Easter Week with the Psalms

April 14, 2010

Peace and Good,

This past week I was in Hamburg, New York, my home town. I was giving a retreat to a group of Franciscan Sisters of St. Joseph, the group of sisters who taught me when I was in grammar school. What a privilege to return a little to the sisters who gave me so much while I was growing up. In fact, one of the sisters on the retreat was Sister Vincentia, my 5th and 6th grade teacher who was largely responsible for my vocation.

I had the privilege of studying sacred scripture when I was in Rome for my theology studies. One of the courses that I took was on the psalms. We as religious pray them every day, but so few of us had the opportunity to study their symbolism and meaning. I was able to share some of that with the sisters.

This week I am in Buffalo (just up the road) for our provincial chapter. This is a meeting of the friars which we have every four years to decide what we will be doing for the next several years.

I'll be flying to England this Saturday for a seven week stay in Canterbury to teach a couple of courses at the Franciscan Institute there. I am not sure how soon I will have access to the internet, so if this blog is not done every week, don't worry about me.

I finished one book this week: The Cardinal's Hat by Mary Hollingsworth. It was a very interesting book about a Renaissance Cardinal. He was the grandson of Pope Alexander VI and the son of Lucretia Borgia (not exactly the most righteous family). He was part of the nobility from a city in northern Italy called Ferrara. His brother was the count, and he was the bishop of Milan (and eventually Lyon). Most of the book deals with his account books (what his life style cost, how he bribed people to become a cardinal, etc.). It is not an edifying account. This cardinal was a generation right before the Church started its Trent reforms and the popes and cardinals became more dedicated to their religious duties.

My schedule for the next few months is:

04/17/10 - 06/12/10 - International House of Franciscan Studies, Canterbury, England, U.K.

06/13/10 - 06/18/10 - Hyatt Regency Hotel, Hamburg, NY (Provincial Retreat)

06/19/10 - 07/01/10 - St. Victor's Major Seminary, Tamale, Ghana, West Africa p.o.c. Fr. David Azambawu(Seminarian Retreat)

07/04/10 - 07/10/10 - St. Francis Convent, Mishawaka, IN 46546 p.o.c. Sr. M. Dorothy

07/11/10 - 07/18/10 - Quellen Spiritual Center, Mendham, NJ 07945 p.o.c. Sr. Teresa Marie (Sisters' Retreat)

God bless and

Shalom

fr. Jude Winkler