What do students and squirrels do with too much snow?

Some sled....

Some ski....

Some make snow angels....

Some stay indoors.....

and others.....

Build igloos!

Here are some pictures of a two-chambered igloo built by several Gaming students; the igloo was equipped with candels, ventillation holes, and other usable features.

In other news, we found a squirrel on the sill of our second story window. We don't know how it got here, but it must have wanted some shelter from the snow!

Many of the students too are ready for snow....which is why we leave for Rome tomorrow!

Won't be able to blog for about two weeks, but then we will pick it up faithfully from there.

Mardi Gras at the Kartause

As in every country, in Austria there are many many customs: some unique, some normal, and others just "off-the-wall."

I would venture Mardi Gras is one of those "off-the-wall" holidays here in Austria. On Mardi Gras the custom is for everybody to dress up...full costume, face paint and the works. All the way from kindergarten to middle aged business men to senior citizens, everyone is encouraged to participate. My 4 year old son was fully engaged, dressing up in his full tiger costume for kindergarten.

Here at the Kartause, our beloved Austrian secretary, Andrea Ritt, shows us what Mardi Gras (Fasching as they in German) is all about:

Eastern European Testimonials & Snow, Snow, Snow...

Life is full of little surprises and this certainly was one of them: Hundreds of miles away bishops, cardinals, and other prelates were proclaiming the need for young and old to tell the truth about Communism and what actually happened. Without knowing it, on the very same day, our students here in Gaming were doing just that!

Last Wednesday, students from the Language and Catechetical Institute, hailing from Eastern European and Asian countries as far east as China, hosted an evening to discuss and speak about their direct and indirect experiences under Communistic or other dictatorial regimes.

Not only did they spoke to us Americans about what their mothers, brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles, cousins, priests, and friends suffered but also about their joys, triumphs, and stories of heroic people during that time of darkness.

The turnout was great, and the stories fascinating, some frightening, and other's awe-inspiring.

As if by coincidence or divine providence, the same day as our testimonial evening, Eastern European Prelates met to discuss Communist remnants in Zagreb, Croatia.

The wounds caused by communism are still present and are poisoning the life and society of nations formerly suffering behind the Iron Curtain, affirmed Eastern European bishops.

One of the workshops during the event highlighted the need for the Church to help rebuild the "historical memory" of the years of communism, fighting "against the tendency to silence what actually happened," especially with the martyrs. In particular, it highlighted the need to help young people "know the true history" and "keep in mind the memory of those who let themselves be martyred for the faith."

Astonishingly, at the Kartause, Gaming, we fulfilled their request without even knowing it! It was truly remarkable. Through the blood-curling stories of repression and heroism, our Eastern European (LCI) students told the "true history" and what "actually happened" thus preserving the "historical memory" which is so vital to society in our present age.

In other news, it has been snowing for the past 10 days straight! I believe we are now at four feet and counting, more in other places. It feels like we are living in some sort of white paradise only read about in books; except, in fact, this time it is only real.

Traveling to the Past...

One of the many places students traveled to over the last few weekends, on an individual trip, was Rothenburg, a city in Germany, which has remained almost exactly as it was centuries ago, a medieval walled town with cobblestoned streets and archaic architecture. It was even featured in the movie Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, as the buildings and streets of the imaginary barony of Vulgaria.

The original castle of Rothenburg was built in 950, and the city itself was built in 1170. In 1274, it became an imperial city, and grew to become one of the 20 largest cities in the Holy Roman Empire (5.500 people inside the walls, and 14,000 people in the surrounding territory). During the Thirty Years' War, the Catholic general Count Tilly attacked and captured the city to quarter his troops in it, and then left the town in the winter; it had been devastated economically and population-wise, and the Black Plague did even more harm.

In the 1880s, Romanticists discovered the town and sparked the tourism industry which continues to flourish in it. The town was also occupied in 1945 by Nazi forces, bombed by the Allies, and then occupied by the Americans.

It is continually being restored, and remains a beautiful way to look back into the past of Germany.

80th Anniversary of Vatican City State

In just a few weeks, almost 200 students, faculty, and staff of the Austrian Program will head to one of the greatest cities on this earth, the "eternal city" of Rome.

Here in this sprawling city lies arguably the greatest church in western civilization: St. Peter's Basilica and naturally St. Peter's is part of the Vatican City State.

Yesterday in Rome, they celebrated the 80 anniversary of the Vatican City state.

Vatican City State was inaugurated on 11 February 1929 with the signing of the Lateran Accords. Under the motto, “A small territory with a great mission” and indeed it does have a great mission providing spiritual sustenance to pilgrims and the world.

One of the more interesting facts about the Vatican City state is its population:

The population of Vatican City is about 800 people, of whom over 450 have Vatican citizenship, while the rest have permission to reside there, either temporarily or permanently, without the benefit of citizenship.

About half of the Vatican’s citizens do not live inside Vatican City. Because of their occupations (mostly as diplomatic personnel), they live in different countries around the world. The conferral or loss of citizenship, authorization to live inside Vatican City and formalities for entering the territory, are governed by special regulations issued according to the Lateran Treaty.

The Spring 2009 Crew

For better or for worse, the Spring 2009 crew is gathered below:As is evident from the picture with the heavens opening up and the light descending, it appears they have already made a pretty good impression on the one "up above"....and on the faculty & staff. I think we wait and see to pass a final verdict but so far so good!

In other news, the group is planning on going to Poland this weekend to visit Auschwitz, the Divine Mercy Shrine, Czestochowa, Wadowice (birthplace of the late pope John Paul II), and of course the old town of Krakow. Will report on this trip next week so stay tuned!

Sledding in Mariazell

One of those great, short, weekend activities in the winter is what I like to call "high adventure" sledding.

The idea is to rent a sled (3 euros for a half day), take the chairlift up the slope and sled down the slope at whatever speed you can handle, navigating the sled down the slope with grace, poise, control, safety, and of course fun.

Student Life took the RA's for a taste during their RA training week and it was a blast for everyone -- all the way from our 1 1/2 year old Dominic to the RA's to my wife and I who are nearing 30!

Sledding in Mariazell was relatively cheap, close the Kartause, and ever so much fun! Mariazell, too is home to one of the most famous Marian pilgrimage shrines in all of Europe which is why we will hike there at the end of the semester.

Mass with the Bishop

About two weeks ago many of the students felt like repeating along with Shakespeare: "Fortune brings in some boats that are not steered." The fortune this time was the opportunity the students had to have mass in the Kartause with our Bishop--Bishop Küng-- of our Diocese of St. Pölten here in Austria.

At the mass, all of the Austrian Program faculty/staff took the Oath of Fidelity to the Pope and Magisterium of the church.

Moreover, after Mass, several students were invited to participate in a private lunch with the bishop.

The pictures below show the faculty/staff giving the oath and a group picture in the church sanctuary at the end of Mass: