Earlier today, I had lunch with a few good (mostly online) friends at Rigazzi's on the Hill (in St. Louis). The food was so-so, the company was great, and the atmosphere in the restaurant was pretty good. It's a little bit tucked away next to Kingshighway, but not too hard to find (plus there's plenty of parking in the area).
I met Snup (from Snup's view from the back pew) for the first time; she seems to have a most excellent plan in place for the rest of her parish visits. She's about 1/10 of the way through all the parishes in St. Louis, and she's chronicling her visits to various parishes on her blog (link above).
I also met (for the second time) Mark Scott Abeln, who takes many excellent pictures and writes for Rome of the West, an excellent blog looking at the historical and architectural heritage of Saint Louis (with an emphasis on its Catholicity).
There are many other Catholic bloggers in the Saint Louis area whom I have not personally met, but would love to meet, at some point. I think it would be neat if we (St. Louis area Catholics who have an online presence) could get together for Mass and brunch, maybe once a year or once every few months. An intriguing idea to explore, certainly.
Pope Benedict XVI, has bestowed upon Dr. David Mueckl, PhD, DBA, the Papal Honor of Knight Commander with Star of the Pontifical Equestrian Order of Saint Gregory the Great.
The Pontifical Equestrian Order of St. Gregory the Great was established on September 1, 1831, by Pope Gregory XVI. It is one of the five pontifical orders of knighthood in the Catholic Church. As part of the reform of the Papal Orders instituted by Saint Pius X, in 1905 the grades of the Order were modified by the addition of a Star for a higher category of Knights Commander as well as assigning to the Papal Knights a particular place in Papal processions and in ceremonies of the Church.
The order is bestowed on Catholic men and women (and in rare cases, non-Catholic men) in recognition of their service to the Church, unusual labors, support of the Holy See, and the good example set in their communities and country.
Having worked with Dr. Mueckl, I can attest to the fact that he is a worthy recipient of this honor, and I am proud to be a member of this Archdiocese, which supports and upholds many people who, in my estimation, are also great servants of the Church!
