Merry Christmas!

 

Dear Family and Friends,

Merry Christmas! What a wonderful, joyful day when we celebrate the birth of Our Savior! King of Kings! Prince of Peace! Truly Emmanuel, "God with us!"

You all were in my prayers in the midnight Mass and the two Masses this morning. Truly it is a blessed night! I had the joy of a beautiful Christmas Eve dinner with my parents, my sister and brother-in-law and their children, and my aunt and uncle and niece. Then, after Compline and a nap, I headed to our chapel to pray the office of Matins for Christmas--a beautiful office with nine readings. Then followed a candle-lit Holy Hour waiting for midnight, and then a candle-lit Midnight Mass. We moved the creche to the chapel for the occasion, and I processed in with the Child Jesus as we sang O Come All Ye Faithful, and then continued on from there...

Among many Christmas blessings, God gave me a white Christmas! Yesterday afternoon it began to snow as you can see here:

During the night, over a foot of snow fell, such that I awoke to see everything blanketed in white, and the snow continues to fall now. So I will leave you with some pictures below of the snowfall and of the living room.

Merry Christmas! You all will be in my prayers during my Christmas novena of Masses.

In Cordibus Iesu et Mariae,

Fr. Pillari

Almost Christmas...

 

Snowy Bird-Feeder outside the back window

Dear Friends and Family,

Christmas is almost here! We had a beautiful snowfall the other day which, as you can see, coated all the tree branches in white. Really beautiful. Birds continue to come to the bird feeder, including some cardinals. It is fun to watch them at work. Squirrels are also quite creative in trying to get the bird seed but, as far as I can tell, have been largely unsuccessful. 

This past week involved a trip to see one of my brothers and his family. Since they are living in South Bend Indiana, almost next to the University of Notre Dame, I was able to make a Holy Hour at my alma mater, including dome time spent praying in this side chapel of the Basilica.

The photo is not very good, but there are a great many relics. It is a side chapel with particular memories for me of the times I prayed there as an undergraduate, trying to discern God's will for my life.

The Basilica has beautiful artwork. Here is a glimpse of one part of the ceiling:

It brought back many good memories to pray there and at the Grotto. Hopefully, I will have the occasion to return there on this trip and to pray the rosary at the Grotto.

But the highlight of the trip was the opportunity to visit with my brother and sister-in-law and their children and to bless their home. And then this evening I was able to visit with two other nephews and a niece. And now.... Christmas is just a few days away!

You all will be in my prayers this week and throughout the Christmas Octave, when I will be leading the daily online rosary before the exposed Blessed Sacrament. 

May Our Lady prepare your hearts to greet the newborn King.

In Cordibus Iesu et Mariae,

Fr. Pillari

Now Licensed to Teach Theology

 

Dear Friends and Family,

Blessed Gaudete Sunday! I pray that Our Lord will grant you an extra dose of joy this Sunday and that Our Heavenly Mother will help you enter more fully into this divine joy.

The above photo was taken yesterday, on the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe. I went running around a beautiful golf course and in the middle of the run... a full rainbow appeared! Though you can only see part of the rainbow in the photo, it was a complete rainbow, touching the ground on both sides, and with a vibrant spectrum of colors. In addition, there was a second rainbow, which you can faintly see off to the left. It was quite beautiful, and seemed a sign that God was smiling down on us on the Feast of Our Lady, especially since my parents informed me that such a rainbow was extremely rare here.

And I have other good news to share: this past Thursday I successfully defended, via Skype, my licentiate thesis for L'Instut Saint Thomas d'Aquin in Toulouse France. The two-hour defense was the conclusion of two years of theology study with the Dominicans of Toulouse and resulted in them granting a licentiate in theology from the pontifical university in Toulouse, which means that I am now licensed to teach theology in seminaries. Thank you to all who have been praying for me, and who have made donations, to make this possible.

The two-hours spent defending my 100-page thesis were rather intense. Their faculty is known for being tough during examinations, but in the end, they were pleased with the work and awarded the degree. The examination consists of a jury of three Dominicans cross-examining you on the topic of your paper. At the end, I breathed a sigh of relief. This means not only that I will now be capable of teaching classes in theology or canon law in seminaries, should the need arise, but also is a necessary step for doctoral studies.

In a short while I will have the special joy, on this Gaudete Sunday, of welcoming two of my little nephews, and a niece, for some time of Eucharistic Adoration here in the little chapel we have created in my parents' home. I'm very much looking forward to that and then to dinner with them.

During these difficult times, you all are in my daily prayers. Thank you again for yours, and for all that you have done to help me reach this key milestone in my studies.

In Cordibus Iesu et Mariae,

Fr. Pillari

In Cleveland Ohio with my Family

Dear Friends and Family,

God blessed my travels across the ocean, and even gave an abundant snowfall, to my great delight, upon my arrival! Above is the view from the back porch of my parents' home. A really beautiful view that I have been taking advantage of while praying some parts of the Divine Office.

The journey from Rome to Cleveland was the most stress-free international travel I have ever made. At the airports, there were very few people, such that you walked right up to the security desk with no wait, had plenty of quiet and personal space in the airports, etc. As for the international flight from Rome to New York, take a look at my section of the plane here below:

It was almost like having a private flight! I must say that I think Delta is correct when they assert that flying with them right now is about as dangerous as going to the grocery store. Though in fact going to the grocery store might be more dangerous...

It is a real blessing and joy to have some weeks at home, and to know that I will be home for Christmas for the first time in 24 years. We have created a small chapel in a room in the house, where I offer the Holy Sacrifice each day and where we have begun to have Eucharistic Adoration. I am most grateful for the opportunity to be with my parents in these difficult times when parents are often separated from children and family members. And as a bonus... I should have the blessing of baptizing a new nephew!

You all are in my daily prayers here, especially in the rosary and in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. May God grant you a blessed Second Sunday of Advent.

In Cordibus Iesu et Mariae,

Fr. Pillari

Healthy again Post-COVID

Dear Friends and Family,

Blessed First Sunday of Advent! I don't have any photos to post today since I've been in quarantine in my room for the past 2 weeks, but I do have some good news: I'm once again healthy and allowed to stop outside and breath the fresh air!

I had symptoms in many ways identical to a strong flu virus, except that for about 4 days I lost my sense of taste and smell, which has never happened to me before, and I felt more drained than usual, at one point sleeping for almost 36 hours straight. But as of a few days ago, the illness seemed to leave me, Deo Gratias et Mariae.

Perhaps due to the many demands on the health care system in Rome at the moment, it took quite a while for the nurses to come by the monastery to test all of us (per government regulations) for COVID. The test was done Friday morning, and Friday evening they said all of the test results came back negative, except that no one called myself and one other cleric to give us our test results. We're expecting someone will call us tomorrow morning to say that our results were negative, because if they had been positive (anyone's results in the monastery) they were supposed to inform the superior that everyone had to be in quarantine for another 21 days. So we can't imagine the results not being negative since no one has called.

Thanks be to God that we have dodged the bullet of another 21 days in quarantine. Which leads me to my next piece of news. Due to some government regulations and a decision by a local authority here, I am now required to head back to the US in order to renew my study visa for the coming year. While the decision does not seem logical, it is a blessing in disguise because it will permit me to spend some weeks with my parents and family, whom I have not been able to see for 18 months. Really looking forward to the time with my family. Due to the requirements of the apostolate or of religious life, and the fact I have had assignments the past 24 years far from Ohio, I have not been home for Christmas in 24 years. So, really looking forward to a white Christmas in Ohio!

And, I'll have the wonderful blessing while there of baptizing a new nephew: little John Patrick. God willing I will be writing you next Sunday from Ohio.

Until then, may you have a blessed beginning of Advent! And for those who join me for the daily rosary, I was just informed that there was a technical difficulty with today's rosary but that it should be live in a few minutes. Thank you for your patience.

In Cordibus Iesu et Mariae,

Fr. Pillari 

Diving into Doctoral Research

 

Empty street in the heart of Rome, during what would normally be a busy day.

The street "Fori Imperiali" in the very heart of ancient Rome, empty...

Looking out over the Roman Forum, about 5 minutes ago.

Dear Friends and Family,

Greetings from a very quiet Rome! This week was full of blessings, including the joy of serving again this morning as subdeacon for a solemn high Mass at Santissima Trinita. But to pick just one item to share with you:

Statue of Our Lord in the heart of the Gregorian University, where I am studying canon law. Though the text below Him may be hard to read, it says, in Latin, "Go and teach all nations, I am with you."

This statue in the heart of the Gregorian is a reminder of the great missionary spirit of St. Ignatius of Loyola, who desired so ardently the conversion and salvation of souls. This week I spent extended time in the Gregorian's library, diving into some initial research for the doctorate. It is a big ocean of research into which I have just placed the tip of my pinky finger. Rather daunting I must say! But also interesting.

This week my reading was quite slow, reading recent scholarly articles and often stopping to go very slowly over certain paragraphs and to look up the different laws the referred to. But at the end of those hours I had the reward of beginning to understand the arguments of why such-and-such a law does not seem very clear, what may be its drawbacks, etc. The next six months will be much of the same, with the aim of having by June a fleshed out doctoral topic and basic proposal to present for approval. We shall see... but regardless it is a joy to begin understanding some of the complexities and why such things have significant "real-world consequences" for people's lives today. An ambiguous law, and its subsequent ambiguous application, can be a disaster that can lead to real injustices.

You all are much in my prayers, particularly those in the UK, for whom all public Masses are currently illegal, something that hasn't occurred since penal times (well, since last spring), and those in the US dealing with all that surrounds the vote counting for the election.

May Our Lady be your good mother and guide, and draw you ever closer to Our Lord.

In Cordibus Iesu et Mariae,

Fr. Pillari

Subdeacon at Santissima Trinita

 

Morning view out the window that I walk by each morning coming out of my room--window overlooks the Roman Forum. The view still strikes me every time.

In the main corridor, the Superior has set up a kneeler and a shrine to the infant Mary.

Here you see a better view of the child Mary.

Dear Family and Friends,

The above gives you a little glimpse of the devotion in the monastery. The new superior here has been busy installing relics, images, and shrines. Above, located in the central corridor of the cloister, is the shrine to the child Mary. She is, as a child, the patroness of the Olivetan order, to which this monastery belongs. I find it to be a beautiful devotion, which encourages humility, trust, and abandonment to God's plans. It is a joy to be living in a monastery where this devotion holds pride of place.

Today I served as subdeacon for the solemn high Mass at Santissima Trinita in the heart of Rome. It was a real joy to once again sing Gregorian Chant during a Sunday Mass--and the acoustics of the church are amazing! It was a particular blessing to assist the pastor of the church as he offered the Holy Sacrifice because you could sense his prayerfulness, devotion, and recollection. It was also a joy to see the altar boys gearing up for the liturgy, bantering with each other, etc. The Holy Mass is such a good training ground for young men.

You all are in my daily prayers during this month dedicated to the Holy Souls. I have always found November to be a month of particular blessings and graces, perhaps due to the intercession of the Holy Souls for us, as we pray more for them during this time.

During this coming week, may Our Lady watch over and guide each of your families closer to Her Son.

In Cordibus Iesu et Mariae,

Fr. Pillari