Mud-free Mudbowl

Today was the annual Mudbowl at the PCJ. There could have been no better day for the Mudbowl! Sunny and 65 in November!

We arrived early, around 9 am to pray rosary and go to Mass with the seminarians and visit with our friend, Stephen (a member of St. Mary, Marion, seminarian for the Diocese of Columbus and all around good guy). I have to say it is always wonderful to attend mass at a seminary. It is the one of the few places in the world where your child(ren) can scream scream scream all the way through mass and you will be approached afterwards and told how wonderful it is to have children at Mass.

After mass we got a snack for the kids and some coffee for their mumma and took a tour of the grounds. Stephen and Joshua took the kids down a deep ravine in the woods. I wanted to go but I didn’t wear the right shoes, so I sat at the top of the hill and enjoyed the day.

Then it was time for tailgating. A seminarian from Louisiana made some delicious barbecue. The story was that he stayed up all night to make sure it was all done and he did a fabulous job. There was pork, beef, brats, hotdogs, chips salsa, gumbo, soda, beer and more! We actually took a plate home for dinner. During lunch, we visited with former professors of Joshua’s (oh, did I mention, he is an alumnus?) and got to see our dear friend, Fr. Schalk. (We just love him!)

At 2:00 it was time for some good ol’ Flag Football.  Sadly the College guys lost to the Theology guys. Both Karol and Margaret LOVED watching the game. They tossed the little football we brought along and put  an arms length of raffle tickets in their belt loops to have flags. They played and played and played. Caecilia took a nap on a blanket during the game. Well, until the College scored a touch down. After the game was over, we headed home, much to Karol’s dislike. He asked to stay. I told him in 15 years, he could go back to live.

I love going to the PCJ, I really do. When I helped with the Youth 2000 retreats, we would go there once a month for the months leading up to the retreat to join the seminarians in a Holy Hour and to pray Vespers with them.  Those Sunday nights first introduced me to a few things, starting with the Liturgy of the Hours.  They would be chanted and I had never seen such a wonderful thing in my life. We would be paired up with someone who had a breviary and they helped to to pray them. I was also able to meet and become friends with  seminarians from all over the country, if not the world.  Their witness helped me in my discernment process , something for which I am eternally grateful.

Of course, it is also where I met Joshua, but that is a story for another day….