ROME (LifeSiteNews) — While not actually packing my bags for Rome yet, I’m pondering which ones to wrestle out of the closet.
To tell you the truth, I’m going early. I’ll be arriving in Rome on Sunday and heading up to a seaside town to see friends before travelling back down to take up my post at the A. Roma LifeStyle Hotel in Rome. The long-term forecast says it will be 71°F when I get there, but there’s a possibility of patchy rain. Coming from a cold Scottish October, I’ll welcome room temperature gladly and laugh at the rain. In Rome it falls straight down onto an umbrella instead of coming at you every which way.
One of my pre-trip tasks is regularly checking in with Ann Lyke, LifeSiteNews’ director of advertising and events. Ann is currently finalizing numbers for the Rome Life Forum lunches. On Day 1, October 31, lunch will follow a morning of talks by and Q&As with Bishop Joseph Strickland and then Cardinal Gerhard Müller. On Day 2, November 1, lunch will follow talks by Reggie Littlejohn and Chris Ferrara, Q&As, and a strategy session with panel speakers. I’ll take my notebook into the dining room; after mornings like that, participants’ ideas will be bubbling up and over like acqua frizzante.
Ann wants you to know, by the way, that the last day to buy tickets is October 20 – that’s Friday, folks. If you don’t want to go but know someone who should be going, we have set up a system so that you can “Pay it forward.” This might be someone who will already be in Rome – perhaps for the Summorum Pontificum pilgrimage (October 27-29) – or who would love to go but is on a shoestring budget.
Don’t count yourself out, though. We’re hoping all our readers who are committed to preserving the Catholic faith and handing it on to the next generation will at least consider coming. So far people from 20 different countries – including Australia! – will be there. It’s a reminder that “catholic” means universal, and at the same time the international nature of the gathering guarantees fresh eyes on what might be local problems. For example, what do you do when local Catholic community is more in love with Hibernians, or Celtic, Football Club than Christ?
I’m looking forward to hearing all the speakers and talking to as many participants as possible. I hope you’ll be among them!
