This December 7 we celebrate the Feast of St. Ambrose, who hailed from Milan. It’s busiest season of the year with so much focus on Christmas, but I wanted to share why St. Ambrose helps orient my own life towards the hope that Advent inspires.

I’m an avid traveler, but my trips have usually centered around people rather than places. If I travel alone, I always find destinations where I can visit family or friends. This summer I wanted to challenge myself to become more comfortable befriending complete strangers, so I visited the traveled alone to community of Taizé and walked a portion of the Camino.

This summer I lived in Rome for three weeks while studying at the Centro Pro Unione. I have very mixed feelings about the city. On the one hand, I associate Rome with distant church leaders who care more about serving their own careers and the finer things of institution, keeping their distance from the struggles…

Earlier in June I spent five days visiting the Taizé community in France. Most Catholics would probably be familiar with Taizé chants, which are simple songs composed by the monks of Taizé for their daily prayers. The story of the community is far more rich and complex.

With this summer being my last as a graduate student, I sought to make the most of it with stays in 22 different cities across six different countries and two continents.

Why a new website? As I prepare for my seventh and final year of seminary, I wanted a new space to share a bit of my adventures and theological interests.