Hey y’all. I’m on my way to Rome and using the Wi-Fi in London Airport on layover. I thought to type up a few lines about how incredibly fun (but busy) the summer has been so far. Let’s begin with Priest and Seminarian Retreats. Check out the pictures of the various people I met along the way at both the Seminarian Retreat I led for Charlotte a few weeks ago.

I was also at Steubenville University where I met hundreds of priests, deacons and seminarians. There, I gave 3 workshop presentations: (1) Teaching the Theology of the Body to Your Parish; (2) Mary in Priestly Formation; and (3) Using the New Media in the New Evangelization to Feed Your Parishioners. What fun! But those poor priests, deacons and seminarians who had to sit and listen to me. Talk about doing purgatory time!

This picture is a set of twin priests: the Gilbert Brothers. I met them at Steubenville.

They attribute their twin priestly vocation to their parent’s strong faith, and by bringing their children to church regularly, had family meals, family prayers - and not just at Mass, but even in private prayer before the Blessed Sacrament. These were really good guys! They didn’t have any fancy recipes to share, but they give us the Bread of Life. What more can you ask from these Manchester, NH priests!?!

This next picture is of Fr. Joe Campbell who has a twin brother (Fr. James) who is also a priest.

Fr. James Campbell didn’t come to this retreat, but he looks just like Fr. Joe Campbell. Although, Fr. Joe says Fr. James is crazier and not as good looking! Go figure.

How did this set of twins become priests? Well, just read what I said about the Gilbert Father Brothers and you’ll see a xerox copy: the parents raised the children in faith, stressed the importance of family prayers, had regular family meals, and made sure the young children spent time before the Eucharist!

I realize I’ve been on a vocation kick lately, but that’s only because Archbishop O’Brien talks about it all the time too. So, I’m just taking my Bishop’s lead! I’ll keep you posted with more of the happenings I’ve had so far!

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1 box penne pasta

2 cups zucchini, chopped in small 1/8 inch pieces

1 clove garlic, finely minced

4 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon red chili flakes

2 teaspoons parsley, finely minced

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon black pepper

2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese

Instructions:

Boil pasta until al dente and drain completely. Heat olive oil and garlic in a large pan over high heat. Sauté the zucchini until it begins to caramelize – about 2-3 minutes. Add the parsley, chili flakes, salt, and pepper, and cook together to incorporate all of the flavors. After the pasta cooks, add the zucchini to the pasta and toss all together. Top off with grated or shaved Parmesan cheese. Salt and pepper to taste, and enjoy this fresh summer pasta!

(You can also fry up some zucchini after dredging them in a light egg wash and coating with Italian Bread Crumbs, but you don’t have to be that fancy for a family meal!)

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OK, so it’s been a really long while since I’ve wrote a blog. Sorry about that. But, today, after meeting great bloggers and podcasters, I was inspired to at least say something about how wonderful of an experience I had in Atlanta for the FIRST Catholic New Media Celebration!  It was an incredible thing to actually meet the people you read about, see on the websites, and hear about from other people who are also part of the New Media Celebration.   So, please know that I hope to post pictures of some of the folks that I had the privilege of meeting.  But, right now I have to say Evening Prayer and then head off to the Willits’ home - from Rosary Army, and catch up with his family, Fr. Roderick, and a whole host of other popular bloggers and podcasting folks, and I will cook a pasta sauce!  It will be a creamy chicken rose sauce.  Hopefully it will be tasty.  But, one way or another, I have definitely been satisfied by the incredible witness of these great New Media Artists!

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