April 6, 2018 at 1:53 p.m.
Father Carlino's Excellent Adventure: Learning, meeting the Pope, visiting the Holy Land
* The Pope seems to be in better health than the media commonly portray,
* Such places as Jerusalem and the Sea of Galilee have much more meaning to him now that he has seen them in person, and
* Italians also enjoy a more laid-back lifestyle than Italian-Americans.
Rome sojourn
Father Carlino, who returned to his parish from Rome less than two weeks ago, spoke to The Evangelist about his sabbatical at the North American College, visits to the Holy Land and an Italian town, and the experience of standing five feet away from the Pope and receiving his blessing.He left for Rome in January. He had been there 19 years ago for a vacation. This time, he was on sabbatical and wanted to "make the most of it for personal renewal and being a more effective priest," he said.
After one week of orientation, Father Carlino, who was one of 38 priests on sabbatical at North American College, began taking courses in such areas as theology, Scripture, homiletics and ecclesiology. He found the scholars who taught him to be excellent, but he was disappointed that the courses consisted mostly of lectures and didn't include small group discussion.
Missing home
The first month in Rome was difficult for Father Carlino because he felt homesick and missed his parish, family and friends. He kept in touch with parishioners through biweekly letters that appeared in the parish bulletin, an idea he got from Bishop Howard J. Hubbard, who wrote in The Evangelist about his ad limina visit to Rome in 1998.A Mass on the feast of Our Lady of Lourdes was very moving because thousands of people raised candles and sang "Ave Maria," but Father Carlino missed the greater congregational participation that he's come to expect in his ministry back home.
To Jerusalem
Father Carlino spent 10 days in February visiting the Holy Land, an experience that has transformed the way in which he reads Scripture because he has been to the historical and sacred places.These locales seem bigger in Scripture, however, as Father Carlino learned that the Sea of Galilee is only 13 miles long, and the old city of Jerusalem is just three miles in circumference.
He was amazed at how Jerusalem keeps resurging amid war and conflict, and how Christians, Jews and Muslims express their faith with such devotion.
Old friend
Most of the 38 priests on sabbatical visited the Holy Land, but Father Carlino's next visit was with only one other priest: to Teano, two hours south of Rome, to see Bishop Francesco Tommasiello. The bishop visited St. Anthony's Church in Schenectady in 1994 and celebrated Mass for Italian immigrants, and Father Carlino was welcomed to Teano for two weekends."It was like I was part of their family. They had a wonderful sense of Christian unity and the fraternity of priests," he said.
Several residents also told him they knew parishioners of St. Anthony's and Our Lady of the Assumption churches in Schenectady.
Papal encounter
One of the highlights of Father Carlino's sabbatical was seeing the Pope from a distance during papal audiences each Wednesday and during Holy Week Masses. Watching the Pope bless groups of visitors from all over the world and hearing him speak their native languages was impressive, but Father Carlino would get even closer to him during Holy Week.At the Easter Vigil, Father Carlino was one of 100 priests who joined the pontiff on the altar during Mass. Between the Liturgy of the Word and the Liturgy of the Eucharist, the pope came near Father Carlino, looked right at him and a priest standing next to him, and blessed them both. The other 98 priests didn't miss a beat: "Of course, you had 100 priests bless themselves," he said.
Father Carlino noticed that the Pope walks slowly and his left hand trembles, but he didn't see the same frailty and poor health that have shaped many people's perception. "He stood on Good Friday and the Easter Vigil for the entire Passion. He still has a lot of life and vitality," he said.
Lessons from afar
Not only did Father Carlino learn a lot about religion and history while on sabbatical, but he also noticed differences in culture between Italians there and back home. In Italy, people seem to be more laid back, as a story about buying a newspaper illustrates."If you want yesterday's newspaper, they'll give it to you. If you want today's newspaper, they'll say, Come back tomorrow,'" he said.
When he returned to Our Lady of the Assumption Church a few weeks ago, he was happy to be back. Six weeks away might have been better than three months, but Father Carlino was thankful that he had an opportunity to travel and study in Rome.
"I'm grateful to the Diocese that I went there -- and to God for a safe trip," he said.
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