O Roma Nobilis...

I have received so many blessings in my life (the gift of faith, a long life, good health, an excellent education, many opportunities to serve others, two happy marriages with two outstanding wives, wonderful children and grandchildren, a successful career, prosperity, inspiring friends, opportunities to travel, and too many other gifts to list) that I thought I should celebrate them and share them with others in this book as I have done to a lesser extent in an earlier memoir entitled Close Calls, the Worlds First Unauthorized Autobiography. Reviewing my life I see the hand of God in everything that has happened to me and that I have done. Most important of all studying in Rome enhanced my love of the Church and my desire to stay close to it and follow its teachings and rules. The recent shocking increase in violence and unheard of forms of cruelty in the world have me praying many times each day. The title O Roma Nobilis comes from two lines of a hymn which is sung on the feast of Saints Peter and Paul (June 29). They read O Roma nobilis, quae duorum principum es consecrata glorioso sanguine. O noble Rome, you have been consecrated with the glorious blood of two princes.