“Days in Rome” Project – April/May 2025 – UPDATED

UPDATED 7 April 1555 EDT

Friends, thank you.  You hit my first goal for travel, a laptop, daily groceries and a portion of my rent, unending beggars.  Additional donations are welcome!  They will make life a lot easier and maybe allow me to eat out occasionally.  Rome is expensive.  One fellow earmarked his donation for flowers from the great Pippo at the Campo de’ Fiori.  Flowers help.  They will be necessary now.  While the place I have had over the last few years has been bright and sunny, my place now is the exact opposite.  I’ve been making a careful list of all the Roman Sojourn donors with emails so I can send out some “premium content”.  The last time I was there, I had made a few “walking talking” (more authentic “walking together”) videos.  I want to do that again in a more disciplined way.  You are all a great consolation to me.  Thank you.   If you don’t mind my audacity… keep going!

Published on: Mar 25, 2025

It’s time for another appeal.

Long-time readers know that I try to get back to Rome in (March/April/May for Easter and my ordination anniversary.  This year I will be there for Holy Week and beyond for most of the month of May.

This is my way to keep my brain alive, identity strong and – having been significantly but not entirely cancelled (let’s say under-utilized against my will) – my liturgical batteries recharged. It keeps me fighting.

Hence, another fundraiser.

This fundraiser must cover two things.

First, listen to this.

That’s the sound my laptop is making.  Not all the time, but often enough to be really alarming.  Bottom line: I need a new laptop and I need it now.   I think my laptop is almost 10 years old.  I am floundering in the options right now and must seek informed counsel.  I would like it to handle editing videos with open-source Blender.  NO am I not going back to Apple.  No.  Also, I want it to be able to deal with chess analysis.

Next, I have “days” to cover.  My time won’t be as costly as last time, because I won’t – sniff – be in the same place where I have been.  I really liked it.   My “days” will also defray some of the travel cost, flights.   Because I usually only eat out when invited out, and I stay in and cook for myself, I save quite a bit.  I’ll have to cover US phone use in Italy (I changed from ATT to T-Mobile).

Since money is fungible, I’ll blend the two together.

My plan is, once again, to head to Brooklyn for a couple of days at the beginning of April (soon!) and then arrive in Rome before Holy Week begins, hopefully to get over jetlag before the heavy days start.

As always, I will record the names of all those who contribute for this.  I will celebrate Holy Mass for the intention of my benefactors as well as for other intentions which readers have requested through my form.  As I go about in Rome, I will remember you in my prayers at the tombs of saints.  Another benefit for all is some enhanced content here and the knowledge that I occasionally realize that I am smiling while I am going about my day.

My goal is to cover 50 days in Rome.

Right now my mom’s health seems pretty stable (the power of prayer?) and she is positive about my spending time in Rome in my place while I can.

The usual ways of donating are available.  Some of you know them already.

• Zelle, through your US bank, works best.  Drop me a note HERE   PLEASE use this if you can!  Add a note “Days in Rome” in the “memo” and your email.
• For international donations there is a service called WISE which is very good and has the lowest fees and best conversion rate I’ve seen and I can accept any currency with it, convert it, and either move it or withdraw it using an ATM in Rome.  Also, this is the service that I use to pay my rent in Rome. Try WISE. HERE
• There’s also waaavy flag (PayPal). Add a note “Days in Rome” and your email if you want me to write back.

• Venmo is an option, also. Drop me a note HERE  Or use this QR code…
• PayPal takes a service fee percentage.  Therefore…
• For larger donations checks by snail mail would be better.  TIME IS SHORT and MAIL IS SLOW.  Contact me HERE about that.  There is a faster route than through the old P.O. Box.  This is the best way for any significant amount, and there were a few of you, last time, who were quite generous.

As this project progresses, the Enemy will probably – as usual – screw around with my life in annoying ways.  To that end, I have repurposed an old iPhone perpetually to play my recitation of the Rosary in Latin at a low volume in the house.  I won’t hear it but the nasties will and it can drive them nuts.

Come to think of it… it’s probably my laptop this time, with a narrow window to deal with it.

Dear readers, making appeals like this isn’t pleasant for me.  What is consoling is the kindness you show.  Above all I ask for your prayers, earnest, for a particular intention I have.

DONORS (please notify me if you donated and I didn’t write back with a note)

UPDATED 2 April 0708 EST

MH, IGD, RK, IGD, BMR, LD, DC, TE, MS, AC,
DE, MD, VR, JH, HL, JL, GS, WH, LP, LG,
LW, DMcN, LJ, KH, MH, CW, JM, KK, KM, TJG,
DM, RL, SF, SN, AK, JK, BP, JH (no email), SMcG, JM,

You hit the goal.

UPDATED 7 April 1555 EDT

MM, Fr CJ, CH, SS, DLS (no email), RG, WW, CP, MMcE, BB,
MR, OK, Fr SR, AC (no email), GG, RW, KB, AR, ML, RD,
PRR, JPC, JL, LB, EFC, DJK, MBC, CB (no email), MK, SB,
JW, SAS, MH, FV, GW, AR, BL, PG, AN, DH,
JC, MG, KS, RP, KD, JS, NC, PM, AC, MP,
CS, BH, AMJLD, DC&PO, CG, MAM, MH, JFH, DS