Pope Francis & Vatican Pan-Amazon Synod & Canonization of saints, including John Henry Newman

www.SaintsforSinners.com and I have started to receive the Self Addressed Stamped Envelopes ( “SASE” ) from readers. I am excited to be able to send out souvenirs from our trip, as I have done so many times in the past.

I can still remember sending the Postcards from Rome for Saint Padre Pio’s Canonization in 2001. It was quite a chore cutting, taping, stamping, and mailing all those cards, in sweltering heat (ugh). And it was way too expensive but we really enjoyed sending them from the Vatican and so many of you enjoyed getting the cards in the mail.

It was definitely well worth the time and effort. And, as I have explained before, it makes the trip more meaningful in many ways. One time, at the Canonization of Mother Teresa of Calcutta we had a great opportunity. We were interviewed on WGSO Radio here in New Orleans and chatted with a Nun from the Order of Paulines, Sister Julia Mary Darrenkamp (she is on Intsagram - say hi for us!) and our friend Melanie P.

We sent souvenirs from Medjugorje, Loreto, the Chapel of the Miraculous Medal, Lourdes, and Fatima, Portugal, the Vatican, to name a few. Honestly, we love sending the cards, letters, rosaries, chaplets, medals, programs and other things we find. It is always a bit of a mystery what we will find to send but that makes it even more fun and exciting.

So, with this trip in October we have begun collecting the SASE’s and we have pictured a couple of the notes and envelopes we got in the mail already. We had to stop mailing from the basilicas and the Vatican in Rome because the costs began to run very high as our mailing list has grown and grown.

I have a request! Please write us a note on the envelopes you send. Or add a note. Or send us a card and just let us know some of the things you would be happy to receive. I can’t guarantee any precise deliveries but I can promise to look around and keep a list of the things you like. So leave us a note!

A long time ago, I was in one of my favorite shops on Borgo Pio ( a Strada, or street) and I was hunting around looking for stuff. I was just looking for all kinds of different stuff to mail. It’s fun! One of the workers at the store kept talking to me but I had no idea what he was saying because I do not speak Italian. Finally, he found a man who was bilingual and could speak English and Italian. The bilingual man said, “This guy working here says you should go out and visit Rome and enjoy the city and quit looking for things!” I explained that I liked spending a day hunting for items and I spend a lot of time in Rome and do go to see lots of places (like the Church of John Lateran, one of my favorites).

After the man at the store found out I was not spending all my time hunting around stores, he stopped telling me to go away and “have fun.” And then, the funniest thing happened - the man at the store started pulling things out from the back of the store and showing them to me. And he gave me great deals! And now, although I do not even know the man’s name, he always greets me when I walk in the store and he goes out of his way to help me find things.

The only reason I am mentioning this bizarre story is to say, I really do not mind getting the mail from you and getting the requests. It makes me feel great. So, please do not think you are burdening me or making demanding requests. There is only one thing that does not work out very well…

I think everyone who would like something should send his or her own Self-Addressed- Stamped-Envelope. It is hard to send out dozens packages because one person sent me a list of all of their friends, family, coworkers, fellow churchgoers, etc …. So, please remember it is one per person. If you want to get something for another just make sure it is in a separate envelope with a separate stamp.

Thanks. I’m really looking forward to this trip. It will be unusual because of the Synod. So many Cardinals and Bishops and Priests will be in attendance. And since there are 5 people being canonized and they are from all over the world, there will be a great gathering of diversified people in attendance. Hopefully I will be able to get a few programs too.

If these canonizations are like Mother Teresa’s Canonization, that will be very cool. At Saint Teresa of Calcutta’s canonization, there was a blessing of all the items people brought to the canonization. So, everything is “blessed by the Pope!” I am not sure if that will apply to this set of canonizations but the program will let me know. And then I will let you know in a future newsletter. Now that Emily is helping me and doing such a great job, maybe I will send you a Newsletter from the Canonizations! I will definitely be putting pictures up on Twitter, SaintsforSinners Facebook, and Instagram so check in on those social media outlets for updates.

Thanks - I’ll try to write another note before I leave for Rome but if I don’t, Arrivederci!

Rob

RobClemenz@SaintsforSinners.com

Thanks for reading to the bottom line!

Tags: john henry newman, mother theresa calcutta, october canonizations, padre pio canonizatio, pan-amazon synod, pope francis, rob clemenz, saint theresa of calcutta, WGSO Radio