America has never seen closer- less than a week away!

Oh my goodness. I have failed on writing blogs enough. But atleast I got some of my stories out there. But trust me- there were many more stories of fun, struggles, laughter and grace! I now have about 4 days left living in this beautiful and amazing place- but unfortunately I still have 3 more finals! So a lot of the time I do have I will (hopefully) be studying! I feel like it was just yesterday that I got here and was looking ahead at my 16 weeks here. But at the same time it is shocking to me to remember and think of all the things that I have done and experienced since here- it seems like it should have taken years. Some of the most amazing things I have ever done, and most of the most beautiful things I have ever seen, everything that has happened- all in only ONE semester! I will surely be living the effects of this for the rest of my life. I do have to say though that I am a little bummed about coming home- i just wish that I had about 4 extra days here in Austria- just hiking and spending time with the families who live here. I have grown very attached to them, the little ones and I keep hugging all the time and holding hands. I sure it is hard for them- they make such close friends and then they leave every semester. I hope that I will get to seem them again. However, while I am not too excited in some ways to come home I am excited to see my family and friends, and just to be back where people speak English and drink sweet tea. But what I am most excited about is coming back to share with every single person I come across all the grace and love that I have received from God this trip. God is the giver of all good gifts- and when he gives these things to us he means for us to share with all of his beloved children. Besides that's the nature of love in the first place- love cannot be hidden but longs to give itself to another- that is like that one quote that goes something like "God was overcome with love- and what happened was Creation" (I think I may have just butchered it) But I hope you get the general idea. It would be wrong for me to receive all this love and not bring it to those that I love. It is not MY love- I do not posses it! It is for each and every child of our Father. One of the deepest desire of our hearts is to share the good that we have- and I have received so much good that I can't wait to share! So I trust that the Lord is calling me back to America - even if it may hurt a little! Besides- it is only through suffering that love entered the world through Christ in the first place! So a little bit of suffering wont be to bad! Praise the Lord that he is letting my heart hurt- because know I am in closer union to his most Sacred heart which breaks for the entire world!

Christ is risen from the dead! Indeed he is risen; Alleluia!

Ireland!

When I was young my Dad would always sing me a song named "I'll Take you home again Kathleen" and this past week- I was taken back home- back to the land of my roots- the good ole' land o green! IRELAND!!! I don't even know what I can say about it except that it wouldnt have been half as good if my big brother Danny hadn't spent the whole thing with me! We had started out in Fatima- and God really work a miracle in getting us there and meeting eachother (I was more than 2 hours late- just to start it all off) And then after Fatima we traveled together to Northern Ireland to meet up with Nuala- who I did the Ulster Project with like 4 years back. Then we went to an Irish Pub with all of my other friends from that summer so long ago and even the person who stayed with Danny made it down to the Pub! It was like a big reunion! Then the next day we were planning on all getting together again but couldn't because we actually got snowed in! The Electricity went out and everything! So we stayed in with the family and played games all night- which everyone who know my family knows we love to play games- so we didnt mind at all! Then we headed down to Knock- which was awesome- And then Galway- and from there we went to the Aran Islands which were so amazingly beautiful! We rode bikes the whole day around the Island and went to some beautiful cliffs and other spots on the Island- it was like we were kids again exploring the world on our bikes! Then we headed over to Tullamore to go and try some Irish Wiskey that the company that Danny works for sells- we were hoping to get a tour around and see how to make it and everything! But it was closed fore Good Friday- which we decided was good- So then we came back the next day. Then we went to the Guinness brewery in Dublin and then to one of my favorite spots- O'Neill's Pub!!! It was seriously one of the coolest places I have ever gone- and we decided that we need to start one in Knoxville- or Kingsport! Then Danny had to go and I was worried because it didn't work out for me to meeet up with the people that I had wanted to- but then we walked into the Hostel in which we had stayed the night before- and there were 3 of my fellow students there playing cards! we couldn't believe it! So then I hung out with them until we flew home!

So that makes it seem that the trip was so much less than it really was! But it would be impossible for me to explain to you what it was like to go there with my brother! There were literally blessings around every corner and beauty in every step! I am very grateful to have had such a great Easter gift- as though I needed something more!!

Even though every travel has been such a blessing- and I have learned something new everyday here- I am really starting to miss home badly! I am getting so excited to be back! But i am trying to enjoy every moment because I know that when I am back in the States I will want to come back here! But I will be home before I know it- I have only 3 weeks left! 24 days actually! It will be great to just relax for awhile- even though I am planning on working somewhere- just the steady lifestyle will be so much appreciated! I haven't had that in years I feel like!

Anyway- I hope that all of you are having a very blessed Easter Season! I hope that joy has filled your hearts because our Lord has RISEN!!!! God Bless!

hello again! It has been quiet awhile since I have posted anything! Sorry about that! Im getting a little behind now though because I still haven't told you about the rest of Poland and all of my 10 day break in Italy! My brother John actually was able to come for that break and now on my next 10 day break my brother Danny is coming over! We are going to go to both Fatima- which is in Portugal, and Ireland! I am so thankful that I get to see them both! This past weekend I was planning on going to Prauge but was unable to do so unfortunately, my cousin is living there! But it was nice to stay back. I had a relaxing weekend, and at my favorite part I was able to take a hike to a mostly frozen waterfall. IT was soo fun! In front of the waterfall was this 15 or 20 foot mountain of straight ice, covered in a little snow, so it was possible to climb. It was like straight up though and was really hard to climb because the snow would just fall from under your feet as you were climbing- but of course we just kept going, and eventually got up. Then after taking some pretty cool pictures of course, we slid down it like a slide! Except it was like really really fast and awesome!! But it was also just really beautiful, the woods alone are breath- taking, but it was so awesome to round a corner in them and then be run smack in the face into a waterfall! And of course there were these awesome icicles like the length of my body and stuff- basically it was just too legit to quit! It reminded me of Lord of the Rings!

Anyway, other than that my weekend was pretty peaceful. It was very nice to stay back for the another time. Midterms have come and gone, and now we have only about 6 or 7 weeks left I believe. Its crazy to think that, my Dad is right- he always says that days are what is so long, but that months and years just fly by! I sure will miss Gaming when I leave, it has become another home to me, just like the many students that came before me, and I am sure all after. Life is really such an adventure!

I also ask for your prayers. The father of Maude Green passed away from a heart attack while she was over here. She has gone home to Nashville for the funeral and everything, but then will be returning. So pray for her please! She has a special place in my heart, especially because she is the pretty much the only other person from Tennessee that I know at my school. I really appreciate it!

Thanks for checking up on me guys and taking time to read my blog!

God Bless you! And I am praying for you!

Poland

Our last trip we traveled to Poland. We went to the Shire of Our Lady of Czestochowa, and to Auschwitz I and Auschwitz Birkenau. The second day we went on a tour of Krakow and saw the Church in which Pope John Paul II (JPII) was bishop of before he became Pope. We also went and saw the Divine Mercy shrine and then the last day went to Wadovice which is where JPII is from.

The trip was fool of God's love and mercy. I really loved going to the Shrine the first day, the image of our lady there was beautiful and the place was just full of peace. Everywhere on the walls were hundreds of crutches of people who had been healed there and tons of jewelry and beautiful things that had been given. You can find the image online. This painting was said to have been painted by St. Luke, which he painted on a table that Jesus had made, and was in the house of the Holy Family. It has been deeply connected to the history of Poland for a long time. It was seriously just awesome. Research it! The painting gets partially covered up in clothe- like things from the precious medals and things that people have given. But the cool thing for me was that in the image there was Mary holding Jesus in one hand, and a rose in the other, like she was giving Jesus the rose. Well I am in what is called a 'household' at my school and it is called Rosa Mystica- so our symbol is a rose. And the image reminded me that Mary is bringing me to Jesus- just like she brought Jesus to the world! It was just really awesome and I was so thankful. Praise the Lord! I get excited just thinking about how I felt in that place!

Then was Auschwitz, and needless to say that was extremely hard. I don't want to go into the gruesome details because everyone knows them. But there are 2 things that were really special to me in that place of death and destruction. The first was that we were able to visit a cell of a Saint. St. Maximilian Kolbe, a Polish priest, was a prisoner there during the war. There are many beautiful stories about how witness of hope in the camp but one stands out in particular. When prisoners would escape from the camp there would be a random selection from the camp of 10 men who would be chosen to die from starvation and be left in a tiny cell until they did. Well on a certain occasion of a man escaping, 10 prisoners were randomly selected, one of which was begging for mercy because he had a family, a wife, and children. Maximilian Kolbe was in the crowd, and decided to walk up to the front (which in itself is unusual & a death treat itself) and tell the guards that he would go instead of this man. The guards were taken so off guard that they let him, plus it was just a number to them. So he went with the other men. And while in his cell he prayed and sang the whole time, and day after day he was still surviving, not dieing from starvation. And he brought hope to the other prisoners while he sang, and the one whole in his cell was at the very top of the room, and outside was where they would execute people. Father Maximilian's voice praising the Lord was the last thing many people heard right before they died. After awhile of him not dieing they took him out and killed him by lethal injection. And he became a saint under JPII. I felt blessed beyond words to visit the cell of this man, to see where he lay when he brought all those people hope, when he brought Jesus to them in that place of death. I am thankful that he is a witness of how no amount of evil, suffering, or death can ever conquer the Lord's love, mercy and goodness. This is where my second story comes in. When we went to Auschwitz Birkenau, which was the bigger camp, built during the war, when they ran out of room at Auschwitz I, we did not stay long. Most of the camp there had been destroyed by the Nazis as an effort to hide their grotesque rule. But what was there was the train track, that which thousands upon thousands of human persons were carried on, and the platform in which they would get off, and many of them be sent directly to death. This was difficult to stand on, as a free person, knowing that I could walk under the archway that so many never were able to walk out of- knowing that if I couldn't handle it, if I was too weak to look at death, then I could just walk back out. All of us felt like this. Our stomachs were churning and our hearts were crushed. But even in that place God gave us a beautiful gift. We went to the place where the platform was, and we knelt down in the snow, and we prayed. It started only as a few people saying the Divine Mercy Chaplet (where you mediate on and ask for the Mercy of the Lord). But slowly, people joined in, because they needed it, just as we did. And by the end most of the whole group of 100 and some people were knelling in the freezing cold snow, singing it. It was so beautiful. There was mercy in that place of death. And God showed me that he has conquered all. That Auschwitz, all the other concentration camps, all death, all sin, and all evil, are not even a shadow of the good, of his love. He has conquered- no matter what! God is good!

I will finish the rest of the blog later... I have mid-term so pray for me please

So I know my blog says that I am going to Switzerland- but turns out, that was an old blog that I never uploaded- so now, a week later, I have already come back from Switzerland and am now leaving for Poland in less than 2 hours!

Switzerland was really great though! I really think that it has been my favorite place so far! IT was such a blessing! We stayed east of Interlocken in a place called Istewald and ended up going into the city to rent snowshoes- which happen to be the most fun thing in the world- we then got on a bus, then on another bus, then on a train, and then on another bus, to get to this place that Im not sure of the name because the stop was only known by the hotel- because that was all that was there- it was literally in the middle of the Swiss alps! But the place close to it was called Grindewald. Anyway, so the mountains were breathtaking and I seriously was in awe every time I stopped and looked behind me. I felt like a child again though! The snowshoes let you run in like 8 feet of snow and only sink down a couple of feet! I ran as fast as I could, and when I would fall it didn't matter because it was in the snow, and it didn't hurt at all! It was so powdery and soft! It was also so peaceful! There was not a single sound except the sound that our snowshoes would make hitting the snow! But it was really nice to just enjoy this simple beauty. It really reflected so much about our Lord, but in a simple way. Just by looking around you learned things about God and ourselves. Looking at the mountains, you learned about how God is unchangeable, immovable and huge! And to think that God thinks that my heart is more beautiful than all of the wonderful mountains in the whole world combined! I just love it! The Lord really is all that is true, good, and beautiful! Today in class our teacher was talking to us about Poland and the beauty of it all and they mentioned a quote- which I adore- "In the end beauty will conquer all" Its so true though because how can people see such beauty and not know love?!!! It must be impossible!

I also learned more about being a child in relation to the Lord though. Just appreciating all he has to offer me and enjoying to fully. I mean really, when kids are given gifts they love it! They want to tell everyone and they carry it with them wherever they go! And to them the world is over if it isn't there! And they live so well in the present! They don't worry about the tiny mistakes they made or the troubles they may have in the future! But they just soak it all up, being totally present in that moment, living that moment to the very fullest! And I thank God that he allowed me to live like that, if just for one day, so that I know what it feels like to not have a care in the world and just rest in his Sacred heart, and so that I can strive for that daily, in every moment! So praise GOD!

Also, I felt so blessed, because two of my friends and I had to return the rentals, and catch a bus so that we could catch another bus, so that we could get back to our Hostel. But we were waiting at the stop and after awhile realized that the bus we were waiting on only came Monday through Friday! and it was Saturday! So with a prayer and the very little German we knew we asked people for directions to the station and took off running- and I mean running through the streets! (faster than I ever run in Cross-Country probably) and we had to go to the bathroom soooo bad! and we had to go a few miles in like less than ten minutes, with no idea where we were and only signs in German. But again, praise the Lord! because we made it! and we decided that since we could do that we would be able to do anything else here! It was really fun though!

So like I said- I'm leaving for Poland tonight, and I would really appreciate your prayers. It will really be a pilgrimage. We are going to all these holy places! I will have to write quite a long blog talking about it! I hope you all have a very peaceful weekend! God Bless!

Hello! So tonight I am getting ready to go to Switzerland! I am soo excited- I am friends with one of the RD's here (Resident Director) and she is getting a van and we are all driving there! I'm so pumped because we will be driving through some of the most beautiful parts of Austria! We are staying in a hostel that is on a lake outside of Interlocken, and it even has a fireplace which I am pumped about! I am hopefully going to try snow-shoeing for the first time! So if you guys could keep us in your prayers that would be great!

Last weekend I ended up staying back, at least for part of the weekend. Thursday night I ended up eating dinner with one of the Professor’s family who have 7 children, and the next day I was able to go skiing with them and another beautiful family! It was such a blessing because that day I had really really been missing home and the family, and just being in that type of environment and I was able to experience that in such a beautiful way. I guess God knew just what I needed- as always! So then on Saturday my friend Kristin and I woke up at 545 in the morning to catch a train to Vienna that left at 8oo… it is a 3.5 mile walk to the station and we wanted to have plenty of time—so we left at about 630, but we walked so fast that we ended up getting there like 45 minutes early and sitting in the cold! But we had such good conversations it was so worth it! The train rides also were really enjoyable; I much prefer it to cars! Then when we go to Vienna we went to Stephansdom- the big Cathedral there, and went on the roof where we could see for sooooo far! It was really cool. Then we just went into Café’s and shops and walked around for awhile until we went to the market- which was the best ever! There were millions of scarves there! And all for 5 Euro! So of course I had to get two!! It was really nice to just relax and explore the city again though! I love Vienna!

So all in all last weekend was great- except my plan of catching up/getting ahead on work didn’t really happen so the week was somewhat difficult. But I guess that’s how it’s going to be a lot over here! That’s okay though!

Well I have much more I wish I could say--- as always in my life!!!! Ha! But I need to finish getting ready to leave in the morning. I just wanted to make a little post. Please send me your prayer intentions!!!!

Hey everyone! I hope everything is going well for you guys! I know that I am really bad at putting up post, and I apologize! But I really appreciate that you take the time to read them! So like I said I was going to tell you about Vienna. I must be honest- it is probably one of the coolest cities in the world. There is literally History and beauty on every single street corner in a way that America doesn't really have. It is funny though, because you can be standing in front of something that has so much hidden importance and not even know it. In Vienna there were beautiful Churches every couple of blocks, which was a beautiful testament to how many people used to practice the faith. It is a shame to know that it is now less practiced. As I was walking around it was hard to believe that so many Europeans have rejected God. There were continuously reminders of God throughout the city- like statues or beautiful murals. In America if someone puts a statue of Christ in the middle of a city it would get torn down in a heart beat, or at least it would make a huge argument. And yet- America is built upon Christian values and has tons of Christians. I guess non-Christian Europeans look at it as a cultural landmark, a part of their history, and look past the beauty of Christ that is meant to be revealed. It truly is a shame. But I am glad to know these things so that I can pray for these people, and I ask that you would too.
My Favorite part of Vienna was the National Treasury- it was full of possessions from the Hapsburg dynasty. Including many relics of Saints! It even had a nail that pierced the hand of Christ! The Hapsburgs who were very devout Catholics thought that the saints were very important and that the more relics one had the more protected one would be- which meant that they spent literally fortunes on relics, which when the dynasty ended left treasurers for all to see! Including me! It was really awesome! I felt so blessed to see these things that I could experience through my own senses that were leading me to Christ. We so often think that everything that has to do with God is only spiritual and nothing physical- that God and everything related to him is invisible. Which is funny, because even Christ was a material and spiritual being. And so are we! God gave us bodies for a reason! Not to limit our encounter of him but to use it for his Glory! To praise his name in and through the body! Our body is a gift to us so that we can experience God through sight, touch, smell, sound, all these things. If all true beauty is meant to point to Christ then if we did not have the material world, and werent able to experience through our material body then we could not encounter anything beautiful! Which would be a tragedy since beauty speaks of our God! That is why I loved the National Treasury so much- because I could see God in all of its beauty. I think that is a theme of this semester abroad- because literally live in the foothills of the alps I wake up every morning to something beautiful. It is such a blessing. And I know that when I go home I will have to keep with me this love and desire for beauty, and find it there too! God is always trying to talk to us, to send us a message of his love- and if we are not open, and not looking we will never see what is really there.

day 6!

So this post is hopefully going to be small. I was in the computer lab writing my next post and my computer turned off- so I lost most of my post. As I was walking upstairs I then was almost trampled by men in short shorts and towels running around. Before I could even react they were shouting at me asking me if I was going to join them- to their voyage to the creek- to jump in. I obviously said no, but maybe with a little bit more warning would have. So now I am hoping that they will do it again- and maybe I will join them next time. This, of all things in Austria is a Gaming tradition. I guess that means that no one has died from catching hypothermia after jumping into the literally freezing cold water. I sure hope that part of the tradition keeps.
Anyway- before I saw these men crazed for adventure I was planning on writing about my weekend and the fact that this is officially the 1 week anniversary of me leaving the United States. I am only here for 16 weeks- which means that I am already 1/16 done- that is a little scary to think about! But I will enjoy it while I can! The past couple of days have been really good, we started classes on Thursday and I really enjoy all of them. I am taking German, Christian Marriage, Theology of the Church, Philosophy of the Human Person, and Christian Moral Principals. I am beyond excited to be able to take these classes in a place that was meant for study for hundreds of years. However, the balance of study, travel, prayer, fun, and sleep is not exactly coming easy to me yet, but I hope that God will show me the way, day by day. This weekend was our first small excursion. We went to Vienna, a place of hundreds of years of history. There is literally history around every corner, it would take years to do everything there is to do there, and we there for only one day. It was hard to be tempted with all these opportunities of encountering something beautiful, historic, meaningful, or just fun and knowing that I could only truly experience a few things. I think this will be a hard lesson to learn as I continue on my travels to various cities in Italy, France, Ireland, Switzerland, and so many others. I mean not only must I choose the country, but the city, and then what I want to see in the city! My heart just wants to do it all! To see it all! To choose it all! It’s funny because this is often my problem with decisions! I was scared to join Rosa Mystica because that meant I couldn’t join any of the other households I liked. I will by two of the same shirt because I like both colors, and it takes me years to decide what to eat because everything looks so good! So I have stopped looking at menus! Ha! So maybe God has brought me to this place to be able to choose well. I guess I can only hope in his providential care and his gift of prudence! I will later hopefully make another post telling what I did end up choosing to do in Vienna… but I can hear my studies calling my name!
But I forgot! I wanted to add something! I just found out that my Aunt and Uncle are pregnant again! They are the parents of my beautiful Goddaughter Zilphia Rose and I am so excited that God chose to give them such a wonderful gift! I ask for prayers though for a safe and smooth pregnancy because when Donna was carrying Zilphia they had many hardships! I would really appreciate it!
Also, I have brought with me to Austria an intentions booklet that I am brining on my pilgrimages. I would really love to pray for you guys and anything you need prayers for- so if you could give them to me it would be great!! You can just send them to me over facebook or e-mail them to me at koneill001@student.franciscan.edu. Thanks so much! May God Bless you!

Day 3.. even though I'm posting it day 4!

Hello from Austria! I hope that all is well back in America and that God is blessing you abundantly this day! I am doing very well over here! It is a little cold, and unfortunately the 700 year old monastery that we are living in wasn’t really built for extreme comfort in this cold weather! But its beauty makes up for it! It is only the third day and already God is teaching me so much! So far we mostly have been just adjusting to living here, having orientation, unpacking, checking out the Kartause (where I live) and wandering a little through the small town of Gaming. We also had the opportunity to go to Holy Mass celebrated by our bishop, Klaus Kung, in the beautiful cathedral in St. Polten. Then we were blessed to go Melk and visit the amazing monastery there! In both the cathedral and the monastery I was overwhelmed by the beauty that God desired us to see! And it was truly a blessing to experience it with 160 of my classmates who were as touched by this gift as I was. The peace that God was pouring down upon our hearts was so great that I could hardly do anything but sit in awe of his wonder. For a moment I did experience a little bit of fear though! I feared that I would get used to seeing such beauty! But how could a loving daughter ever stop appreciating the little treasures that her Father gives her! Then, as I was thinking about this beauty of the church in the monastery I began to think about the value of its beauty, and God reminded me why he gives me these treasures! He reminded me that to him my soul is far more beautiful than the church I was in awe of, or any other church like it. Besides, he, the God of the UNIVERSE, chooses to dwell in MY VERY SOUL, and the only reason why huge and beautiful churches even exist is so that God can rest in the hearts and bodies of his beloved children. I can only hope that my soul will be as magnificently decorated as this church. St. Therese, while eagerly awaiting the day she could become a sister, decided to decorate her ‘wedding dress’ with jewels. So that when the time came to be the bride of Christ her soul would be perfect and filled with beautiful gems for her love. In the same way I desire for my soul to be adorned as this church was, full of beautiful and extravagant details to please my Lord. I know however, that in just like building this church, it takes many years to build, starting only by building a strong foundation, and working diligently until every detail is perfect. But once the job is finished all the work will be well worth it! And I pray that people who see my soul will see the beauty of God, just as I saw while in the church. I am so thankful that God continually reminds me of my worth as his daughter because I can so easily forget. Along with this he also reminds me that the souls of my brothers and sisters are this valuable to him as well and I realize how much I fail in treating others as the precious treasure that they are! We are so loved! I love it! Thanks be to God!!!