We all met at the local train station that morning at 7 to head over to the Cardinal O'Connor Conference at Georgetown University. Georgetown University is annoyingly inaccessible by subway so we ended up in cabs over the rest of the way. My jaw dropped. It was so pretty, stunning buildings covered in a light dusting of snow everywhere. The building we were in was amazing. The main auditorium was like walking into another world, if only everyone was in pantaloons and hoop skirts!
Our opening keynote was given by Archbishop Chaput. He is a very tiny man! I'll give it to him, he doesn't mince words and is a wonderful mix of realism but still holds a vision of something better, a difficult rope to balance. He spoke about the importance of religious liberty, freedom OF religion as opposed to freedom FROM religion. We had a bit of Q&A afterwards and I got up to represent. I asked him for advice around the Australian Political culture and how difficult it is to bring religion into the public square in Australia. His advice: "Get over it." Religious people need to just put it out there because it matters and to hell with the rest of it.
We then had the first workshop. There was a pretty impressive line up of speakers. The first one we decided to go to was Vicki Thorn who's workshop was the Science of Theology of the Body. I really enjoyed it but I wasn't too sure at one or two of the things, I would want to check the research myself but I don't really have the time. We then had lunch which were ginormous sandwiches with lots of sandwich meat on it. Just the way I like it. It was then onto the next workshop. We all split up and I went to a workshop with a Jesuit on Natural Law and abortion. He was also excellent, going through it step by logical step. The Q&A time on the end got sidetracked by a guy talking about the governor of Maryland who he thinks should be excommunicated. Other than that it was good.
It was then back to the auditorium for the panel of Congressmen & women. I have to admit, I fell asleep. I lasted about 15 minutes and I just couldn't keep my eyes open and the seats were comfy and the room was warm and... I dozed in and out until the end... I felt really bad, everything was painfully interesting, but I was so tired. Apparently everyone was also passed out cold asleep too! Ha there! I'm not just rude!
It was then straight to the National Shrine which was where the overnight vigil was being held. When we got there the church was overflowing already! Mass wasn't due to start till 8 pm and it was 6! We just squeezed in seats anywhere we could. I went for a walk around the upper basilica saying a rosary. Every side chapel had a significant Marian theme. It took me quite a while to get around there, there were that many people! I eventually went down into the crypt to find a spot to sit. Mary joined me and while we were waiting for Mass to start we said a rosary. Mass was pretty full on. The entrance procession of all the deacons, priests, bishops and cardinals took 45 minutes! The mass was the full bells and smells shebang. It took a long.... time.... but it was nice to go to a mass like that once in a while.
The vigil at the Basilica would be going all night so we left after mass and headed back on the subway to our homestay at around 10. When we got to west Hyattsville, we were all starving cos we didn't have dinner! So we went to the KFC, and the drive through was thank God still open! So we got KFC and took it back to homestay. I got into a bit of discussion with Anitra and didn't get to sleep till 1:30 am. And we had an early start the next day too!
Friday 10 February 2012
Wednesday 1 February 2012
On the road... AGAIN
So we had to get up early, I had had a very bad sleep the night before, being up till about 3:30 am and having to get up and be on the bus by 8:30. On the plus side it was snowing! We got a whole couple of inches as we were leaving but we had a 5 hr bus ride ahead. We had a stop over on the outskirts of Delaware and I regret the Burger King... it was bad. We arrived in DC finally straight over to the Catholic Information Centre in the middle of the city. We had a mass in the chapel there with Bishop Peter and it was the feast of St Agnes!
We hung out in the book store for a while before heading over to Starbucks and then the Hyatt Regency hotel for this Youth Rally were were attending. I confess I went a bit nuts in the bookstore. They are a lot cheaper in the States but I managed to moderate myself by buying 4 C.S. Lewis books, one for Mum on the Jewish origins on the Eucharist and a TOB book. We then hung out at Starbucks for a bit because of the free wifi! We also got chatting to bunch of the Occupy people who were in tents across the road. I would have dearly loved to probe them a bit more, but I was not mentally up for the challenge. We had to get to the Hyatt hotel anyway!
We got to the Hyatt and took some seats about mid way down. We were a little late and it seemed that things were already happening. So we sat in and listened. It was an ecumenical gathering and the spirit of unity was quite inspiring, but it was also highly emotive and very firebrand. Lots of political action talk and also lots of testimonials from people working on the 'front lines.' About an hour into it a bunch of people dispersed in the room stood up and started yelling in protest of us. I had a momentary freak out thinking back to Madrid and I was ready to throw punches if I had to. A couple of them were close to our group and I got a good look at their faces and was able to relax, there was no venom like I saw in Madrid, just a little bit of yelling and screaming. Lila Rose took to the stage and some how managed to drown them out with a prayer. They were eventually removed by security.
The rally continued on as if it never happened. I have to say it was very overlong and in such a charged environment it was not the best idea. It was a little too much for me, I'm not sure that it is the right approach. We were so tired as well which didn't help. So at 10 pm we packed it in and headed for our home stay families. Matt and Jollene took Me, Jo, Anitra, and Donabel. They had three little ones, two of whom we met. We chatted for an hour over cookies and then collapsed into bed.
We hung out in the book store for a while before heading over to Starbucks and then the Hyatt Regency hotel for this Youth Rally were were attending. I confess I went a bit nuts in the bookstore. They are a lot cheaper in the States but I managed to moderate myself by buying 4 C.S. Lewis books, one for Mum on the Jewish origins on the Eucharist and a TOB book. We then hung out at Starbucks for a bit because of the free wifi! We also got chatting to bunch of the Occupy people who were in tents across the road. I would have dearly loved to probe them a bit more, but I was not mentally up for the challenge. We had to get to the Hyatt hotel anyway!
We got to the Hyatt and took some seats about mid way down. We were a little late and it seemed that things were already happening. So we sat in and listened. It was an ecumenical gathering and the spirit of unity was quite inspiring, but it was also highly emotive and very firebrand. Lots of political action talk and also lots of testimonials from people working on the 'front lines.' About an hour into it a bunch of people dispersed in the room stood up and started yelling in protest of us. I had a momentary freak out thinking back to Madrid and I was ready to throw punches if I had to. A couple of them were close to our group and I got a good look at their faces and was able to relax, there was no venom like I saw in Madrid, just a little bit of yelling and screaming. Lila Rose took to the stage and some how managed to drown them out with a prayer. They were eventually removed by security.
The rally continued on as if it never happened. I have to say it was very overlong and in such a charged environment it was not the best idea. It was a little too much for me, I'm not sure that it is the right approach. We were so tired as well which didn't help. So at 10 pm we packed it in and headed for our home stay families. Matt and Jollene took Me, Jo, Anitra, and Donabel. They had three little ones, two of whom we met. We chatted for an hour over cookies and then collapsed into bed.
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