Photos from the Madison men's retreat

I'm restless.  I need busy work.  Here are some photos from the Madison men's retreat. 

It was dark Friday night, not many pictures turned out.  I took a 2 a.m. adoration shift... in the dark...  the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak. 

Fr. Z giving an examination of conscience

I regret having no photos of sung Morning Prayer and Benediction.  It was phenomenal.  I'm just a guy who shows up with a camera which makes people nervous I think, and I always for get to ask beforehand. 

Fr. Z's Saturday morning talk was outstanding, alas no audio was recorded

Raymond de Souza was excellent as always

Opportunity for Q/A and our own Mr. Ben Yanke workin the mic like a boss!

Me and a great group of guys from Wisconsin Rapids

I was told if I make the trip to Wisconsin Rapids for a visit, there would be homebrew.  Sold! 

The conference was very good.  Fr. Zuhlsdorf was excellent and gave excellent reflections on The Year of Faith and thoughts from one Cardinal Ratzinger.  Also Raymond de Souza, fantastic, and such a wide breadth of knowledge.  His talks were apologetic, but he is so energetic and has such great stories it would be hard for even nominal Catholics to get bored.  The setup was very good; the Bishop O'Connor Center has an excellent setup.  Besides the hmm.. somewhat ugly chapel(really not terrible but kind of goofy) with its Rainbow Jesus and whatnot - it was still a very good setup with chapel and room and board and cafeteria all in the same spot.  I always thought if Jesus was riding anything it should be a unicorn or maybe a dinosaur, but I guess riding a rainbow is the next best thing.  Just having some fun here! 

Anywho, probably 100-130 people maybe.  Ben Yanke talked me into getting one of those St. Edmund Campion Missals.  Raymond de Souza and I talked about Hostage to the Devil(the only Malachi Martin book I recommend).    Fr. Z saluted me(I'm not sure if he even knew who I was, LOL). The closing Mass was almost totally chanted, which was nice(no ad orientem though, boo).   I like the chanting, but I still have mixed feeling about a chanted Canon.  It seems like a silent or at least a lower voice would be more in the Latin tradition.  But I could be swayed perhaps.  I didn't have a chance to stay and talk with Aristotle, but a few minutes would never suffice.  Oh, and Msgr. Jim Bartylla had an excellent homily.  Actually I'm hoping to recount one of the stories he shared once I get a chance. 

Okay one last thought, during Confession I get started and the priest interrupts me and just says "Jesus loves you.  ..... you know that right?"  You may think this sounds sappy but this is precisely what I needed to hear.  If all of this work is not done in charity and for Love, then it is pointless.  So my answer which I didn't actually say was "I had forgotten." 

The rest are here on Flickr