Onward To Holiness

"Voices from the Andrea Doria"

2011-12-19T10:28:00.002-06:00

Blessed Pope Urban V, pray for us!

For the past several months, I have been working on an oral history project to record the experiences of two priests and one retired bishop of the Archdiocese of Chicago. They were on board the Andrea Doria, an Italian luxury liner en route to New York City, when it violently collided with another vessel and sank in July, 1956. After reading about their ordeal last year, I felt strongly that an oral record of the priests describing the experience in their own words was necessary for future generations. This project is the culmination of months of interviews, editing, and prayer. I hope you will listen to it and allow their story to soak into you, as it did me.

The primary way to interact with this project is via this link:

http://vimeo.com/kyleleechicago/andreadoria

It will open up a web page where you can listen to the sound file while viewing pictures of the Andrea Doria. Special hint: give the presentation a little time to load. The entire project is 80 minutes long, so grab some popcorn and find a comfortable chair! I would highly recommend you use a pair of headphones or at least speakers with good stereo separation.

If you would like to download the project to your computer, click this link:

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/12506910/Voices%20from%20the%20Andrea%20Doria.mp3

This would be a good option if you want to store the audio file for yourself, "burn" it onto a CD, or play it on an iPod. Let me know if you need any technical help or have questions about the above.

Lastly, please know this project was recorded and edited by an amateur. Although I had some good portable microphones and excellent editing software, my primary business is spirituality and religion, not audio engineering! (I appreciate your understanding here…)

Thank you for your attention and interest in this oral history.

Fall Quarter, 2011

2011-11-03T22:42:00.001-05:00

Phew! What a quarter!

I am extremely excited to announce that I have started my theology studies! At long last! For the last two years, I have been in a philosophy ("pre-theology") program, intended to prepare me for the study of God. This was a fantastic experience: interesting and relevant classes, plenty of time to pray and discern about vocations, and valuable field apostolate assignments that helped me to better understand pastoral ministry. I grew very close to the other guys in my class and, because of this time in preparation, I feel very ready to begin theology. If I had entered right into theology, it would have been overwhelming! I am quite thankful for these two years and enthusiastically recommend them to any man who suspects a vocation to the priesthood.

The theology program, which I began at the beginning of September, consists of four years of coursework that focus on penetrating the mystery of the Trinity, developing an understanding of the Church, and gaining pastoral skills for use in future priestly ministry. At the same time, I pursue bimonthly spiritual direction and continued field apostate experiences so I can grow in my prayer life and, God-willing, priestly identity. We are nearing the end of fall quarter, which lasts until a week before Thanksgiving. Winter quarter really gets going after Christmas, followed by ten weeks of spring quarter that take us through Easter and into May. As I found at the University of Chicago, the quarter system goes by extremely fast. Blink and you miss it!

My classes this quarter were as follows:

Introduction to Early Church Life - a look at the first few centuries of the Church, including the everyday lives of early Christians. We are study things like the development of early structures and leadership, including the role of bishops, priests, and deacons in early communities. Much of this class uses the writings of the early Church Fathers, that is, the holy men and saints who took up the mantle of leadership after the Apostles died. Examples would include Ignatius of Antioch and Clement of Rome.

Fundamental Theology - a sort of "transitional course" that lays the groundwork for further study of theology. A major shift of understanding in this new program is the importance of revelation over pure reason. In other words, my philosophy courses focused on knowledge as discovered purely by human reason, or rationality. God was not invoked to explain things like the how we can know things or the foundation of ethics. Now, however, God as manifested by the Blessed Trinity plays a central role. Human reason is complimentary to revelation, that is, the unveiling of God's very Self to the world. The rational, objective mind is still important, indeed necessary, but a major theme of this Fundamental Theology class is our penetration into mystery and the need to comfortably exist in that realm before approaching something like "the study of God." The theologian Henri de Lubac comprises most of the reading for this class, so if you want a sense of his thinking, click the blue link on his name.

Mission & Culture - The Catholic Church exists throughout the world or, to put it more theologically, is present "at all times in all places to all peoples." As a result of this universality, a deep understanding of tradition, customs, heritage, etc. is needed to minister to a multipolar, diverse Church. Much of this course involves reading documents promulgated by the Vatican or the U.S. Bishops about immigration, language, enculturation, and ecumenism. This seems like an especially valuable course for a future priest of the Archdiocese of Chicago, one of the most culturally, ethnically, and linguistically diverse dioceses in the country, if not the world. Also, the most awesome!

Introduction to Spiritual Theology - a course centered on forming a deep, rich prayer life founded on the many and diverse spiritual traditions of Christianity. Again, we read many of the early Church Fathers to trace the developments of the spiritual discipline throughout the centuries (e.g., desert thru medieval monasticism). A major focus is the theological and moral virtues. This course involves a major project in the form of a long research paper. We get to choose our own topic and thesis, so I have decided to look at the operation of the Holy Spirit in the life of a hardened sinner as presented by St. Augustine (354-430 AD) in his book Confessions.

Pentateuch - a historical survey of the first five books of the Old Testament with a special focus on Genesis and its correct interpretation. The rise of Christian Fundamentalism (i.e., "Evangelical Christianity," Pentecostalism, etc.) is a grave threat to the compatibility ("going together") of reason and revelation, as mentioned above. The Old Testament, especially Genesis, contains very few literal, historical truths. Much of it is allegorical, metaphorical, and symbolic. By taking the books of the Bible in their proper historical and literary context, much can be discovered about God's nature and love of creation. At the same time, biological science and geology can be beautifully reconciled with the spiritual truths contained in the Pentateuch, something in which I am very interested personally.

Spanish - an introductory course that will give me a basic knowledge of one of the major languages of the Archdiocese of Chicago. The class only meets once a week, but it will be followed by a 4-6 week Spanish immersion experience in Guatemala this summer! I see beaches in my future! I mean... intense prayer followed by constant study. Right.

Most weekdays are pretty jam-packed with classes, but we have our evenings and weekends free, for the most part. This is a great blessing that allows us to study, pray, and relax. On Sunday mornings this year, I have a field apostolate assignment at a nearby parish, St. Mary Margaret in Algonquin, IL. I help teach an RCIA course to a group of people interested in becoming Roman Catholic. Praise God for their inspiration and willingness to learn! I will post some pictures from the parish over the next few months. In the meantime for your viewing pleasure, here is my entire "cam" (hallway in the residence hall). Our "cam priest" is Fr. Emery de Gaal, who also teaches my Fundamental Theology Course. Click for a larger view:

St. Martin de Porres, pray for us!

Rite of Candidacy Letter

2011-05-07T15:00:00.001-05:00

Before I start my theology studies next year, the Church requires me to officially petition for the Rite of Candidacy to be conferred. This is a ritual performed by the Archbishop of Chicago, Cardinal Francis George, in which I solemnly profess to him my intent to pursue priestly studies "for the glory of God, …the people of the Chicago Archdiocese, and the salvation of my own soul." Click the image below to read the letter I was required to write. I was given standard language to use and instructed to handwrite the letter rather than type it. Hopefully the Cardinal can make out my chicken-scratch!

Vatican Press Release - Osama Bin Laden

2011-05-02T12:22:00.000-05:00

A very important statement was released today from the Holy See Press Office at the Vatican:

"Osama Bin Laden, as is known, claimed responsibility for grave acts that spread division and hate among the peoples, manipulating religion to that end. A Christian never takes pleasure from the fact of a man's death, but sees it as an opportunity to reflect on each person's responsibility, before God and humanity, and to hope and commit oneself to seeing that no event become another occasion to disseminate hate but rather to foster peace."

St. Francis of Assisi, patron of peace, pray for us!

Faculty Building Video Tour (My Home!)

2011-04-30T19:15:00.001-05:00

Below is a video tour of the building where I live at Mundelein Seminary, the Faculty Building. You can either watch the video here in the blog, or you can link to the video on YouTube by clicking here. Remember to make the window large by clicking the 'four small arrows' button in the lower-right corner of the display.

Winter Quarter, 2010-2011 Grades

2011-03-20T17:05:00.002-05:00

Finally! Click on the image to see a higher-resolution version:

Spring Quarter Class Schedule

2011-03-08T10:50:00.003-06:00

Click the below image to see my spring quarter, 2011 class schedule:

Briefly, contemporary philosophy (a.k.a., "post-modern philosophy") is a brief survey of developments in the 19th- and 20th-centuries. A full course could be taught on any one of these philosophers (Hegel, Heidegger, etc.), so this is a broad overview to be sure. As was the case last year in Metaphysics, Fr. Pat Rugen, the former chaplain of Calvert House during my time at the University of Chicago, is our professor.

Epistemology, with Fr. Kricek, is concerned with the nature or scope of knowledge. That is, how do we know things? What can we know? Philosophy Seminar II with Fr. Belauskas is an integrative course that seeks to tie together everything we have studied over the past two years. Greek II, with Dr. Nagel, is a continuation of the first quarter which we had back in the fall. Dr. Nagel traveled to the Holy Land during winter quarter with the Third Theology men, so she was unavailable at the time to continue the sequence. I'm embarrassed to say that I did not keep up on my Greek very well during the "break," so it might be a rough transition back. Finally, Fr. Presta, formerly the rector of St. Joseph's College Seminary down on Loyola's campus, has been assigned to start a new course called "Introduction to Mariology." Fr. Presta has his doctorate in the Church's study of Mary (i.e., Marian devotion, role of the Blessed Mother in the Scriptures, etc.), so he is a perfect fit. I'm particularly excited about this class because it will be heavy in early Church history, the developments at Vatican II related to Mary, and Marian apologetics!

We do not have field education this quarter, but I'm going to try to keep up a volunteer commitment to St. Mary of Vernon parish. Traveling there to serve on Thursday nights at the homeless shelter operation or on Saturday mornings for the furniture ministry was very fulfilling these past two quarters: being among the people in the parish is a foretaste of what to expect someday as a priest.

Stay tuned for winter quarter grades!

Fall Quarter, 2010 Grades

2010-12-15T23:10:00.000-06:00

The long-anticipated fall quarter grades are in! As usual, I post these on the blog to remain accountable to the people of the Archdiocese of Chicago who are footing my tuition bill!

I pray for another strong term as winter quarter classes continue. It truly is a blessing to have this time in my life to study philosophy and theology so intensely and with so few outside distractions.

An Interesting Quote about Tolerance

2010-12-10T15:00:00.001-06:00

"America, it is said, is suffering from intolerance.
It is not.
It is suffering from tolerance of right and wrong,
truth and error,
virtue and evil,
Christ and chaos.
Our country is not nearly so much overrun with the bigoted as it is overrun with the broadminded.

In the face of this broadmindedness,
what America needs is intolerance."

The above quote is from Archbishop Fulton Sheen (1895-1979). Sheen now carries the title "Servant of God" because his cause for canonization to sainthood is offically open. He had a certain way of putting things that endeared him to both Catholics and Protestants; I think they both recognized his fervor in promoting the True Faith in Jesus Christ, as well as his great love for the Church. The Archbishop hosted a popular radio program called "The Catholic Hour" from 1930-1950 and two television programs from 1951-1968. His media presence represented a sort of "golden pinnacle" of Catholic catechesis: what a great blessing it would be to have someone like him on the airwaves today!

Interesting fact: actor Martin Sheen, a devout Roman Catholic, who famously played President Josiah Bartlet on NBC's hit series "The West Wing" is actually named "Ramón Gerardo Antonio Estévez." He adopted the stage name "Sheen" in honor of the Archbishop who was active on television and radio during his youth, and whom he admired since childhood.

Winter Quarter Schedule & Other News

2010-12-06T19:02:00.003-06:00

St. Nicholas, pray for us!

This quarter, I will only be taking three classes:

1.) Humanities II - a continued look at Catholic literature, including prose and poetry. The other part of the sequence, which I took last year, dealt mostly with dramatic forms like plays. I have never taken a literary course with a specifically Catholic focus, so it has been interesting to get the perspective of our professor, Fr. Edward Oakes, S.J., who is probably one of the more "plugged-in" priests with regard to the cultural landscape.

2.) Political and Social Philosophy - a survey of philosophy ranging from Plato's Republic to modern Catholic social teaching. We will cover Thomas Aquinas and Augustine's teachings on political life and law, as well as more modern figures such as Hobbes, Locke, and Karl Marx. The class culminates in a study of the encyclicals Rerum Novarum (Leo XIII), Pacem in Terris (John XXIII), Centesimus Annus, and Laborem Exercens (both by John Paul II). I am very excited to have Fr. Robert Baron for the first time this quarter. He is a dynamic, engaging priest who operates his own ministry outside of the seminary called Word on Fire. It's a new Catholic evangelization movement that puts many of our teachings into forms that readily draw people in. I particularly enjoy the movie reviews from the Catholic perspective on his website: http://www.wordonfire.org/.

3.) Worship II: History of the Eucharist Celebration - my first theology course! Taught by Fr. Ron Kunkel who is preparing to receive his doctorate in Systematic Theology, the class will trace the development of Eucharistic liturgy of the Roman Rite. We are starting with the Jewish roots of the Eucharist in the Old Testament, working through the development of Christianity in the New Testament and early centuries of the Church, and culminating in a survey of both tradition through the last twenty centuries and magisterial teaching (i.e., from the Popes). It's a bit intimidating because I share the classroom with thirty other theology seminarians who are wearing clerics! I am the only pre-theologian in the class, but I look forward to learning a lot about the history of the Mass and getting a preview for what my theology years will be like.

Here is a graphical breakdown of my schedule this quarter, including class times and other engagements like spiritual direction, formation sessions, and both communal and private prayer. Click the image below for a larger version.

I am grateful for a somewhat "light" quarter so I can concentrate on my spiritual life and try to work on entering more fully into a habit of prayer.

Two final pieces of news:

(1) My alma mater, Bishop Watterson High School in Columbus, OH, won the Ohio Division III State Championship in football this past weekend! They beat Akron Buchtel 13-12 on Sunday. This is the second time we have captured the state title this decade. The other victory was in 2002 during my time in high school. It was a very exciting game and a very proud moment for the best diocesan Catholic high school in the United States. Congratulations also to Bishop Hartley who triumphed over Chagrin Falls to claim the Division IV State Championship! A good weekend, indeed, for the Church.

(2) My good friend and seminary brother Dan Thelen (Diocese of La Crosse, WI) has begun work on a blog of his own. While my blog focuses on the day-to-day life of a seminarian, his centers on development of the spiritual life. I would enthusiastically recommend checking it out, as his writing is clear, beautiful, and obviously inspired by the Holy Spirit. Here is the URL: http://reflectionsdan.blogspot.com/.

Until my next post, peace be to you and your family during this season of Advent!

Ashtabula to Avon Lake, OH "Reunion Ride"

2010-11-26T16:39:00.005-06:00

+St. Catherine of Alexandria, pray for us!

Last weekend, I was joined by three of my 'Bike and Build' friends from this past summer for a "reunion ride" in northern Ohio. The motivation for such a trip was completing an 85-mile leg that we were unable to do over the summer; severe thunderstorms prevented us from riding that day's miles. Later in the summer, I resolved to finish these miles so I could truly claim that I rode all the way across the country. Initially it was just Steven (my best friend from the trip) and me, as we had envisioned the trip together, but I decided to open it up to the whole group in case anyone else wanted to join. Heather and Kira, two others from the summer, responded positively.

After a three-hour drive north from Columbus, I met the others in Ashtabula, OH on Friday evening, November 19. Together, we checked into the 'Econo Lodge' motel. Here is the famous first shot of us in the motel parking lot:

The room was quite small, but we fit comfortably - I had a secondary reunion with my trusty Therma-a-Rest from the summer! After a late dinner at Perkin's, a local restaurant that had a sort of negative reputation according to the others, we picked-up some breakfast items from Wal-Mart and retired to our motel to prepare for the morning. We were all tired: Steven drove all the way up from Atlanta, GA (12 hours!); Kira and Heather had driven in from New York state. Our sleep was fitful because of some... activity in the next room and loud noise from the street, but we struggled awake at 7:00 AM and prepared our bikes and our bodies for the day ahead.

Here is a shot of the bustling activity that morning:

And Steven outside, ready to go:

All of us, in a serious pose, outside the motel room... the camera was balanced awkwardly on one of our cars, but I assure you that I was wearing a helmet:

After bundling up in several layers, including a hat and special winter cycling gloves, we took off from Ashtabula and began the day's ride. I hadn’t ridden in a line of other cyclists for some months, but the procedure of loudly calling out obstacles in the road came back quickly. The temperature throughout the day stayed steady in the lower 40’s. I was quite comfortable on the bike with the physical activity, but as soon as we stopped for a rest the cold wind would bite through us. I was fortunate to have acquired a winter cycling jackets a couple weeks before that stopped the wind in its tracks, but allowed my skin to breathe through the material.

We stopped at our original host church in Ashtabula and took a quick picture with the sign. Memories flooded back, no pun intended. (The morning of our wake-up in Ashtabula over the summer was greeted with pounding rain and many thunderstorms hanging over our route.) After the obligatory “we were here” photo at the church, we began the day’s miles over rolling hills and heavily-wooded, winding roads. We traveled at a comfortable pace with me in front because I had the cue sheet with directions. (Sorry, guys, hopefully I wasn’t too slow!) The whole of the ride into Cleveland took place on one country road, so it was difficult to get lost. We stopped in a couple picturesque small towns along the route for a rest and snack break. At lunch time, we found a local diner on the side of the road, although I had packed a lunch in my bag complete with peanut-butter and jelly sandwiches and Fig Newtons.

Here is Kira and me in Madison, OH:

Heather about to absorb a caloric boost:

My healthy bagged lunch:

We cycled right along Lake Erie for a short time, which required a short break for pictures:

Soon we entered the eastern part of Cleveland and Heather took over as the leader – she had just graduated from a master’s program in Urban Planning at Cleveland State University so her knowledge of the city was similar to an Aztec’s familiarity with the rainforest.

I truly enjoyed biking through Cleveland – although the roads were pretty bad in some of the lower-income portions of the city, the downtown area itself was quite beautiful and the Catholic parishes we passed were impressive in their architecture. We cycled through a large park in the city that had special, culture-specific monuments to a whole range of countries. I particularly enjoyed riding through the medical district which claims the Cleveland Clinic as one of its residents. There was a convenient bike lane through this portion of town, as well as other dedicated lanes that ran fuel-efficient buses. Of course, there was dense urban riding through the middle of the city, but we were soon over the tall suspension bridge into west Cleveland.

Here is a good picture of us on the bridge with the city in the background:

Unfortunately the seagulls were swarming over the bridge in great numbers so, inevitably, I was pooped on. Rather than despairing, however, I took solace in the fact that the birds were comfortable enough with me so as to share the remains of their lunch.

It was getting noticeably darker by this point in the day; the sun was beginning to set as 5:00 PM approached. We only had about 12 miles left to ride, but, alas, my bike chose twilight as its appointed time to experience mechanical difficulty. The first hint of a problem manifested as a strange “thumping” feeling (read: not sound) coming from the back wheel, similar to the tactile indication of a flat tire. I visually inspected both tires as we continued riding, but no flat seemed apparent. Next I looked at the back brakes and, indeed, they were rubbing against the rim. Thinking they had spontaneously tightened during the course of the day, I called for a brief stop to adjust them. Unfortunately, over the next ten minutes, the problem got worse even after the brake adjustment. Another “maintenance stop” discovered the true source of the problem: my rear wheel was dangerously “out of true,” meaning that the spokes were permitting the wheel to “wobble” back and forth horizontally, scraping not only the brakes, but the frame of the bike itself. Thankfully I acquired some expertise in this area during the summer, so "truing" the wheel was not difficult. I think the many bumps and shocks of the day had loosened the “spoke nipples,” the metal pieces that hold the spokes tightly to the rim. As a result, the wheel became unbalanced and the problem compounded itself with every mile I rode. With a few minutes of fast repairs, we were back on the road.

It was completely dark for these last 10 miles of the day. We had enough bicycle lights between us to illuminate a baseball stadium, but it is never preferred to ride in the dark on a fairly busy road. As a result, we took these miles quite quickly with no further breaks. My front light is bright enough to simulate the strobe from a police car, so we were extremely visible to approaching cars. Everyone had bright red flashing taillights, so cars behind were also warned of our presence from a considerable distance. The temperature dropped significantly after dark, which, along with the darkness, added some stress to this final leg.

Finally we arrived in Avon Lake! We pulled into our original host church – the Avon Lake United Church of Christ – and took a very happy picture out front. We had finished the route!

After a final (easy) couple of miles, we arrived at the home of Jim and Barb Caldwell, my host family from the summer. They had readily agreed to let our group spend the night at their beautiful home before returning to Ashtabula on Sunday. Jim is a commercial real estate appraiser and Barb is a real estate agent for a major company in northern Ohio. They are actually Presbyterian, but enjoy hosting Bike and Build riders each summer as the group passes through Avon Lake. Despite their busy work schedules and family life, both Jim and Barb are extremely socially-committed: they are involved at an inner-city church where they serve as positive role models for the youth and they generously distribute their resources to the less fortunate. The Caldwells are a model of Christian charity who have my respect and admiration. Their sense of humor is also out of this world! I pray they will continue to be my good friends into the future.

We were served a marvelous dinner of home-baked lasagna, salad, and red wine – this sure beat my bagged lunch from earlier! Barb is a great cook who really enjoys working in the kitchen. Following a relaxing shower in a glass cube and SNL with the others, I passed out on a couch until morning.

Following this restful sleep, we were delighted to find an EGGBAKE waiting for us at breakfast! We ate these all summer long, but Barb’s far surpassed the others in quality. We hung around the house for a couple more hours before they graciously drove us to another Cleveland suburb where the others had parked one of our cars. Before the trip, Heather wisely pointed out our likely inability to ride another 85 miles on Sunday. I’m quite glad for her inspiration and our decision to drive back to Ashtabula: although I was able to complete the previous day’s ride with no problems, my backside and shoulders were somewhat displeased with me on Sunday.

Here is Kira and me enjoying a laugh in the Caldwell's garage:

Our impressive packing job of the cars:

Here are a final couple pictures – the first is all of us in front of the Caldwell's house on Sunday morning, the second is just Jim, Barb, and me before we parted:

I had a fantastic time on this trip. It was so good to see some other Bike and Build alumni and spend a day riding with them through beautiful northern Ohio. The weather cooperated as much as possible – cloudy with occasional sun and not too cold – but the company was the highlight of the weekend. Not only was hanging-out with Heather, Kira, and Steven absolutely awesome, but seeing Jim and Barb again was quite satisfying. I look forward to future reunion rides with Bike & Build Northern U.S. alumni.

Before signing off, I also want to show you the beautiful sunset that graced the sky ahead of me as I drove back to Columbus on Sunday evening. Blessed be God and the beauty of his creation!

Auditorium Video Tour

2010-11-12T18:55:00.004-06:00

+St. Josaphat, pray for us!

Here is a video tour of the Mundelein Seminary auditorium, built in 1934. Remember to turn up your sound and click the "full screen" button in the bottom right-hand corner of the video window for a better show!

In other news, Msgr. Lyle, the seminary rector, took the Peer Ministers out for dinner this past week. This is a quarterly informal chat over a good meal in place of our regular meeting in his office. Here is a picture of the group:

From left to right is Brian Slezak, Diocese of Albany, NY and representative of the 1st year theology class; Dan Oudenhoven, Diocese of La Crosse, WI and representative of the 3rd year theology class; an incredibly handsome seminarian with a penetrating gaze; Chuck Schwartz, Diocese of Grand Rapids, MI and representative of the 2nd year theology class; and Msgr. Lyle, the rector of Mundelein Seminary. Not pictured is Wojciech Oleksy, Archdiocese of Chicago and representative of the 4th year class who will be ordained this year to the priesthood. I promise to get a better picture of the group at our final dinner with the rector next quarter. The entryway of the restaurant was a bit tight!

Lastly, I just came off of finals week... my last exam was this afternoon. Everything was scheduled for Thursday and Friday, including:

Document of Vatican II final exam and paper due: Thursday morning
Natural Theology final exam: Thursday afternoon
Greek final exam: Friday morning [toughest part of the week]
Philosophy of Nature final paper due: Friday morning
Medieval Philosophy II final exam: Friday afternoon

It was a tough week, but I got through it and did well on everything. In particular, I really tried to nail Greek since I performed acceptably, if a bit mediocre on the midterm. Last night was quite late, so I'm looking forward to a restful sleep tonight. In the morning, I will drive my friend Jeff to the airport and then I will continue driving to spend the two-week Thanksgiving break with my family in Columbus, OH. Classes resume on Monday, November 29.

Proofs for God's Existence & Glacier Park Photos

2010-10-18T22:24:00.007-05:00

+St. Luke, pray for us!

A major theme this quarter has been so-called "natural" arguments for the existence of God. These arguments are purely dependent on the light of human reason and philosophy, rather than the type of revelation found in the scriptures. You can imagine how useful such an argument might be when discussing religion with an atheist or merely a parishioner whose faith is wavering. Indeed, I have derived much satisfaction out of studying them for my own benefit, so as to "buttress" the faith that called me to seminary in the first place.

The arguments that I will outline below were developed in the Middle Ages, a sort of "golden age" of theological insight and reflection. A central question during this time, roughly defined from 1100-1500 AD, was "how might we know God independent of revelation?" or "Are there ways to come to an understanding of God's existence that engage the purely intellectual faculties we have to comprehend the world?" Reason, the capacity we have to infer and deduce certain conclusions based on sensory data, is a gift from God just as much as any book of the Bible or saintly vision. Reason and wisdom are tied-up together, so it is appropriate for a future priest to become well-versed in philosophy, literally "the love of wisdom."

I will never forget an interaction I had with a non-denominational evangelical Christian as we worked side-by-side to distribute food to the homeless: he questioned why philosophy is a useful or worthwhile approach to questions of the supernatural. Instead, he claimed that simple study of the scriptures and prayer was sufficient preparation to minister to the faithful people of God. While I admired his commitment to a relationship with the Lord and respected his attention to social justice, I could not have disagreed more. By casting aside the insight that allows us to experience and know our world, he limited human understanding of the divine to what is written in the Bible. I think all Catholics would agree that God has revealed much more of himself to the world than just what was written in this very important book. For to believe otherwise is to put a limit on God and claim that he stopped speaking to humankind after the last sentence of Revelation was penned.

The two cornerstone "proofs" for God's existence were developed by St. Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274) and St. Anselm (1033-1109). I would encourage you to read more about each saint by clicking the colored link on their names. Thomas, in particular, has some pretty fascinating stories attached to him. Other monks claimed that he possessed the power of levitation and, when they entered the chapel to fetch him for meals, he would be found sitting on the ceiling. Also, there is the account of his "utter relief" when informed by the Blessed Mother that he would never become a bishop.

All right, enough with the background, onto the proofs!

First, the "Quinque Viae," or Five Proofs of God's Existence by St. Thomas Aquinas. Before we begin, you must know two things:

(1) Thomas believed that an "infinite reduction" was impossible, namely, that you could not keep discovering causes further and further back in history without end. For example, the car I drive was constructed at a Volkswagen plant. That plant was built by a construction company. That construction company was formed as a result of some investors getting together and hatching an idea. Those investors were born on a certain date, whose parents were born on a certain date, et. cetra. You can follow the cause of the Volkswagen plant very far, indeed, all the way back to the Big Bang, but you cannot follow it back infinitely. Eventually, this "casual chain" had to have been initiated. We will discuss this below. Put another way, a passing train cannot consist of only boxcars. The train could take a million years to pass a certain railroad crossing, but there always has to be a locomotive pushing somewhere - a moving train cannot consist entirely of boxcars without an engine, regardless of how long it is.

(2) All his proofs start with an idea with which nobody would disagree. Only by leading people via a logical, stepwise process from an assumption that everyone takes for granted will Thomas be able to convince certain people of God's existence.

The proof involves five parts, all equally weighted to cooperate with each other to form an integrated whole.

Part I: The Argument from Motion
Everything that moves has a mover. This is true for all things in all of human history, from the electrons of an atom to the motion of the planets around the sun. Nothing has ever moved without something else moving it in some way. Even the human body, in its great complexity, is not immune from this condition. For when I move my arm, an electrical signal is sent from my brain to the muscles which impel the movement. This electrical impulse was generated because of some process, as was the energy required to move the arm (i.e., from ingesting food and digesting it to power the systems of my body). To use another example, even a tiny electron orbiting the nucleus of an atom requires a magnetic field or a collision with another electron to accelerate it on its course. Because an infinite reduction is impossible - that is, I cannot go back identifying causes of motion forever - an Unmoved Mover had to exist, a Being which did not require anything to move it first. This Unmoved Mover is what we call God.

Part II: The Argument from Causality
Everything we have ever observed in the world has or had a certain cause. Nothing can exist purely unto itself - something else had to cause it to come into existence or operate in some way. The sands of the seashore were caused by some geological process many millions of years ago. A light bulb required someone to build it. A human fetus is dependent upon the successful joining of sperm and egg to form. Nothing can exist without something else to cause it. Because A caused B, and B caused C, and C caused D, you can follow this "causal chain" or link of causes back very far. However, an infinite reduction is impossible, that is, you cannot keep identifying causes forever. An Uncaused Cause must have initiated the casual chain. This being is what we call God.

Part III: The Argument from Contingency
This argument is very similar to the above, however it contains some important philosophical differences. Contingency is wrapped-up in the possibility for something to exist and describes whether something may or may not happen. Contingent beings are individuals who exist based on some cause and as a consequence of the existence of some other being. Put simply, the proof runs this way:

(1) Contingent beings are caused (every contingent being depends on another being).
(2) Not every being can be contingent (there must be something that isn't dependent on anything else.)
(3) There must be a being which is necessary to cause contingent beings.
(4) We call this necessary being "God."

Part IV: The Argument from Degree and Perfection
Everything we observe has a different level of quality. A perfectly round bicycle wheel is better than a warped wheel that does not turn. A loyal husband is better than a man who cheats on his wife. Socks without holes are worse than socks with holes. A cloudy sky on vacation is worse than a clear and blue sky over a sandy beach. The list goes on and on. We can conclude that there are many different levels of quality: some kinds of quality deal with human relationships, other kinds describe the function of tools, while others interact with our preferences. Despite this, there must be some "perfect" standard by which all such qualities are measured. As a young man, I know I regard some women as more beautiful than others. However, beauty is meaningless unless there is some infinite horizon of beauty to which all beautiful things in this world must be compared. We call that horizon, that ultimate standard God, the complete (read: not partial) realization of beauty, truth, goodness, etc. And not just those positive attributes, but all comparisons of degree and perfection need some standard, some yardstick so more true, perfect, or ideal objects or ideas can be compared against other such beings.

Part V: The Teleological Argument
All objects in the world act for an end, a final purpose or aim all or nearly all of the time. This is easy to understand for human beings and other species with intelligence: our end might be the pursuit of perfection, or perhaps more worldly ambitions like the accumulation of wealth and power. But non-intelligent objects also act toward an end: the final purpose of my desk light is to illuminate my work surface. As Thomas puts it, "whatever lacks intelligence cannot move towards an end, unless it be directed by some being endowed with knowledge and intelligence; as the arrow is shot to its mark by the archer" (Summa Theologica, First Part, Question 2). This continues to be true for all natural things, like trees in a forest or jellyfish in the ocean (their ends are both to sustain themselves, grow, and reproduce offspring for the continuance of the species). If this is the case, all things are directed to some varied end. However, non-intelligent beings would not be capable of acting toward some end, like we humans do, so there must be some being with understanding which directs all things to their end, and this, we say, is God.

Now to be clear, each of these arguments is rather weak by itself, but you come up with a powerful motivator for belief in God when they are taken together. At the end of the day, even if they are not 100% convincing to an atheist, at least they firmly establish a rational basis for faith. If you know these proofs well, no one can ever convince you or others with you that religious faith is unreasonable or irrational. At the very least, a greater knowledge of this Supernatural Being is warranted.

------

The second argument that I will outline is the so-called "Ontological Proof" for God's existence, produced by St. Anselm in the 11th-century. Thankfully, this proof is much shorter than Thomas', but it requires deep thought to understand. The first time it was presented to me, I pridefully argued with the professor that it failed miserably at its task. However, after further reflection, I recognize a great deal of merit in the argument and consider it more than worthy to stand next to the Quinque Viae.

This structure of this proof is a priori, that is, it starts with an idea living in our own minds rather than an experience of the outside world. Thomas' Quinque Viae are a posteriori, which means they start from an experience and work from empirical evidence; they concern things that are testable.

Anselm first asks us to define God as "that which nothing greater is possible." In other words, "God is that which nothing greater can be imagined." See, we are starting with an idea, an intuition that may not be necessarily experienced in everyday life. From here we proceed stepwise to a conclusion:

2.) This "God" we speak of certainly exists as an idea in the mind. In some way, I can imagine something - some Being - for which nothing greater can be imagined.

3.) An idea that exists both in the mind and in reality is greater than an idea that exists solely in the mind. Put another way, it has more worth. The idea of Mt. Everest is worth more than the idea of a golden unicorn because Mt. Everest actually exists in reality and can be visited.

4.) In the same way, if God only exists as an idea in the mind and has no independent existence apart from what is inside our heads, then we can easily imagine a greater possible being that does exist. After all, an idea about a being that does not exist is not worth as much as an idea about a being that does exist.

5.) However, we cannot imagine something greater than God because, at the beginning, we defined "God" to be "that which nothing greater is possible."

6.) Therefore, God exists.

Pay close attention to the transition between the steps and proceed slowly, never advancing until you completely understand what you are reading. I had to do this many times before I fully grasped what this proof is saying. Hopefully you'll catch on faster than me!

I know that may have been exhausting reading, so, as a prize for finishing, below is a collection of photos of Glacier National Park in western Montana. These photos were taken by my Bike & Build teammates in the middle of August as we rolled through. Unfortunately, my camera was left in my bag so I had no access to it for the most beautiful day of riding on the whole trip. I will reference you to this post to read my experiences of the day. To supplement the written account, here is a photographic record of the most beautiful natural landscape I have ever seen:

Enough with the natural beauty... some shots with PEOPLE:

Sun on the Main Chapel

2010-10-14T11:32:00.000-05:00

I caught a picture of our beautiful main chapel this morning on my way to Mass as the sun was rising over the lake. We are extremely blessed to have such a magnificent sacred space right here on campus!

Midterms and a Couple Recent Events

2010-10-11T00:08:00.000-05:00

This week marks the start of fall quarter midterms here at Mundelein Seminary. We are on three 10-week quarters, so midterms usually show up anywhere between weeks 4-6. The workload will be quite heavy, mostly because everything is concentrated in the next couple days:

Medieval Philosophy paper - due Monday afternoon
Natural Theology test - Monday afternoon
Greek test (VERY nervous about this!) - Tuesday morning

We already had a big paper in Philosophy of Nature (Fr. Oakes' class) due this past Friday. In an uncharacteristic display of academic foresight, I took it through three drafts with both the professor and TA, so hopefully it will garner an 'A'. Additionally, I gave a presentation on the Vatican II document "Apostolicam Actuositatem" (the decree on the laity) in Archbishop Keleher's class this past Thursday, which went very well. Thankfully, after Tuesday, things will calm down significantly until final exams in November. Pray that I can push through the next couple days along with all the "regular" commitments of seminary life!

In other news, last weekend marked the seminary's annual "Family Day," when our parents, grandparents, siblings, and other relatives are officially welcomed on campus to spend time with the community and explore. My mother drove up from Columbus, Ohio on Friday and stayed until Sunday. It was wonderful to see her and spend time with her; usually my only opportunities to see family are on quarter breaks. I have not seen my mother since June before my cycling trip across America, so it was a long-anticipated visit. We went to dinner at a local restaurant on Friday night, and then spent Saturday moving from one event to the next. Because of my responsibility as a class officer, I was in charge of planning most of Family Day together with my fellow representatives. It was a lot of work and I'm glad it's over!

We ate our meals in the refectory together and I gave her a walking tour of campus before the first "official" event of the day, a "mock classroom lecture" with Dr. Elizabeth Nagel, my Greek professor who also teaches several scripture courses. Dr. Nagel is one of my favorite members of the faculty, so I asked her well in advance to give a talk about scripture and our Catholic tradition. The talk was quite full and very engaging. I'm glad it went so well - perhaps future Peer Ministers can plan a similar event! My mother and I subsequently went to Mass in the Chapel of the Immaculate Conception, then lunch. We also spent some time in the Mundelein Seminary museum, located in the lower level of the library. Many artifacts from past generations of bishops, priests, and seminarians were on display, as well as student artwork. It was a very interesting exhibit that showed the history and influence of the seminary, as well as the Archdiocese of Chicago. Later in the afternoon, we attended a theater organ concert in the auditorium ("Love Songs from the 1930's") and then watched a movie in the same auditorium called "The Scarlet and the Black." The movie was about an Irish monsignor assigned to the Vatican in the 1940's. He used his cover behind the Vatican's neutrality to safeguard many downed American pilots and other potential-POWs from the Nazis. I highly recommend the film, if you have not seen it:

My mother left after brunch on Sunday, although I will see her again quite soon when I return to Columbus for two weeks in November. There is nothing better than the Mundelein Seminary break system! Two weeks in November, two in December, two in February and the beginning of March, and a full ten days around Easter. Fall quarter is the only uninterrupted time in which we are in class for ten weeks in a row. I hope there are no Josephinum guys reading this and feeling jealous!

In other news, I got a surprise visit from my good friend Amanda who is studying canon law in Rome. Because of the distance, I rarely see her, even on breaks, so I was delighted to get a call informing me that she had a four-hour layover at O'Hare this past Friday. Unfortunately, her grandmother in Columbus passed away so she was returning home for the funeral; this somber occasion dampened our reunion somewhat, but it was still awesome to see such a holy and directed young woman whom I am proud to call a good friend! I picked her up from the international terminal and we went to dinner at a local Italian restaurant a few miles from the airport. Her plane was late, so we didn't have as much time as I wanted, but we still had a good conversation. Here is a picture that we got back at the airport before the big goodbye:

Lastly, I was privileged to give a vocations talk on Saturday to some men discerning the priesthood. About fifteen guys were visiting the seminary this past weekend to pray about the question and tour the campus. I was part of a panel of three other seminarians who shared their own vocations stories. I asked Mary before the talk began to bless my words and help them to resound in the hearts of the visiting men, if that was her Son's will. I also asked that thoughts of "how well I did" and other concerns of vanity be wiped away in favor of true humility. I believe both prayers were answered. It was a very blessed and holy time, and I felt affirmed in my own vocation as well as hopefully helping with theirs. It continues to astound me how deeply meaningful it is to talk about my journey with Christ and, God-willing, help others along the same path. May the Blessed Mother continue to enlighten the hearts of men and women who are called by her Son to priestly or religious ministry!

That's all for now. Stay tuned to the blog for an update this Friday outlining some interesting proofs for God's existence to which we have been exposed this year. There might also be a surprise at the end of that post, which I will not reveal until the appointed time. Blessings on your week!

Feast of the Holy Rosary

2010-10-07T22:56:00.002-05:00

Today is a very special day - the Feast of the Holy Rosary, otherwise referred to as the commemoration of Our Lady of the Rosary. It is the only day in the liturgical calendar in which we get to celebrate a naval battle! The feast was instituted by Pope Pius V to celebrate the anniversary of the defeat of the great Turkish fleet at the Battle of Lepanto on the first Sunday in October, 1571. This battle ended the threat of Muslim domination of the Mediterranean. The victory was ascribed to an outpouring of prayer throughout the Christian world, called for the Holy Father, as well as the intercession of the Blessed Mother through many thousands of faithful Catholics praying the rosary. We celebrate the success of the battle to this day because it highlights the incredible power of the rosary, as well as the care and concern Mary has for each of us.

The battle lasted five hours and was located in the Gulf of Patras on the Ionian Sea. The Holy League consisting of the forces of Spain, the Republic of Venice, the Papal States, the Republic of Genoa, the Duchy of Savoy, and the Knights of Malta engaged over 250 war galleys of the Ottoman Empire with their complement of nearly 32,000 soldiers. The Christian forces numbered only 208 ships and about 23,000 soldiers, although it possessed more artillery. The Ottomans had not lost a naval battle since the fifteenth century, so this was a major defeat for them. Their advance into continental Europe was arrested, and their control of Mediterranean trade was broken. Some historians have declared this to be the most significant naval battle anywhere on the globe since the Battle of Actium in 31 BC. Historian Paul Davis wrote:

"This Turkish defeat stopped [their] expansion into the Mediterranean, thus maintaining western dominance, and confidence grew in the west that Turks, previously unstoppable, could be beaten."

May we always remember the power of the Most Holy Rosary and seek Our Lady's intercession often for all the problems of this world.

Here is a diagram showing the deployment of the Christian and Ottoman forces:

This painting of the battle hangs in the National Maritime Museum in London. Note the oars that propel the ships forward during the battle:

The Battle of Lepanto, by Paolo Veronese. Note the supernatural elements:

Fresco of the battle in the Vatican Museum Hall of Maps:

Seminary Appeal Weekend #2 and Golf Outing

2010-09-27T01:24:00.001-05:00

Rather than the "usual" Friday update, I decided to wait until after my second Seminary Appeal Weekend experience to post a new entry. The next post will be an exciting video tour of my new room in the faculty building, all the way on the other side of campus from my living space last year. Stay tuned to the blog for that video.

This past Saturday I left the seminary in the afternoon and traveled to St. Peter Damian parish in Bartlett, IL. It was quite a distance from Mundelein, although not nearly as far as Our Lady of Knock parish the weekend before. St. Peter Damian is the farthest parish west in the Archdiocese of Chicago. You shortly cross into either the Diocese of Joliet or the Diocese of Rockford if you proceed any further west or south. Here is an image that shows the Ecclesiastical Province of Chicago, which comprises all the dioceses in the State of Illinois. You will need to click the image to see it larger:

As you can see, the Archdiocese of Chicago is the smallest by geographical area; we only cover two counties. However, we are the most heavily- and densely-populated by far.

I arrived at St. Peter Damian before the 5:30 PM Saturday Mass and promptly greeted the pastor, Fr. Walter Takuski. He is a Polish priest who immigrated to the United States in the mid-1990's to serve Chicago. His family preceded him, so he followed both to be near them and serve the large Polish population in the Archdiocese. Fr. Walter was nothing but generous and hospitable, offering the rectory for my relaxation after Mass and taking me out to dinner later in the evening.

I spoke at the Saturday evening Mass, as well as three Masses on Sunday (8:00, 9:30, 11:00 AM). It was really one after another - somewhat tiring but a good sense of how the typical priest feels after a long Sunday morning! I was given about ten minutes after the Gospel to speak about vocations, the seminary, and how to support it. I used my speech from the previous weekend as a template, but added and improved some parts. Notably, I incorporated the Gospel to tie my talk into the readings for the day. Luke recounts Jesus' parable about the rich man and Lazarus. I observed that the "wide chasm" separating the two men after death (i.e., rich man in the underworld, Lazarus in heaven) may serve as an appropriate metaphor for the afterlife, but not for the relationship between seminarians and the people of the Archdiocese. There is no such chasm separating us, the seminarians, from the people in the pews. We love the people of the Archdiocese, desperately want to serve them and provide the sacraments, and look forward to the day when we will be ordained and placed into a parish. I also talked about myself and my own vocation, as well as a brief history of Mundelein Seminary and how a typical day looks in the life of a seminarian. Many people approached me after Mass to encourage and thank me for my vocation, as well as to ask further questions. It was a beautiful experience that affirmed my love for parish ministry and put my seminary studies back into perspective.

While the people are energized and very community-oriented, the church of St. Peter Damian itself is somewhat drab. It was built in the horrific architectural style of the 1970's - lots of concrete and pastel carpeting, a strange "viewing balcony" above the pews, and ugly modern art throughout the sanctuary. Notable was a giant wooden "sunburst" above the celebrant's chair with the tabernacle way off to the side; it took me a few minutes to actually find the tabernacle when I first entered the church! The church was one of those "parishes in the round" that was so popular to build in the 70's and 80's. Rather than the traditional cruciform layout (a couple main aisles extending in straight lines to the back of the church), the church was built almost like a theater with the pews surrounding and encompassing the altar. It fills my heart with sadness to see churches built in this style - completely ignorant of the beautiful architectural traditions of the Church and seeking to be "modern" in a misguided sense that inspires no feelings of transcendence. I know that the people and the community are the primary factor to consider in parish ministry, but the church environment plays a huge role in how people approach the liturgy. While grateful for the dynamic community of St. Peter Damian, I was disappointed with yet another example of post-modern relativism in church construction. Here are some pictures:

Now, to be fair, I really liked the way Fr. Walter said Mass. He had a very reverent, solemn manner that spoke to the reality of the Eucharist. For example, his bows and genuflections were deep and purposeful. He also did not add "extra" language into the parts of the Mass, preferring to stick with what is actually written in the Sacramentary. Also, I enjoyed the statue of St. Peter Damian off to the right side with a very interesting quote from his life. This is the third image above, for your reference.

very comfortable mattress! It was hard to get up this morning...

I am very thankful to the priest and the people of St. Peter Damian for allowing me to address them and take a second collection for the seminary system in the Archdiocese of Chicago. It is truly refreshing and affirming to be among the people in the parish; I wish there were more opportunities for this type of engagement. I returned to the seminary on Sunday afternoon after a wonderful lunch and conversation with a good friend in Park Ridge, another suburb of Chicago.

I also want to use this blog post to briefly report on the Seminary Golf Outing, held recently to raise funds for needed programs. The Golf Outing is held once each year at a local golf course. The players then come to the seminary for dinner and an awards presentation. The seminarians are each assigned to a particular function to held the day run more smoothly. Last year I worked in the parking lot, helping to load golf clubs and direct cars. This year, I received a much better assignment actually on the golf course. Along with 4th-year Michael Taylor (Diocese of Albany, NY), I worked as a "pin spotter" on the 8th hole. Basically, my job was to watch the green for the "closest to pin" shot, as well as any holes-in-one. Prizes were awarded for each of these categories. I sat in a golf cart watching the green most of the day, alternately reading a book and checking the news on my iPhone. There were a few close shots, but nobody got a hole-in-one. Michael and I joked that the safest place to stand would actually be next to the pin to avoid getting hit...

I enjoyed talking to all the golfers as they passed by, meeting them and hearing about where they were from. Many of them were very interested in me and asked questions about my life before the seminary and how things are going now. We had probably close to 100 golfers this year who played in foursomes, for the most part. Unfortunately, the weather was cloudy and cold; it threatened rain all day. Despite this, the golf outing was a great success and helped raise much-needed money for the seminary. I was glad to participate in helping the golf course run smoothly this year. Here is a picture of Michael and me next to our golf cart:

This week is going to be very busy. Family Day is this coming weekend and my mother is coming up from Ohio. Along with the other class leaders, I have the responsibility to plan the weekend and make sure everything runs smoothly. A lot of work remains between now and then to ensure a good experience for everyone. Please pray that I will be able to balance this extra-curricular demand, along with my academics and prayer life. I long for the quiet and tranquility of Winter Quarter!

Cam Retreat and Seminary Appeals Weeekend

2010-09-19T23:58:00.000-05:00

St. Januarius, pray for us!

First of all, my sincere apologies for not updating this blog in so many days! Fall quarter at Mundelein Seminary is, simply put, overwhelming. Hopefully my devoted readers used the time to catch-up on the volumes I wrote over the summer. Starting this week, I will be consistently submitting a new post every Friday; look for the new entry in the afternoon or evening. It is my hope that this regularity will help everyone stay current. The themes from week to week will vary: for example, some weeks will focus on "the life of a seminarian" and report hard news, while others might discuss certain issues related to living the Catholic faith in today's world. I hope you will continue visiting this blog as my discernment and seminary studies continue.

This past weekend has been a very busy one. Almost immediately after class on Friday, my cam brothers and I departed for Williams Point, WI on a mini-retreat. "Cam" is short for camerata, the Italian word for "dormitory." All the residence halls at the seminary are divided into blocks of about 10-12 men. These halls, or "cams," form a distinct community and take on a special flavor depending on the personalities of the seminarians within them. Usually, you stay with your cam for the entirety of your time at the seminary. My cam, 1-West in the Faculty Building, is quite close. It tends to be a quieter cam because of its distance from the other seminarians in an adjacent building, which is fine with me!

Our retreat took place at the home of one of the 4th-year men on our cam who will very shortly be ordained for the Diocese of Joliet, IL. He is currently a "transitional deacon," which is an intermediate state between layperson and priest. This is in contrast to "permanent deacons" who typically serve in diocesan parishes. The house was on the shores of Lake Geneva, a very beautiful body of water just over the border from Illinois into Wisconsin. The town of Williams Point is occupied year-round, but serves primarily as a summer and vacation destination for upper-middle class and wealthy Chicagoans.

We arrived on Friday afternoon and stayed only until Saturday afternoon, a short 24 hours together away from the hustle and bustle of the seminary. Much of this time was spent relaxing in community, getting to know one and another as we enter another academic year. We watched the movie "Clue" on Friday night, a hilarious film from 1985 starring Eileen Brennan, Tim Curry, and Madeline Kahn (a MUST SEE!). On Saturday, we gathered for a couple long reflections prepared by men on the cam and then discussed what was brought-up. This included Marian spirituality as it relates to the priesthood and the connection between the Blessed Mother and Catholic evangelization. I prepared a delicious lunch of very hot chili (my speciality) before we took our yearly cam picture, which will join pictures from previous years on the wall of our community room. For your viewing pleasure:

Look for the handsomest guy in the frame... that would be me.

You will also see our "cam priest," Fr. Emory DeGaul. He is a priest on the faculty here at Mundelein Seminary and is currently teaching my Natural Theology course. A Hungarian by birth, he is widely traveled and well-regarded in Catholic academic circles. In fact, the Holy Father regards this as "Emory's Seminary" whenever we are mentioned to him. I am very grateful to have such a learned scholar and humble man as my cam priest.

I was forced to leave the retreat early because of an appointment at Our Lady of Knock parish in Calumet City, IL (far south suburbs, near the Indiana border... one of the last parishes south in the Archdiocese of Chicago before it ends). I was asked by the director of Chicago seminarians on campus to speak at all the Masses for "Seminary Appeals Weekend," which is actually next weekend. However, because of the large number of parishes and the modest number of men studying here at the seminary, some of us are asked to go twice. I am always eager to step out into the parish and be among the Catholic communities of Chicago for a time, the same communities I may one day serve. It is a great joy to be with the people, as it serves as a constant reminder why I am here studying so hard and waking up early every morning!

The parish was small - no more than 1,000 families. Calumet City is a historically white, working-class neighborhood, but they have seen great changes in the past 10-15 years with African-Americans moving in as they are displaced from certain areas of Chicago. Because of the black influx, many white families move out farther into the suburbs, or even cross the state line and reside in northern Indiana! This has the effect of shrinking the parish, which was, at its height, nearly 2,000 families strong. The remnants in the parish are mostly elderly, lifelong parishioners. There is a great sense of devotion and love for their parish and they do not want to leave. The people were fiercely proud of their Chicago heritage, much like the parishioners of St. Symphorosa parish, the church I was asked to visit last year for this same event.

I spoke in place of the homily at the 5:30 PM Saturday night Mass, as well as the 8:00 and 10:00 AM Sunday Masses. Father Lyons, the pastor, was gracious enough to provide an introduction each time, as well as the time itself to address the people. I started by telling about myself, including my history and my vocations story. After this part, I transitioned into a description of Mundelein Seminary, making sure to include some colorful stories about its storied past and impressive present. Finally, I concluded with an appeal to "give generously to support the seminary, an institution that is training the same priests who will serve the people of Chicago one day." I can only assume the collection was modest due to the economic means I observed around me. My central focus, however, was not collecting as much money as possible, but rather informing the people of Our Lady of Knock parish that there are nearly 80 men studying for the priesthood in the Archdiocese of Chicago who love them and desperately want to serve them after their ordination. The priesthood is not dead or dying; instead, it is vibrant with a great love of the holy traditions of our Church characterizing the ranks of men in line for the altar. I tried to make it clear that seminarians are not some "other-worldly breed" who reside at some distant seminary scribbling by candlelight into the night; rather, we are normal guys who were raised in many of the parishes around town who laugh, have a sense of humor, and can relate to normal people in the pews. I can only pray that my message was conveyed to their hearts by the Holy Spirit and my words.

I stayed in the parish rectory last night, an enormous building that formerly housed a convent. Fr. Lyons was gracious to provide me with a bedroom, as well as a sprawling sitting room in which to read. I joined Fr. Don Fenske and Sr. Alban Hermes for a delicious dinner of pot roast and mashed potatoes. Fr. Fenske is a retired priest who lives at the parish. Sr. Alban is a a member of the Sinsinawa Dominicans, whose motherhouse is in Sinsinawa, Wiconsin. She has served as a pastoral associate at the parish for many years and obviously loves her work in the religious life; she came across as a very holy woman who works hard with and for the parishioners. Dinner itself, while very tasty, was somewhat interesting. Fr. Don is an old-school priest, ordained before the Second Vatican Council. It is clear that some traditions never die, including the handbell on the table which summoned the cook to clear away dishes and bring another course. This initially struck me as a little unnecessary, but I reminded myself that "this is the way it was done" in the 1950's and 60's. Every parish had a full-time cook and housekeeper, usually in residence and on the parish payroll, as well as a gaggle of religious sisters who ran the school and kept everything else in order. The Catholic world has certainly changed, but it is very interesting hearing - and seeing! - how it "used to be."

I left Our Lady of Knock around noon after finishing some conversations with the parishioners. I was warmly greeted after every Mass and enjoyed talking with the people as they asked me questions and told me about themselves. I did not depart before capturing a few snapshots of the parish for my own posterity and the viewing delight of my readers:

Here is a view of the main sanctuary. Note the icon of Our Lady of Knock at the top:

Here is a shot of the whole church:

And the outside facade:

Stay tuned for another update on Friday!

1950's Catholic Life

2010-09-05T23:35:00.000-05:00

I don't know if this is how things really were, but here is a brief glimpse of Catholic life in the 1950's courtesy of the "Catholic Church Extension Society" 2010 calendar. I found this calendar in an empty parish somewhere in Montana where I stopped for some time in front of the Blessed Sacrament. Take special note of the beautiful poem about Mary in the second image down, "Our Lady in Strange Attire."

Spring Quarter Grades & Fall Quarter Schedule

2010-09-03T15:25:00.003-05:00

St. Gregory the Great, pray for us!

During the course of the summer, I received my spring quarter, 2010 grades in the mail. I post these to remain accountable to the people of the Archdiocese of Chicago who are paying my tuition! Click the image for a larger version:

I also now have my upcoming fall quarter schedule. First is a list of the classes and then a schedule blocking that shows my whole day:

Silent Retreat

2010-08-29T16:27:00.000-05:00

St. Sabina, pray for us!

Tonight begins our week-long silent retreat, which ends Friday. We are instructed to use this time for prayerful discernment about our vocation, as well as growth in holiness. I am very much looking forward to this silence, especially coming off Bike & Build; I don't think I would have been ready to jump right into classes after such a demanding summer! We will have daily Mass and guided reflections each day, but most of the week will be free time to use at our discretion.

My goal during this week is to rediscover the seminarian prayer life. I plan to spend a significant amount of time in front of the Blessed Sacrament, taking reflective walks around the lake, and truly immersing myself in the Liturgy of the Hours. My sense now is that God is truly calling me to the priesthood, so I would like to solidify that desire and align my will with His. Of course, discernment is always ongoing so nothing is final, but I pray often that God might make His will known to me… I believe that is indeed happening.

Please pray that this week will be spiritually-rewarding for me. I promise to pray for all of you - family, friends, and supporters who have followed this journey closely.

May the Most Holy Mother of God guide us all into a closer relationship with her Son.

Into Canada and the End

2010-08-28T09:27:00.007-05:00

On Thursday we cycled a "short" 35 miles across the Canadian border from Washington into Surrey, British Columbia (BC). It took us forever to get out in the morning, mostly because people were so excited about the end of the trip drawing near. The ride was very hilly - I mean, MONSTER HILLS - both up and down. The weather was also nasty: rainy and cold all the way in. I thought it was a very challenging ride despite the short distance; being cold and wet affects your perception of even short rides. Crossing the Canadian border went quickly, as I simply had to present my passport and they practically waved me through. Here is a picture of the group from behind at the border crossing:

Once we arrived at the (Lutheran) church in Surrey, we learned that access to the facilities was not possible until 5:00 PM (it was only 2:00). A Bible camp was being conducted in the church and the place was crawling with children. So, along with a few other riders, we walked to a nearby mall and enjoyed the peace of a coffee shop (and later a pub!) until it was time to enter the church. Once we finally got in, we discovered the very small room to which we had all been assigned:

It was cramped quarters, to say the least, but we were thankful for a place to stay that was not a tent! After a community dinner out on the lawn, I helped wash the coolers as part of my "end of the trip duties" and retired by about 10:00 PM.

Here is a group picture we took at the church in Surrey:

A note about the area: the neighborhood of Surrey where we stayed was called "Central City." The whole city of Surrey is merely a bedroom community of Vancouver, like a suburb. The demographics, however, were fascinating: I almost exclusively saw Southeast Asians (people from India and other countries in the regions west of China). There was a wide mix of economic levels, including the very poor who were at the church for the community dinner, the middle-class living in small frame houses, and the rich living in beautiful, newly-constructed high-rise condos surrounding the area. I have never seen such diversity and heterogeneity in one place before, not even in some of the more "ethnic" neighborhoods of Chicago. Even though we were just over the border into Canada, the culture felt radically different. To be honest, it made me somewhat uncomfortable. There was a visual sterility about the place, but also the awkward familiarity of a newly-established melting pot. For example, the local community athletic club where we took showers was a buzz of Indian activity - it was like a huge festival was going on in the building! People were spread out in the hallways; the pool was jammed with children; and the noise level was approaching deafening. And I don't think anything "special" was even going on besides a typical night in the community. It felt like a very busy section of New Delhi in terms of the density and amount of activity, not at all like a suburb of Vancouver. I guess what bothers me about Canada is the lack of an easily-identifiable culture. Because there are so many cultures co-existing in one spot/city/country, a sort of "mass identity" is too difficult to form. I wonder how their national pride is affected by this observation?

I certainly appreciated seeing such an interesting neighborhood, but it was also off-putting after experiencing the peace and rather reserved nature of the Pacific Northwest for the past week. Our host church was very run-down and small and it, too, served as a hub of community activity throughout the day and night. It was anything but a relaxing environment to spend one of our last nights of the trip, so I was pleased to pull out on Friday morning after the route meeting.

Another word here before continuing: the last couple days have been somewhat demanding emotionally. As I have previously reported, many of the riders are "extreme" athletes with type A personalities. As a result, they really like noise and constant activity, such as spontaneous dance parties with loud rap music or going cliff jumping on our days off. As the end of the trip has approached, the energy has increased to very high levels that are off-putting to me. For example, before we left the church on Thursday morning back in Lynden, the other riders conducted a 20-minute dance party around the van while its speakers blasted energetic music. They leaped and spun in the air, crafting wild dance moves alone or with each other. If you know me at all, you might guess how uncomfortable I am in those situations. Certainly there is a level of adaptation that is necessary (i.e., join with the community, adopt local customs, be a responsive person rather than a cold fish, etc.), but I really did not want to dance or sing or generally go crazy during these last couple days of the trip. The other riders, including the leaders of the trip, did not seem to understand this. I was constantly sought to join the dance parties or other "team builders." Even when I politely and clearly refused, the prodding continued. My apologies if this lapses into complaint, but I was not interested in participating in this aspect of the team dynamic. As a result I was made to constantly feel guilty about not being a "team player" via the other riders' expressions of disappointment.

If there is one lesson to take from this situation to the priesthood, it is that everyone should feel comfortable in a (religious) community. Forcing or coercing someone to participate in something is actually detrimental to their feeling of integration. As humorous and charismatic as I have been reported to be, my true preference is solitude and quiet. This is how I recharge my batteries! Things like loud dance parties actually drain me, which is something I neither wanted nor could afford during the last couple days on Bike & Build. You might suggest that I had considered this before joining the trip, but I believe it is possible to participate in something like a bike ride across America for affordable housing while still preserving my essential character traits - refusing to radically change my personality to conform to the group's superabundant energy is not something for which I apologize.

So, as you can see there was some stress during the final days. This tension existed during the course of the whole summer, but it was not so bad most of the time because we were so far away from our goal. I am glad to have experienced the personalities of the other riders and I am proud to call several of them my friends now, but I hope future Bike & Build trips give a little more thought to those team members who prefer a slightly more sedate environment.

On Friday we rose at the usual time to complete our final ride into Vancouver. The day dawned cold and rainy, like the previous morning. Since the route was exclusively urban riding, we were split into four groups with a leader who had mapped the ride the previous day. This person was responsible for guiding us through Vancouver to our destination, Second Beach. There were MANY turns and confusing steps to the route, but the leader was able to point the way.

We left the church at about 8:00 AM. The rain was coming down and the sky was dark, so I had every light on my bike blinking away. One of our first challenges was to cross a large suspension bridge that separates Surrey from the city of Vancouver. Because of a very narrow sidewalk and heavy traffic, we walked our bikes across the entire span of the bridge. Here is a picture of the conditions from my perspective:

Following the bridge we proceeded to cycle about 20 miles over city streets and boulevards to the Vancouver "Science World," a huge golf ball-shaped structure in the downtown area. Everyone met here at noon so we could complete the final three miles together as a large group. We were all completely soaked at this point and we were dreading the "wheel dip" ceremony in the pouring rain. I tried to dry some of my clothes at the science center, but the air was too humid. My cycling shorts and jersey were so wet that they stuck to me like plastic wrap to a metal bowl... very uncomfortable!

Once everyone assembled, we pulled out and rode along the waterfront to the beach. Despite my earlier reservations, even I joined the singing and bell ringing through the city. I was just so glad to be almost done! The rain and cold continued during this part of the journey, but as soon as we turned the corner into the beach, several things happened almost simultaneously:

(1) The rain stopped

(2) The sun came out in force

(3) The temperature warmed up at least ten degrees, probably more

I truly believe this was a miracle, a divine intervention so we could truly enjoy the last minutes of the trip. The sky was beautiful: huge, fluffy white clouds moving majestically across the sky while the sun turned the water of the Pacific Ocean an incredible royal blue. The colors on the beach were vibrant in the early afternoon sunlight; I could see every detail of the boats out on the water. We cheered at this sudden, unexpected change and I privately thanked God for His love of the Bike & Build group, manifested in our safe arrival at this beach and the weather change that had suddenly graced the sky.

Parking my bike against a trash can and stripping off everything save my shorts and jersey, I joined the rest of the group running down to the water. We jumped into the Pacific Ocean and spent the next 15 minutes savoring this glorious feeling of accomplishment. We splashed around, hugged, and congratulated one another on the completion of a nearly 4,000-mile trip:

Exiting the water, we conducted the famous "wheel dip" ceremony. Since we dipped our back tires in the Atlantic Ocean way back in June, we turned the bike around and dipped the front tires in the Pacific. This was a very symbolic and meaningful act that sealed the miles between the two oceans. Here are a few pictures of the wheel dip... click any image for a high-resolution version:

Here are some pictures with a few fellow riders... in sequence: (1) Jillian and me, (2) Jillian, Steven, and me, (3) Tony and me, (4) Kira and me:

Here is a shot of Second Beach where our feet first touched the Pacific... note the beautiful weather:

After getting the above pictures and generally hanging-out on the water for a few more minutes, we proceeded up to a nearby pavilion for a wonderful catered lunch (steak burgers!) courtesy of some of the parents. We joined a great number of family and friends who had come to welcome us to Vancouver. I suppose the most interesting part of this afternoon was meeting Steven's parents who are exactly like him! I also met the families of several other riders, including the Islans (who are loyal readers of this blog and Abby's parents), the Kelloggs (Kristin's parents from Texas), and the McMillans (Chris's parents, Mr. McMillan being a conservative Roman Catholic!). It was great spending this time with everyone and just generally relaxing in the sunshine after our short ride through Vancouver.

A couple of the other riders planned an awards ceremony: every rider received a decorated paper plate presented to him or her with a certain superlative on it (e.g., "best hair" [Abby] or "most likely to run into a pole" [Sam]). My paper plate, read aloud to the whole assembly of riders, family, and friends said:

"Most likely to drain the Pacific with one shower."

This is entirely appropriate and very funny: everyone else was able to take 3-4 minute showers this summer, but I usually lingered for longer, scrubbing and cleaning well. Call me crazy, but rubbing a teaspoon of shampoo over my whole body with my hands doesn't really qualify as acceptable cleanliness. In any case, I was teased mercilessly and good-naturedly the whole summer about my "15-minute showers." Hey, no saddle sores or fungus problems with this seminarian!

Here is a picture of the whole group with their plates and another one with just me:

We rode a short distance from the beach to the church where I proceeded to box up my bike for shipping back to Chicago, take a great shower at the local YMCA, and pack everything else for the flight home. I joined several others for dinner at an incredible Mongolian BBQ restaurant down the street: $11 for all-you-can-eat BBQ... and it was perfect! By the time I got back to the church it was late and I still had packing to do, so I decided not to join the others at the bar. Retiring on my Therma-a-Rest for the last time, I caught about four hours of sleep before having to rise to catch my plane. Tony and I shared a cab to the Vancouver airport at 4:30 AM, arriving at 5:00 which is the recommended three hours before an international flight. Thankfully I arrived when I did because the line at the counter was very long and slow; I had to wait about 30 minutes in a holding area while the agents served everyone departing on a plane to Los Angeles at 6:00. Who gets to the airport for an international flight one hour before it leaves? I allow more time than that at Midway for a domestic flight!

In any case, I made it to my gate and was able to type this blog entry before boarding. I have several hours of travel before arriving at Chicago O'Hare. Jeff Lamott, one of my best friends at the seminary, is going to pick me up so I am looking forward to seeing him. I look forward to my return to the seminary with great eagerness, anticipation, and joy. While I enjoyed Bike & Build very much and learned many things about myself and others this summer, I am ready to return to my seminary studies and priestly formation. Even the simple things are exciting, like having the Eucharistic reserved in a tabernacle - 24 hours a day - just feet from my room!

I am very glad I did the trip this summer. It was physically and emotionally-demanding, but enormously enriching in so many areas. I grew spiritually in my relationship with God, Christ, the Blessed Mother, and the saints. The Church gave me great solace through the physical and emotional difficulties of the trip, especially attendance at weekend Mass either alone or with other riders. Despite the many beautiful girls on the trip, I believe my vocation to the priesthood has been strengthened both by grace and my interactions with Catholic and non-Catholics along the way. I am thankful for the strength, endurance, and safety that the Lord granted me each and every day, and I praise God for helping me to complete this great goal so I may better glorify His Holy Name and His Church. I am sure Bike & Build will come up in subsequent posts, but I am going to leave it alone for now and let things process, or "simmer" for a while. My great thanks for all your intercessory prayers and support this summer. I know your constantly knocking on heaven's door helped me complete the miles and stay safe along the way.

Omak, WA to Lynden

2010-08-25T23:04:00.002-05:00

On Monday we cycled 61 miles from Omak, WA to Early Winters. After a short seven-mile warm-up, we immediately started the day with a long climb to Loup Loup Pass, elevation 4,020 feet. It was a challenging ascent, but riding with my friend Jillian made it go much faster. On the way up, we passed a fenced yard full of puppies and a baby goat that was so interested in us that he came right to the fence to be petted. My bike has been doing better: not as many noises so I am more confidant in its ability to finish the trip. I kept the bike in “granny gear” all the way up Loup Loup Pass, which is cyclist-slang for the lowest possible gear (easiest, but least forward motion per downstroke). As you increase your gear, the pedaling becomes more difficult but you cover more ground. My knees have been hurting more and more over the past week so I decided not to strain them by operating in a higher, faster gear.

At the top of the pass, Jillian and I took some pictures both with the elevation sign and the sign marking the eight-mile descent; we were very happy to see both!

The road flattened out considerably at the bottom of the mountain, so I covered the remaining miles in record time. I am extremely strong on flat roads, probably one of the strongest riders on the trip. As a matter of fact, I arrived at the campground first! This was the first time on the trip that I have gotten in before anyone else, so I took a picture to mark the occasion:

We made camp in Early Winters, WA, which really isn't a city of village at all, but a bump in the road with a sign marking it. The tents were all assembled by the time I arrived, so I simply had to move my stuff into a select location. After taking a VERY cold bath in a nearby stream, I collapsed on my Therma-a-Rest for a short nap before dinner. We cooked “hobo dinners” again, which are various ingredients stuffed into tin foil and cooked over the fire. Later, we all gathered around the fire to allocate specific amounts of money to our affordable housing groups. This was a contentious discussion, but we finally finished as the coals were dying down. Looking back, the entire process was extremely fair and accountable; each organization was presented well and many people asked questions. I feel confidant that we were equitable in making our decisions about which organizations to fund and at what level.

I slept fitfully in the tent because of the cold. Even though my sleeping bag is rated for temperatures down to 20 degrees, I continually woke-up and tried to (unsuccessfully) gather the material around me for more warmth. Morning finally came and I prepared for Tuesday's ride.

Here are a few pictures of the campsite...

A group discussing affordable housing grants:

The inside of my tent (my bag on the far right):

Kira about to eat her "hobo dinner:"

Hobo dinner itself:

Our roaring fire:

The beautiful mountains surrounding the campsite:

My bathwater, the coldest stream in which I have ever waded (wode?):

On Tuesday, we cycled 80 miles from Early Winters to Rockport, WA. Again, we had a very long, steep climb right at the beginning of the morning. After two hours, I arrived at Washington Pass, elevation 5,477. The terrain all around the road was incredible: high mountains capped with snow, brilliant blue skies without a cloud in them, forests of pine trees covering the slopes, and steep drops leading to enormous piles of boulders a thousand feet below. I rode most of this ascent alone with only my thoughts for company. The road was two lanes with a wide shoulder, so I did not have to worry constantly about getting nailed by a truck.

Here are some pictures taken during the climb:

I got to the top around the same time as Tony, my friend from Chicago. We took the classic "pass pose" together and then I got one by myself:

I got some great shots of the road leading up the mountain from an observation point at the top of the pass:

Some great shots of yours truly at the observation point, as well as one with Steven, my best friend on the trip... we were forced into the "awkward hug pose" by the girl taking our picture:

At an elevation of nearly 5500 feet, there was only one way to go from there... down! We spent the next 20 miles on steep descents. I prayed very hard that my bike (and body) would arrive at the bottom in one piece. It looks like heaven was listening because I finally got down the mountain after attaining my top speed of the trip: 39.7 MPH. For the rest of the day we rode along Diablo Lake and (later) Diablo River, which provides hydroelectric power to most of Washington state. Here is how the water looked:

The water is turquoise because of the fine particles suspended in it from the glacial runoff; they reflect the sun in an interested way causing the water to appear blue-green. It is a very beautiful phenomenon!

I spent the afternoon riding the flat part of the day with Tony. The road meandered through a thick forest, but always maintained a perfect 0% grade. The sunlight filtered through the leaves in the trees and hit the pavement in constantly-changing patterns. We moved at over 20 MPH for almost two hours, reaching the campground in Rockport, WA first. I must say that this twenty-mile stretch was my favorite part of the trip so far; the speed with which we moved, the easy riding, the company, and forested road all came together to create a perfect cycling experience - I hope to bike that road again someday.

To prove our first-place prize, Tony and I got a picture at the campground... we are handsome dudes:

Because we were first, the priorities were unloading the trailer and setting-up tents (rather than relaxing and cleaning-up, as usual). With that work finally accomplished, I enjoyed my first hot shower in over 48 hours on the campground. The shower house operated somewhat like a laundromat: one minute of hot water costs $0.25. So I fed in eight (8) quarters and basked in the hot water for just as long. There was a coin slot next to the stall so it immediately started when you dropped in your money. Kind of an interesting and effective way to control hot water consumption, I think!

A note about the weather here: it has been absolutely beautiful these past three days. Sunny skies (not a DROP of rain!), little wind, and relatively cool temperatures. We could not have been more blessed on our two overnight camp-outs; rainy, cold weather completely ruins the experience and drains the fun out of camping next to my Bike & Build friends.

The night in Rockport was just as enjoyable as the evening before in Early Winters. We again feasted on hobo dinners and then conducted our last "town hall" meeting of the summer. My "low" was finding the many cracks in my rear rim, but my "highs" were arriving at the campgrounds first during the past two riding days and purchasing a bell for my bike which I ring constantly. This last town hall was a bittersweet experience: on one hand I dislike how inane these sessions can often get, but the sense of community that pervades this time with the group is palpable and something that I will miss.

I slept MUCH better in Rockport, mostly because it wasn't so cold and our tent only had four people inside (it had six people in Early Winters). As a result, I felt very strong today and enjoyed our last "long" ride of the trip. We cycled 75 miles from Rockport to Lynden, WA. The road was mostly flat with some rolling hills and dangerous traffic in spots, but an otherwise uneventful day of riding. I pulled into the host with Paul (with whom I had an interesting conversation about his hobby of "extreme sports"), Leisl, and Jessica. We are staying at the Hope Lutheran Church tonight in Lynden, a small but well-maintained city at the foot of the Cascades. After a refreshing shower at the local YMCA and a great potluck dinner provided by the host, I retired to my small storage room and composed this marathon of a blog entry. My apologies for its verbosity, but hopefully you enjoyed the pictures!

Tomorrow we cross the Canadian border during our short 38 miles into Surrey, British Columbia. I must remember to bring my passport! Vancouver and the end of the trip looms ahead!

Republic, WA to Omak

2010-08-23T00:54:00.005-05:00

Today we cycled 65 miles into Omak, WA, a relatively large city in central Washington state. The ride began cold, as usual, with me decked out in black Spandex leg and arm warmers; these help keep the heat close to my body. I often marvel at other riders who did not bring any gear to stay warm on the bike - no cold-weather gloves, no warmers, and only a thin rain jacket. They must be freezing on these early morning rides through 40 degree temperatures! We stayed in a "Youth Dynamics" building last night in Republic, which I gathered was a recreation and faith-sharing center for a non-denominational Christian organization based on the wall signage. I initially had an out-of-the-way nook in a stairwell, but I had to move before going to sleep because strange, scary noises were issuing from the basement. Suffice it to say, I had a comfortable night sleeping next to my fellow riders!

The ride this morning started right away with a pretty standard ascent up to Wauconda Pass (4,310 feet). Beautiful forests and mountain peaks towered around us as we made the climb. At the top, I took a break and got the standard picture with the sign:

If you bring up the high-resolution version, you can see my leg and arm warmers.

A long, fast descent followed into the valley below. Because of the noises coming from my bike and the general wear being observed, I kept my speed around 30 MPH. The bottom contained both flats and more descents all the way into lunch at mile 40.

The terrain at the bottom of Wauconda Pass was very interesting considering our location: the land was extremely arid and desert-like. The sun burned right overhead and heated up the road and surrounding scrub brush to high temperatures. Out of all the environments through which we have ridden this summer, the last 30-40 miles into Omak reminded me most of a desert. A local later explained to me that the mountains pull all the moisture away from the valley below, leaving the land devoid of water and without rain for long periods of time. In fact, another Bike & Build group stayed at our host church one week ago: their chalk markings on the road outside are still visible because they haven't washed away.

It was just such a surprise after spending such a long time in wet, coniferous forests while pedaling up and down mountains. The wide diversity of environments in this country - on just this route, even - are astounding! Here are a few pictures from the afternoon:

I cycled quickly after lunch considering the flat terrain and arrived at the host early, a local Presbyterian church. Showers were at the local high school down the road. I enjoyed a very pleasant nap afterward in an empty choir practice room and then reported to dinner for the most amazing Mexican food I have eaten in a long time. A local family who recently received a Habitat for Humanity house cooked for us, and we all left the table very happy. Later in the evening, the entire Bike & Build group gathered to review grant requests from affordable housing (AF) organizations across the country. In addition to our cycling and "raising awareness" about the issue, we also distribute the monies we raise in three different ways:

(1) $100 disbursement to each host site to direct to a local AF organization of their choice

(2) $500 donation from each rider to an AF organization of his or her choice (I already directed my money to the Habitat for Humanity chapter of Lake Country, IL)

(3) Grants to AF organizations around the country who submit applications by a certain date. Each grant has to be applied to a specific project that involves youth or young adults in some way. For example, I was assigned to read through and present the application from the Habitat for Humanity chapter on the University of Wisconsin - Madison campus.

We sat in a big circle and presented all the grants. Everyone had the opportunity to ask questions about the submission. We later voted on whether we would fund them or not; the actual allocation in terms of dollar amount happens tomorrow night. I am not allowed to discuss any specifics, lest the organizations discover a decision prematurely, but we spent a great deal of time analyzing each project and applying our experiences on the builds this summer to the question. We have $55,000 to allocate in total.

Tomorrow we bike 61 miles into Early Winters, WA; we will camp there tomorrow night. A long, gradual climb is advertised. On Tuesday we have a slightly longer day at 80 miles into Rockport, WA; again, we will camp on Tuesday night. Tuesday contains another long climb up to Washington Pass, the second-highest pass we will surmount in this last state. Because of all this camping and wilderness time, it is unlikely I will update the blog again before Wednesday. Please be assured of my prayers for all my benefactors and readers, as I hope I can be assured of yours.

Chewelah, WA to Republic

2010-08-21T21:11:00.002-05:00

Today was almost a carbon copy of yesterday: we rode 75 miles from Chewelah to Republic and climbed a giant mountain along the way. The first 35 miles (most of the morning, up to lunch) were over extremely flat roads and through some interesting towns. Kettle Falls, for example, has a very nice welcome sign and at least one person you'd want to avoid:

After lunch, we began to climb the highest pass in the state of Washington. There are other, taller mountains, to be sure, but this was the highest with a road leading to its summit. I was more ready for this climb than yesterday: my bike was in better condition and I was mentally prepared for it. I spent all 25 miles of the ascent with Steven Rogers, one of my best friends on the trip. He was an excellent traveling companion who made the afternoon seem shorter and easier than it was: we joked and laughed all the way up. It seemed the mountain would never end, but after several rest breaks and a nearly 10% grade over such a long distance, we arrived at the top and found a pleasant surprise:

Someone chalked a message, pointing to the sign:

Of course this refers to Sherman Pass, from yesterday - only an eight mile descent!

Once we arrived at the very top (5,575 ft), Steven and I took some more pictures:

We subsequently enjoyed a ten-mile descent over well-paved roads with very little traffic. My top speed was only about 30 MPH, mostly because I don't trust my bike to stay together at higher velocities! At the bottom, I stopped and breathed a sigh of relief to my guardian angel and everyone upstairs who got me to the base of the mountain in one piece.

I had earlier researched Catholic churches in Republic since it is Saturday. I found only one, and they had a 4:30 PM Mass. Time check at the bottom? 4:15 PM! I rushed to the church and arrived seven minutes before Mass started. Along the way, I found Tony and got him to come with me - he doesn't ever need any convincing, as he is a regular communicant on the trip. The parish was so small that it was simply named "The Catholic Church of Republic." No saint name, no Marian reference, nothing! It was completely unprecedented in my experience to find a parish without a "Catholic" name.

A very old priest in a cassock welcomed us once we walked inside. There were probably about 30 people in attendance, which made for an intimate feel. The priest served all the Mass parts - from lector to hymn leader to homilist. He was most likely retired and in-residence at the parish. He used Eucharist Prayer I, which suggested he did not have anywhere to go after Mass (the longest, but most awesome prayer ever!). At communion, I noticed the conservativism in the parish: nearly everyone received the host on the tongue and/or kneeling at the altar. Many of the women wore chapel veils that covered their heads. I did not expect to find such a tradition-minded parish so far in the West. There were beautiful statues of the Holy Family and several saints scattered around the church, as well as a high altar from before Vatican II. The people were very friendly and asked Tony and me all sorts of questions afterward; one woman even gave us a $60 donation to Bike & Build! I am extremely grateful for the opportunity to attend Mass this week, especially considering the very rural areas through which we are currently traveling. Praise God for providing tonight's parish, for helping me to arrive in Republic right on time, and for moving Tony's heart to come with me. Truly the Lord was at work in the success of this day.

[Edit: A very considerate reader of my blog just informed me that the actual name of this parish is "Immaculate Conception Catholic Church."]

Here are some pictures of the inside of the church, including a shot of the painted image right above the altar:

We are staying in a small community center tonight with cold showers on-site. I found a nook in the stairwell in which to stretch out my sleeping bag and Therma-a-Rest. Tomorrow we ride 64 miles into Omak, WA. Hopefully we won't have any more major climbs!

Sandpoint, ID to Chewelah, WA

2010-08-20T23:04:00.000-05:00

Today we cycled 70 miles from Sandpoint, ID to Chewelah, WA. The first 40 miles before lunch were easy riding: gentle hills and plenty of flats where high speeds can be easily obtained. After lunch, however, the terrain became much more difficult: we had a 10-mile climb up a steep grade. This was a frustrating experience because we were not told about the climb, nor was my bike properly configured for such a long ascent. My back tire is making some pretty annoying sounds as a result of multiple cracks in the rim and my left pedal is getting ready to fail, probably as a result of faulty ball bearings; on every downstroke, the pedal makes a "thump" that I can both hear and feel through my shoe. Taken together with the heat, this afternoon was not a pleasant one!

Thankfully we finally arrived at the top of the mountain. Here is a picture of me at the elevation sign:

Immediately before this sign was another one, just as welcome:

The sign did not lie: I flew down the side of the mountain at speeds of 30 MPH and greater, never needing to pedal even one stroke in eight miles. As usual on a long descent, I asked my guardian angel for help navigating around obstacles and staying safe. Before I knew it, I was at the bottom and in Chewelah, a small town of maybe 2,000 souls. The first church I passed on the way in was the Catholic church, St. Mary of the Rosary. They had a beautiful bronze steeple that immediately drew my eye, otherwise I might have assumed the white sides contained a Methodist church. Stopping inside, I met the parish secretary and the pastor who eagerly welcomed me and listened as I talked about the trip. It is such a joy to enter a Catholic church, especially after a long and hard day on the road... perhaps this itself is indicative of a vocation to the priesthood???

Our host tonight is the local Lutheran church. They provided a magnificent potluck dinner, Italian-themed with plenty of tasty garlic bread and desserts. I had an enjoyable conversation with the pastor and her husband after dinner: they are transplants from California where she did her seminary studies and he served as a lawyer. As usual in these small towns, the people were warm, interested in us, and generous with their resources. I continued to thank God for the Christian communities of the United States who have supported us on our journey across the country.

We will be climbing through the Cascades for the next 3 days, ascending some very high passes. According to one of the leaders, everything will be downhill after this stretch, all the way to the coast and our endpoint of Vancouver. We have a 75-mile day into Republic, WA tomorrow. I would appreciate your prayers for the safety of myself and the whole Bike & Build team.

Lastly, below is a recent acquisition from another rider on the team. The picture shows Tony, Steven, and me at the top of Logan Pass in Glacier National Park. This was immediately after a very long and wet climb, shortly before an even wetter and colder descent down the mountain! I'm styling the blue rain jacket, taking my fashion cues from the Blessed Mother.

Day Off in Sandpoint, ID

2010-08-19T23:37:00.000-05:00

Today was our third and last 'day off' of the trip. These are nice because you neither have to get up early and mount the bike nor spend the day building a house. After a wonderful night's sleep, I rose mid-morning to a quiet church; most of the others had already left for whatever activity they planned to do. Instead of boating or riding a mountain bike down a steep slope, I decided to travel to the local Catholic church and attend daily Mass (it's been so long!). St. Joseph's parish was a short bike ride away. When I arrived, the size and grandeur of the building impressed me. For a relatively small town in northern Idaho, this was a parish to contend with! The church was large and constructed of stone... an enormous parking lot and beautiful grounds adorned the outside.

With my bike slotted safely in an entryway, I entered the church and immediately found the pastor in the front office. We exchanged greetings and I described my status as a seminarian in Chicago and the bike ride. He was very warm and welcoming, obviously the head of a vibrant faith community. Mass was to be held in the Blessed Sacrament chapel, in the rear of the main sanctuary. The whole church reminded me very much of St. Brigid of Kildare in Dublin, OH, the parish in which I grew-up. There was the characteristic "ski lodge" look with the wooden beams decorating and holding up the ceiling; the sanctuary was wide and filled with natural light; and the whole place had that "new" feel. My personal preference is Gothic architecture with lots of stained glass and a traditional layout (think Immaculate Conception in Columbus or St. John Cantius in Chicago), but I realize that there are other valid architectural traditions.

Mass itself was well-done... nothing "extra" was added by the priest; the homily was thought-provoking and to the point; and the community felt relaxed and engaged with the liturgy. I very much had the feeling of "solidarity" with the universal Church today during my visit to St. Joseph's. The pastor even introduced me in the homily and informed the community of my summer cycling trip! This only added to the feeling of welcome that radiated from that parish.

After the conclusion of the liturgy, I again spoke with the pastor and secured a dispensation from Mass should it not be possible this weekend. We will be in some very remote areas over the next week so I wanted to be ready should a parish not be available. In addition to our general conversation, he showed me a very interesting YouTube video about the evolution of social media. This is a topic of interest to the Church, as it requires new thinking to be able to share the Gospel with the "digital generation" and get them to come to Mass itself! I'm sad to report many Protestant groups are miles ahead of the Catholic Church in this regard; we need to find a balance between authentic experiences of Christ (in the Eucharist, the other sacraments, etc.) and the day-to-day communication that can happen with youth using the Internet. Here is a copy of the video:

After returning from St. Joseph's, I spent the afternoon cleaning my bike and replacing the tires in preparation for the last week of the trip (8 days of cycling without a break!). Later, I reported to a nearby health club for a "bike clinic," during which we share cycling tips with the local community. Today's audience was a group of children from summer camp: we showed them how to be safe on a bicycle, some tips for keeping a bike in tip-top shape, and and how we change flat tires. I was a little frustrated at this point because we had been looking forward to this day off for a long time. Rather than having no obligations or commitments during the course of the day, attendance at this random bike clinic was mandatory in the middle of the afternoon. While it was only 90 minutes long, it gave the day a strange feeling, like it was only a "pseudo-day off." In any case, we only have another week on the trip, so I should suck it up.

A wonderful dinner at a local Methodist church and a cold hose shower followed the bike clinic. Later in the evening, I finished working on my bike only to discover some very concerning cracks in the rim of my rear wheel. Obviously our bikes are not top-end considering the price the organization paid. They are good for conveying a rider across the country in some harsh conditions, but not much else. I will probably have to replace the rear wheel when I return to Chicago, if not sooner. Hopefully it will last another week, otherwise I will have to swap it out for a temporary wheel to stay riding.

Internet may be spotty in the next few days as we push through this final remote leg, but I will attempt to update this blog and post when I can. Finally, here is a picture taken yesterday by Kelly Kraft, one of the route leaders. The rider in the photo is her brother Michael, but I thought it conveyed the visual experience of our mornings in the mountains pretty well: lots of blues and "deeper" colors until the sun rises over the mountains and makes everything look normal.

Libby, MT to Sandpoint, ID

2010-08-18T23:30:00.000-05:00

[N.B. If you ever see a blue word or phrase in my blog, click on it to be "linked" to another webpage that contains more information about whatever I am describing.]

Today's ride took us from Libby, MT to Sandpoint, ID: 95 miles. We rose at 5:00 AM because of the distance, but really 4:00 AM in Idaho because of the time change at the border; we are now on Pacific time. After breakfast, we rolled out into a very chilly morning. The temperatures in the mountains stay in the 40's until the sun rises over the peaks and begins to warm the valleys and roads below. I had to wear my arm and leg warmers, as well as my rain jacket until almost noon to keep the chill at bay.

The terrain was mountainous, as it has been for the past several days since Glacier National Park. We ride on roads cut out of the rock, so a sheer wall usually rises either to our immediate left or right with gorgeous scenery on the other side. Tall peaks rise into the mist; vast forests of pine trees sprinkle in the morning dew (until noon!); and shafts of sunlight illumine the sides of mountains many miles away, yet still visible. The world is silent with few bird calls or animal noises; the occasional car or truck passes, but long periods can be had when the only sound is the whisper of your tires across the road and your breathing.

The cold is a challenge through which to ride not only because it makes your joints stiffer, but because all the layers you have to wear tend to trap sweat - there is nothing worse than the constant feeling of cold sweat bathing your skin! I gradually shed layers as the day progresses, until the sun is directly overhead and I have to apply sunscreen. Rarely is there a time when the temperature is "just right:" usually it is too hot (because of all the layers or the sun overhead) or too cold (speeding down the side of a mountain with the wind whipping your face or waiting for the ride to start in the morning outside the host). One of the things to which I am looking forward back in Chicago is the ability to regulate my body temperature more predictably!

So, up and down mountain roads we rode all morning until after lunch when the terrain flatted out some. As we crossed the Idaho-Mountain border in the early afternoon, the road began to run next to a lake called "Pend Oreille." It is 65 miles long with a total surface area of 148 miles. Mountains ring the lake and rise up on every side... it was amazing. We had two lunch stops today because of the long mileage, as well as multiple stops along the way with other riders. I may have had too many of these today...

The last ten miles of today were extremely difficult for me. This was unexpected since the rest of the day went very well. The sun was blazing right above me; cars and trucks were screaming by fewer than 12 inches from my body; and I was just exhausted from the 80-odd miles I had ridden over mountain roads. I also got a flat tire on the way in, which I had to stop and change in the heat (20 min). This was frustrating, especially since I was so close!

A word here: I am truly surprised that none of the riders on my team have been injured or killed in a motor vehicle collision so far this summer. Thankful? Of course. But enormously surprised and mystified, none the less. Despite what the leaders say, we often ride over very dangerous and heavily-trafficked roads. The rate of speed tends to be very high with as many tractor trailers (semi-trucks) as cars whizzing by. Sometimes there is a wide shoulder, but often there is little to nothing separating us from the vehicle traffic; we have to rely on our own visibly and the response time of the drivers to avoid being hit. I think this is excessive danger. We really have no control over what happens to us: certainly we can ride as safely as possible, but this ignores that fact that most bicycle-car collisions are caused by drivers who are not paying attention or following traffic laws. I can't tell you how many people I see talking on their cell phones with one hand on the wheel as they fly by at 70 MPH on a two-lane mountain road up to a blind curve. One hair to the right, one large bump in the road and I am dead. I could have the best helmet in the world, but that won't keep me alive when a 4-ton missile strikes me at a high rate of speed. I pray every day for the safety of both myself and the other riders... hopefully those prayers are efficacious!

When I finally arrived in Sandpoint, ID, my first stop was to a well-equipped bicycle shop in town. I dropped $150 on new tires (no more flats!!!), new brake pads, a brighter taillight for increased visibility, and a bell for the handlebars (often I come up on other riders and want to warn them of my approach). Tomorrow, during our day off here in Sandpoint, I plan to throughly clean the bike and install all my new hardware for the last 500 miles or so of the trip. We are getting very close: Vancouver next Friday and then back to the seminary for the opening school year retreat. Our host tonight and tomorrow is the First Presbyterian Church of Sandpoint: a huge thanks to them for the delicious dinner earlier and the use of their space.

Some pictures:

Leaving Montana, the longest state through which we rode:

Entering Idaho, a new state finally!

Some beautiful views of the lake during the second half of the ride:

Eureka, MT to Libby

2010-08-17T20:05:00.000-05:00

Today we cycled 70 miles from Eureka, MT to Libby. The weather was quite cold, but sunny at the beginning of the ride. By lunch, it had warmed up considerably and I was sweating buckets! The high today was over 100 degrees. Darn Montana and their temperature extremes!

I rode alone for most of the day over mountain roads: up long inclines and down steep, fast descents. We rode along Lake Koocanusa for the entire day, an enormous lake off to our right. The water was a beautiful turquoise because of glacial runoff and the fine particles suspended in the water that reflect sunlight in a unique way. The slopes of the mountains on either side continued to be covered with more pine trees than I could ever count; we are in the midst of a protected national forest. Here are some pictures of the gorgeous scenery today... click any image for a high-resolution version on your computer screen:

This last picture is looking out over the river just past Libby Dam, about 15 miles outside of town

Here are some pictures of members of my team and me on a bridge over the lake:

From left to right is me, Kate Terry, Beth Morris, and Paul Northrop

Some friends of mine on the team sitting on a rock formation at lunch:

From left to right is Kelly Kraft, Sarah Hamilton, Michael Kraft, and Steven Rogers

Lastly, here is a funny drawing posted on the inside of the trailer that shows many of our physical maladies. I am represented as "Left Hand Lee" because of the nerve problems in my right hand.

I arrived in Libby around 3:00 PM and promptly walked to our assigned shower location, the Montana Athletic Club about 10 blocks from the host. I LOVE showering in these types of places because there is always plenty of hot water and good pressure. After the shower, I returned to our host, a small Christian primary school, and proceeded to get ready for the evening.

I am on dinner crew this week, so we were tasked to cook for the team in the absence of a church sponsor. Beth, Jillian, and I gathered in the school kitchen at 5:00 PM and prepared a delicious meal of penne pasta and tomato sauce, salad, and green beans. We might have made a little too much, but there will be plenty of leftovers for lunch tomorrow (pasta looks smaller in the box!). Here are a few pictures of the operation:

We have "town meeting" in about 30 minutes, the weekly community session where we talk about "highs and lows," as well as other general topics. I am looking forward to an early bedtime tonight to prepare for the 90+ mile ride to Sandpoint, Idaho tomorrow. Following tomorrow's ride, we have a DAY OFF on Thursday! I absolutely cannot wait to sleep in and spent a day loafing around.

The trip ends next Friday, August 27. Vancouver is so close that I can almost smell it. I know we have only been on the road since June, but the East Coast and even the Midwest feel so far away and so long ago. I will be sad to leave the wonderful Bike & Build community that has developed on this trip, but excited to rejoin civilization and my seminary brothers. May the Lord protect the riders on the Northern U.S. route over these final two weeks and deliver us safely home.

Whitefish, MT to Eureka

2010-08-16T21:01:00.002-05:00

[N.B. See the previous post for a large collection of pictures that have built up since the last strong Internet signal.]

We rode a short 55 miles from Whitefish, MT to Eureka today over rolling hills interspaced by periods of flat roads. There was a pretty good climb out of our host, but the road flattened out considerably and wound through beautiful forests of pine trees with incredible mountain views on either side. The mountains through which we are passing are covered with pine trees from ground level almost to their summits: it often smells a bit like the “pine” air freshener for your car! Here are a few examples:

Because of the success of “prom,” a small committee of girls decided to plan a “Saddie Hawkins” day. Rather than a dance proper, girls chose the names of boys out of a hat and had to ask them on a day-long “date.” That date was today! The challenge issued to the girls was to ask their boy out in a more creative way than we asked the girls for prom. So, on Sunday morning before we left for the build, I began finding small presents scattered around the church with short notes attached to them. I found a tube of sunscreen, some aspirin, an energy drink, and a box of tissues (for the mild cold I have had since the rainy, chilly day into Glacier National Park). Here is the text of the notes attached to each gift:

Sunscreen: “I know what good skin care looks like, and it's beautiful. I want to be a beautiful date for you, too.”

Aspirin: “I'm no angel, but let me help ease your aches and pains.”

Energy drink: “You make my heart flutter and you bring energy to my life.”

Tissues: “I noticed you have the sniffles. The only sniffles I want on our date are those of happiness and joy.”

After I found all of them, I sat down to breakfast only to have Leisl saunter up to me completely covered in sunscreen from head to toe. (This is a funny barb directed to my obsessive use of high-SPF sunscreen... hey, Irish skin!) She knelt before me and asked in her best “wedding proposal voice” if I would be her date to the Saddie Hawkins ride. Of course I said yes! Leisl is one of the loveliest and most beautiful girls on the ride. Her generosity and kind spirit are just as attractive as her outer beauty, so I agreed with joy! (By way of background, Leisl graduated from Penn State in 2008 with a biology major. She spent time with AmeriCorps in various parts of the country and now is training to become an Olympic bobsled rider. She lives just north of Pittsburgh, PA on her family's working farm.)

We rode together all day and gazed at the majesty all around us. We stopped for lunch at a wonderful roadside cafe and she bought me a hamburger! I had a fabulous time with Leisl and very much enjoyed the quality and ease of our conversation. Here is a picture of my beautiful prom date and me at the end of today's ride:

We are staying in a small Baptist church tonight in Eureka, MT, a very small town with a short main street. We ride on tomorrow to Libby, MT, a city with a severe asbestos problem that has sicked and killed many of the townspeople over the past few decades. The federal government is now involved with the clean-up. We will watch a video about the town later tonight so we can learn about the problem and the steps being taken to address it.

Some other housekeeping items:

Body integrity – holding up well. Very little knee pain anymore, shoulder pain much reduced, and no saddle pain. I actually no longer take painkillers before the ride, settling instead for an Advil or two during the ride if necessary. I am much stronger than even a couple weeks ago, now able to ride comfortably with “faster riders” and take ascents with relative ease. I will definitely continue cycling after this trip as a primary method to keep in shape... closer to the beginning and middle of the trip, I fantasized about selling the bike in Vancouver and never riding one again!

Bike condition – becoming worrisome quickly. Tires are almost completely bald and very thin, at least 1-2 flats per day. Occasional clicking and other noises coming from the crankshaft. Bike needs a very through cleaning and degreasing, but I am having trouble finding the time. Brake pads almost gone, need to be replaced ASAP. I need a bike shop like yesterday, but nothing has presented itself in these small towns. Pray that this bike takes me all the way to Vancouver!

One last picture of the entire group in Whitefish this morning... it's a little dark because of the position of the sun, but it shows the community pretty well:

Picture Post

2010-08-16T20:55:00.000-05:00

Because of lack of Internet of the past few days, I have been unable to post these pictures before now! Click any image for a high-resolution version on your screen.

Here is an older picture from Chicago when I stopped by the Archdiocese of Chicago's Pastoral Center on Rush St downtown. With me in the picture is Fr. Joe Noonan (left) and Fr. Brian Welter. Fr. Joe is the outgoing vocations director who helped me discern and apply to the seminary; Fr. Brian is the incoming vocations director.

Here is a series of pictures showing the road conditions and terrain in central Montana over the past week:

Here are a few shots of the transition between the Great Plains and the mountains, right on the edge of Glacier National Park:

Here is a recent shot of the whole group at lunch:

A recent evening of doing laundry for the team:

From left to right on the above picture are Beth Morris (Saginaw, MI), Sarah Hamilton (Madison, WI), Jillian Strobel (Lawrence, KS), and Andrew Corcoran (Orlando, FL).

Here are some great pictures of my sweep buddy (Beth) and me on our ride into Chinook, MT:

Here is a somewhat disturbing statue of "creepy Jesus," as we nicknamed him, outside the church in Chinook:

Mark Broz (Alaska) and Kira (Upstate NY), changing a flat tire on the side of the road into Chinook:

The contents of my saddle bag beneath my bike seat... the black plastic bar is a "tire lever" that helps me pry the tire off when changing a flat; the red tool is a "spoke wrench" that allows me to tighten or loosen my spokes on the tire; the black bag contains my multi-tool; the plastic square in the middle is a box of tire patches in case of a flat; the pressure gage is on the top right; and a small palm cross that I found at the Catholic church in Chester, MT.

Here is a view of my handlebars with the fabled "aero bars" installed that allow me to rest on the bike and pedal "beneath" the wind:

After successfully changing a flat on the road into Glacier National Park:

Next to the US-2 sign, a road we have been on almost continually since Minnesota:

Kelsey Kennedy (Indianapolis, IN) next to the same sign. Kelsey was one of my riding partners into Glacier National Park:

A very flattering portrait of Jillian, my other riding partner that storied day:

A couple pictures of me working at the build site in Whitefish, MT. I am using a "rattle gun" to install bolts into a deck:

Steven Rogers (Atlanta, GA) and me at the build site. Steven is one of my best friends on the trip and perhaps the coolest, funniest guy I have ever met:

A group shot at the conclusion of the build day:

Glacier National Park & A Final Build Day

2010-08-15T23:15:00.002-05:00

[N.B. I am posting this entry over a cellular Internet connection, so I do not have sufficient speed to post pictures. As soon as I come to a Wi-fi network – hopefully in the next couple days – I will do one large “picture post” covering the last week. There are some good ones, so stay tuned!]

This past Friday and Saturday were two of the most difficult days of my life – both physically and mentally. During those 48 hours, my team and I have experienced severe weather conditions, endless climbs as well as steep descents over slippery roads, and myriad mechanical difficulties with the bicycles. I suppose I should dispense with the hyperbole and start at the beginning.

From the Catholic parish in Cut Bank, MT, we cycled about 65 miles into the eastern portion of Glacier National Park. I had stayed up a bit late the previous night writing the a blog entry, so I was tired in the morning (not a big change from usual). Wake-up was at 5:00 AM so we could beat the “30 MPH gusts” that were expected in the afternoon. After the usual morning routine, we began the day's journey.

Unfortunately the weather conditions did not exactly cooperate: temperatures all day were in the 40's and lower 50's; the wind blew steadily out of the west at nearly 20 MPH (with gusts!); and a constant rain lashed our faces and brightly-colored foul weather jackets from the start of the ride through to the end. For much of the day I rode with Kelsey and Jillian (from Indianapolis and Lawrence, KS, respectfully). These ladies were great company and, despite the miserable riding conditions, helped the miles to fly by faster. In addition to Mother Nature's fury, we were all plagued with one flat tire after another: I had three during the course of the day and Jillian had just as many. I finally have run out of fresh tubes, so I have taken to patching my pierced tubes on the side of the road. This is a temporary solution which works well for riding around town, but is not so good for the roads upon which we ride all day, every day. (N.B. A bicycle tire contains a rubber inner tube pressurized to 120 psi; the actual tire surrounds and protects this tube. A “flat” is when an object like a piece of glass or a sharp rock penetrates both the tire and the tube, causing the latter to deflate. The tire must be removed and checked for protruding objects, after which the tube is either replaced or patched and then reinflated.) I have become quite the expert at changing flat bicycle tires; my tires have worn down so much that they are extremely susceptible to damage. I need to purchase new ones within the next couple days.

The main problem before lunch on Friday was the rain and wind. The roads were still flat and the surrounding land empty, just like it had been since Minnesota. On either side of the road were mostly fields or large cattle ranches... very few houses or any discernible man-made structures. Lunch itself was provided by the family of a young woman who just completed another Bike & Build route a few days ago. They decided to stop on their way back to New York and donate a magnificent lunch to the final Bike & Build crew scheduled to finish (we were the last route to leave and the final route to arrive at our destination).

After lunch, the weather remained about the same, but the terrain changed and became more mountainous; the Great Plains ended very abruptly. We were able to see the beginning of the Rocky Mountains as early as the previous day, but the climbs began on Friday. I am much stronger now then back on the East Coast, so I no longer struggle with the ascents. In fact, I almost enjoy them! I see them as a great challenge now rather than a curse to be avoided. I guess it doesn't hurt that my quad muscles are 3x bigger! Suffice it to say, my confidence on mountains has increased dramatically over the past few weeks.

Up and up we went, gaining altitude with every mile. I stopped several times with Kelsey and Jillian to help them change their flats, but thankfully my tires decided to behave and I did not suffer any flats of my own after lunch. Eventually I pulled ahead and rode the last 20 miles or so by myself. The scenery was absolutely breathtaking: tall peaks rose on either side of me blanketed by mists. Pine trees by the million were scattered up and down the slopes, and trees surrounded me on both sides of the road. It was so nice to be back among trees after almost 1,000 miles without them as we rode through North Dakota and most of Montana. The road was only two lanes and very lightly trafficked. The climbs up the sides of the mountains were long and steep; the descents were fast and dangerous due to the wet roads. I rode my brakes hard on the way down to avoid passing 20 MPH or so, which I regard as the “danger zone” on slick roads.

At this point in the ride, I was beginning to experience some severe hunger. Lunch was miles back in the rearview mirror and I had already exhausted my Clif Bar complement for the day. The climbs were getting more difficult because of this: I was worried about “bonking,” which is the dreaded fate of completely running out of available glucose.

Finally, though, I began the long descent down the final hill into St. Mary, MT, a small community on the far eastern edge of Glacier National Park that supports a series of campgrounds just inside the park gates. The rain had picked-up at this point and the temperatures were dropping quickly as the evening began to approach. The downward side of the last mountain must have stretched for 3-4 miles. The grade was so steep that I actually shouted prayers out loud, imploring heaven to help me! I was completely chilled and soaked by the end of it, shriving violently at the bottom and extremely concerned about hypothermia. Everything I had on was wet from my arm and leg warmers to my cycling shorts, socks, jersey, and rain jacket. The wind cut right through me and I doubted my ability to make it all the way to the campground.

Stopping into a small restaurant, I stood inside for a while until my lips turned from blue back to their normal color. Cursing the conditions, I soon hopped back onto my bike for the rest of the ride into the campground, which turned out to be quite short. Passing through the main gate of Glacier National Park, I turned onto a small road up to the campsite. By the time I arrived, the tents had already been set-up, so I was able to move my stuff in immediately. I changed out of my disgusting wet clothes in the trailer parked behind the van and spent the rest of the evening trying to stay dry. At one point, a few other riders and I took a short walk up to the town to grab a hot dinner. Unfortunately the food was terrible and over-priced; we should have stayed for cold cuts at the campsite!

I retired to my tent and semi-warm sleeping bag as early as possible. Wake-up was scheduled for 4:30 AM on Saturday morning, so I needed all the sleep I could get. I collected all the clothes I would need for the morning and shoved them into the sleeping bag with me so I wouldn't need to leave the tent in the extreme morning cold.. The night was fitful: the roaring wind almost blew the tent down and the rain pounded on the canvas cover. A lot of moisture entered the tent and covered the walls... the mere act of brushing against the fabric would soak any clothing item. The cold was astonishing for the season: I could see my breath during the night and I did not dare to leave the confines of the tent to go to the bathroom. Even with the sleeping bag pulled over my head and zipped completely up, I still was only able to get moderately warm. Morning came way too soon. I officially labeled the night as “terrible.”

After packing my gear and getting dressed in the tent, I emerged into the dark world of pre-dawn Glacier National Park. The rain was still going strong and the cold rivaled that of a winter Boy Scout campout from my youth. I recalled the tradition of putting a can of water outside the tent on those same camping trips to test for freezing temperatures: if the water was frozen in the morning, “freeze-out patches” were issued to all the scouts. My Bike & Build team in the park on Friday night would definitely have received one of those!

Here was my plan to stay warm on the bike on Saturday: cycling shorts and jersey next to my skin, arm and leg warmers covering all exposed skin on my extremities, special winter cycling gloves that covered my whole hand, University of Chicago maroon sweatshirt (with hood!) on top of the jersey, and rain jacket on top of everything. This actually worked very well during the morning: I was not cold at breakfast or during the first few miles on the bike. I was wary about using cotton (the sweatshirt) on such a cold and rainy day, but it insulted me quite nicely. I actually took it off later that morning because I was getting hot.

As we left the campground, we pulled onto the “Highway to the Sun,” a long two-lane road that winds through Glacier National Park. Because of the early hour, there was very little traffic so we were free to enjoy the scenery without glancing behind us every so often. The beauty I experienced on Friday paled in comparison to the majesty and grandeur that greeted my team on Saturday while we were in the park proper. The mountains towered high above us as we transversed switchback mountain roads. The rain continued on and off throughout the day, so great white clouds swirled around the peaks. At times, I could not believe such glory could be displayed on planet Earth. Glacier National Park is now the most beautiful place I have ever visited or even imagined.

We arrived at the top of Logan Pass around 10:00 AM after a climb lasting at least two hours. The road was under construction in several places, so we had to wait with traffic until park officials gave us the clearance to proceed. These were most welcome breaks from the climb! I cycled with a fairly large group up the mountain; we took frequent breaks to rest our tired knees and quads and shared in the experience of the ascent together. Finally we got to the top! It was an amazing feeling knowing we had accomplished such a difficult climb. We paused at the visitors' center at the top for a while before beginning the descent down the mountain. This took the form of a 6% downhill grade for 12 miles. In the rain. In the bitter cold. At an elevation of over 6,000 feet. It. Was. Epic.

My brake pads were almost completely worn down by the time we arrived at the bottom. I had to hold the brakes in almost all the way down the mountain to avoid reaching dangerous speeds. Traffic blew by us on the left while we hugged the shoulder. Some of the most beautiful scenery I have ever seen flashed by on both sides: mountain peaks shrouded in mist on the left, sheer rock walls on the right with waterfalls gushing down. My favorite park of the descent was the “Weeping Wall:” a 1000-foot (or so) section of vertical rock with thousands of rivers of water trickling down all across the surface. I prayed often to my guardian angel to help me with the descent, and it must have worked since I arrived at the bottom safely.

The weather warmed-up considerably at the bottom and the sun was finally out! I shed more layers as we cycled through a coniferous forest on a completely flat road. At this point, I was with Steven and Tony. We rode at a comfortable pace to a certain location where we could not ride any further because of the lack of a shoulder. At this point, we met up with a large contingent of Bike & Builders who were ahead of us and boarded a shuttle that took us about ten miles up the road to where the shoulder resumed. Lunch was at this location, so we stopped and enjoyed a well-deserved peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

As we pulled out of lunch, the temperature had climbed into the 80's and the sun was completely out. I shed my final layers and actually had to apply sunscreen! Contrast this with just 12 hour earlier when I thought I was going to die of hypothermia while my tent blew away in the freezing, rainy wind. Talk about extremes!

The rest of the ride was very easy over mostly flat roads in between mountains. The traffic was dense, but I was so glad to be warm. I completed these last twenty miles with Jessica, a brilliant artist who attends the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD). We took it easy and finished the day around 5:00 PM.

The ride into and through Glacier was very rewarding in hindsight, but extremely difficult at the time. The weather almost made the ride unbearable while severely depressing my mental state. The physical challenges were present to all my senses – for example, the feeling of the cold wind as it ripped through my wet clothes and body – but the emotional impact of such a long period of trial and suffering was a different story entirely. I was utterly dependent on prayer to get me through those 48 hours, as well as the community that has developed on this trip. Without some of my new friends who supported and affirmed the struggle, I would have become too disillusioned to continue. The experiences of Friday and Saturday in western Montana were easily the most challenging and difficult of my life. With that said, I am so glad I stayed with my bike the whole time and refused to yield to the temptation to climb into the warm support van. I was cold and hungry and exhausted and close to tears almost the whole time, but I endured with the help of God, the Blessed Mother, and several of the saints to whom I feel closest. I am quite sure that the intercessory prayers of my family, friends, and supporters also carried me through the most extreme experience of my life so far.

I will conclude this blog entry with a short description of my team's activities in Whitefish, MT since arriving on Saturday afternoon. We were extremely glad to be done with the 11-day stretch on the bike without any breaks. This was physically and emotionally draining – the effects of such a prolonged stretch of cycling were clear in everyone's eyes.

We were warmly greeted at the Presbyterian church in Whitefish and shown to a nearby athletic club with hot showers and a pool. After a difficult night camping in the park, this was as welcome as water to a dehydrated man in the desert. I went to bed early in an attempt to recover somewhat from so little sleep the night before. Thankfully, I found an empty broom closest that was large enough to spread my sleeping bag and Therma-a-Rest with enough room for the rest of my stuff. These empty spaces are a great blessing, as I value my privacy at night. Many of the other riders choose to sleep in a large common space, stacked next to each other like cordwood. With the smallest amount of effort, however, private spaces can be found in which to exist away from the other riders, at least for a while.

We rose at 7:30 AM this morning (Sunday) for our final build day of the trip. I got a great night's sleep, so I was well-rested and ready. We rode our bikes to the nearby build site, just one mile away, and worked all day on a small house for a local family. The homeowner was actually present on-site today, working on his mandatory 500 hours of “sweat equity” before his family can move in sometime in November.

Together with a small crew, I spent the morning on the lower level helping to frame a doorway and install studs to make drywalling easier. After lunch, I assisted a crew with the construction of a deck on two sides of the house: we raised tall wooden beams to support the deck and cross-braced them against the house and each other. This was fun work with a bunch of my fellow riders: we had to work closely with each other and communicate precisely to make sure everything was level. I truly enjoyed the work today and felt like my time was well-utilized. Some of the builds have been more... lackluster, but this was a satisfying cap to the “build” component of the trip. We have fewer than two weeks left before Vancouver, the end of the route. During that time, we will finish crossing the Rocky Mountains, enjoy one final “day off” in Sandpoint, Idaho, and cycle across the entire state of Washington, an experience which is reported to be extremely beautiful. Tomorrow we ride into Eureka, MT and hopefully some wireless Internet so I can post these pictures!

Glasgow, MT to Cut Bank

2010-08-13T00:28:00.000-05:00

Apologies for the long delay in posting, but Internet has continued to be sparse and cell coverage poor.

Monday's ride from Glasgow, MT to Malta was 70 miles and uneventful: more of the same flat roads and endless stretches of empty farmland. I rode alone for most of the day and recall finishing into the host strongly.

On Tuesday, we cycled from Malta to Chinook: 67 miles. Beth Morris (Saginaw, MI) and I were assigned to be sweep riders at the back of the line. This would be my last “sweep” experience, but Beth has one more. Beth recently finished her associate's degree back home in Michigan; she will be starting nursing school shortly after returning from Bike & Build. She has a amazing soul and a warm personality, as well as the most beautiful glacial blue eyes I have ever seen! It was also a real joy riding with Beth because she is a an unapologetic Christian who is in love with her faith and the Lord.

Despite my wonderful company, the day was a bit stressful. The ride was not physically-demanding – it was entirely flat the whole way – but we must have stopped and waited for other riders to change their flat tires at least five times before lunch. This can be a lengthy process: one rider even changed his flat only to realize that another hole existed in the tube after he installed the tire back on the rim! This required him to take it off again and patch another hole. Sweep is required to wait for these times of situations; we always have to be at the back of the line to make sure nobody gets lost... no matter what.

We did not get into lunch until almost 1:00 PM. By this time, the afternoon winds had increased nicely and the sun was burning down upon us. I had already applied sunscreen twice by this point and I still felt like a burn was coming. After lunch, the wind was so bad that we had to form a “pace line,” in which we ride almost tire-to-tire to utilize the shelter from each others' bodies. The front rider rotates every 2-3 miles, as they take the brunt of the wind during their turn at the head of the line. The wind was pretty exhausting, but we eventually arrived in Chinook at our host – the United Methodist church – and subsequently took refreshing showers at the school. As usual, I found a quiet corner and, after a wonderful dinner served by the church and “town meeting” with the group, I zonked out in preparation for a longer ride on Wednesday.

We cycled from Chinook, MT to Chester on Wednesday, an 82-mile ride over an entirely flat landscape. The cue sheet for the day was somewhat humorous: “Go left out of church, cycle 81.9 miles on RT-2 west, turn left into church.” It was literally only three lines! I suppose it was impossible to get lost today, but one of the best ways to break up a long day is to look forward to the next turn.

Because my sweep partner and I had spent most of the previous day on the road (until about 5:00 PM), I really wanted to get to Chester as quickly as possible. No lengthy stops for me today, no lingering at lunch, no taking funny pictures along the side of the road: I was all business. Many of the riders stopped in a medium-size town about 20 miles into the route to visit a local bike shop and get some things at their Walmart, but I needed nothing so I continued on by myself. As it turns out, this caused me to rocket right to first place in line! After all this time and all these miles, I was now the FRONT RIDER! It was an incredible feeling to know that nobody else from our team had yet seen the road ahead. I was the first rider to arrive at lunch (through which I hurried), and I continued on by myself for another 20 miles after lunch until some faster riders inevitably caught me. Alas, the party had to end sometime... In general, I flew through today's mileage and arrived at the church SECOND!

I helped unpack the trailer, then took a leisurely shower at a local municipal swimming pool down the street. It also turns out that Chester's (unlocked) Catholic parish was right next to the pool, so I spent some time in prayer in front of the Blessed Sacrament after getting clean. Both tasks – showering and the praying – were very refreshing. Unfortunately, the pastor was not in the rectory so I was unable to meet him and share about the trip. Later on in the evening, we enjoyed a wonderful spaghetti meal sponsored by our generous hosts – the local Lutheran church. We then proceeded into our last affordable housing presentations of the summer. Three groups took their turn to present and educated us about issues as diverse as the use of green technology in new home construction to how alternative sources of energy are affecting the issue of affordable housing.

This morning (Thursday) dawned cloudy and cool. There had been a terrific thunderstorm the previous evening, so everything outside was damp. After helping my chore group load the trailer and then accomplishing my morning routine, we set off on a 67-mile ride to Cut Bank, MT. Instead of our standard flat terrain for miles upon miles, the landscape started to get much more hilly. Most of today's ride took place on rolling hills and many “false flats,” which are slight inclines that you can feel but not really see; we gained about 600 feet in altitude between Chester and Cut Bank today.

Unfortunately, the wind was the worst yet. We faced 10-15 MPH headwinds all day, literally from the time we mounted the bike at 7:30 AM to the end of the ride at 4:00 PM. Couple this with the rolling hills and the fact that we have ridden 9 days straight now without a break (2 more to go), today's route was the most challenging yet. At times it felt like I was barely moving forward: it took most of my effort to pedal even 10-12 MPH down the road – a painfully slow pace on a long day. Several riders decided to “van” themselves for “injuries” (i.e., call the van for a ride to the host instead of finishing the day on the bike). I became quite disillusioned, especially after lunch; my bike has also been making some strange sounds, so I feared a mechanical failure.

Finally, however, I rolled into Cut Bank and our host: St. Margaret's Catholic Church! Woho! After some refreshing showers in the locker room of a local school and a GREAT dinner sponsored by several women of the parish, my chore group set out to clean the clothing of all 32 riders for the last time at a nearby laundromat. We will rotate to a different assignment next week and the trip will end before we have a chance to return to laundry duty. This was a bittersweet moment: on one hand, I will enjoy not having to spent three hours of my evening watching clothes spin rather than resting, but I do also like laundromats and I find them strangely relaxing. Weird, I know. I also really enjoy the camaraderie of our chore group, which is best expressed while we work together and then wait in laundromats across the United States.

Later in the evening, I joined Fr. Rob for Eucharistic Adoration in a small chapel off the main church. Fr. Rob is a priest of the parish recently transferred in from the Legionaries of Christ, now serving the Diocese of Helena, MT. I met him shortly after arriving at the church this afternoon and had a great conversation with him in the rectory. After a very welcome hour in front of the exposed Blessed Sacrament where I prayed the Luminous Mysteries of the Rosary, Fr. Rob and I spoke again in the sacristy about vocations, how to talk to both Catholics and non-Catholics about the Eucharist, Mary, and the saints, and other issues of discernment. Fr. Rob is a “late vocation,” which means he was occupied in a secular career before ordination to the priesthood. It is clear that he is in love with the priesthood, as well as the Immaculate Heart of Mary. This was refreshing and reassuring to me, especially as I try to balance my devotion to Our Lady and her Son.

Tomorrow we ride 72 miles into Glacier National Park. This will be the beginning of the Rocky Mountains. The weather forecast is grim: rain likely, cold temperatures (high of only 59), and strong winds gusting to almost 30 MPH out of the northwest. I also have been getting poor sleep recently on top of many days in a row of cycling. There has not even been time to thoroughly clean my bike or maintain its mechanical components appropriately. I am nervous about the physical strain that tomorrow will bring, but I pray for the strength and endurance to finish, not for myself but for the honor of the Archdiocese of Chicago and the glory of God and His Church.

We now have fewer than 1,000 miles to ride and Vancouver feels much closer. Two more days of cycling before a build day in Whitefield, MT.

Sancta Maria, ora pro nobis!

The Internet is too slow here to post pictures, so I will save them for the next update.

Wolf Point, MT to Glasgow

2010-08-08T16:09:00.002-05:00

Note: Because of no Internet or cell coverage for the past few days, the following three blog entries have been waiting in the queue for posting. They are all dated for today (August 8, 2010), but they cover the period from Wednesday, August 4 to now. Sorry for the deluge!

I rose at 6:00 AM this morning after a very refreshing night's sleep in an empty classroom. The morning was slow-paced and enjoyable since I completed all my "morning to-do's" the night before. The work crew assignments switched today since it is Sunday, so I am now serving on "trailer crew" with my chore team. Our responsibilities are to report outside about 15 minutes after wake-up and load all the bags/containers into the trailer for transportation to the next host site. In addition, we are responsible for coordinating laundry every three riding days. I like trailer crew because the work only lasts about 15 minutes and then I am free for the rest of the day!

Surprisingly, I was asked by a female rider whom I hardly know to ride with her today. My response to the request was awkward and went something like this:

Diane: "Hey, Kyle, do you want to ride with me today?"
Me: "What? Why?" [suspicious glance since she is very fast and I am very slow]
Diane: "We haven't ridden together yet and I would love your company."
Me: [blushing] "OK, great!"

So I rode with Diane Mattingly for the short 50-mile jaunt into Glasgow, MT. Diane is a recent graduate of Carnegie-Mellow University (CMU) in Pittsburgh. She was a chemical engineering major and is preparing to start a high-powered job with Exxon-Mobil in Washington, D.C. shortly after completing the trip. As I mentioned above, Diane is extremely fast and usually rides with the front group every day. I envy her speed and strength! I truly enjoyed the ride with her today: our conversation was fascinating and her insight is penetrating. I hope she will consider riding with me again before the end of the trip.

The route today was completely flat with no wind at all. The road was lightly-trafficked and had a wide shoulder so we were able to talk and ride along comfortably. We took a brief lunch stop around mile 35 at a local diner. One of the more "intense" riders named Paul took their "pancake challenge," but failed. The challenge involved eating an enormous number of pancakes, along with eggs and bacon. If you could finish the meal, it would be free. Suffice it to say, he was both unable to get all the food down AND he was throwing up in the bathroom only a short time later. I had a peanut-butter sandwich and a banana for lunch...

We are staying in the gym of a small civic center tonight. I nabbed a secluded spot on the upper bleacher deck for my sleeping bag, but the sound of bouncing basketballs is filling my ears as my teammates shoot hoops below. Does their energy never run out?

Sorry for no pictures today, but I do have some good news: I have found two cheaper brands of energy drink that I can consume on the road during the day. Both Rockstar (black can) and Nos (orange and blue can) taste great and give me a jolt of energy to make the miles melt away. Red Bull is still my #1 favorite, but it is so expensive. I look forward to my once or twice-daily consumption of energy drinks, although I imagine the sugar is rotting my teeth out.

We have a 70-mile day into Malta, MT tomorrow. Hopefully the roads and wind will cooperate again like today! My apologies if the next update doesn't come for awhile: AT&T cell coverage is very poor out here and only some of the hosts provide Internet access. Keeping my family, friends, and supporters is very important to me, and I treat this blog like a journal. Until my next post, may the peace of Christ be with you.

Culbertson, MT to Wolf Point, MT

2010-08-08T15:20:00.000-05:00

After a torrential rainstorm that I missed on Friday night because I slept in a broom closet, we rose at 5:00 AM on Saturday morning to get a jump start on the day – it was expected to be windy and hot. Most riders began the 55-mile trek from Culbertson, MT to Wolf Point around 7:00 AM, but I experienced a flat rear tire right out of the gate! I had to remain at the church and change it while everyone got a healthy lead on me. That's OK: I have come to accept riding near the back as a humbling experience.

While Saturday's ride was relatively short mileage-wise, it was quite difficult for me. We had tall rolling hills for the first 20 miles of the day, then very strong, gusty winds during the rest of the ride into the host. The road flattened out considerably, but I had to fight for every mile – it was like riding in a wind tunnel! I think the aero bars provide a marginal benefit, but I seem to get tired just as fast whether I am riding “up” on “down on the bars.” Thankfully, I had another rider for company during most of the first part of the ride. He had many questions about the Catholic Church which I tried to answer as best as I could. These conversations happen at least once a day and they are of varying lengths: sometimes I will talk with a fellow cyclist for 2-3 hours (like today), other times it will be a simple question that doesn't require a long wind-up and explanation.

Actually, the hardest thing on a daily basis has been setting-up the answer to these types of questions. I can usually provide an answer – from the Church's perspective as best as I understand it – in relatively few sentences. However, I often find people make incorrect assumptions about the core beliefs and attitudes of Roman Catholicism, which prevents them from understanding answers as they are often presented in seminary classrooms. For example, several of the riders have engaged me on the issue of homosexuality. I will save this particular discussion for another post, but they start with the assumption that the Church's primary mission is to condemn immoral action wherever it can be found. This might be a pre-Vatican II stereotype (nuns smacking kids on the head for talking during Mass), but the Church of the 21st-century – and, indeed, in every age – seeks to affirm the human person and help him or her grow into holiness. This idea was formalized in the Second Vatican Council, but it has been a part of every Papal communication, saintly commentary, and whisper of advice in the confessional for many centuries. The Church constantly looks to shape the experience of human freedom in a way that allows a soul to conform itself to Christ as closely as possible while on earth. Unless you understand this idea before approaching a specific question about morality or the afterlife, you will fail to grasp the answer. Compassion and humility, as well as a strong desire to engage faith with reason, describe the Catholic Church at its best.

In any case, I spent much of the morning in theological discussion, growing in my ability to defend the Church and explain her positions to a skeptical individual. I have begun praying to the Holy Spirit for inspiration before starting these conversations: I find that moment of grace helps me to think more clearly and craft better analogies to promote understanding. Keep in mind that during this entire conversation, we were biking up and down tall hills with tractor trailers whizzing by on a narrow road with no shoulder... I was hoping for a little “extra” protection from above during this particular ride! (N.B. Compared with many of my brothers at the seminary, my own personal conformity to Christ and knowledge of the Church are weak. Despite these failings, I sincerely believe the Holy Spirit has been working through me and using me this summer to bring some of my fellow riders to a closer relationship with the Trinity.)

We arrived at our host church for the night quite early, despite the difficult wind – it was an ELCA Lutheran church with excellent facilities. I showered, chatted with our generous hosts for a while, and took a relaxing nap in an empty classroom. Since it was Saturday, I networked with another rider to find a Catholic church in town. As usual, by the grace of God, we found one! Immaculate Conception parish was just around the corner and they had a 6:00 PM Mass that evening. In fact, one of the women who greeted us at our host church was Catholic and volunteered to drive us to Mass and back. This was a great gift of her time and vehicle, and we all appreciated the ride tremendously. We had quite a group for Mass – 7 individuals! Praise God for inspiring my fellow riders to seek the Eucharist! Also, a special word of thanks to our route leaders who allowed us to skip dinner and go.

The parish was very small – about 280 families per the pastor – but the community was extremely vibrant. They just completed construction on a $1.5 million new church, which is quite modern and “contemporary-looking,” but the huge silver tabernacle was readily visible and a beautiful collection of statues of the Holy Family graced one side of the altar. The statue of Mary truly expressed how beautiful we believe her to have been in life. Additionally, prominent Stations of the Cross graced three sides of the sanctuary and a large crucifix adorned the back wall behind the altar. I must say that I am not a fan of the new design of some Catholic churches, but this minor point was overshadowed by the holiness and reverence with which the priest said Mass. You might have thought it was his first time by the way he handled the Eucharist and proclaimed the Gospel and homily. I really appreciate a priest who demonstrates an aura of holiness on the altar; this is contrasted with the “tired, old priest” who looks like he has said the Mass 1,000,000 times and is completely bored with every word and gesture. I realize compassion is called for in the later situation, but it can be distressing.

The pastor of IC was from India and is responsible for two other “mission churches” in this area of northeastern Montana besides his main assignment in Wolf Point. The entire parish community was very welcoming and friendly; one elderly woman even slipped $40 in my hand after Mass when she heard me talking about life at the seminary in Chicago and insisted I take it! The parish also had a beautiful religious sister assigned to it who was not only a model of humility and gentleness, but she even drove to the Lutheran church where we are staying to drop off cookies that she baked earlier in the day! Thanks, Sister!!!

I continue to be impressed with the opportunities the Lord has given my group to attend Mass each week. Even in the smallest towns, it seems there exists a Catholic church with a Mass right when we need it. The transportation has always worked out; the leaders have constantly been flexible to allow us to go; and the communities have always welcomed us with joy to their parish. I pray additional opportunities will present over the next three weeks to enable our participation in the Eucharist. If nothing else, this summer has been wonderfully affirming for my suspected vocation to the priesthood. I feel God working in my daily experiences both on and off the bike – to deny His intervention would simply be blindness on my part.

I hung-out at the host church for the rest of the evening, repacking my bag and conducting some routine maintenance on my bike to prepare for another “short” day – about 50 miles or so. We are currently crossing the great state of Montana on US-2. We are in the midst of an 11-day stretch on the bike with no breaks or rest days. I would appreciate your intercessory prayers for strength, endurance, and safety for both myself and all the riders on the Northern U.S. Bike & Build team.

New Town, ND to Culbertson, MT

2010-08-08T15:03:00.001-05:00

When we last parted, I was blogging from a computer lab in New Town, ND after an extremely difficult couple days. Thankfully, things have improved since then! The high school in New Town was very nice and I got my own classroom in which to sleep. In the evening we had a couple "affordable housing presentations" prepared by our teammates (I did mine a couple weeks ago). We learned about predatory lending and "redlining," a practice which discourages minorities in poor neighborhoods from moving out by creating a "loan risk structure" based on race. These presentations help us to more intelligently discuss the issue of affordable housing on the road and at the various host sites along the way.

After a restful and uninterrupted night's sleep, we rose and had breakfast at a small church across the street from the school. This church was enlisted on short notice, but prepared one of the best breakfasts of the trip so far: we had egg-bakes, fresh muffins, fruit, and even brownies at 7:00 AM! This was a great way to start the day. Shortly after breakfast, we saddled up and began a long 75-mile trek to Teddy Roosevelt National Park.

Because of the dangerous road conditions the day before, our leaders rerouted us on gravel roads for a good portion of the ride. These were backcountry service roads that mostly saw pick-up truck traffic. The riding was slow and difficult because we had to constantly watch for sharp rocks and loose areas that could cause a tumble: a couple riders actually had nasty spills during the course of the day. The good thing about these roads was that everyone had to travel at the same speed: there were no "fast" or "slow" riders because the gravel was the "great equalizer." This made the day much less stressful. Also, there was very little wind and, of course, almost no traffic to avoid. It was certainly a long day, but the company was refreshing and my head cold started to feel better so I had additional energy.

The environment through which we rode was mostly large expanses of grassland, suitable for cattle grazing. Hills and rocky crags rose in the distance, but the flat land between us and them was so large as to completely show the shadows of clouds passing slowly overhead. There were some farms, but these were outnumbered by the oil derricks operating silently by the side of the road. Believe it or not, North Dakota ranks third in the country for domestic oil production: a vast oil field was discovered beneath the state about five years ago and companies have been moving in ever since. In addition to the heavy truck traffic that made the "regular" road too dangerous to ride, unmanned oil derricks have been installed en masse to harvest the "black gold" beneath the surface. Usually these derricks are located on about two acres of empty land with storage tanks off to one side. The derricks silently rise and fall, providing a constant counterpoint to our cycling... it was very peaceful riding alongside them!

As we cycled closer to the national park, the land changed and became more mountainous. Eventually we found paved roads again, but these took us up long, steep inclines that offered breathtaking views of the surrounding country. My knees and quads were warmed-up by this point, so the hills were not too difficult. The last descent of the day was over a mile long and took us right to the front gate of the park. I probably wore my brake pads down over a centimeter on that descent! We turned into the park and immediately before us was an enormous mountain range composed of both slate-gray and reddish rock. This range surrounds the park and forms the northern end of the "Dakota Badlands." The land was quite desolate, but strangely beautiful like the deserts of the Southwest.

After a quick stop at the Visitors' Center, I joined Steven to cycle the last five miles to the actual campground. Unfortunately, my back tire decided to blow out on this last leg, requiring a lengthy stop to change it. This was my fifth flat of the trip (better than some people!), so I have become quite the expert at quickly replacing the tube. After riding on sharp gravel all day, I actually would have been surprised not to have gotten a flat.

Upon arrival at the campground, I moved into one of seven large tents that had already been set-up by the "fast riders" who pulled ahead on the paved roads. It turned out that I chose the most awesome tent of all: we had Steven, Michael, Jessica, Leisl, and me all together. Really good times - these are some of my favorite people on the trip. I also took the opportunity to shower in the coldest hose of the trip so far: it was fed by an underground water table that was maybe 40 degrees. Brrr! We had to use special biodegradable soap that stuck to my skin and wouldn't wash off despite the repeated blasting with supercold water. When the water hit my midsection, I let out a refreshing scream that echoed across the campground.

Later in the evening, we made our dinner "hobo style" around a campfire: everyone put a collection of meat and vegetables into large individual pieces of tinfoil and roasted the "package" over the coals for 10-20 minutes. Mine was pretty good, but the potatoes and carrots were a little undercooked. Despite this minor detail, I was thankful for a hot dinner so far from civilization. After dinner, we made smores over the same coals and enjoyed the melted marshmallows and chocolate squares on graham crackers that were donated earlier that day.

I retired to my tent early, exhausted from the long day and still a bit sick with the cold. Sleep was fitful, as it got quite chilly later that night. We rose at 5:00 AM the next morning to a dew-covered world and proceeded to conduct our morning routine as normally as possible. The air temperature must have been in the 50's as we changed into our cycling clothes and ate a cold breakfast from our trip stores. It sure is easy to take the hot breakfasts so often provided by our hosts for granted... I should remember that cold morning that next time I walk through the hot breakfast line like a zombie.

Our route on Friday was a long 97-mile ride into Culbertson, Montana (new state... woohoo!) The first part of the day was quite hilly: we had a long climb right off the bat (the same one we descended the previous afternoon into the national park). Interestingly, the whole group had to pause for almost 30 minutes while we waited for a buffalo to cross the road. Apparently they can be pretty dangerous when challenged, so nobody wanted to cycle by it. The animal was enormous and obviously quite interested in us, as it remained in the area for a good while. Finally we were able to edge past when it walked down a ravine. The rest of the morning involved undulating hills until the road finally flattened out after our first lunch around mile 40. For the rest of the day, I flew at speeds averaging 20-25 MPH. I felt very strong and confidant on Friday; I think my cold has mostly disappeared and much of my energy has returned. Also, I spent a good part of the morning in prayer which I think contributed to the "awesomeness" of the day.

I spent a large portion of the afternoon cycling with Mark and Kira, two of my good friends on the trip. Mark is a high school teacher in a Yupik Eskimo village in the Alaskan Bush, serviced only by floatplane. Kira is a recent SUNY graduate and looking to work in the non-profit sector. They actually met on another Bike & Build route last year and began dating; their relationship continued through the year and they are now repeating the experience this summer. Mark and Kira are an incredibly laid-back couple with whom cycling is a very fun and relaxing experience. We took a lot of breaks during the course of the afternoon and generally had a really great ride into our host church together across a beautiful landscape.

The one problem with Friday was the incredibly hot sun! It burned above us all day and, despite many layers of sunscreen, I still burned. Darnit! I went through over 200 oz of water during the course of the ride and still felt dehydrated at the end. My trip computer indicated a high temperature of 105 degrees on the road this afternoon which was probably pretty accurate considering the miles of pavement without any trees to break the hot wind. One rider was unable to finish the day because of the heat and had to be retrieved by the van mid-route. The terrain along the road was very hilly and empty: miles of waving grassland stretched to the distant horizon. When stopped, the silence was only broken by the occasional truck or passing car. Despite the emptiness, I really love these surroundings. They are incredibly beautiful in a stark, empty way and reflect the vastness of the United States. I had a MUCH better ride on Friday than the previous few days and much of my optimism about the trip returned after a temporary hiatus.

Our host on Friday was a small Lutheran church in Culbertson. We showered at a nearby high school before a magnificent dinner of lasagna and baked garlic bread. I retired early in a small broom closet, which was quiet and dark before the next day's ride to Wolf Point, MT.

Some pictures... click on any image for a high-resolution version that will fill your screen:

An example of how our bikes look at night, stacked in a row in a gym or community hall:

This is my sleeping bag, Therma-a-Rest, and luggage. With the exception of what I carry on the bike, these are my only possessions this summer:

The following two photos illustrate the conditions on most of the New Town to Teddy Roosevelt National Park leg (Thursday):

Here is our group of tents in Teddy Roosevelt National Park... we carry these in the trailer for our overnight campouts:

The following are some shots taken during our "hobo" dinner at the national park... the third image is my own foil-wrapped packet shortly after emerging from the fire:

Entering into Montana on Friday:

Here are a few shots of the road conditions from the national park to Culbertson, MT (taken during my afternoon ride with Kira and Mark):

After the long ride into Culberson (nearly 100 miles!), I took a picture at the host church sign with my odometer/trip computer:

I really liked this sign painted on the wall of the Lutheran church in Culbertson:

Minot, ND to New Town, ND

2010-08-04T17:02:00.001-05:00

[Warning: this post is not for people who only want to read about butterflies, laughter, sunshine, and daffodils.]

Today was the hardest day of the trip so far. While I experienced a lot of doubt and anxiety back on the East Coast while my body was still acclimating to the trip, I had not yet confronted a physical challenge as demanding as today. We rose at our usual 6:00 AM, breakfasted, and got on the road a little late - 8:00 AM or so. Almost immediately, a rushing wind hit us in the face, slowing our progress considerably and requiring at least twice the effort per hour as compared with the previous few rides. In addition, the weather was cold (high 50's for most of the morning) and there were many rolling hills. Our route today was extremely dangerous, requiring us to ride on a two-lane road with no shoulder while tractor trailers zoomed by us at 70 MPH. Finally, I developed a head cold yesterday that stayed with me all day today - stuffy, constantly running nose, sinus pressure, and very sore throat.

To confront the unexpected cold, I put on my rain jacket. While it certainly warmed me up and made me look stylish, the jacket has no ventilation so I sweated constantly until lunch. This was very uncomfortable, especially when I changed positions on the bike.

While I rode slowly today, I was by no means the slowest rider. About half the group was behind me, so I felt confidant pedaling at a comfortable pace in the morning. Unfortunately, today's sweep riders were two of the fastest individuals on the trip, so about 20 miles from lunch a large group pushed on by the sweep riders approached me from behind. I was ordered into the formation which took up the entire lane and forced me to pedal at a very fast, uncomfortable pace until lunch. This pace was painful for my sore knees, which I have been trying to "save" for the upcoming Rocky Mountains. Because of the high speed of approaching traffic, several of the riders in the formation took it upon themselves to shout commands to the rest of us, especially one girl. While this was well-intentioned, it was stressful to be yelled at and ordered to perform actions that seemed unnatural.

The whole thing felt very unsafe, especially considering the amount of space we were taking up on the road and the large number of riders in formation. My suspicions were confirmed when we arrived at lunch - one of the leaders screamed at us in a perfect imitation of a thwarted witch. Apparently, many of the truckers were radioing in about the "gaggle" of cyclists taking up the whole road. Angry calls were placed into the main Bike & Build office in Philly, enough to trigger a formal notification to our route leaders from the central office. Thankfully I was not held responsible for this poor decision-making, as I, along with many others, were forced into this formation by sweep riders who wanted to finish the day early. This is entirely inappropriate for sweep: they should hang-back behind the slowest rider, not forcing anyone along, especially at unsafe or uncomfortable speeds.

Because about half the group was involved in this fiasco, lunch was a very emotional experience. I tried to stand away from everyone else to avoid being caught up in any "discussions." I ate quickly and remounted my bike in preparation for a welcome solo ride into New Town, but one of the leaders instructed me to join a group for safety. Disappointed, I took up a position in a "pace line" of about 6 riders. Pace lines are ways to break the wind by having several riders cycle in a row, constantly changing out the front leader. To be honest, pace lines don't help me much because I have the aero bars and I am bigger than 90% of the others - a small rider in front of me is not going to help me in any significant way. However, I pulled with the group to avoid angering anybody.

The wind after lunch increased in intensity and we hit more hills. My knees burned as I applied 100% of my energy to keep up with the group. At times, it felt like we were cycling through a wind tunnel. At the crest of each hill, a short downhill followed before another long ascent. Rinse and repeat all afternoon. I fell out of the pace line close to New Town, simply because I wanted to have some cartilage available in my knees for tomorrow (and the next 10 days in a row when we will be cycling without a rest day). Throughout the afternoon, I steadily became more and more frustrated with the dangerous road conditions coupled with the hills and wind. I began to feel that same hatred for cycling that characterized much of the first 2-3 weeks of this trip.

Unfortunately, there is no "upside" to this story. The day finally just ended and I collapsed into our host site, worried that these same conditions will plague us for the next few days. I suppose I should be thankful that the cycling has been *relatively* easy so far, but the stress and energy required of this day were overwhelming; all I want to do is lie down in silence and recover from this painful head cold in isolation.

The seminary has never looked so good.

Build Day in Minot, ND

2010-08-03T22:13:00.003-05:00

Today was a pretty challenging day. It was a scheduled "build day," but the Habitat for Humanity chapter in Minot was quite far behind on the house we were supposed to build; the foundation had not even been dug by the time we arrived. The site manager was apologetic, but all 32 of us were put to work building a small storage shed that maybe needed 8-10 people to run smoothly. While I constantly searched for something to do, most of the morning was spent standing around, holding a hammer. I did drive a few nails, but I had to fight for the chance to do even that small job.

Because of the excessive help, our trip leaders decided to send a majority of the group to another work site in the afternoon to "landscape." On the surface, this seemed like a good idea. Minutes later, however, when the van rolled-up to a beautiful nursing home on one of the main streets of Minot, we discovered our true task would be pulling weeds around a decrepit playground on the property. Apparently, the leaders googled "non-for-profit" and this was the only organization that needed over 20 young adults to perform manual labor for an afternoon.

So I pulled and pulled, shoving the weeds inside a large black trash bag. It was at this point during the day that I became pretty disillusioned. Certainly it had been building all day (no pun intended), but the disappointment about another failed build day really hit home around weed #1100. Along with the cycling, Bike & Build advertised rewarding build days at Habitat for Humanity sites that really needed our help. I love working on houses and seeing the tangible progress as the day marches on. This, however, is just a joke. I know the economy is depressed and non-for-profits are not doing much this year, but aren't there places along a 4,000-mile route that could actually use the help of 32 young adults?

To be fair, we have had two excellent build days - one in Portsmouth, NH and one in Janesville, WI. All the others, though, have been epic failures. I heard from another team member today that, once completed, the shed was poorly constructed and looked terrible. The site manager made a comment to him that a lot of "work" would have to be done on it "tomorrow" by more professional craftsmen.

I apologize to my readers for the more negative tone of this blog entry. Honestly, this trip has been awesome so far - I have made many friends and forged close bonds with the other riders; I have increased in my physical fitness, strength, and endurance; and I am completing a physical goal that I will feel proud about for the rest of my life. These build days, however, have mostly been a waste of time. This is disappointing for an organization that labels itself "Bike & Build" - we do a lot of biking, but very little building at all. As bad as this sounds, I continue to suspect that the "building" component of this organization is just an excuse for young athletes to ride their bikes across the country.

I would love to see a more structured commitment to actually finding work for almost three dozen young people who want to improve the communities through which we are riding. Based on my experiences with the service-end of this organization over the last month and a half, I might have trouble recommending this trip to a friend who really wants to make a difference, at least on some basic level by assisting in a Habitat for Humanity build or really engaging communities in a discussion about the affordable housing crisis. In the meantime, I will attempt to stay positive and optimistic by keeping the real purpose of this trip in the front of my mind at all times.

For your visual satisfaction, here is a photo of my "weed-pulling" group at the nursing home playground:

Two Great Days

2010-08-02T14:54:00.001-05:00

[N.B. You can click on any picture in my blog for a full-screen, high-resolution version.]

Yesterday, we rode from Devil's Lake, ND to Rugby, a small city of about 8,000 souls known only for their status as the "geographical center of North America." Because prom was scheduled for that evening, Heather and I rode together to look for a consignment shop or thrift store: neither of us had purchased our costumes yet! (We found nothing open because it was Sunday.) The weather was beautiful and the roads, as usual, were completely flat. We are now well into the Great Plains, so the only scenery for miles on either side of the road is thousands of acres of fields and distant treelines near the horizon. Contrary to popular belief, there are trees in this part of the country, but they occur only in small stands of other trees often separated by several miles. The mileage was extremely short (60 mi), which was a welcome relief after the 120 miles I had cycled the day before. Lunch was at mile 40, so we only had 20 more miles to go after lunch; it felt like a very short day.

About halfway into the ride, Heather and I encountered a beautiful lake. The sun was shining in such a way as to create a mirror-like glass surface; the water reflected the sky perfectly and all was absolutely still. Here are some shots that partially convey the beauty of the water:

For a good part of the ride, Heather and I were able to ride next to each other on the wide shoulder; the road was not busy at all, so our conversation was nearly continuous. At one point, she indicated her pro-life stance and that she believes life is sacred from conception to natural death. It is difficult for me to explain here just how much joy flooded my heart. All at once, a boundless gratitude flowed out of me, directed to the Holy Spirit. See, Heather is very much a "modern woman." She has completed graduate school (Urban Planning); she is independent and self-sufficient; and she is goal-oriented, athletic, and interested in succeeding in the world. I have rarely met such an accomplished young woman - defined as < 25 years old - who is so directed, yet who unapologetically defends the consistent ethic of life, expressed more formally as the "seamless garment theory." Heather is a model of grace and Christian holiness; all at once, I was truly glad to be her prom date, as much of a joke as the event was.

We arrived in Rugby around 1:00 PM. Here are a couple pictures of us at the sign announcing the town:

After a typical stop at Dairy Queen (we had been craving salty fried food all day, probably as a result of the long ride the day before), we found the "official" geographic center of North America and acted like the tourists we were. Special thanks to Leisl for serving as our photographer:

Arriving at the high school, our host for the night, we discovered a community pool next door that generously allowed us access to their facilities. Not only did they have hot showers, but we were able to use the high-dive and splash around in the pool for about an hour. This was enormously refreshing and the warm water helped me relax my sore muscles. I think the parents of some of the little children there were suspicious of over a dozen 20-something cyclists storming the facilities, but we tried to be respectful. After the pool and shower, I collapsed on my Therma-a-Rest for a very welcome three-hour nap.

Waking-up around 6:00 PM, I realized that prom was scheduled to start in about an hour and I still did not have an outfit! People had been talking about how "awesome" their outfits were for days, so I was quite concerned about looking lame (as usual). Thankfully, one of the other riders (Andrew) pointed me in the direction of the high school's (unlocked) costume shop, where he had secured his own outfit only minutes before. After digging through some of the strangest things, I found a pirate outfit that totally did the job. Despite the theme being "Down on the Farm," this seemed acceptable given the circumstances, namely five days on the road without seeing a single open thrift shop or yard sale.

A very surprised and delighted Heather and I were photographed before walking up the stairs to a gym annex, which was lit solely by the strobe lights we keep on the front and back of our bikes. The music was blaring and people were dancing their hearts out. Once we got to the top of the stairs, everyone turned and cheered mine and Heather's costumes: they loved us! Most of the other riders were dressed in relatively simply pairs of overalls and red bananas; my date and I not only ignored the theme, but dressed as ostentatiously as possible. We were a complete hit.

After awkwardly dancing to about an hour's worth of songs, we gathered for the crowning of prom king and queen, as well as distribution of the other awards. Steven and Kira were crowned, which was quite acceptable to me. The award for "best dressed male" went to... drum-roll... ME!!! I couldn't believe it! I had no costume at all only an hour before prom, yet I walked away with the most coveted award of them all! As usual, God comes through on His promise to help seminarians!

While I had initial reservations about prom, I ended-up having a fabulous time with my incredible date. We sweated about a gallon due to the lack of AC in the annex, but we all had a fun, if sticky time. I know you have been waiting for the prom pictures, so I won't hold back any longer:

The first picture is, of course, my beautiful date and me doing the awkward "high school prom pose." I hope neither the seminary nor the Archdiocese will hold this contact with a girl against me: I assure them it was brief! The second picture is Mr. Prom King and me holding our awards - small Styrofoam cutouts of lamas covered in gold spray-paint. The prom committee really went all-out on the awards this year, as you can see. Last note: I'm pretty sure we all got ringworm from dancing on wrestling mats the whole night.

After the conclusion of the dancing and festivities, I changed out of my incredibly sweaty outfit, called my mom, and collapsed on my sleeping bag for a restful night's sleep. Before bed, I captured a beautiful picture of the sky outside as an approaching thunderstorm slowly filled the evening sky:

We rose at 6:00 AM this morning for another low mileage day to Minot, ND (pronounced "my-knot"). It's funny how 65 miles now seems like a gentle ride through the park! Again, the road was flat and the weather was great. I really flew today as I continue to get more comfortable on the "aero bars." Not only do they allow me to get off my numb hands and rest instead on my forearms, but they drop me out of the worst of the slipstream so I can cruise at 18-20 MPH. I arrived in Minot at 1:00 PM after a ride along US-2 that seemed much shorter than it really was. Here is the standard "entry into town" picture at a sign advertising Minot as a "magic city." My facial expression is for the benefit of all my loyal blog readers:

We arrived at our host church in the nick of time: a thunderstorm was beginning just as we pulled into the parking lot. A few drops of rain splattered my jersey, but the real stuff held off until my group was safely inside. Also welcoming us to Minot was an enormous hill up to the church: a 1/2-mile 18% grade that appeared out of nowhere. My knees were certainly not ready for this challenge! Steven supposed that the state of North Dakota felt bad about not presenting us with more challenges so far...

We have a build day here in Minot tomorrow and then we push further west on Wednesday. Before concluding, I do have one question that I would like to propose to my readers, especially any with cycling experience... a strange orange "goo" has been appearing on my legs during the course of each day's ride. It has a light brownish tint and feels oily to the touch; I can rub it off easily with a paper towel. I do not think it is coming from my body, nor can I find any source for the substance on the bike. It usually appears on the backs or sides of my legs. The chain lubricant is a black grease that appears black when I touch it, so I don't think it is rubbing off on my legs. My only other source would be environmental. Below is a picture of the phenomenon. If anyone has any idea about its nature, please e-mail me!

Grand Rapids, MN to Devils Lake, ND

2010-07-31T23:16:00.001-05:00

On Thursday, we rode 75 miles into Bemidji, MN. During this portion of the trip we got our first introduction to US Route 2, something of a cross between an interstate highway and a country road. Parts of it are completely empty, only two lanes, and surrounded by thick groves of trees; other parts are much busier with trucks zooming by and no vegetation to speak of on either side. After lunch on Thursday, I "volunteered" to ride sweep with one of the leaders because the regular sweep rider was in too much pain to continue (bad knees). This is both a blessing and a curse: while I get to ride at a very slow pace and take frequent breaks to make sure we stay behind everyone, sweep riders tend to get into the host site very late. This was the case on Thursday because groups in front of us continued to stop and sightsee along the way. Personally, I like to push through the route and arrive at the host ASAP; I'm not a big "stopper" except when I need physical breaks. Other riders, however, enjoy taking pictures or visiting local attractions, as in the case of a small zoo on the side of the highway... they stayed for an hour! Oh well, at least the afternoon wasn't too difficult.

We finally arrived in Bemidji and cycled along the edge of a beautiful lake for a few miles. It was during this portion of the trip when we found an enormous statue of Paul Bunyan and Babe, his blue ox. Of course, we stopped for pictures:

From left to right, the riders are: James Gaston (New York, NY), Nolan Wildfire (Pittsburgh, PA), Kelly Kraft (Noblesville, IN), Kyle Gamsby (Newark, NJ), and myself. We stayed in a very nice Lutheran church in Bemidji and I had a wonderful conversation with a young woman named Kara who is about to finish her Masters of Divinity degree in St. Paul to become a minister in the ELCA Lutheran Church (one of the two main branches of Lutheranism in the US). We talked about the many points of comparison between Lutherans and Catholics, as well as the differences. I found her to be informed, charismatic, and possessing a true servant's heart.

On Friday, we cycled 89 miles to Crookston, MN. This was a more challenging ride as the trees were beginning to thin out and the wide open stretches of farmland began (think you've seen a lot of farmland in Illinois, Indiana, or Ohio? You ain't seen nothing yet...) The road was completely flat, but the wind is much stronger than before as there is no treeline to break it. One thing about this ride was how rushed it felt. We woke-up at 5:00 AM to get a jump start on the day (I saw a beautiful pink sunrise) and everything after wake-up moved at twice the usual pace. There was a lot of pressure to cover the distance quickly (before the afternoon winds came up) and we were instructed not to "linger" at lunch. The sky was cloudy for most of the morning and we got a few drops of rain, but nothing significant. In the afternoon, we pulled into our host church and were greeted with a magnificent feast of chips, salsa, nacho cheese, fruit, and lemonade. It was incredible!

Because of the early wake-up, I took a well-deserved nap before dinner (lasagna and garlic bread). After dinner, I FINALLY put the aero bars on my bike to allow me to spend more time off my hands, hunched down over the bike in a better aerodynamic profile. Before I installed the bars, however, I took a quick walk outside and discovered this beautiful sky above the church:

The way the sun was shining over the tops of the clouds was absolutely stunning and I stood rooted to the spot for a good 10 minutes until dusk. God sometimes surprises us with unmistakable signs of the divine in nature.

We rose again this morning at 5:00 AM for the longest ride of the trip: 115 miles into Devil's Lake, ND. We crossed the state line early in the day which proved to be a somewhat difficult picture to take... I had to wait for the right moment and run into the middle of a busy road to make it look "natural." Despite being almost hit with a truck, I scored the coveted North Dakota state line picture:

I rode the rest of the miles completely alone and it was AWESOME. I love listening to just the silence and my wheels spinning across the surface of the road; the long miles give me plenty of time to think (and pray). While riding with others is sometimes good just to maintain mental health, I prefer to ride alone as often as possible. Call me anti-social, I don't care. At one point, though, I had to wait for some other people to catch up so I could get this great photograph:

Bring it on, Mother Nature!

We had lunch stops at mile 40 and mile 80 today, as well as a water stop at mile 100. I find that breaking up the day into sets of 20 miles is the best way to deal with long distances. For example, I ride 20 miles then stop for a 5 minute break... 20 miles after that is a lunch stop. Rinse and repeat.

As the afternoon wore on, I searched my iPhone for a Catholic church in Devil's Lake since getting to Sunday Mass is impossible due to our early starts. After some difficulty, I found St. Joseph's parish very close to where we are currently staying (a Pentecostal church named "River of Life"). They had a 5:00 PM anticipated Mass, so I struggled to cover the remaining distance quickly. I truly believe the Holy Spirit was with me today and that my attendance at Mass was willed because I coasted to a stop in front of the church at 4:50 PM! Think about this for a moment: over 115 miles on the bike, 8 hours of travel time with multiple lunch stops and breaks, and STILL I arrive at Mass early enough to find a seat! If that doesn't help you to believe in God, Thomas Aquinas's proofs probably won't work either.

I didn't have enough time to change into decent clothes, much less take a shower before Mass, so I walked in covered in dirt, sweat, and dead bugs plastered to my sunscreen-coated body. I certainly got some looks, so I found a seat in the back of the church. A cyclist also doesn't smell too good after such a long ride...

Both Mass and the church were absolutely beautiful. The priest was young, orthodox, and said the Mass with great reverence; the church was COVERED in Catholic art such as statues, magnificent Stations of the Cross, and murals; and the music was standard - no strummy guitar solos or anything too "modern." In fact, the opening hymn was "Praise to the Lord, the Almighty," which is one of my all-time favorites. In short, the entire experience was perfect! After the disaster that was Corpus Christi parish last weekend in St. Paul, this was a breath of fresh air that inspired me anew to seek the priesthood with a whole heart. It is also comforting to know that at least some parishes in this country are still holding to liturgical and environmental norms. Below are some pictures of the church... note especially the incredible painting behind the altar above the crucifix:

[As always, click any picture on this blog for a high-resolution version!]

Here is a picture of Father Peter Sharpe and me at the front. Fr. Sharpe was recently ordained for the Diocese of Fargo, ND and went to seminary at Mt. Saint Mary's in Maryland. We are a handsome pair:

Fr. Sharpe took me to dinner after Mass at a local Chinese restaurant down the street from the church... the food was incredible and it was a buffet! A Bike & Builder's dream...

After dinner, I rode the last couple miles to the host church. Here is me at the end of the journey, along with proof of the 120 miles I rode in just over 8 hours:

Tomorrow we ride a light 63 miles into Rugby, ND... I have to ride fast to allow enough time before the start of prom to find a good outfit somewhere in town! Stayed tuned to the blog for further updates.

Duluth to Grand Rapids, MN

2010-07-28T22:25:00.002-05:00

Today was a difficult day, to say the least. We left Temple Israel in Duluth at our usual time – around 7:30 AM – but, rather than an easy warm-up over flat roads, we quickly began climbing a long hill that stretched for over 10 miles! The hill seemed to continue up and up: we didn't encounter any flat terrain until almost an hour into the ride. While I have grown much stronger since the hills of the Northeast, this was hard riding for me and everyone else. My knees began screaming in grinding pain as even the lowest gear put an enormous strain on them so early in the day's ride. I am trying to be very gentle to my knees so they will last until the end of the trip: that gentleness was impossible today.

Despite the initial struggle, we did experience a moment of incredible beauty: at the top of the hill, Lake Superior stretched out below us like a vast sheet of blue velvet. It glistened in the sun and variously reflected the light back up to us. It was a humbling moment that made me thankful for living on one of the Great Lakes in Chicago. The weather also cooperated throughout the ride, gracing us with sunny skies and temperatures in the low 70's.

The rest of the day's ride flattened out, but a moderate to severe headwind hindered our progress. I fought for every mile as a constant buffeting wind blasted me from the front and slowed my progress to only 12-13 MPH (on a completely flat road). I enjoyed riding with Kelly Kraft, one of the route leaders, for the first half of the day and Kelsey Kennedy, a fellow rider and good friend of mind from Indianapolis for the second half the day. Despite the slow progress, the day went much faster with a companion. As usual, lunch was at mile 40... this time in the parking lot of a golf course near the town of Floodwood, MN.

I experienced a flat tire after lunch, which I had to pull over and change. With Paige's tragedy so fresh in my mind, I actually walked into a grassy field to conduct the work; I did not want to get clipped by any passing semi trucks as I struggled with the tube. My “fix a flat” time has improved dramatically: I can do a complete job in only 5-10 minutes. During the tire change, I did note a great deal of wear on the tires. I need to purchase some new ones for the second half of the trip to minimize future flats.

One item of note... I felt extremely faint during the last 15 miles today. I ate an enormous lunch and a good breakfast, as well as two energy bars and plenty of Gatorade throughout the day, so I'm not sure what happened. Thankfully, Kelsey had some snacks that she shared with me on the side of the road, so I was able to continue into our host church. This was probably the nearest I have been to “bonking” (running out of available glucose to consume), and it was a scary experience. I should try to eat more at regular intervals rather than waiting for pre-arranged stops. A possible contributor to this experience was a major mistake on the cue sheet, the list of directions issued daily that guides us from one host site to another. The ending mileage was listed as 72; in fact, we did not get to the host church until mile 84. This was 12 extra miles on an already long and difficult day: it is possible that I did not plan for this extra mileage in my “energy profile,” which is why I felt faint. Suffice it to say, we finally arrived in Grand Rapids, MN just in time for an excellent dinner of spaghetti, garlic bread, and all the ice cream we could eat for dessert. A special thanks to the community of Zion Lutheran Church for their graciousness and welcome.

A quick observation: I have noticed over the last couple weeks that I no longer need 10 miles to warm-up, as I did in the early part of the trip. Before Chicago, it would take me a good hour or so just to get going; now, I am able to pedal hard and keep up with the group right out of the gate. This is a great indicator of my increasing strength and endurance: I am glad I stuck with the trip.

Finally, an additional word of thanks to the entire Northern U.S. team for supporting an idea I had to write individual letters to the Providence to Seattle (P2S) team. I figured they needed an extra boost after Paige's death, so I compiled a spreadsheet with all the names on my trip, randomly sorted with all the names of the P2S trip. Each of our riders has been assigned one P2S rider to whom they will write an encouraging and supportive letter. These will be mailed on Monday to make their next mail drop next Thursday. This is a small and easy thing to demonstrate our solidarity with the P2S riders in their difficult circumstances. Kudos to my team for rising to the occasion!

Apologies for the lack of pictures lately. Simply put, there is nothing interesting to photograph. The roads are flat and uninteresting, so I will try to do a better job showing the “typical day” on Bike & Build. Stayed tuned for further updates.

Bike Trails, Love Poems, and Duluth, MN

2010-07-27T23:22:00.002-05:00

The last three days have been very enjoyable. After departing from St. Paul on Sunday, we cycled a very easy 95 miles into Sandstone, MN. The roads were completely flat and there was little wind. We bicycled most of the last 20 miles or so on a beautiful bike path that cut through the woods right into our host town. The day was sunny and bright with cool temperatures. I recall flying after our second lunch of the day, often maintaining speeds of greater than 20 MPH. I felt very strong and the ride was a good one.

The church on Sunday night going into Monday was a very small (<100 members) evangelical Christian church, “non-denominational.” The facilities were spartan, although the community members provided an excellent dinner and breakfast the next day. There was a brief (and cold) “hose shower” outside before we all met for “Christmas in July” later in the evening. Each rider purchased or “procured” a gag gift for someone else in a Yankee Swap – some of the gifts were really cool (a bundle of candy), but others were less desirable (plastic figurines or bad romance novels obtained at a thrift store). All in all it was a very fun experience filled with a lot of laughs. One comment about our church hosts... while I always appreciate the generosity of the religious communities with which we stay, these people were very “creepy.” A couple guys hung around the church (really, a meeting hall with a drum set on the stage/altar) all evening and watched us. One of the men even stayed the night with us – presumably this was to ensure the integrity of their worship space, but it felt odd considering he mostly seemed to keep his eyes on the girls. This was a very small church, so his presence was even more conspicuous. Nolan told me that one of the men was “excommunicated” (kicked out) of his Missouri Synod Lutheran church for “unexplained” reasons and has since taken up residence at the “Community Worship Center” in Sandstone. It was a strange group of people that had a “cult” feel rather than the typical easygoing and welcoming spirit embodied by 99.9% of our hosts. I suppose it was a bit of a shock coming from a large and vibrant Lutheran church filled with intelligent and well-educated people the night before to this small evangelical church in rural Minnesota. In any case, I wish them all the best and pray their hearts will be moved to join a religious community with some central teaching authority.

We left Sandstone on Monday morning and had an INCREDIBLE ride over 60 miles of well-paved bike trail that mostly wove through beautiful forests and small towns. With the exception of my “ultimate sweep day” with Abby into Onalaska, WI, this was my favorite day of the trip so far. The cycling was easy and the weather was perfect. I maintained a 20 MPH average throughout the day and arrived in Duluth, MN early. For most of the time on the bike trails I rode alone, preferring the silence to conversation with other riders, but I joined up with a group as we approached Duluth and its busy traffic. Through small, I was impressed with the downtown area of Duluth: it has densely-packed streets, modern buildings, and a public transportation system. It is the 4^th largest city in Minnesota.

Our host on Monday night and tonight is the only Jewish synagogue in the area: Temple Israel of Duluth. This is our first non-Christian religious host, and I think everyone was interested in the history and culture of Judaism that allowed this synagogue to be constructed. Apparently, the people of Duluth sponsored many Jewish families to America from Europe immediately before and during the Second World War. While only about 150 Jewish families remain in the area, the synagogue is a vibrant community center and a beautifully-constructed building. After dinner last night, the assistant rabbi for Temple Israel took the entire group into the sanctuary and provided a 30-minute talk on the history of the religion and took many questions. He and I actually got into a couple friendly discussions in front of everyone else... as usual, “seminarian fascination” takes hold. The rabbi was extremely open and well-received. He was frank about many aspects of his faith, especially as they relate to the modern world. We enjoyed his intelligence and demeanor; everyone was grateful for such an interesting talk. He even removed the sacred scrolls from their tabernacle at the front of the sanctuary and let us examine them. As it turns out, Hebrew writing is done from right to left. The reason for this dates back to writing with stone tablets and a chisel: if you write from left to right (as we do now), your hand would cover up what you had just written since you hold the hammer with your right hand and the chisel with your left. The rabbi was able to pronounce all the Hebrew in the scroll, but unable to translate any of it without a reference guide. By contrast, despite the foreignness of Latin today, priests before Vatican II were sufficiently schooled in the language to be able to translate almost anything whether in the Mass or in a Church document. By all accounts, Hebrew is a much more difficult language to learn, but I was fascinated by their reverence for the language: even though nobody understands it without a handy reference book, the pronunciation is extremely important and the tradition is continued through today. One last note: the congregation is “reform/reconstructionist.” This is a very “progressive” strand of Judaism is that open to converts and even boasts an openly-gay female rabbi.

Today was our second day off of the trip in Duluth. While most of the group went to see a movie or enjoy the shores of Lake Superior, I took some time to sleep in and relax. I needed to catch up on sleep after averaging only 6 hours each night during these past couple weeks. The day was dark and stormy, so I didn't see how exploring the town would be that pleasant on foot anyway. Later in the day, I did walk to the YMCA for a refreshing hot shower and I grabbed a quick (overpriced) dinner at an Irish pub on the main street in downtown Duluth. I rejoined the group in the early evening for our weekly “town hall,” where everyone tells their “highs” and “lows” for the week and where general discussion occurs. My high this week was riding sweep with Abby into Pepin, WI; my low continues to be the numbness in my right hand.

One last note: our Bike & Build “prom” has been scheduled for August 1. Every male rider was assigned a female rider in a random drawing and instructed to “ask her to prom” in a creative way. I decided to write Heather (my date) a beautiful love poem and leave it on her pillow with a white rose (which I picked-up today at a local flower shop). It was marvelously successful! She LOVED it and promptly showed both the poem and the flower to every other person on the trip. For the sake of completeness and in lieu of pictures, I have decided to include the poem here:

“If I fly with the wings of dawn, who would be my earth if you were to pass away?

And should I need a light to illumine the dark recesses of the night, what lamp might I substitute for your own radiance?

I wander this world in ever-widening circles, searching not for honesty or wisdom or valor, but for the grace that spills off your soul like water over the mightiest dam. Diogenes' lamp cannot help me now.

Each sunrise, I repeat the sacrament of morning (mourning?) that lends finality to my existence. As my eyes open, a ritual is repeated that has sustained me for a thousand years: the experience of looking upon you for the first time and, at once, the last. The watchtower is forever manned.

In your absence, I can do nothing but continue. The shell is nearly empty and life is dim, but a hidden flame burns deep within that waits for but a touch, a brush from your lips to mine to rage again into a mighty inferno, consuming sweet loneliness in the twinkling of an eye.”

Pretty good for a celibate seminarian, don't you think?

Build Day in St. Paul, MN

2010-07-24T21:52:00.003-05:00

Steven and I were awoken at 8:00 AM this morning after a comfortable night on real beds at the Elkund’s house. I must say that last night was the best night’s sleep I have had so far on the trip. After we spent a few minutes getting ready for the build day, we journeyed upstairs to one of the most amazing breakfasts I have ever been served. Katherine prepared scrambled eggs with sour cream, milk, and other delicious ingredients, as well as fried potatoes with enough salt on them to replace every gram I sweated out yesterday. There was also plenty of orange juice and fresh strawberries to go around. We were amazed at the quality of the meal, and I fondly recalled it all day at the build site.

The entire group met at the church around 8:30 for transportation to the Habitat for Humanity sites around St. Paul. Our group was split up into two equally-sized contingents to make sure there was enough work (and tools) for everyone. My group was assigned to a small two-story home in a quiet neighborhood in the city. The single elderly female occupant was too disabled to work on the exterior of the house, so we spent the day scraping paint and preparing the wooden sides of the house for priming and painting. It was hard work and very slow-going, but once we were instructed not to remove every flake of old paint, merely the rough patches, the work went faster. I spent about half the day on a ladder scraping the high places and the other half on the ground, using a sanding block to even parts out. Thankfully the weather was cool and we were shaded from direct sunlight by the house next door. The “arm” of Habitat for Humanity with which we worked today was called “A Brush of Kindness.” Rather than constructing new houses for clients, they repair and restore old ones. Unfortunately we did not get to meet the resident of the house, although she was inside; however I wish her all the best and pray for her peace.

After the work was completed around 4:00 PM, I walked about 10 blocks to a nearby Catholic parish. I read about their 4:30 Mass time on the Internet earlier in the day, so I was ready with a change of clothes. The church was named for St. Thomas More (one of my favorite saints) and I was excited to admire its exterior and interior beauty (we had ridden past it on Friday afternoon). Alas, I read the website wrong! The 4:30 Mass was at one of their satellite churches several miles down the road; I did not have time to walk the distance. As I sat brooding on the steps, checking my iPhone for other churches in the area, a married couple walked up to the doors like they were on their way to Mass, too. I called out to them and explained the confusion.

After some conversation and a quick introduction, we agreed to travel together to another parish for the 5:15 Mass. In the car, I learned the couple’s names were Nick and Mary; they were locals with four children. Nick is one of the directors of a major medical consulting firm. The charity and openness of Nick and Mary were a sight to behold. They took a complete stranger, covered in dirt and paint chips, and placed me in their car. They sat with me at Mass, introduced me to their friends, conversed with me at length, and dropped me off again at my Bike & Build host church in another part of the city. Talk about living Gospel values… It takes a special person/couple to demonstrate that level of kindness and trust, so I thank them for their abundant generosity.

Mass itself was at Corpus Christi Church, a VERY modern edifice with the altar smack in the middle of the sanctuary. This was awkward because there were pews all around it in a “theater” style. There were no statues or Catholic art anywhere in the church: the walls were all white save for a few small abstract stained glass windows. Architecturally, it felt like a Congregational or Quaker church. The music was extremely contemporary and the priest took too much initiative in trying to make the Mass “common” or “available to the people.” For example, he offered up the bread and the wine off the altar right after he received it from the gift bearers (“Blessed are you, Lord God of all creation…”). Also, he left out the “Protect us, Lord, from all anxiety” benediction after the “Our Father” and the whole congregation immediately lapsed into the Doxology (“For Yours is the Kingdom, the power, the glory…”), just like in a Protestant church. Lastly, there were no kneelers in the church at all! We all stood during the consecration and people sat down during communion. This was blatantly offensive to the sanctity and dignity of the Eucharist; I can’t believe the local bishop allowed a new church construction without kneelers! While I appreciated the very opportunity to attend Mass in the midst of a busy weekend, I think Corpus Christi parish is a good example of the direction the Church should not go. I thank God continuously that the seminarians of today express a commitment to the orthodox and an eagerness to resurrect the beautiful traditions of the Church while ensuring the Mass remains a pastoral experience for the laity.

Tomorrow we ride 94 miles to Sandstone, MN. I regret having to leave the beautiful Twin Cities, but I will be back on my own time to visit and enjoy the culture here.

A few pictures of my work on the build site today:

From Wisconsin into Minnesota

2010-07-23T23:21:00.007-05:00

These last couple days have been quite an adventure. Yesterday, we woke to a major rainstorm pelting our host church in La Crosse, WI. There was no rain delay, so we strapped on our rain jackets and pulled out at the usual time after a fantastic breakfast provided by our hosts. I was assigned to "sweep" with Abby, another rider, and we had an INCREDIBLE day. The first half of the ride was spent yelling, "This is AWESOME!" back and forth to each other as the rain lashed our faces and the heavy wind attempted to push us off the road. We were completely soaked before the first mile, but we reveled in the experience and labeled it "the most extreme sweep day ever." I really enjoyed spending the day with Abby on the bike. She is from Connecticut and a recent graduate of Williams College. She is extremely intelligent, introspective, and open-minded enough to really engage with me on several moral issues from the perspective of the Catholic Church. The ride itself was only 65 miles long without any hills whatsoever. We had a tailwind for most of the morning which pushed us along at speeds of 20 MPH without even pedaling! Cycling through Wisconsin continued to be a magnificent and beautiful experience: rolling hills boxed us in on both sides while the Mississippi River flowed off to the west (we could see it all day). The route was heavily populated with thick trees whose leaves whispered in the constant wind. The sky was dark all day, even after the rain stopped, so the whole scene took a "mysterious" tone.

We finally arrived at our host church yesterday in Pepin, WI and, to my great joy, I found fellow seminarian Dan Thelen (Class of 2015, Diocese of La Crosse, WI) waiting for me on the steps. We had arranged the meet earlier in the day and the timing worked out perfectly. He spent about 2 hours with me, talking and exchanging updates on our summers. He has been working with the Hispanic ministry in his diocese, continuing to improve his Spanish and experiencing the Hispanic culture of this area of Wisconsin. It was very affirming to hang-out with another seminarian, even for only a few hours, and it renewed my excitement to return to the seminary in the fall to continue this journey to the altar, God-willing.

We had a MUCH more challenging ride today. While the mileage was only slightly longer (75 mi), the entire route was laced with rolling hills and some very steep climbs. I spent a good portion of today in "granny gear" (lowest possible gear on the bike, which corresponds to the least necessary force), slowly making my way up long inclines. I didn't know this part of the Midwest had mountains! We rode from Pepin, WI across the Mississippi River to St. Paul, MN in about 8 hours. I had a lot of pain on the bike today: upper and lower back, shoulders, etc. I am continuing to treat with Advil and Aleve (new friend), but I constantly worry about taking too much. My right hand numbness is more or less stable with no real improvement since the last post. My ring finger continues to have little sensation and the overall hand is much weaker than baseline: this manifests in difficulty grasping objects with any force or manipulating my fingers in the same way as before. My chief concern is long-term nerve damage, but I really want to avoid getting into the van. A few days off the bike really won't help the situation and would only prevent me from reaching my goal of cycling all the way across the country. I will look for another pair of gloves ASAP and install the aero bars at the next opportunity.

Tonight we are staying with "host families" rather than spreading out on the floor of a church. While I am always thankful for the host churches and their generous donation of space, it is so nice to get a bed! Along with Steven Rogers, we are staying at the home of Kent and Katherine Eklund, a local couple in St. Paul, MN. Kent has his Ph.D. and is one of the partners in a consulting firm. Katherine manages a local non-profit civic orchestra and expertly plays the flute. Their house is very beautiful and extremely comfortable. We were whisked here after arriving at the church and fed a most delicious dinner of pulled pork BBQ sandwiches. After some great conversation, Steve and I joined Kent for a car tour of the Twin Cities. I was extremely impressed with the beauty of Minneapolis and its "big-city" feel. At times, I could have imagined myself in Chicago for all the tall buildings and mass transit systems I saw. The houses in this area are elegant and the people are obviously informed and cultured. This is a big college town: the University of Minnesota is located right in the middle of St. Paul. While I haven't yet observed the natural beauty that characterized Wisconsin, I have never been more impressed with a city. I would like to come back here and spend a few days in the near future. I suppose my favorite part about this area is not one, but TWO Catholic cathedrals (one of them is a basilica)! I haven't had time to visit either one yet, but they are enormous from the outside and tower over the whole city. It is obvious that the Catholic presence here is significant, a fact that brings me great joy.

I received a wonderful care package yesterday from Carol Miller, employee of the Archdiocese of Chicago and now a great personal friend. She sent loads of high-quality sunscreen (100 SPF!), as well as all the Clif Bars I can eat. A special thanks Carol for such a useful care package that will sustain me for many miles.

I have one general observation this evening that I have been noticing over the past week. At the beginning of this trip, the energy level of the group was extremely high. This is actually something about which I complained! People couldn't stop singing, playing loud music, or having spontaneous dance parties, not to mention just how "stoked" everyone was about the "awesome" ride ahead. One might characterize the energy level at this point in the trip at 100%. Currently, the energy level is about 5%. Everyone, including the seasoned riders, is completely exhausted. People are clearly seeking a greater degree of "alone time" and the day-to-day noise level has decreased significantly. Clearly, the ride has been very challenging for everyone. In fact, people are starting to get a little "on edge." Tensions are definitely higher and tempers flare much more readily than before. People are having more "bad days" when they are visibly tense or upset. While the community is still strong and growing every day, the group dynamic is certainly changing and people's opinions of one other are coming back down to earth a little. It has been an interesting process to observe, although I try to stay out of certain peoples' way as often as possible. I think the reason for this change is simply different abilities to deal with physical and emotional stress. I am combating the urge to be "snippy" by riding alone at least half the day and trying to stake out a more isolated spot in the host churches in order to rest and recharge. This has been a successful strategy so far, as I remain cheerful and friendly during the course of the day. Hopefully I will be able to continue these tactics as we leave civilization behind and strike out into the empty West.

We have a "build day" tomorrow, so I need to get to bed.

Here are some pictures:

A few shots of the rainy enviornment through which Abby and I rode yesterday

Abby and I at the end of the day:

Entering into Minnesota from Wisconsin

Bike & Build Fatal Accident

2010-07-21T20:47:00.001-05:00

On Tuesday afternoon, July 20, a rider on the Providence, RI to Seattle "Bike & Build" route was struck and killed by a tractor trailer during the course of the day's ride. Paige Hicks, aged 21, was stopped on the right-hand shoulder of the road near Vetal, SD with another rider when a truck hauling an extra-wide load clipped her. Paramedics declared her dead at the scene. Paige was from Chesterfield, MO and a senior at Brown University, majoring in biology. This was her second year participating in a Bike & Build trip. She was described as having "energy, enthusiasm, and a fun-loving attitude." The fate of the Providence to Seattle trip is uncertain at this point, but grief counselors are working with the riders. One of the organization's program directors has been dispatched from Philadelphia to coordinate with and support the riders on the ground.

A special note: this is not my route. There are 8 routes that run across the country during the course of the summer. I am on the "Northern U.S." route that runs from Portsmouth, NH to Vancouver, BC. This is a separate route with which we have no interaction or contact during the summer.

I would ask all the Christian readers of this blog to pray for the soul of Paige, that she may be welcomed into eternal life, as well as for the comfort and consolation of her family.

Grant eternal rest unto her, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon her.