Trips and Treasures

Today was an incredibly exciting day in Rome. Tens of Thousands of people jammed St. Peter's Basilica for the Feast of Sts. Peter & Paul and for the celebration of the Pallium Mass. This Mass is the Mass in which the Holy Father gives all the newly installed Archbishop's in the world the symbol of their authority, the Pallium. This year that list included 40 Archbishops, including three Americans, the Archbishops of Los Angeles, Oklahoma City, & Seattle. Archbishop Lacroix, for whom I am privileged to be attending as a guest of, has been incredibly generous throughout my entire time in Rome.

As remarkable as seeing the Pope is, praying together with people from around the world, the most amazing and meaningful part of the trip has been seeing the great love of the Lacroix family shares for one another. The Archbishop flew in with sixty members of his family (most of whom live in Manchester) on Saturday. Since then he has been showing them the city, sharing the sites and sharing in each others company. His family is huge, but their number is matched only by the depths of their kindness and love for one another and for all they encounter. As this week's events have progressed I have become more and more aware that the most remarkable part of my Roman adventures is the love I have witnessed from an Archbishop and his family.