It is a bit difficult to believe that only some few months ago, it was holiday. In these days the coldness of autumn has arrived. The new academic year has also arrived. Every day is full of adventure. The adventure starts with bus 46 which takes us to the university, some days it arrives early and other days when it wants. Bus 46 fortunately is not the only source of transport here in Rome; we have as well the underground metro as an option. Many scholastics are studying at the Pontifical Gregorian University, but others as well go to other universities around Rome.

Every Monday the community invites one Oblate priest to celebrate the mass and give their own experiences. We started the academic year opening mass with the Superior General Fr. Wilhelm Steckling, OMI. We have had Fr. Paolo Achiati, OMI and other oblates, so far. The community will continue to invite other oblates for celebration of mass and sharing their Oblate experiences. 

SPORT

The traditional community vacation and evaluation visit to Cetraro beautifully launched the new year defining the direction of our common life and the responsibilities of the members. Ever since the community returned to Rome, everyone began the exercise of their assigned tasks. The engine is now running for the 2006-2007 year. All the activities have recommenced with the new people in charge. We told each other that life had begun again. In this context the sport activities have also recommenced, with a new philosophy, that of the intense participation and the diversification of the discipline. In this sense our sports activities may be explained on three axis: football, basketball and volleyball. The sports shoes were already beating the field on October 21 for the first weekly training. The objective of the moment is the formation of one solid team integrating the vitality brought recently by the newly arrived Roman scholastics. On the horizon is already seen the friendly match planned with the Scholastics of the Italian Province foreseen for the November 25, 2006. Soon will come basketball and volleyball with the same force. We point out also that sports for us is part of the formation process, as an opportunity of maintaining ourselves healthy and to reinforce the relationships amongst the members of the community as with other people we find in this playful atmosphere.

WE HAVE BEEN TO JERUSALEM.

The activities of the 2006-2007 year at the International Scholasticate began full-speed ahead particularly with a trip to Jerusalem by all the members of the community. In reality, it happened within the context of a community meeting on October 11. The whole community took the opportunity of Father Cornelius Ngoka’s trip for study to have a precise idea of the Holy Land. Through a Powerpoint presentation and conference, Father share with the community the richness, scientific as well as religious, his journey of Biblical studies in the City of God. The community, mostly students, followed with close attention the details and rejoiced at the news that were marvelously interchanged with some theological notions with which they are formed. All the members had the opportunity to touch with their own hands salt from the bottom of the famous Dead Sea. Many famous places were seen through the slides projected on the wall. Together with the unedited pictures of Synagogues, the underground cities, the churches, and the currents of explanations the members of the community were able to nurture their sense and culture. The atmosphere was at the same time communal, academic and full of devotion. Jerusalem is no longer strange. Thank you Father Cornelius.

Meeting with Cardinal Francis George OMI

On 8^th October 2006, the Scholasticate community had an opportunity to meet Cardinal Francis George barely after two and half months from the time he had a major surgery operation to remove a cancerous bladder. The Cardinal was in Rome to attend the 15^th October canonization at St. Peter’s Basilica by his Holiness Pope Benedict the sixteenth.

The day of the meeting we joined the General house community and we had supper together. Thereafter, we had a oblate fraternal sharing in the General house community room. This was a time in which we had the opportunity to meet the cardinal individually and share a light moment as an oblate family.

Oblatology in the Scholasticate

This year, the Scholasticate community has started the St. Eugene Spiritual journey, on the selected texts and letters of the founder, when he was in life. The themes are being given by Fr. Yvon Beaudoin, OMI. This spiritual reflection which started on 28^th of October will run up to 19^th May 2007. It will be held on selected days of Saturday.

Among the various themes; we may touch on Saint Eugene and the Community. His life as reflected from the letters, his meditations and his Eucharistic life. We may as well touch on Tempier.