Today is my 62nd birthday. I never thought I would reach 50, but here I am to celebrate my 62nd birthday in Italy, the land of my ancestors… and mine too, after so many years.
It has been an interesting day. Many people at the University came to share their good wishes, including students who stopped by my office, fellow professors, community members, close friends and those with whom I rarely interact because of different faculties and schedules.
Birthday cakes are a rarity in Italy, although like many other Americanisms, like corn flakes and Halloween, you can get a cake and candles in this day and age. The custom here is that the one who is celebrated buys the treats.
In line with this custom, I bought two bottles of spirits: one rugged and one sweet; one from the north and one from the south; a grappa from Veneto and Strega from Benevento. My purpose was to celebrate the 150 years of Italian unification that I procured the two different bottles… also because I know that some like the serious northern grappa while others appreciate the crafty southern strega. It all went over very well, and I have to say I was surprised by the way everyone responded, even those who abstained from the drink. Only the moral theology professor did not respond to me (was that a sign, or a message?).
In the evening I celebrated Eucharist for the San Tommaso community, which is a newly reorganized community on campus for student priests who are newly ordained. The community has 24 members, and my long-time friend Giorgio Zevini is the director. I shared with them thoughts on what it means when a priest returns to his province of origin after having studied in Rome: people's expectations; the fact that you may represent the Church universal even without realizing it. As usual, the student priests were cordial and welcoming, and I tried not to be tedious. After the mass they invited me to join them for supper and there, with good wines, liqueurs, and ice-cream cake, they celebrated my birthday -- guitar and song and all.
On the way back to my room in the faculty quarters, I found a Fedex envelope from Berkeley, with a birthday card signed by all the members of Don Bosco Hall community. What a surprise! With all this attention (not to mention the facebook greetings and emails), I have felt very honored and blessed. It has been one of the more memorable birthdays, and a good way to start my 63rd year.
Oh yes: I usually remember Theodore Roosevelt, who was born on this day in 1858 and who was the twenty-sixth president of the United States, and the youngest man ever to serve the USA in that office. He died at age 63… so it is a poignant birthday for me, but I honor him too: rough-rider, governor, author, innovator, populist, conservationist, trust-buster, negotiator, nobel laureate and Bull Moose. Happy birthday, Teddy!
It has been an interesting day. Many people at the University came to share their good wishes, including students who stopped by my office, fellow professors, community members, close friends and those with whom I rarely interact because of different faculties and schedules.
Birthday cakes are a rarity in Italy, although like many other Americanisms, like corn flakes and Halloween, you can get a cake and candles in this day and age. The custom here is that the one who is celebrated buys the treats.
In line with this custom, I bought two bottles of spirits: one rugged and one sweet; one from the north and one from the south; a grappa from Veneto and Strega from Benevento. My purpose was to celebrate the 150 years of Italian unification that I procured the two different bottles… also because I know that some like the serious northern grappa while others appreciate the crafty southern strega. It all went over very well, and I have to say I was surprised by the way everyone responded, even those who abstained from the drink. Only the moral theology professor did not respond to me (was that a sign, or a message?).
In the evening I celebrated Eucharist for the San Tommaso community, which is a newly reorganized community on campus for student priests who are newly ordained. The community has 24 members, and my long-time friend Giorgio Zevini is the director. I shared with them thoughts on what it means when a priest returns to his province of origin after having studied in Rome: people's expectations; the fact that you may represent the Church universal even without realizing it. As usual, the student priests were cordial and welcoming, and I tried not to be tedious. After the mass they invited me to join them for supper and there, with good wines, liqueurs, and ice-cream cake, they celebrated my birthday -- guitar and song and all.
On the way back to my room in the faculty quarters, I found a Fedex envelope from Berkeley, with a birthday card signed by all the members of Don Bosco Hall community. What a surprise! With all this attention (not to mention the facebook greetings and emails), I have felt very honored and blessed. It has been one of the more memorable birthdays, and a good way to start my 63rd year.
Oh yes: I usually remember Theodore Roosevelt, who was born on this day in 1858 and who was the twenty-sixth president of the United States, and the youngest man ever to serve the USA in that office. He died at age 63… so it is a poignant birthday for me, but I honor him too: rough-rider, governor, author, innovator, populist, conservationist, trust-buster, negotiator, nobel laureate and Bull Moose. Happy birthday, Teddy!
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