During my last two years of school in Italy I was the only American in my class (12 of us) and for a time the only American in the entire university. The Feast of St. Joseph is a big deal in Italy and traditionally they eat this dessert called a zeppole…mmm…so good. Well every year on March 19th I would bring zeppoli in for the whole class to prove my cultural literacy and show my appreciation for their friendship. I have been thinking a lot lately about how all of those people I studied with from all over the world—Kenya, Thailand, Nigeria, Venezuela, Brazil, Ukraine, and of course Italy—are at this moment having the exact experience we are. Nobody is excluded from this, it is binding together the entire human race. I pray for all of them daily, especially the people of Italy who are in particular danger right now. Hopefully we come out of this crisis bound together as a human family under the protection of the universal patron of the Church who we celebrate today, St. Joseph.
Stay safe and God bless
Fr. Alex
