Merry Christmas!

Christmas began with midnight Mass at the Kapuzinerkirche in Vienna - the church wherein the priests of the FSSP offer Mass in the traditional rite. We arrived around 2:00am, read the Christmas proclamation, lit the white candle in the center of the Advent wreath and the lights on the Christmas tree, and then dug into the Christmas cookies before finally going to bed. Of course, Maria and Thomas slept under the tree with Aunt Katie - a tradition which I believe owes its origin to Uncle Vince.

Cookies before bed.

Unwrapping presents in the morning.

A princess book for Maria.

Wild animals for Edmund (appropriately).

New hair clips and ribbons.

Lightning McQueen! Ka-chow!

Edmund's new bike (thanks Nana!)

Maria's new baby, whom she promptly named Elisabeth.

Christmas Eve

A few pictures for you all on this vigil day of the great feast of the Incarnation.

Watching the first snow fall a few days ago.

Rolling out the dough for ravioli on Christmas Eve.

It can be hard work at times.

Ready to fill with ricotta and other good things.

Cutting out the squares (or stars, as the case may be).

The gravy for tomorrow's lasagne.

Homemade linguine this year for the shrimp scampi.

Maria always puts the star on top of the tree.

Saint Albert the Great - Summer 2012

The newly designed website of the Saint Albert the Great Center for Scholastic Studies is now online at www.albertusmagnuscss.org, and details of the upcoming Summer Program 2012 are now available.

"Encountering Christ in the Gospels"

Summer Program 2012 - Norcia, Italy

June 23 - July 7

"Keep the Holy Bible within reach during the summer period... read some of its books straight through... such as the Gospels, but without putting them down." 

~ Pope Benedict XVI

St Nicholas

Here are some pictures of the kids getting ready for St. Nicholas' feast day a couple of weeks ago, while their Daddy was gone visiting America.