Angela+Stark

Hello everyone in Middle Senior Gallagher, visiting

Tuesday 16th November In about 4 hours we will be leaving Egypt. Have a lovely time. The Light and Sound show at the Pyramids was awesome. Abu Simbal was fantastic - well worth the early morning wake up call. The 3day cruise down the Nile was wonderful - Did you know that the NIle is 6000 miles long? We cruised about 300 of that. While cruising we stoped at Edfu & Luxor, visited the East and WEst bank, the Valley of the Kings and Queens, went to the tombs of Ramses 111. 1X & IV - the smallest and nicest of these was IV - it still had most of the colour and detail on the wall - really cool. In the Valley of the Queens we went to the Temple of Queen Hatchesut or Hot Chicken Soup - it was huge.

Luxor was a nice city, with 2 more temples - The Karnak & Luxor Temples and also the Avenue of Sphynx. At the moment they are digging up more Syphinx and eventually there will be a walkway from one to the other along this Avenue.

By for now, by the time you read this I will be on a plane heading home. Looking forward to seeing you all next week. Hope you have enjoyed following my journey. Love to all - Angela

wednesday, 10th November

Hi everyone, I am now in Cairo, Capital of Egypt. Its hot, dirty, noisy and is so smoggy that we can barely see the Pyramids from our hotel. There are no road rules, no traffic light, no pedestrian crossings and lots of honking of car horns, lots of police everywhere and it appears that anything goes.

we have been to the Egyptian Museums - a wonderful experience. The main attraction of course was the Tutumkarman exhibition over 1200 pieces and in remarkable condition considering they are ove 5000 years old. We had the opportunity to visit the Mummy display but decied to give it a miss - too gruesome.

We visited a factory where they make paper from Papryus reeds, this was very interesting. We also went to a complez where they extract oil from seeds and plants to make aromathery essence.

Saw some beautiful jewellery and artifacts at the Bazaar. The Pyramids and Sphinx of Giza were amazing. There were originally 123 pyramids in Egypt but not many of these remain. The Pyrmid of Cheops is the largest in the world.

Tonight we are going to the Light and Sound show at the Giza pyriamids - can't wait - should be fabulous.

Tomorrow we are flying to Aswan and then onto Simbu Simbal, before we board a vessel for a cruise down the Nile visiting the valley of Kings and Queens along the way befor

Thursday 4th November

We have been in Malta since Monday. This is a tiny island south west of ltaly about 11/2 hours by ferry from Sicily. It is 34kms long, about 15kms wide and has a population of 400,000. That about the same population as Tasmania in an area the size of Junouton to Huntly. 1.2million tourist visit Malta each year. The housing is all high density, high rise apartments. No yards at all, with very narrow streets andery few parks or sporting fields.

WE have been for a cruise to St Paul's Island - this is where St Paul was shipwrecked on a very narrow reef. The sea was beautiful, there were several islands with caves. The boat we were in was very small so the pilot was able to take us into one of the caves, this was really cool. Malta has a rich history dating back to the 15 -16th Century, being strategically placed between Europe and Africa it has been the target of many battles during the past 450 years. There are large fortifications still standing all around the island. Valletta is the capital. Today we are taking a ferry to the smaller island of Gozo..

Did you know that Bishop Joe & Robert Galea were born in Malta.

Tomorrow night Robert is being Ordained to the Priesthood. We are looking forward to attending this Ceremony and being there to support. I'm sure he will appreciate your prayers at this very special time.

If you would like to send him a message via email, I will be happy to pass it onto him broadparade@hotmail.com

Yesterday we celebrated Mass in the beautiful church of Ta'Giezu, it has an impressive crucifix - according to tradition the head of the Christ figure is reputed to have been made by angels. I said a prayer for you all. God bless, Angela

Friday we travelled to Istanbul, a beautiful city in north west Turkey. We are staying at the nicest hotel its even nicer than the Carpe Diem (if thats possible), we feel we are in the lap of luxury.

Yesterday we went to Gallipoli Peninsular, visited Lone Pine & Anzac Cove, these places are important to the history of Australia. We had a Prayer service at Nek which was so special and meaningful for us. We were going to have Mass here but because Turkey is a Muslim country Christians have to get written permission from the Government if they want to have a religious celebration. It made us all appreciate what it means to live in a democracy where we have the freedom to worship where, when and how we like.

A few interesting things about Turkey you might like to know;

Tomorrow we are flying to Malta. God bless you all.
 * The water which comes out of the taps is not safe to drink - so people here drink on bottled water.
 * If you want to use public toilets you have to pay for the toilet paper
 * Toilet paper is not flushed down the drain but placed in bin which is provided for the purpose
 * There are 300,000 Mosques in Turkey and 5 times a day the priests call the people to prayer over loud speakers which can be heard for miles around.
 * Women have no rights in Turkey
 * 15million people live in Istanbul, all in high density highrise apartments, no backyards or playgrounds.
 * There are 300,000 Mosques in Turkey and 5 times a day the priests call the people to prayer over loud speakers which can be heard for miles around.
 * Women have no rights in Turkey
 * 15million people live in Istanbul, all in high density highrise apartments, no backyards or playgrounds.

We started week on the Isle of Patmos, then had a rough boat across to Turkey. What a lovely place. The cradle of Christianity. But, has made us think about how fortunate we are to have the freedom to practice our religion. In this country the government dictates that the official language of the country wich is Islam. In order to celebrate Mass in the open here we need to have written authority and we have encountered armed guards at christian religious sites.

This week we have been blown away by the ruins of Ephesus. The size alone was amazing, the ruins were in better condition than others we have seen and in much better condition.

We celebrated Mass ina lovely Church near Mary's house,. it is believed that Mary lived with ST John after the death of Jesus The house was made of stone and set on the side of a hill.

Yesterday, we went to a Women's Co-operative where women work together making rugs, by hand, these are then sold to support their small village. These rugs are made of either silk or a combination of silk & cotton or just cotton. They are beautiful with intricate patterns, it can take up to 10 months to complete one rug.

The ruins of St John's Church were also outstanding. This church was built in the first century AD on the site where St JOhn was buried. There was a lovely Baptistry on this site, people in those days were immersed fully into the water for Baptism.

Today we have been to ancient Troy, famous for the Helen of Troy story. The ruins here are dated back to 5000BC. Troy was built in 9 layers - 9 different towns built on top of each other built in different periods in time.

Early in the week we stayed at the Carpe Diem Hotel a little way out of Kusadasi - a one stop very upmarket hotel with everything from shops, bowling alleys, beauty parlours,, restaurants disco, pools, etc. etc. We are now in Assos, the hotel is fairly old but right on the beach front, pity its cold and windy.

Tomorrow we have a long drive ahead of us, will end up in Istanbul.

God Bless you all. Angela

Monday 25th October,

Since last Friday, we have been in Athens -abeautiful City of 4 million people, liked it a lot, very clean,tidy and organised. We went to Mass at ST Joseph's church which is a small church cared fro by Sisters of St Joseph and is situated in a shopping centre not much bigger than Market Place - an interesting concept. [|Click here for more information about Athens]

We went to the ruins of Ancient Corinth, these were fascinating, they date back to pre christian times and it is still possible to make out the buildings. Remnants of the Bhma where Paul preached oand was tried is still very visible as is the central water fountain. Bishop Joe celebrated outdoor Mass here - this was a very special celebration. [|Click here for more information about Ancient Corinth]

Yesterday we flew to the Island of Kos and had a tour (this is also a lovely place) and a walk before catching the ferry to Patmos. [|Click here for more information about Kos]

Today we visited the cave where St John the Evangelist wrote the book of Revelation. I can't believe I sat in that cave and touched the rock where St John stood to write, saw the worn out rock where ST John laid his head and touched the hole in the side of the cave where the bolt of lightning struck knocking John out for a few days and when he came to was able to dictate to his scribe the visions which had come to him. Bishop Joe celebrated Mass, and we cried because it was so beautiful.

We had lunch at a lovely seafood restaurant and tonight we will be dining in another restaurant down the road.

The hotel we are staying is beautiful, just what you would imagine to see in a movie or a postcard depicting Greece.

Tomorrow we will board a vessel and sail to Turkey. Looking forward to it.

Remember God loves you all, you are all very special in His eyes. Love Angela

Thursday 21st October- Kavala is beautiful,my room looks out over the harbour to the Aegan Sea, as I'm typing I'm watching a person in a small boat fishing not far off shore.

The diggings at Phillipi left us in awe, these are remains of pre Roman times dating back to 4th century BC. We sat in the theatre where gladiators fought wild beasts and where even today concerts are held. This theatre can seat 5000 people. Saw the remains of 2 of the 5 Basilicas found on the site, walked through the Forum which was the centre of commerce, Were stunned by the beauty of the Octogan Church with its mosiac floors and the word which confirmed that St Paul had preached there. Walked on the Via Egnatian on which the Romans rode their chariots and now doubt St Paul also walked. We saw the cell where St Paul and his friend Silas were imprisoned. [|Click here for more information about Philipi]

The Baptisry of Lydia was another amazing experience - the church is used only for the Baptism of Children, adults are baptised by full immersion in the river. This is a lovely tranquil spot, the baptism font is in the river with 3 steps leading down and 3 three leading out. We all renewed our baptism vows here and then knealt down as Bishop Joe poured water from the river over heads. Tomorrow we leave Kavala and travel to Athens.

I have over 600 photos but don't know how to load them onto the computer - sorry.

Wednesday 20th October. Today we arrived in Greece to Kavala. This is where St Paul & his followers disembarked when they arrived in Thessaloniki region. Tommorrow we are going to the wharf and also to a river area where St Paul preached. The highlight of the day will be an open air Mass on the site. We will also visit the Baptistry of Lydia, This is where Lydia was baptised and became a Christian. Lydia was a powerful woman in her time but she converted to Christianity when she heard Paul preach. Tomorrow we are also visiting some ancient diggings in Phillipi.

We will be going on a tour of Thessaloniki, Athens and Corinth all places where small Christian communities were located. In the new Testament you will find letters of Paul to the Thessalonians, Corinthians, Philipians these letters were all written to residents of these towns. We are literally walking in the footsteps of St Paul, visiting the places he visited.

At last I have internet connection!! My time so far has been a whirlwind. We had a great flight over, it was a long journey- arrived in Dubai at 5am and had a 5 hour stopover, lovely modern airport the staff were wonderful and looked after me very well. Because of my sore leg I had someone wheel me everywhere in a wheelchair, when it came time to board the plane for Rome I was lifted on a hydraulic lift into the back of what looked like a small removalist van and driven to the plane where they opened a side door and I was wheeled staight into the plane. I felt very special.

The flight from Dubai to Rome took 6 hours and we had to wait for another 5 hours for our flight to Naples. We arrived in Napels at 6.30pm only to discover that our luggage was missing. Getting it back turned out to be quite a circus, when it turned up 48 hours later we did have a good laugh.

Had had a wonderful time with my dad's sister and her family. They were so pleased to see me and were very welcoming to my friends. The first week we stayed in a suburb of Benevento which is 60ks east of Naples, its a rural area which grows tabacco, grapes and corn. The city has a population 0f 60,000 people, which is less than Bendigo but concentrated in a smaller area. They drive like maniacs and the roads are narrower than we have at home, the autostrades are about the same.

My relatives live in a 3 storey house which houses 3 families and 3 dogs and a cat. The property is like a small compound - quite a large piece of land, surrounded by high fences with remote controlled gates. I thought all this security was a bit over the top until I discovered that 1km down the road was a maximum security prison which house some of Italy's most notorious prisoners.

This house also has its own real live ghost, this was rather spooky, we were afraid to get up at night in case we ran into her. I did see her one morning, it scared the daylights out of me. We were rather pleased to leave there.

Last week we moved to Chianche which is about 30ks from Avellino, this is the town where my mother was born. This aunt and uncle also live in a 3 storey house with their married children and two dogs. My cousin is a famous 'go-carter' and has many medals and cups which attest to his success in this area. He has his own team and travels all over Europe, he also manages some rising stars. His son is also into the sport and at present is in the process of building a competition standard go-cart track which he hopes will be completed in two years. I've been invited to the official opening, which I hope to be able to attend.

This area is also rural known for its grape growing and famous for its wine especially a white wine from 'Le Otto Terre" known as 'Greco Di Tufo' it sells for 25 euro per bottle is exported throughtout the world and is the wine Bill Clinton requested when he visited Italy. The area is beautiful, rolling hills, huge mountains and many villages perched on hilltops.

The original village of Chianche is very old and on top of a high mountain,the streets are so narrow that it is impossible for a car to drive through, so we parked it outside the town boundary and walked. I was able to visit the house where my mother was born, the interior has been modernised but the exterior is as it was 400 years ago. There is an old castle in this town which is being restored at present and will eventually be a museum. There is a beautiful church and the Parish Priest is from the Congo, he speaks fluent Italian which was quite strange.

We spent a week in Benevento. This area played a pivotal role in early Roman History it got its name from out witting enemy Goths – the story goes that it was originally called 'Malvento' because of the strong winds which blew through its deep valleys. At one point in order to win control of the area the Goths invaded with a herd of elephants to baffle and scare off the locals, and take control of the region- it worked. After a period of time the Roman armies devised a plan to evict the the Goths and the elephants by setting fire to the valley, fortunately enormously high winds blew causing a raging fire which drove the elephants into a frenzy and out of the valley along with their owners. The name of the area became know as 'Benevento' or 'good wind' from that time on. The area has played a significant role in the politics of of State and Church for many years. Producing many Popes and Bishops of the Church. We have been totally 'Gobsmacked' by the history, the many old buildings which date back to pre Christian and the early Christian Church. Unfortunately due to the state of the economy the government doesn't have the funds to maintain or restore most of these sites. Fortunately, people from this area who have made good in Australia or America send money to their home villages and much of this is used to preserve the history of the area. For example my father, uncle and cousin have been instrumental in the restoration of the Church in the village of Pagliari – we were shown church records dating back to 1566 all hand written and bound. Without these donations these records would be lost,as would important documentation pertaining to these small towns, because as is usual the younger generation are not that interested in preserving history because Italy has so much of it and if a little bit of it goes astray – so what. The Italian economy being what it is means that much of the work which was being done in places such as Pompeii has come to a virtual standstill due to the lack of funds. Tourism plays an enormous role in keeping the economy afloat, but of course tourists only go to the well known sites.

The village where my father was born and raised is wonderful, my cousins there are gorgeous. The village is perched atop of high hill, has a population of 300 and a tremendous history. In times of invasion by Goths, Byzantyne etc. It was a vantage point over a huge valley where the authorities were able to see advancing enemy during many invasions. This little village has produced a Pope, and many bishops. There is an old castle in the town which was frequented by bishops in its hay day. The current bishop of Benevento originated from Pagliari.

On Tuesday, we walked through my ancestral home, which is now very rundown and used for storing all manner of things. This house occupied until 1980's, beautiful ceramic tiles are still on the floor. It abuts the Presbytery which is in the process of being restored. It has 2 bedrooms upstairs, a kitchen downstairs and attached to that is an area where the pig and chickens were kept. In one of the bedrooms is a most beautiful wooden wall unit which belongs to my aunt who is 86 and lives in Melbourne. My cousin has also displayed on the walls my grandfather's tools of trade. My grandfather was a carpenter, these old tools would be worth an absolute fortunate if sold. But the historical value to the family far outweighs any monetary value. These tools are well over 100 years old and were probably passed down to him from his father.

My cousin Biaggio Faella, is a Professor of Theology at a religious institution in Naples, a walking history book. At present he is gathering material for a book he plans to write on the history of the village. There are four prominent families in this village, our family has the longest recorded history. His family (wife and two teenage boys) live in his parents house less than 100 metres away from the ancestral home. His front door faces the entry to the Church. The outer facade is original, but internally it has been totally refitted and modernised, very small by out standards but it does have 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms a kitchen meals area and a tiny lounge, what it lacks in space it makes up for with the love and laughter which emanates from its walls. The family always eats together and the children and teenagers are encouraged to be part of the banter which is very much a part of everyday life. The young ones are not constantly engrossed in electronics, I have not seen a playstation, DS, etc. constantly in hand. They have them but they come out only if there is some time when nothing is happening. Yesterday, the boys left the house after lunch to meet their friends in the town square (less than 100 metres away), they spent the afternoon playing cards. There were younger children playing in the square – no parents to been seen supervising, the children were quite safe.

In the early evening (promenage) the family will go for drive into a neighboring town for a stroll, an ice-cream, meet up with friends. Returning around 8pm or later they will then have their evening meal. The main meal is always lunch. The work day begins at 8am. Coffee is usually the heart starter, no morning tea and finish work round 1pm return home for a huge lunch (usually 4 coursed min.), this sees them through for the rest of the day. Very few people work in the afternoon so this is family time.

School hours are 8am to 1pm – 6 days per week. Children play sport – my cousins children are all heavily into sport, their parents take them to training, most times stay to watch and dads will always stay to to watch them play games which is probably 2 times a week with training on alternate days. I have a cousin who plays for the Italian national volley team and another who is well known locally also for volley. Alessio & Stefano are soccer addicts. We went to my very favourite place in Italy last week San Agata de Goti a town which was settled by Goths then captured by the Romans in the first century, the plaque on the wall of the church is attributed to Julius Caesar either 3 or 30AD (writing is a bit worn difficult to read). This town is staggeringly beautiful. [|Click here for more information about San Agata de Goti]

On Sunday night we went to Petrelcini, the home of Saint Padro Pio, attended Mass in his church,walked the streets he walked, smelt the roses he is famous for. What an experience!!!

Yesterday, Biagio took us to the Amalfi Coast - WOW. Unbelievable beauty. This area is famous for its lemons (besides the sea) they grow up the cliff faces all the way up to the top of the hills, one wonders how, but the are look amazing. Lemons are used to make a liquor which is 28-30% proof. I've been told its good for you to have a sip before bed – guaranteed to put you to sleep. This alsothe home of a most beautiful church dedicated to St Andrew (brother of St Peter). Story goes that when St Andrew was killed (I can't remember where) the locals from Amalfi decided that his remains should be interred in their their area, so they stole his head and put it on display in this Church. It remained there until recent years when it was decided that it was too gruesome so they have since buried it under the Altar.

We visited Monte Vergini, this church was built by monks in 1149, perched atop one of the highest peaks in Southern Italy. The road is narrow with curves and sharp bends it took at least an hour to reach the top. The church and monastery are of enormous proportions constructed from marble. In past years brides would take their wedding dresses to this church as an offering to the virgin Mary for a happy marriage, All these gowns have now been taken down and placed in storage.

People pray to the Virgin Mary for indulgences, then when their prayers are answered they return to the church to thank Mary for her help. (as I'm writing this the bells of a near by church are ringing. I'd say by bellringers as they are playing a familiar tune not the usual call to prayer). There is an area in which all the walls are covered with thank-you notes or drawings from people who have recovered from surgery,been cured from cancer, recovered from accidents, have healthy children etc.

Words fail me when I try to describe the many Altars – they are superb to say the least, marble statues and magnificent Baroque art work. There is a Baroque Art Festival held on this site each year.

There is a Crypt with an ossary containing the remains of all the monks who have lived in this building including the embalmed remains of the Order's founder St Guiliano.

Another area contains Nativity scenes from all over the world, these have been donated by individuals or cities and towns in thanksgiving for graces received. There is also a Museum unfortunately it was closed by the time we got to it.

At present the Altar in the main church is being restored to its former glory, this altar is of grand proportions.

Last Friday morning we said goodbye to the these lovely people and this beautiful area. Travelled to Rome by bus a 3 hour trip. Rome is nowhere as pretty, andthe locals are indifferent. [|Click here for more information about Rome]

Here we are along with Aussies from all over Australia (about 60 from Sandhurst Diocese) one could be forgiven for thinking its an Aussie invasion. The Mary MacKillop Canonisation was unbelievable, very emotional and an experience I am so blessed to have been present at. We arrived at St Peter's at 6.30am for Mass which commenced at 10.30. We had front row seats WOW. You may have seen me on tele - I was the one with the Union Jack on an umbrella. There was loud applause when the Josephites entered the square. The entrance procession was very long and Pope Benedict was driven onto the Altar. The morning was cold and wet but just before the Pope declared Mary of the Cross the first Australian Saint we felt the warm rays of the sun on our backs. We felt St Mary of Cross was there with us. Very moving. The estimated crowd was 50,000 plus. 4 other Saints were also declared that morning, but for us it a most significant ceremony because St Mary of the Cross is Australia's very first Saint. There were two more Italian's Canonised also - one wonders why Italians would need any more, as they heaps already. Something came over us when we received Holy Communion, it was too much and a few of us just cried. I haven't processed it all yet, I'm sure this experience has changed my life. The Thanksgiving Mass this morning was something else again, we estimated that 3000 people were present in St Paul's Church outside the Vatican Walls. Mass was celebrated by Cardinal Pell assisted by all the Australian priests and bishops. We cried again, can't explain why but it was and experience that cannot be explained one had to be there to understand.

Kevin Rudd and Julie Bishop were there as well. We had our photo taken with Kevin and he is our new best friend. Cardinal Pell also came out and shook hands with us. Bishop Joe looked great in his 'bishop clothes'.

We have one more day in Rome and will be going to Greece on Wednesday. Bye for now and God Bless you all,

Love

Angela