Soon I’ll put in for the most traveled church attendant. But one thing I have learned that finding the Lord and be moved by His Spirit does not necessarily take a St. Patrick in New York or the St. Peter in Rome. I can remember a number of churches like the one in Arue on Tahiti, with father Gary Weisenberger in his small parish in Fife, Wa., etc.

But being here today, for a Catholic, with all the pomp and splendor does feel like being an American abroad and see one of the newest aircraft carriers show the flag.  The service was televised and the sermon was obviously directed at a larger audience. The theme was on the protection of Life in view of the upcoming  Thursday Washington March for Life. A wonderful message. I came upon the icon of the Virgin which was brought back from the Holy Land by St. Helena in 325 a.d., the mother of the first Eastern Orthodox Pope, Roman emperor Constantine. I just finished my chapter, in Soloman, on visiting the island of St. Helena, which was discovered and named by the Portuguese and named after an Eastern Orthodox Saint.

I’m in the Newark Airport and watching the first part of the Seahawks-Green Bay Packers semi final game.

Cardinal Timothy Dolan on top left

Knights of Columbus honor guard

I am visiting my friend Christine. The firs time we met was in Holland in the fall of 2009 at the Nieuwboer botteryard in Spakenburg, because of a connection to the “Groote Beer”. The second time she was my tour guide, together with her brother, at Easter time 2012 in Athens. Now she is my tour guide in her home town. She is an art historian and worked 10 years for the director of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, so what better company to show me the Met? We walked a few miles through Central Park to Rockefeller Center and went up to the top, the “Rock”. On the walk she pointed out many of the art in the Park, statues, monuments, architecture and on and around the buildings, that probably go unnoticed to most of the casual visitors. A real treat.

Empire State Bldg left center, Trade Center Bldg in distance on right center

Rockefeller Center.

Yesterday morning I left Virginia on the Amtrak train to N.Y.. Good way to travel. There is WiFi on te train and I was able to work on the book while watching the bright cold winter landscape slide by.

Philadelphia skyline from train, reflecting sun.

Thursday evening I said good bye to the Virginians. I’ll be missing these two girls.

Madison 4 and Lily 3, great granddaughters