered us an excellent message about adoration. His point was that adoration is an encounter between two. While Jesus is exposed to you, you are also exposed to Him. Many of you probably already know/think about this but it’s always good to reflect. So take advantage of Wednesday night adoration at the Newman Center or wherever you find yourself right now and when you find yourself in front of Christ, just let yourself be exposed to Him, reflected in Him. Truly it’s a beautiful thing, adoration.

 

Saludos en Jesus y Maria! (greetings in Jesus and Mary, I love when people write that!)

 

-Meg

 

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Cuaresma en Buenos Aires

March 24th, 2009 Meg Masciola No comments

Hola! My name is Meg Masciola and I am currently studying abroad in Buenos Aires, Argentina. I have been here for a month and classes just started for me at the Catholic University of Argentina. I am living in an apartment with a single senora who is super nice. I am very happy with my living situation so far.

Being Catholic in a Catholic country, should be a piece of cake, no? And yet it still hasn’t been too that easy for me to adjust. I think it’s mostly because I am still getting to know this city and because I am the only practicing Catholic on the GW trip. As Julie wrote in one of her posts, please take advantage of the Newman Center while you can! It’s such a blessing. Here in Buenos Aires I have had to figure out everything on my own, such as finding Sunday masses, how to observe Lent while adjusting to a different environment and finding an Argentine “Newman Center.”

My fifth day in Buenos Aires was a Sunday and going to mass was my first solo excursion out into the city. Although there are churches everywhere, I didn’t know exactly how to get anywhere, so I had to ask a member of my host mother’s family. She told me of a church three blocks from the apartment, Nuestra Senora de Guadalupe. There are other churches that I would like to visit but so far I have been going to this one every week because they have a youth mass at 8pm on Sundays. I like the mass because a lot of young people participate the church is usually full. They also have some song sheets and an occasional bulletin, which are really helpful so that I feel like I can participate in the mass and know what is going on within the parish. I say the song sheets help me feel like I am participating because it has been very difficult to fully penetrate the language barrier during mass so far. I am trying to learn all the prayers in Spanish but it is taking some time. It is also hard to understand the readings when lectors have thick accents and use microphones that eco a lot in the big churches. I am still saying the prayers that I haven’t learned such as the Nicene Creed quietly to myself in English, but others I say in my head so that I can listen to the people around me. I have also started going to daily mass at school because there is a chapel in every building and they are small enough that I can hear everyone more clearly.

Sometimes the language barrier during mass and the other little differences in how the parish celebrates the mass frustrate me. I have walked out having not understood anything that was said in the homily and without having been able to sing even one song. What I mean by the way the mass is celebrated is what the people around me are doing (I don’t know how exactly to say that) but for example, going up to receive communion is pretty much a free for all. Instead of filing out of the pews in an organized way, everyone gets in line at random. Also sometimes half the church will think it’s time to sit while the other half still thinks everyone should be standing.

Ash Wednesday was full of this sort of confusion for me. I had been in Buenos Aires for exactly a week at that point and I was definitely surprised how fast Lent seemed to come this year. It was one of the days when I missed the Newman community the most. I am sure that I am not the only Catholic international student here but even though I spent most of the day at orientation at the Catholic University and then the rest of the day out in the city, I didn’t see anyone with ashes. I began to wonder if maybe Argentina distributes ashes because after all it’s not required to get them. The only ashes I saw were on the people that were at mass that night. The day was very difficult for me. It is summertime here so fasting was difficult because it was hot and I had to be out and about all day meeting people and learning new information at orientation. I ended up eating meat that Wednesday and that first Friday of Lent (or Cuaresma, in Spanish). One girl offered me some of her sandwich at lunch (although there were a lot of people not eating, so I don’t think I was conspicuous) but even though I declined the offer, she cut off a little piece to share with me. I didn’t know what else to do so I just took it. Then on Friday I ordered the vegetarian lunch at an orientation event, which turned out to be pasta with meat sauce. I didn’t realize this until I tried it. This stressed me out because I still hadn’t been about to find something meaningful to do for Lent and I found myself not even following the simple act of abstaining on these days. Fortunately, even though I was struggling quite a bit that first week, I was able to and still can reach friends online who have been very helpful as I try to figure out how best to live my faith during this Lenten season. I appreciate the support and challenge that I get from my fellow Catholic friends even at a distance.

The distance between me and my Catholic community may soon grow smaller, however, as I found the Catholic student group at school. One day I saw a flyer on a bulletin board at school advertising a mission trip held by UCA Pastoral in May. I decided to look up the website to find out what exactly was “UCA Pastoral.” The website offered a contact for more information so I emailed asking if there was some sort of Catholic student center or group that I could join. I received a few enthusiastic responses and on Thursday I met UCA’s version of the “Newman Center”: a group of about fifteen students (don’t hold onto this number) who meet every Thursday at 13hrs for lunch and a chat and then some time with Jesus through adoration. It seems like they have a good amount of programming as well, such as adoration and mass everyday in the university chapels, a mission trip and retreats. I would like to explain more, however, I really don’t know anything about the group yet. I am just happy to have found something and I am very hopeful! Now I just have to find something to do for Easter and I will be set (this is a big worry right now, as I have never been away from home for a major holiday).

Que la Paz de Cristo sea con ustedes

-Meg

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Brussels, Paris, and Carême (Lent)

March 2nd, 2009 Marissa Moran No comments

Well hello Lent.  How did you sneak up on me?  Fortunately, I was able to get to Mass on Ash Wednesday to get the all-important mark of faith, even though it was a day of travel from Brussels to Paris.  Last week we had a program excursion to these two cities, which were both wonderful in their own right.  In the train station in Paris, I saw one man with his ashes and it took me a minute to realize what they were – he didn’t have an oil smear on his forehead (uh oh… don’t tell me I’m becoming too secular…).

 

There are two other Catholic girls in the program but also two Protestant girls that like to attend Catholic Mass.  So my friend Katie, who was raised Lutheran but has since fallen away from it, went to St. Francois-Xavier in Paris with me the night that we arrived.  There was a 7:30 p.m. Mass and it was packed – with young people!  Shocking, I know.  French Christianity is supposed to be declining, especially among the youth, but this Mass seemed to say otherwise.  It was really beautiful – a huge church filled to capacity.

 

The ashes felt different than those in the U.S…. sorry for how morbid this is, but it felt more like body ashes (ie cremation) than the wet, dark ash we get at home.  Not that I have ever touched body ashes, but they look like sand and this is how these ashes felt on my forehead.  Maybe they use a different type of incinerator?

 

The next day I visited Notre Dame Cathedral and said a rosary in front of a side shrine.  A daily rosary is my Lenten offering, though I know it’s something I should do every day anyway.  But my prayer life is unfortunately lagging here, so I figured this would be good for my morning commute to school – the right way to start the day.

 

Sunday morning I went back to St. Francois-Xavier for Mass with a different Protestant friend who was amazed that the readings were the same all around the world (I let her look at my English Word Among Us that I had my mom send me from home).  I probably should have explained here that Catholic translates to Universal, but I’m sure that more teaching opportunities will arise.  Who knows, maybe we’ll get a convert or two out of this trip. (wink wink; proud of me, Alecia?)

 

Oh, our hotel in Paris was right next to a convent but I didn’t go visit or anything.  It appeared to be cloistered – the only way I knew it was a convent was because a sister took the mail from the mailman at the door one morning.

 

That Sunday Mass was a family Mass and it was also very crowded.  I think St. Francois-Xavier is real communal parish because it’s in a high-end, residential part of Paris (opposite from St. Stephen which has about 7 families.)  I saw some of the most adorable kids ever.  They had about 12 altar boys between the ages of 8 and 13, and they looked like little angels until they walked down the aisle during the recession hymn and I saw one kick the other.  I giggled profusely.

 

I wish there was more opportunity for me attend daily Mass here but not only is my schedule difficult to adjust for that, there are few churches that open their doors every day.  It’s sad, and I know I’ve mentioned the declining faith in Europe already, but I think it’s more apparent in Geneva than in Paris.  St. Francois-Xavier has several Masses every day.

 

My mom is coming to visit this Thursday for my birthday, which is on Saturday.  The big 2-1.  I must say, 20 has treated me incredibly well… I’ve seen the world, experienced tumultuous personal relationships, and learned more than some people do in a lifetime.  And my faith has strengthened 400 percent to the point where my personal motto is:

 

No storm can shake my inner calm when to this rock I’m clinging.

I pray that you all experience a blessed, fruitful Lent.

~Marissa

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Happy Lent!

February 28th, 2009 Julie DeMareo No comments

Being a practicing Catholic in Spain is turning out to be much more of a challenge than I ever thought it would be!

The past few weekends I’ve had a lot of trips with my program, which has been great because I gotten to see a lot of other Spanish cities outside of Madrid.  Last weekend we were in Barcelona and before that we traveled to El Escorial, Toledo, Cordoba, Segovia, and Barcelona.  I also took a trip with friends to Salamanca and on the train ride back we stopped off at Avila (as in St. Teresa of Avila) but unfortunately because it was a Sunday all of the museums about her are closed.  It’s only a hour and a half train ride so I may return later in the spring.

With the majority of my weekends being used for traveling, it can be surprisingly hard to find a Sunday mass.  None of the concierges working at the hotels have been able to give me mass times and so usually I just locate the closest few on the map and walk to them to read the mass times posted inside.  All of the cathedrals usually have a 11 am or noon mass but I always need an early morning or evening mass because our afternoons are taken up by tours and scheduled activities.  So far I’ve been pretty lucky in finding masses but it’s a little stressful every week because I don’t know where I’m going to go.

The mass I went to a few weeks ago when I was in Salamanca was interesting.  As I’ve found with almost all the parishes in Spain, there were mostly elderly people in the pews and no altar servers or music.  The priests here never lead an opening procession but instead leave the sacristy, go right up on the altar, and then walk right back into the sacristy after mass is over.  I’ve yet to find a bulletin or some kind of bulletin board with parish announcements.  Surprisingly, mass has become less enjoyable for me to attend because I can never understand the homily and the only form of music is the congregation singing songs by heart a cappella without song sheets for me to follow along with.  Thankfully at the parish in Salamanca they gave a handout with the readings typed up so I could understand them a little better by reading along.  After mass the priest announced to the parish that their diocese was starting a new program in which a few parishes would cluster together and be served by one rotating priest because all of the priests in the area are so elderly.  I thought this was interesting because my diocese at home in New Jersey is undergoing the largest consolidation process in the history of the church in the US, and after seeing multiple churches per street here in Spain and knowing their place of power in Spanish history it was interesting to learn even they are having their own problems.  I don’t know if all the Spaniards are satisfied with their parishes but I think they could learn a lot from American churches in terms of youth programs, etc. because there are rarely young people in the pews.  I know the US is having it’s own crisis in building a new generation of practicing Catholics but I think Spain is having a tougher time here.

In every Spanish city, the must-see sites always include a cathedral and religious-inspired work of art so I’ve definitely had a big leg up in understanding and appreciating the things I’m seeing.  Some things we see here, especially the architecture and art, are literally impossible to understand without at least a basic knowledge of Christianity.  In my study abroad program there are a large majority of Jewish students.  All are Reform and one is Conservative but none of them go to synagogues or keep kosher and from the way they’ve talked about their faith it sounds like they’re only practicing in the sense that they celebrate the high holidays.  One girl is Muslim but she is not practicing.  Besides one practicing Methodist (which is difficult here since I’ve yet to see any churches for other Christian denominations), everyone is either a non-practicing Catholic or does not belong to any religion.  It’s a little weird being the one person who is going to religious services every week, for example waking up earlier than everyone on Sundays to go to mass.  I was hoping to find someone to go with since at the beginning two of the girls who are non-practicing told their Senoras they’d be interested in going with them to mass but they haven’t really been into it.  So far I’ve been going it alone but I hope to invite them with me the next time we’re all together in Madrid or on a trip.

I’ve had some great experiences with the people in my program, such as being able to explain confession, things in the cathedrals and how they’ve used, and Catholic practices to people who aren’t Christian but want to learn more to be able to understand Spain better.  Unfortunately, I’ve also had some not-so-pleasant experiences with people in my group who frankly can sometimes be pretty offensive and close-minded.  Since Catholicism is such a part of Spain’s history, it comes up all the time in our tours and its role has not always been pretty such as when the Catholic Monarchs expelled all of the Jews and Muslims from Spain to unite its people under Catholicism.  Instead of trying to understand the political context of something like this and how the Catholic church is a human institution capable of mistakes, it’s easier for people to just write all Catholics in history off as ignorant and discriminatory.  I understand that some of the church’s doctrines, lives of saints, and current practices people are hearing for the first time probably seem ridiculous without a lengthy explanation and some faith, but quite a few times I’ve heard people make offensive comments and jokes.  I don’t understand this because I would NEVER make fun of someone else’s religion especially while standing in their sacred house of worship, because obviously those beliefs while not mine are important to someone and in general are encouraging their followers to be good people.  I’ve talked about this to Meg Masciola who just arrived in Buenos Aires to study abroad and she has encountered similar challenges.  So far it’s been hard for us to know how to respond because we want to be living examples of Christ’s love and therefore don’t want to retort back or scold anyone, and at the same time there never seems to be an appropriate opportunity to let someone know what they said was offensive.  Hopefully this will improve.

Yesterday was Ash Wednesday and as usual I had trouble finding a mass because I had class and a play to go to with my program during the three daily mass times at my nearby parish.  I got lucky by finding a 7 pm mass an hour before the play started and only a block away from the theater.  I was going crazy all day because I couldn’t figure out why absolutely no one I saw in the city all day long had ashes on their foreheads.  I finally figured it out at mass- they sprinkle them on top of your head!  Unfortunately again I couldn’t understand the homily and so I was really missing mass in English and the Newman Center community.  One idea I’ve had lately to off-set my worries that I’m not taking away any new insights from mass because of the language barrier is to listen to the weekly homilies recorded online in my free time posted on the website of Holy Trinity parish in Georgetown.  My Senora also gave me one of her old Magnificat monthly issues in Spanish which has the order of the mass inside and so now I can bring that along to read the prayers until I have them memorized.

Preparing for Lent has also been difficult because I don’t know how to spiritually challenge myself here with so many things being different.  I was thinking about going to daily mass more often like I did last year and although that would be a sacrifice I don’t think I would spiritually grow other than receiving the Eucharist because I can’t understand anything.  I also can’t really sacrifice anything food-related because it would be very rude to refuse something my Senora made me or to ask her to prepare meals differently when she already works full-time and makes me two home-cooked meals a day.  After visiting Avila I realized I didn’t know very much about St. Teresa and so I think I want to start doing some spiritual reading every day because I could easily bring a book anywhere and it would be something unique to do for my Lent here in Spain.  So yesterday I set off for the nearest Casa del Libro (which is like a Spanish chain of Barnes & Noble) but unfortunately their limited English section only had classics and best-sellers.  I also stopped by the Corte Ingles (the big department store chain all over Spain) but it also didn’t have anything I was looking for.  Although it may take a while I might have to buy a book online, ship it to my house, and then have my parents ship it to me.  In the meantime I guess I’ll just need to keep looking.  I also by chance found a website of an English-speaking parish (the biggest surprise was that a Spanish parish had a website, period!) and it looks to be within walking distance so maybe I can get involved somehow there.  I’m planning on going to their one Sunday mass this weekend.

As Marissa, Meg, and I have all discussed among each other, we are really all missing the Newman Center community as a source of strength in continuing to develop our faith lives.  I have to agree with Marissa when she said her prayer life just isn’t the same here.  Thanks to the Skype I’ve been able to continue my weekly rosary with Meg and Ingrid but obviously it’s not the same.  I really encourage everyone at the Newman Center to take advantage of all the great activities such as CDA, KoC, daily mass, community service, retreats, social events and all the other great programs that build community while challenging your faith.  Don’t take them for granted because they won’t always be there for you and the time to learn and try new things is now.  I know it’s definitely not the same here!

If you’re interested in seeing some of the pictures of the churches I’ve seen or reading about my trip in more detail, feel free to visit my personal blog at http://www.travelblog.org/Bloggers/Julie-Marie/.

Besos,

Julie

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Weekend in Zurich

February 10th, 2009 Marissa Moran No comments

I can officially say that I have been to Mass in 5 different languages (English included). This weekend I visited Zurich, where I fell in love with the historic cobblestone streets lined with chic boutiques. It’s a classy city with so much character. I found an old, large church called Augustine kirch (I think kirch = church? Conrad, help?) It was a little sad though – it was the only Sunday Mass and there had to be a mere 30 people there. I probably stuck out like a sore thumb in my bright maroon raincoat, floppy winter hat, and guidebook.

The Mass was in German and very different from other Masses I’ve been to here. I forgot to mention that last week I went to the youth Mass at 10:30 a.m. (an interesting time to have a youth Mass) in my village with my family. It was the closest to the English Masses I am used to. Anyway, this German Mass had only ONE reading in addition to the Gospel, and everyone went up to kneel in front of the altar to receive Communion. I was the very last person to receive (I hung back to watch what everyone else did) but I have to admit – there was a deeper reverence for the Eucharist at that point. The priest, when he distributed it to each person, looked them in the eye and really made them realize this is The Body of Christ. It was beautiful. But other than that, I didn’t feel a sense of community or faith in that church, sadly.

The organ was grandiose and appropriate for a church that size, but the congregation was too meek to sing along. I was expecting the Bishop to celebrate the Mass because the sign outside said something about a bishop, but maybe that means something else in German? I’m glad I went to Mass in Zurich, though – the group of students I was with was surprised that I woke up early on Sunday morning just for church. I don’t think any of them are Catholic (at least none are practicing) and they find it impressive that I make an effort to go to Mass every Sunday. That always boggles my mind – one of the simplest things asked of us by the Catholic Church (and by God) is that we attend Mass weekly. It’s so simple, yet people think it’s an impossible investment.

I do feel an unfortunate lack of spirituality in my life here. Religion is not part of daily activities (I haven’t found any daily Masses yet) and my Catholic family doesn’t even say grace at meals. It’s apparent from my experience so far that Catholicism is losing its prestige in Europe. That means we have to make it even stronger in America! C’mon guys, live it.

I just booked my flight to Rome for Easter!! I’m going with Matt and Julie – cannot wait to see the Vatican and celebrate my favorite holiday with them. I’ve been to the Vatican before but I think we’re going to look into some sweet VIP passes for Holy Week. We’ll keep you posted!

Bisous,

Marissa

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Mon Dieu

January 27th, 2009 Marissa Moran No comments

Salut!  Forgive me if I butcher some basic English grammar – I’ve been speaking in French for 2 days straight and my brain is having trouble going back to my native tongue.

 

Hands down, Switzerland is amazing. My host family is wonderful.  Tereza and Francois Buensod have 3 kids (6, 12, and 15) and they happen to be Catholic!  I was hoping we would all go to Mass together on Sunday but I ended up going by myself in the evening because we went sledding in the Swiss Alps for most of the day.  It was an incredible experience – here are some photos for you all to drool over.  Yeah, I was right there in the middle of that gorgeousness.  (more on this adventure on my personal blog: marissafondue.blogspot.com)

 

So going to Mass was my first independent experience I’ve had since I’ve been here.  The Buensods live in a beautiful, huge, old farmhouse in the country outside of Geneva which is a 5 min walk from the nearest train station.  So Francois (my host dad) drew me a handy little map on how to get from the house to the church, St Rita.  I took a deep breath and walked out the door by myself.  It ended up being a super easy trip.  Four stops on the train (no one even checked my ticket… I could basically ride for free) and the church was down the street from the station.

 

St. Rita is a tiny church where one priest serves several other parishes in the area.  I’m not sure yet if they have dioceses like we do (probably yes) but it’s apparent that there aren’t many Catholics around Geneva because they only have 4 Masses each Sunday spread over 4 churches.  And daily Mass only on Wednesday and Friday.

 

For having spoken so much French already, I wasn’t really able to follow the Mass, but of course, I knew what was going on.  I thought it was interesting that the hymns and prayers were set to music that I know from other songs.  For example, the Holy Holy was sung to the tune of Amazing Grace (and it was called Gloire a Toi, qui etais mort = Glory to You, who was dead).

 

Communion was the biggest difference.  The priest and a Eucharistic Minister distributed the Eucharist but the chalice was left on the altar and we had to go behind the altar and drink from it ourselves (and then wipe the chalice).  Lots of people were dipping the host into the cup (tincture… not allowed anymore, technically!)

 

Before I arrived in Geneva on Saturday, my group stayed at a hostel in Annecy, France.  It just so happened that Saturday was the Feast of Francis de Salles, who was the Bishop of Geneva and was buried in Annecy.  Crazy, huh?  Dieu est partout.  I do remember seeing his statue in Annecy but thanks to the breviary, I know why it’s there.

 

This is long enough.  Unfortunately, I do not have wireless at my house so it’s hard to update often but I’ll be sure to share the important things!  I miss you all and hope everyone is happy and well.

 

Baisers,

Marissa

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Greetings from Spain

January 25th, 2009 Julie DeMareo No comments

Hi everyone! My name is Julie and I am a junior studying abroad in Madrid, Spain. I thought opening our Newman Center blog to GW Catholic students studying abroad would be a great way to keep in touch with them while also learning more about how other Catholics live in other countries! I am keeping a separate blog for my family and friends to read up on all of my travels in detail, so if you are new to the Newman Center and are interested just let me know. I have been in Madrid for about a week and a half. When I first got here, I went to orientation for a few days in a hotel before I met my home stay mom, Patricia, who is also a practicing Catholic. Patricia lives alone in a small apartment in a nice part of the city 2 blocks from the metro. She is 46 and works for an insurance company in HR but has been considering a career change to becoming a teacher. She has 8 siblings and her aunt, who is also housing a girl from GW and lives nearby, has 11 siblings! Patricia speaks English almost fluently which is helpful when I have difficulty saying things or when she repeats something multiple times and I still don’t understand. My study abroad program is through GW and so all 20 students are from our university. Some have chosen to take classes directly with Spanish students at the Spanish university we go to, but the rest of us are taking separate classes taught by GW professors at the university designed specifically for the program. Right now I am one week into our three week language and culture intensive course but in February I will start my real classes: flamenco dancing, European history since the 20th century, more Spanish, and an art history course at the Prado and Reina Sofia (the two famous art museums in Madrid). Since I’ve gotten here, our group has taken a day trip outside the city to El Escorial and Toledo in addition to exploring the city itself.

Catholicism is completely intertwined with Spanish history and culture. For example, we have off from class at the university tomorrow because it is the celebration of the patron saint of students in Spain. Who knew? The academic calendar at the university shows there are other days off for religious days even though the university is public. Patricia explained that there are about 12 national holidays during the year, and most but not all are religiously based (for example, people get off of work for the Assumption, the Immaculate Conception, Feast of St. James/Santiago who is the Patron Saint of Spain). When we went on a field trip to visit the famous works of art in the Prado, at least 3/4ths of the works I saw were inspired by Catholicism. Our director was explaining the significance and symbolism in the paintings and it’s so much easier for me to understand everything- I’m starting to feel bad for the Muslim and Jewish students in my program because they are so confused! There are churches everything in the city, ranging from small ones that look more like apartment buildings to beautiful cathedrals. Patricia and I had a discussion about Catholicism in Spain and she said like the United States, less and less people are practicing which I found interesting.

Last weekend I went to my first mass in Spain on Saturday evening at a church a few blocks away from the hotel I was in for orientation. I got directions from the concierge and it was only 4 blocks away. Almost everyone in the parish was over 50. The church didn’t look like a church at all (it was brown and nondescript) and so I walked right by it at first. I was a little disappointed that there was no music because I was excited to hear what songs they would sing. I found great comfort in being at mass so far away from home, but at the same time it is very isolating because I don’t know the responses in Spanish and have a lot of difficulty understanding the readings and homily. My new goal is to memorize the Creed and Our Father and to read the readings before mass. Communion was a little bizarre because instead of going row by row orderly, people just wandered down all at the same time.

Today when I visited the city of Toledo I visited the famous cathedral there, Santa Iglesia Catedral Primada. It was absolutely breathtaking! I also toured a lot of other smaller churches, one of which contained El Greco’s most famous painting “The Burial of the Count of Orgaz” which was beautiful. Tonight I was going to go to mass at the little church Patricia goes to only four blocks away from our house, but since I was running late I popped into Madrid’s cathedral, Almudena, for mass. It is right next to the royal palace. They had a great organ and choir and the high ceilings make everything sound very ethereal. I would like to go back during the daytime to see the stained glass at its best but I think I prefer a more intimate setting for mass since many tourists visit. Again, during communion people randomly wandered up. I didn’t go up because no one in my section moved, thinking that the Eucharistic Ministers would move over to ours afterwards since the cathedral is big. That didn’t happen and I was pretty confused because many people never even went up at all. I asked Patricia about it at dinner and she explained that people who need to go to confession, are in mortal sin, ate before mas, etc. can’t receive and I told her I knew that, but almost everyone in the US at mass receives the Eucharist despite following the same guidelines. I can’t figure out if the Spaniards take Catholicism more or less seriously? Patricia and I also had an interesting conversation about Judaism in Spain because many Jews emigrated here during WWII when Franco admitted those fleeing from Hitler. Patricia said many Spanish Catholics have Jewish roots because it was necessary for them to learn the language to work and live in the country, which is so intertwined with Spain’s Catholicism.

I’ve definitely seen more churches in one week here in Spain than I have in my entire life! It is exciting to be studying in a country where religion has been such a large part of the culture for so long.

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Je Suis Arrivee

January 25th, 2009 aussak No comments

I arrived in Marseille yesterday morning, a little tired, and very nervous.  Since then it has been relatively smooth sailing.  My host family is very cool and my French is getting me by.  I don’t understand everything that’s said, particularly when spoken fast, but I can understand enough and convey enough to have a decent conversation and to contribute to the dinner table discussion.  My host mom’s name is Leila.  She is a second generation immigrant from Egypt with an Algerian background.  She is a non-practicing Muslim.  My host father is also a second generation Arab immigrant from Palestine.  He is Greek-Orthodix, but from what I understand, he only practices when his mother is around.  I also have a host-brother and -sister.  The brother is my age and my sister is 13.  She really likes Narnia, Twilight, and Harry Potter, but she also watches One Tree Hill and Grey’s Anatomy- in French of course.  I think this is the perfect family for me to live with while I am studying here.  I will be taking classes on Middle East politics, history, Islam, and Muslim immigration.  I hope to write my thesis on the socio-economic status of Muslim Immigrants to France when I return to GW and this homestay will provide me with ample first-hand research. 

This morning (Sunday the 25th) I attended my first French Mass.  The Cathedral (I think it is St. Michael’s) is just 4 blocks from our flat and they have a 10:30 Sunday Mass.  The Cathedral is old, probably built in the 1700’s.  It is the type you often see in WWII era movies- grand columns, high ceilings, but bare, smooth, walls and interior, constructed entirely in a grayish cement material.  The church seemed far too big for the small congregation, which was also very old.  Not a single person at Mass was younger than I was, and there were maybe 10 people under the age of 60.  Maybe.  Despite this being the only Mass on Sunday and the age of the parishonners, the service itself was very casual.  The priest stopped and chatted with a fw people during the opening procession and the choir director is a young Black woman who danced around a bit and clapped her hands to keep the congregation on beat.  There was also a tambarine, but I couldn’t quite determine who was playing it nor where they were sitting.  The church is sparsely decorated with extremely basic shrines lining the alcoves around the walls of the cathedral.  I didn’t understand much of the homily but was able to follow the Mass with help from my English Sunday Missal that I brought along from home. 

In it, was the translation of the opening prayer used this morning that I thought related to the feelings I have being stranded in a new culture and language that perhaps others studying abroad can relate to:

Let us pray: Pleading that our vision may overcome our weakness, Almighty Father, the love you offer always exceeds the furthest expression of our human longing, for you are greater than the human heart.  Direct each thought, each effort of our life… to the peace you have promised. 

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A Land Called India…

January 12th, 2009 aussak No comments

Hello everyone, this is Amanda Ussak.  I’m a junior and will be studying abroad in Marseille, France this Spring.  Before I get to that though, I had the opportunity to travel to India with my mom over Winter Break.  There are truly few words that would give anyone a better understanding of this country than they have now without visiting it.  A few that came to mind at first were: chaotic, dirty, and crowded.  This description may sound negative, but the experience certainly was not.  One of the most unique aspects of the culture in India I found was the functionality of every part of life, from buildings and roadways to marriages, restaurants, and places of worship.  It was difficult to tell if a building was in the process of being constructed or destructed, roads were generally paved, but always bumpy.  Temples were often found in the form of roadside huts or built into mountains.  Almost all mrriages are arranged rather than love marriages, and restaurants often appeared dirtier than most students’ dorm rooms.  Nothing is done for asthetic purposes or for oneself.  This was reflected in the extreme hospitality of the Indian people.  Everywhere you went you were offered Masala Chai (a form of spiced tea) and usually some biscuits. 

As far as religion goes, India is home to the world’s second largest Muslim population (just after Indonesia) yet they are a minority.  The majority of Indians are Hindu, with only 5-7% of the population practicing Christianity.  Nonetheless, we visited a Christian school (Syrian Orthodix) where the students hosted a seminar about the different regions and cultures of the country.  It was fascinating to see the mix of Christian and Hindu students in the school and the interest and acceptence each had in the others’ faith.  India is one of sadly few countries that can claim an extremely high level of religious tolerence across the board.  In fact, it is one of the most cherished fames of the city of Jaipur, where it is likely that each native you speak to will tell you of their open acceptance.  And if you feel a little lost in the sea of so many who seem so different, anywhere you travel in India, Mahatma Gandhi will always remind you:

“It is faith that steers us through stormy seas, faith that moves mountains and jumps across the ocean.  That faith is nothing but a living, wide-awake conciousness of God within.” -Gandhi’s House, Mumbai, India

 

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Swiss Cheese

January 10th, 2009 Marissa Moran No comments

Bonjour mes amis!  In roughly one week I’ll be jet-setting to Geneva, Switzerland, where I will spend my spring semester studying International Organizations and Social Justice in one of the world’s most advanced societies.  I have never been to Switzerland before but have heard glorious tales of mountain ski lodges, chocolate fondue, and streets so clean you could eat off of them.  I’ve been looking forward to studying abroad since I understand the meaning of the term, and I’ve been praying that the experience will fill me with purpose, direction, and a new understanding of our world and my place in it.

It’s ironic that I’ll be departing the day our new president is inaugurated in the exact city that I’ll be leaving behind. It will be interesting to see how Europeans react to Obama’s first one hundred days – I’ll drop anecdotes of my experiences with that for all of you political junkies.  But this blog does serve a specific purpose and I plan to enlighten you all with my stories of faith and Catholicism in a country that harbored two of Protestantism’s greatest leaders: Zwingli and Calvin.

I do not know anything about my homestay family yet.  I mentioned in my program application that I’m a devout Catholic and as long as my family accepts that and points me to the nearest Catholic church, all will be fine.  But I’m secretly hoping that they put me in a Catholic household with 7 screaming children that ask me to read them Bible stories in French and hold their hands during grace at dinner.  That’s not asking too much, is it?  Only 10 days before I find out!

~ Marissa

P.S. I’ll be keeping my own personal blog at marissafondue.blogspot.com if you can’t get enough of me here. :)

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