Faithful Friday: Mother Ascensión Nicol y Goñi

Following a long-held desire to serve the poor, at age 45, Mother Ascensión and four of her sisters accepted a mission to Peru, where they trekked through jungle and mountains to Porto Maldonado, the first European women to make the journey.

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A Premise of Joy

Their wedding ceremony was deeply moving; / Adil needed a few moments to take it in. / He watched his new bride. / Joy barely covered what he felt on this night.

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Faithful Friday: Archbishop Janani Luwum

Janani Luwum was born in Uganda in 1923. He grew up to be a school teacher, then converted to Christianity in 1948. The following year he attended a seminary school, then returned to his home in Acoli to teach others about his faith.

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For Jack On His Birthday

In the long ago I was reading a book / (And doubtless thinking many brilliant thoughts) / Sitting in my car outside Our Lady’s Church / Waiting for some old-lady meeting to end

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Katrina and the Wild Hunt Part 2

“This is Queen Titania of the Wild Hunt, and Katrina is carrying a human infant Her Majesty found abandoned and wishes to adopt.”

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Faithful Friday: St Scholastica

Not much is known about the early life of Scholastica, twin sister of St. Benedict. St. Gregory the Great, in his biography of St. Benedict, states that she was dedicated to Jesus at a young age.

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Memphian Lamentation

Let us instead look within our fatal selves / With every resentment validating the Fall of Man / With every snub murdering Abel again / With every lie sentencing Christ to death

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Winter 2023: An Issue of Life

Join us as we explore the issues of Life! In this issue you will find poetry, two new stories, discussions of human dignity, and plenty more! Also, check out our photo contest entries on page six!

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Faithful Friday: Lawrence of Canterbury

Lawrence of Canterbury was one of the early missionaries sent to Britain from Rome along with St. Augustine of Canterbury. After Augustine’s death around 604, Lawrence succeeded him as Archbishop of Canterbury. 

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Destry Rides Yet Again

One of the satellite channels programmed a weekend of Audie Murphy cowboy movies. In my youth these were a Saturday afternoon staple down at the Palace Theatre, of happy memory, and I was pleased to revisit Destry (1954).

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Tolkien’s Shelob the Spider

A poisonous lump of flesh in malignant repose / Her lair all befouled with scraps of souls / In life sought out with her multiplex eyes / Her Sauron-eyes – it was the hopes that died first

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Faithful Friday: John Chrysostom

Saint John Chrysostom is a figure in ecclesial history with a stunning breadth of influence. As a writer, preacher, and archbishop, his life was scored with a generative fervor in bolstering and guiding the church.

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A Very Brief Review of When Books Went to War

…tyrants don’t want people thinking for themselves. Books are dangerous to bullies, whether they are Hitler, Stalin, Ho Chi Minh, Vlad the Bad Putin, Chairman Xi, or the Ms. Grundy down the street.

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The Huns & Goths Part 3: Goth Before It was Cool

When you say “Gothic” nowadays, most people tend to think of a style of literature, or music, or aesthetic, or more rarely, architecture. These things, however, have little to do with the historical Goths. 

Historians often separate Goths in two subgroups: Visigoths (western Goths) and Ostrogoths (Eastern Goths) but this is only for convenience’s sake. The Goths themselves recognized no such distinction, nor did the Romans at the time.

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Faithful Friday: Pope Fabian

Little is known about Pope Fabian, including when he was born. He became Pope in 236AD, following the death of Pope Anterus. The early Church historian Eusebius relates that Fabian was not one of the original candidates for the office, but a dove descended upon him during the election process and those present decided this was a sign from the Holy Spirit and thus duly elected him.

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Christian Mastery of the Mind 

“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.” While this command does imply that we should not think about that which is opposite to the characteristics listed here, Paul gave this command in this way for a reason. 

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The Machine Pauses – Three Days in ICU

Oh, isn’t it awkward being passed along / Up and down confusing, fluorescent-lit corridors / From receptionist to nurse-practitioner / To technician to physician and back again

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