Greetings from Thessaloniki

Hi to all....on this October Festival Day!

First off....thanks to the Men's & Women's Clubs for all their efforts on this evening's event. Know that I am thinking of you and am grateful for all the work that you are doing to serve our families and celebrate our parish life!

I arrived in Greece yesterday evening. Tomorrow, the tour I am on officially begins. Today, I walked a good deal of the center of the city. St. Paul's Letter to the Thessalonians is the shortest of St. Paul's letters. For whatever reason [without any research], I always 'assumed' that since this letter was so short, the city must be 'small.' Once again, I proved to myself that I was not an 'A' student!!! Thessaloniki is the 2nd largest city in Greece, next to Athens. I imagine that back in St. Paul's day, it was also pretty major. I certainly have a lot to learn!

Tomorrow, I am off to Phillippi and Kavala, two places where St. Paul also preached and visited. It was in Phillippi that Paul baptized the first Christian convert in Europe...who was a woman named, Lydia. Kavala was the area or 'motor-way' in those days which Paul traveled.

The group I am traveling with arrived tonight. There are only 11 of them...all from different parts of the US.

Again, know that you are remembered in my daily prayers and Mass. I keep your intentions in my thoughts.

Peace,

Fr. Steve