NEW YEAR'S EVE

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Well after vespers and seeing the Pope we went out to eat. I was warned by Andrew that if we didn't have reservations we would not be able to get in anywhere to eat because that is what happened to him and his friends last year when he was in Rome last New Year's Eve. Well we had a secret weapon . We had two men in collars with us, Fr.Bob and Fr. Ken. A side note on Fr.Bob he's studying in Rome and he knows Fr.Tim the priest we use to have in Fowler. They actually were buddies back in the Seminary when they were both studying in Rome.........what a small world. Anyway the food at the restaurant was the best meal I had on the whole trip! Don't ask me what it was I don't remember names of things. Anyway I was laughing as I usually do and the Italians in the restaurant were looking at me and laughing at my laugh! So then I video taped them (which I'll share on my next blog). Then they started calling me crazy in Italian......but crazy as in fun (I think???) When we went to leave they saluted us.

From there we went to the home of some nuns who are friends with Fr.Ken. It turns out that the home base of these nuns is in Lowell MI and I've actually been to their convent and they are friends with Fr. Sirico the priest who married Charlie and I. Again what a small world!

Anyway the young guys you see in the picture above are seminarians. One of them is actually from Grand Rapids. To bring in the New Year we celebrated with a mas and all during mass we heard the fireworks going off. In Rome the city celebrates by setting off fireworks. I would have enjoyed seeing it but bringing in the New Year with our Lord is above awesome!