Elephants and Saints in DC

You know who else moved this year?  The elephants at the Smithsonian National Zoo, that's who.  The herd even gained a new member this year:  Bozie, who moved all the way from Baton Rouge.  

My dad and I went to go see their newly renovated home before I leave this weekend.  It's been a project for several years, so I was very excited to see it finally finished, and to spend time with their beautiful Asian elephants!  The facility has lots of space for the elephants to train, eat, exercise, and relax—and plenty of resources to care for them.  The zoo is also involved in conservation efforts working to preserve the habitat and the future of Asian elephants.  

I was particularly excited to see Kandula, the youngest member of the herd.  When I was in middle school, I went to see him before he even celebrated his first birthday—I vividly remember the video of his birth at the elephant exhibit.  He was so tiny—for an elephant, anyway—his eyes were huge and round, his head very fuzzy, his skin hanging off of his knees and his sides like a suit he hadn't grown into yet.  When I first met him, he clung to his mother and sometimes even hid behind her legs.  Now he spends most of his time off on his own, a true bachelor.  This is typical behavior for elephants; at around elevenish years old, males usually leave the family, while females stay with their mothers and sisters and aunties for their entire lives.  Males often meet up with other males and form bachelor groups, but Kandula doesn't have any male elephant buddies yet.  Right now, his social life consists mostly of the time he spends with his trainers and also communicating with his mother Shanthi, and the other two females Ambika and Bozie.  Don't worry; he is well looked after, and the zoo is planning to bring in more elephants when they can.

I've tried to check up on Kandula every few years when I can.  He's growing up so well—he's not tiny anymore!  And apparently he likes to shove his face into monster truck tires.

Here's his mom, Shanthi, a very beautiful lady.

And just when you thought the situation couldn't be more elephant-y, check this out—kids from all over the country wrote letters to the zoo's elephants to comfort them about their big move:

Letters for Elephants

It wasn't just the elephants who needed to hear those comforting words about moving.  I feel loads better now.  Don't you?

My dad and I also stopped by the basilica at Catholic University and explored the many chapels inside.  I wanted to get a good look at the statues of Saint Kateri, my patroness (more on her another time).  Well, it turns out in the main church, Saint Kateri's statue is right across from Saint Maria Goretti's statue.  Recently, Saint Maria Goretti has kept popping up in my conversations—her courage and mercy are truly inspirational.  In fact, my friend has a relic of hers, and the other day, he showed it to me so I could ask for a special blessing from her for my move.  I'm pretty sure she wants to get her point across—she's praying for me!  This morning, I was perfectly content to sit between Saints Kateri and Maria Goretti as I prayed for God to give me courage and peace.  What a great duo of interceders!