Back from Baltimore.

On tuesday, the seminary rector, vice-rector, JohnL (another Steubenville seminarian) and I headed to Baltimore to host the St. Vincent Seminary breakfast at the USCCB's Fall Meeting.

All my pictures are on my photoblog.

We left after lunch on Tuesday and drove to Maryland. I enjoy driving through Pennsylvania because you go right through a lot of pretty big hills. They must be part of the Appalachians but they're not like huge mountains. Regardless, it's beautiful.

In Baltimore, we stayed at St. Benedict Church, a parish run by a Benedictine monk of St. Vincent Archabbey. It was a nice rectory and beautiful church. That night we went out to dinner and saw a little of downtown Baltimore.

The next morning, we all got up early to head to the hotel where the conference was being held. We got through the suprisingly tight security and set up our breakfast. It was one of several that bishops can attend. Once they got out of mass, several bishops came to our breakfast. It was cool for me and John to greet them outside the room and talk for a minute.
Looking at the list, these are the ones that I can remember meeting or seeing: Adamec, Boland, Bradley, Brandt, Conlon, Cunningham, Cupich, Foys, Gaydos, Gries, Mahony, Sevilla, Tobin, Trautman, Wuerl, and Zubick.

The Archabbot, Archbishop Wuerl and Archbishop Sambi spoke at the breakfast. Once most of the bishops were finished we ate. After a while, some security guys came and said we had to leave because the bishops were starting their Executive Session, so we packed up and went to the lobby. While Fr. Justin, Fr. Dave, Archabbot Douglas and the head of the board of trustees had a meeting, John and I walked around outside.

Finally, we went back to St. Benedict's to check out their gift shop. I got an awesome (extremely heavy) rosary and then we left.

The ride back home was fine, though as we went north the weather reminded us that winter is almost here. It was almost 70 in Baltimore, but in Latrobe it was rainy and cold.

However, today, the weather is beautiful and it's Founder's Day! That means huge vespers in the basilica with me singing (along with the rest of the schola plus the monastary schola) and then thanksgiving-type dinner, fireworks, campus light up, and Christmas music.

What a holiday and what a week!