The Perks of Being a Pack Rat

When I was moving out of my beloved Suite 607 in May, I realized that I had kept a lot of papers, programs, nametags, etc. from all the things I did this year. I've also taken a lot of pictures. These discoveries, combined with a new windfall of free time, motivated me to make a scrapbook of my junior year at Providence. It's turning into quite a process, but its coming along, slowly but surely, and quite enjoyably. I mention this here, because I was going through all of my stuff yesterday afternoon, doing a bit of pre-assembly planning and layout, and I came across a small envelope with a note from Fr. Cuddy on the front. Inside, I found a copy of the first e-mail he ever received from Sr. Mary Madeline, telling him that she thought my fellowship plans had a future in Sydney. It was shortly after I received that note that this whole plan started to come to life. How long ago that seems! And how much has happened since then!

I thought I would write a few words about what I'm going to be doing in Sydney and what I hope to accomplish.

Originally, I had hoped to work with the Dominican sisters at the University of Sydney Catholic Chaplaincy, doing a lot of the same sort of work that I already do in Campus Ministry at PC. Sr. Mary Madeline mentioned a need for help with publicity, and opportunities to work at weekly barbecues, Bible studies, and other events. Later, she set me up with a host family, the Langrells, and, specifically, their daughter Jessica. I would spend my off-days from USyd with her and her family. Jessica attends a Catholic university in Sydney (Notre Dame), and runs the Archdiocese of Sydney's Theology on Tap program. Recently, she has also been starting a Campus Ministry program at Notre Dame called Vita. This past semester was its big kickoff, and from what I've heard, it sounds like it was pretty successful. I don't know all the details about what's been going on, but I imagine Vita will continue to gather steam when the new semester starts on 26 July (this is the second semester of the school year for Australian universities). I'm really looking forward to learning how Jessica got Vita off the ground last semester and how it is being received by students at her university.

Since, as I mentioned in an earlier post, Sr. Mary Madeline got re-assigned and will not be in Sydney in July, it looks like I will probably spend a little more time with Jessica and the work she does and a little less time at the USyd Chaplaincy because my contacts there will not be so strong. On Sr. Mary Madeline's recommendation, I am planning to contact of a few of the people who work there soon (like, probably later tonight) give myself of preliminary introduction and find out if there is anything in particular that they are thinking of having me do, now that the new semester is coming closer.

During the first week I am in Australia, I will be attending a conference about evangelization called SCENE started by the Archdiocese of Sydney after they hosted World Youth Day in 2008. I think I will devote a later post to some more detailed information about the conference, which I am really looking forward to!

Jessica is also working on setting up a few extra weekend activities for us while I am there. So far some prospects include some sightseeing, a trip to a friend's farm, and silent retreat. I've long wanted to go on a silent retreat, so that is one possibility that I really hope comes to fruition!

My biggest goal for my time abroad is to learn about what draws people my age to the Church [I think that all of the activities I'll be doing will accomplish this; hopefully these experiences will be the most valuable back at PC in the fall]. My secondary goal is a more personal one, but still important: to learn to trust more easily in other people and in the goodness of providence. I tend to be a worrier, but I am observing more and more often how fruitless (and, in the end, unnecessary!) This trust, I hope, will develop organically as I embark on a huge adventure by myself, determined not to panic because everything will work out. Hopefully, I will be successful on both counts!

Until next time, a Happy Monday to you!

Getting There: Check!

I realized early on in planning my fellowship that I was not going to know all the exact details of what I was doing before I get to Australia in July. This is especially true since I will be spending a lot of time with my host, Jessica, who is a college student and doesn't yet know her schedule (they say 'timetable' in Australia, it seems) for next semester.

However, I did receive final confirmation this morning that she is all set to pick me up at the Sydney airport on the day I get there. It's certainly good to know that even though there are a few uncertain things about my visit, I'm armed with a plane ticket and there is a friendly face waiting for me on the other side of the International Dateline, so I'll be able to get there just fine.