One Week Anniversary in Chicagoland! :D

Labor Day was my one week anniversary here in Chicagoland! The holiday weekend started off with Colleen and I on a perpetual high, as we were excited and busy hosting our first group of retreatants!

The retreat was for a young adult group from Nuestra Senora Del Monte, "Our Lady of the Mount," which consisted mainly of kids born in Mexico or first generation Mexican-Americans. So far it seems that when groups come in and take there meals here, it basically means that I will be stuck in the cafeteria, kitchen, or dish room all day. It takes about 2 hours to clean up after a meal, and by the time we're done cleaning up it's already time to start preparing for the next one. I enjoy it, though- time in the kitchens means time hanging out and talking to LC and Dirk, our two cooks. They're Chicago born and raised and between them they have so many quirks and funny stories that I'm kept thouroughly entertained. Dirk also likes playing blues and jazz music in the kitchen. He DJ's while I dance. Or, you know, "dance." Right now he's trying to teach me the difference between "real jazz" and "commercial jazz." It's a good time.

When I'm not in the kitchen or dish room, I like to be a wallflower at meal times and listen in on the conversations of the retreatants. This time 'round that was particularly difficult, as they were all speaking Spanish, but I enjoyed trying to figure out what they were saying. Also, I trust that in time the Rosetta Stone will work its magic on me and make such things a lot easier.

My first group of retreatants! A Hispanic community of young adults from Our Lady of the Mount.

As it turns out, most of my hospitality ministry will be done in the cafeteria during meal times. After dinner on the second night, Father A and two seminarians, Martin and Luis, sat down with me, Colleen (my fellow missioner and roommate), and Noreen (my director) and began talking to us about the kids, their church, their enthusiasm for working with young adults, and some tentative plans they have for their parishes. We had a casual conversation about the idiosyncrasies of language and our favorite places to travel before moving onto more interesting topics. Luis and Martin shared some of their experiences in the seminary and Luis moaned about how in Rome all they taught was, "Thomas Aquinas this and Thomas Aquinas that, and Summa this and Summa that!" I could certainly understand his frustrations, especially if scholastic theology wasn't particularly his thing, but I couldn't help but imagine how awesome it would be to take a class on Aquinas in ROMA!

One part of the conversation between Colleen, Luis and I has me very excited. I started to describe the  desire to be a member of a small, intimate, and intentional Church community that led me to the Cabrini Mission Corps and the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Luis responded, "Could you say that again?" At first I thought I had been speaking too fast for him, but he said that he, too, felt that love and intimacy were missing from the Church and that people just don't understand and don't see how Christ works in us. Huh. Aren't we all a little lacking in that department?

He said he's trying to get a project off the ground in which small groups of 6 or 7 people come together regularly to share their thoughts and feelings about where and how they experience God in their lives. Colleen and I volunteered to be guinea pigs. Unfortunately, it takes about 2 hours to get to Our Lady of the Mount from here, but Colleen and I are hoping to go at least twice a month for the 6pm Spanish mass! :D I have a feeling that that Church will be one of my favorites, but Old St. Pat's is competing for our love and attention as well...

Colleen really wants to get involved at a church that has a lot of energy and a lot of young people. Old Saint Pat's is located in the heart of Chicago and consists almost entirely of young adults. They have camping trips, a choir, trips to the Arizona/Mexican border to realize immigration issues, weekly yoga meditations, women's groups.. you name it, they've got it. The Church itself isn't quite my style. I like old, dark, gothic churches that have seen a lot of ware, and this place is the exact opposite. It's ... well... SUPER Irish and the stained glass windows were PASTEL colored. Think Easter. I didn't take pictures of any on the ground level because I didn't like them. Sorry.

Statue of Mother Cabrini inside St. Pat's.

The view from the balcony.

This is a small part of one of the stained glass windows that I liked. The rest were too pastel-y for me.

Old St. Pat above the altar there, with Mary and baby Jesus on the left and St. Joseph on the right. 

Aside from the fact that I don't actually like the Church building too much, the music was excellent and the homily was even better. Colleen and I think we'll try to get involved here as well as at Our Lady of the Mount, but ... ah! We have our local parish that we haven't actually been to yet, either. Ahh!!!

After the 5 pm mass at Old St. Pat's we walked through Millennium Park lookin' for some jazz music, as the annual Chicago Jazz fest was taking place all weekend and we had to miss the first 2 days because of the retreat. Walking through Millennium Park, we encountered these popular works of Chicago art, some innovative architectural pieces, and a beautiful sunset.

When their mouths turn into an "o," water shoots out of it and the kids come runnin'. I couldn't believe they did, though- it was cold!

The Art Institute of Chicago

"American Fare, Irish Hopsitality"-- What?!

The view of the city from Grant park.

 And this is for all my friends in Baltimore who never went to a jazz bar with me. I present Roy Hargrove, winner of two Grammy's ... not sure who the second dude is. According to Walter, this isn't "real jazz," it's commercial jazz. But I don't think he knows what he's talking about. It was the last act of the night. Enjoy!

All these wonderful events led up to Labor Day. Colleen and I got up early, prepared some food-offerings,  and headed next door to Sr. Bridget's house for a BBQ. Noreen warned me that Sr. Bridget has a habit of planning BBQ's only to discover the morning of that she does not, in fact, own a grill. Colleen and I made some polite inquiries, ".. so... you definitely have a grill, right sister? Do you need coal or gas or anything?" Walter ended up coming to our rescue and took over grill responsibilities.

Meanwhile, the sisters had Colleen and I rolling in the grass we were laughing so hard- they wanted to pick themselves some peaches from Bridget's peach tree, but couldn't reach so they started smacking the branches with a stick. One would hit the limbs of the tree while another would stand beneath them with a shallow box, hoping to catch one before it hit the ground and split open. On the off chance that one did land in the box, it would just pop right back out and onto the cement driveway because it wasn't deep enough. Colleen and I watched them go at it for a while before I climbed the tree and retrieved the nearest peaches for them.

Sr. Bridget also has a little garden with tomatoes and peppers, among other things. She picked a few peppers for Sr. Alfonsina, who then went to put them in the plastic bag also containing Sr. Benigna's peaches and Benigna cried out, "Not with my PEACHES!!!"

Sr. Joaquina is funny too. And she gives god hugs. Sr. Bridget tried to pawn off a dozen cans of beer on Colleen and I when we first got here. We said, "Sorry, we don't really like beer," so she went and brought us something "refreshing"- carrot juice. Collen and I drank some. Yup. JUST like carrots. .... delicious.
Anyway, Bridget was happy that Joaquina turned up- she does enjoy the occasional brewsky. At the end of the day, Colleen went to take the leftover drinks away and Joaquina exclaimed, "Don't take away my beer!"
The last time we went over to Sr. Bridget's she pulled out another "refreshing" alternative- rice milk. Yup. You guessed it. Tastes JUST like rice. I told her I think she's trying to poison us. She appreciated the joke.

Walter comin' to the rescue at the grill-front! 

Sr. Benigna whackin' away and Sr. Joaquina on pick up.

Sr. Bridget takes her turn while Sr. Joaquina gets fancy with the box as a catching instrument.

I decided to help out.

Sr. Benigna, Joaquina, and Walter.

Srs. Benigna, Joaquina, Alfonsina, Bridget, and Joan Marie. Oh- and me, too.

Me, Sr. Alfonsina, and Sr. Joan Marie makin' a bee line for the chips.

I had the presence of mind this time to add the Feta.

Oh America. Pink Lemonade, BBQ sauce, mustard, ketchup, and relish.

Colleen and Dirk

Colleen and Sr. Benigna.

I had an awesome holiday weekend and was so happy to finally meet all but one of the sisters in Chicagoland- Sr. Joan McGlinchy is currently in Rome. They are so sweet and adorable I can't wait to get to know them better. And their accents and the phrases they use leave me and Colleen in stitches.

Next on the agenda is to visit the sisters where they live. And my cousin too, still. All day Saturday we're going to be at a workshop with representatives from the Arch Diocese of Chicago on how to minister to young people who are 1st and 2nd generation immigrants. Then Sister Joan Marie wants us to go to a free opera performance with her Saturday night and we've got a "Meet the Missioners" mass and reception on September 11th, so ... we've got a lot to do! And the Loyola Academy kids will be keeping me busy this week here at the Retreat Center.

Oh, an I'm going to NOTRE DAME and DePAUL to represent CMC at volunteer fairs at the end of this month! I wonder if Dr. Pecknold remembers who I am. ? I guess I'll find out soon.

Love,
Gina

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