The Kenrick seminarians have returned to Saint Louis from our trip to New York, where we attended the youth and seminarian rally during the Pope's visit.

It was a long trip crammed into a short time. The bus rides were grueling, but the event itself was good. It was interesting to see so many (estimated 25,000) young people at the event we attended. There were young religious sisters, brothers, hundreds (maybe thousands) of seminarians, all there to see and hear the Pope's message. It was inspiring.

During his visit, Pope Benedict XVI gave many talks, homiles, and so on. I've been reading the texts of these online. The "celebrity" aspect of the Pope's visit and the media's obsession with scandal and controversy seem to overshadow the real value of his visit. That value is expressed in the words he spoke to us. These words have value for all Christians in America.

I would love to summarize some of his ideas for you and present them on my blog. But I don't know where to begin! They are all excellent. And I really need to spend time studying. The semester is almost over.

So in lieu of my own commentary, I will direct you to the text of his speeches. Please skim through some of them. The address to U.S. bishops and the address to seminarians and youth were both worthwhile. They are all short. Click here to visit the Vatican's web site.

And now, a few choice pictures from the trip.

There was a convoy of six buses from Saint Louis. Three were filled with us seminarians. The others transported young people and adults from the Archdiocese of Saint Louis.

We finally got off the bus at Yonkers Raceway. Here is a photo of Russ Kovash and I, the two Bismarck seminarians who currently study in Saint Louis. I forgot to take off my dorky cycling sunglasses.

This trio of seminarians includes Tim, myself, and Brian. We are the three that moved on from my pre-theology class to theology 1.

Security at this event was unlike anything I've ever seen. There were snipers perched over the crowd, secret service people roaming around, and metal detectors at the gates. I'm not sure I want to live in Westchester County ... a place where the police force needs a vehicle like that!

The event was packed with an estimated 25,000 young people, priests, and seminarians. The seminarians were given tickets for an area right in front of the stage.

Pope Benedict XVI arrived and the crowd went wild! I stood in that crowd for probably six hours. It was hot (we were wearing cassocks) and crowded. We were thirsty and hungry. But hey, we were right up front as Pope Benedict spoke to us, specifically.

Finally, Pope Benedict arrived on stage. Here he is, seated in the crazy space-chair somebody built just for him. He spoke of vocations, prayer, and the challenges of being a young Christian in today's society. It was, perhaps, worth the discomfort of getting to the event and waiting for the Pope to arrive.

Big news! Three years ago today, I was confirmed in the Catholic Church. I assume that is why there are two news trucks outside, antennae stuck up in the air, ready to broadcast this momentous event to the whole city of Saint Louis.

On the other hand, it could be the fact that the entire Kenrick Seminary is leaving tonight for New York, where Pope Benedict XVI is visiting the United States. For a man of 81 years (yesterday was his birthday), his schedule is very full. I've been reading some of the speeches he has given. It amazes me how well Pope Benedict grasps what is going on in our country. It is also inspiring to see his hope that what ails our society can be remedied by a renewal of Christian faith, truly lived, by Christians in our country. I recommend you at least skim his speech to the U.S. bishops, even if you're not Catholic. It's a good read.

You can follow the events of the Papal visit at EWTN.

Spring fever has set in. There is less than a month remaining in the semester, and I'm looking forward to a two-week break that I have before my summer "school" begins. That summer school is in Omaha, Nebraska. Since I'm in Saint Louis and I will be traveling to Omaha for school, I had a thought: why not ride bike along the Adventure Cycling Lewis & Clark route up to Omaha!?

This sounds like a great adventure. I've done lots of tours and self-supported trips before, so I thought this might be fun. But this trip is different. First, it's not all on paved roads. A large portion of the route I would ride is on rail-trails, which are covered in small gravel. There may even be gravel roads, but I'm not sure. I'm waiting for the detailed map to arrive in the mail.

In addition to being partly gravel, this route supposedly goes through some long stretches where there are no services such as C-stores, restaurants, and motels.

This all appeals to the part of me that wants to bring the tent on my bike and really rough it. But the idea of roughing it alone in campgrounds and along the trail makes me a bit nervous. The one time I remember camping alone in a city park in 2001 I didn't sleep a wink. The town teenagers decided to have a big party in the park. And then there's the wildlife. Very early in the morning deer (I think?) were walking near the tent, keeping me up wondering "WHAT WAS THAT NOISE!?" and pondering whether I should sleep in the pickup. On this trip I wouldn't have a pickup to retreat to.

And what about the weather? In Missouri, it may be very humid and hot, or wet and cool, in May. May is early for a bike tour, in my experience. But I'm also much farther south than North Dakota, where it can be mighty cool on those May mornings.

To make a long story short, I'm indecisive on what to do for a short vacation. This sounds like a great adventure. And it's likely I could stay in motels, but I'm not sure.

To prepare for possibility that I actually do hop in the saddle and head down the Katy Trail, I am working to fit some training in my schedule. I've been sitting at a desk since August with my nose stuck in a book.

Fueling my excitement for another bike trip are other cycle tourist travel logs. Jayme Kohler is a biker and marine from Bismarck who rode the Lewis & Clark route in its entirety. His web site is very nice. And apparently Russel, a relative of mine who I've never met, is just now finishing a west-to-east ride of the Southern Tier route. That's the route Jesse and I have ridden from San Diego to El Paso. His web site is also interesting.