Fall semester reunited (minus Mr. Sandy)! Sadly, while there was a plan for a spring semester photo, it somehow didn't happen. Perhaps because right after this photo was taken, we decided that we were, after all, rain or no rain, going to take Fr. C down to the fairgrounds and feed him lots of food on a stick! Much to my regret (and yours, I'm sure) I didn't take the camera with me to the Fair due to the soggy atmosphere. And so you have missed forever the sight of Fr. Carola eating fried Oreo cookies and wearing yet another hat - from the Pickle Stand (yes, as in the Gherkins kind).

The rest of the week I didn't have my camera with me either, and I had to work most of the week too. But some of the other highlights that didn't get onto my digital photo album are:

* The seminarian football game (The "Old Guys" vs. the "New Men" of the sem - seniors against freshmen),

* The official Catholic Studies Rome Reunion Mass and barbeque on campus (where alumni and current students from the past 10 years of Catholic Studies in Rome were united!) I was quite impressed at the number of people attending this massive reunion - probably around 100. Quote of the day? Fr. Carola referring to himself as being "in the line of Peter of Bernardi" during his homily, as Fr. Peter Laird was the first chaplain at the Bernardi residence in Rome, followed by Fr. Andrew Cozzens, and now Fr. Carola.

* A day trip I made with Fr. Carola to the famous Loomes' Theological Bookshop in Stillwater, MN (with a side trip to the amazing Carmelites in Lake Elmo - anyone who has a chance to visit the hermits there, please do - and if you can help them continue their work on their church, please do that too, if their chapel is any indication it could be one of the glories of church architecture and design in our area!). That trip in itself was really the highlight of my visit with Fr. Carola - what could be better than a road trip in my beloved Beetle with Padre C to the most charming town in Minnesota, to peruse a zillion theological/philosophical books for a few hours, make agonizing decisions over which select few to purchase, and then join our old friend Mr. Poole for lunch before heading back home to the music of Krakow Dominicans chanting Latin hymns to Our Lady? Not much.

* Saturday Mass at the St. Paul Seminary (the major seminary) for the dedication of a new reliquary containing a 1st class relic of Bl. Mother Teresa of Calcutta - it was great to gather there with the seminary's new rector (ok, he's been there a year, but he's new to me!) and the Missionaries of Charity!

* Fr. Carola joined us for "Afternoon Tea" again on Saturday afternoon, at Susan's apartment this time, sipping jasmine tea from Vietnam courtesy of seminarian Huy ("it's ok though") Le. It was also the moment of recollection of our "Santa Chiara Oreos", as the seminarians also brought along a box of Oreos and a jar of Nutella - now there's a combination made in heaven!

And finally... (see next photos)