I was so pleased to see so many people from local media come to cover the Mass including WBZ radio, The Boston Globe and, of course, The Pilot. It was such a wonderful occasion and I am so pleased that they helped to share it with the people of our area.

Campus ministry meeting

Monday (9/5), I was visited at the Cathedral by Rose Patek, Msgr. William Fay and Father Richard Clancy, who came to speak to me about some of our efforts around campus ministry as well as a number of other pastoral issues facing the archdiocese. Rose is a very dedicated Catholic laywoman and one of the founding leaders of the Betania II Center in Medway, where we have had so many activities for the archdiocese.

Meetings in Rome

Tuesday (9/6), I departed for Rome for a number of meetings, beginning with meetings of the Child Protection Commission.

On Wednesday (9/7) I had an opportunity to meet with our pilgrims from Boston who are visiting Rome. They are a group of about 35 people from the archdiocese led by Kathleen Driscoll and Pat Bertram and accompanied by Fathers Michael Drea, Chris Hickey, Jim Flavin, Nick Sannella and Ed McCabe. During their time in Rome they have had an opportunity to visit the Vatican including St. Peter's Basilica, the Sistine Chapel and Apostolic Palace, as well as several of the great basilicas in Rome -- St. Mary Major, St. John Lateran and St. Paul Outside the Walls. They also had a chance to attend the Holy Father's Wednesday general audience, where one couple from Boston had a particularly nice experience that you may have read about in The Boston Globe.

Maura and Laurence Naughton had brought a potholder made by their 9 year old daughter Megan as a gift for the pope. Well, it turned out that they got close enough that they could actually pass it up to the Holy Father, who seemed genuinely pleased and smiled when he received it. I know it was just such a thrill for the Naughton's and their daughter, and a particularly nice gift for Maura, who was celebrating her birthday that day.

...As I mentioned, I am in Rome for meetings that run through next week. Our meetings with the Child Protection Commission began yesterday and will run through Sunday. And then Monday through Wednesday we will have our meetings with the C9 Council of Cardinals the Holy Father. I also have a number of other talks and events scheduled, as well.