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:

Salzburg! (And Munich!)

For the third major trip of the semester, students went to Salzburg, a city in Austria which is famous in America for being the setting of "The Sound of Music", and Munich, one of the biggest cities in Germany.

Salzburg is a gorgeous city, with many lovely examples of architecture. Here's one of the many examples of that.



One of the more unusual finds: a giant chessboard in one of the squares of Salzburg. I wish I could've stayed around and played, but we had places to be and things to do. It was interesting to watch, though.



This is the Munich Frauenkirche, which was where a bishop by the name of Joseph Ratzinger held Mass. We now know him as Pope Benedict XVI. This church was gigantic; you can hardly start to grasp the massiveness of it from this picture. Standing there, and looking up at the cross, suspended from the high ceiling, was probably one of the most incredible experiences of my life. When Mass began, every single word echoed throughout the Church, reverberating and resounding in an amazing way.


This weekend's trip was very blessed! Stay tuned for more accounts of the following weekends! Grüß Gott!

BENEDICT XVI BECOMES HONORARY CITIZEN OF MARIAZELL

Later in the semester, we will hopefully make a pilgrimage on foot to the famous Marian pilgrimage shrine of Mariazell. The hike is approximately 26 kilometers through the backwoods of Austria's pristine woodlands. It is a beautiful and exhilirating hike which is usually a highlight of the semester for all who participate.

In fall of 2007, Pope Benedict made a pilgrimage to Mariazell where he preached and said Mass to a crown of over 25,000. In recent Austrian -Vatican news, the Pope was just named an honorary citizen of Mariazell:

VATICAN CITY, 22 JAN 2009 (VIS) - At midday yesterday, during a brief ceremony held in a room of the Paul VI Hall, the Pope was made an honorary citizen of the Austrian town of Mariazell, home to one of the most important Marian shrines in Europe.

Among those present at the ceremony, which was held following the Pope's weekly general audience, were Helmut Pertl, town mayor; Bishop Egon Kapellari of Graz-Seckau, and Fr. Karl Schauer O.S.B., rector of the Shrine of Mariazell.

In his remarks, the Holy Father expressed his joy "at being a citizen of Mariazell and at being able to live so close to the Mother of God". The Pope visited the town in September 2007.

"Mariazell is much more than just a 'place'", he said. It also represents "the living history of a pilgrimage of faith and prayer down the centuries", in which "a real answer is also present: ... that God exists and that, through His mother, He wishes to remain close to us. ... For this reason I am happy to be at home in my heart and now, so to say, also by law, in Mariazell".

After highlighting how Our Lady of Mariazell "has such impressive names as: 'Magna Mater Austriae', 'Domina Magna Hungarorum', 'Magna Mater gentium slavorum'", Benedict XVI explained that the Virgin "is above all 'Magna Mater' yet", he said, "her greatness is evident precisely in the fact that she addresses herself to the smallest, that she is present for them, that we can turn to her at any moment ... just with our hearts".

Hit the Road: Vienna

As we ease the students into travel naturally we made our first major excursion to Vienna this Saturday.

We began our trip with mass at the Italian Parish Church; at this beautiful gothic church, the students we also able to see a 16th century painting of St. Francis done by an unknown master, as well as a copy of Leonardo Da Vinici's The Last Supper painting which Napolean commisioned so he could steal the original in Milan. Not to mention the season Christmas creche which was erected on the right hand side of the church.

By the end of mass in this non-heated but lovely church, everybody's toes were freezing and lunch sounded more than good--more like mouth-watering. Yet, lunch wasn't until another hour so the group broke up into 7 tour groups and we took to the city.

Here in Vienna, we explored the parks, the churches, and the historically significant historical buildings and landmarks. Of course we couldn't forget the gem in the crown of Vienna: St. Stephan's Cathedral.

After lunch and the second half of the tour; the students scattered to coffee shops, museums, parks, and of course, a few to buy Cuban cigars.

All in all, it was a great day and I don't believe anybody was left behind :) We are all looking forward to Salzburg and Munich this weekend....