Feast of St Leo the Great

This morning at 10am I got a call from a journalist telling me there was another bombing in Baghdad killing some Catholics. I was horrified ... less than a week after 50 were killed in our church ... and the Iraqi govt. has still not provided protection for Christians??? All talk talk talk but no action. And no western country is protesting .... no guarantees from America to protect christians. Shameless.

It didn't make the feast of St Leo any better for me. This afternoon we had the funeral Mass for Fr Lino. We had to rush it through because by 4.30pm the sun sets and we cannot have the procession through the Old City to the cemetery on Mt. Zion.  Mass was filled with nuns and local christians. Many were crying. Three bishops were also in attendance. I had a hard time walking up to S. Salvatore for the Mass as my knees are all swollen and weak after having knelt for half an hour beside Fr Lino trying to resuscitate him. Now I'm wearing my leg braces. Luckily Johanny came with me and helped me climb the hill to S. Salvatore. Also accompanied me home.

So ... feast of St Leo - my festa onomastica (patron saint's day). Everyone was very nice. Khalil baked a lovely cheesecake with strawberry topping .... aaaahhhhhh but I was good. I shared half with Mother Theresa's sisters and the other half with the librarians (Osvalda, Sr. Maria, Martha-Maria, Hilda, Sinead). Then Nadia made Makhloubey ("Upside down" vegetarian version) - my favourite dish. And Jadallah's wife made Warra Dhawalli (greek Dolmades - grape leaves wrapped with lamb meat). And the sisters of the kitchen made an apple-crumble with saccharine instead of sugar. All so fantastic! But I can't possibly eat all of that - so I called Johanny to share most of it. He doesn't have lunch most of the days because he lives up on the Mt. of Olives and cannot go back for a meal and return to school in time for afternoon classes.

The celebration was muted as I asked the superior to keep it sombre in respect for Fr Lino's funeral. Everyone understood and respected it. But the brothers here are so warm and sincere. Lorenzo, Matteo, Linson, Bijou, Alejandro, Rosario, Matthew and the professors especially Fr Ravanelli who made an intercession during Mass for me, everyone shared their joy and best-wishes. I really like this community. And all the workers in the house too ... and even some of the muslims across the street who knew about the feast.