island life- in a monastery

I recently posted news regarding the destruction of artwork depicting some of our famed saints and founders of our country. I came across an interesting interview (Catholic News Agency) of Canadian sculptor TIMOTHY SCHMALZ, who says it breaks his heart to see the wanton vandalism of sculpture. He told CNA that he believes sculpture is a unique and powerful method of preaching, while at the same time acknowledging the flawed nature of many historical figures.

For me, often these figures can be a reminder that we live in a different age, and can learn from past mistakes. The art being made today will be judged by the next generations who will see our flaws. What if we learned today that Michelangelo or Rodin or Henry Moore did unspeakable acts in their lifetime. Would we destroy their works - to be lost forever?

Angels Unawares

Timothy said it made him upset “beyond belief” watching the news and seeing statues of figures such as Christopher Columbus and St. Junipero Serra be torn down. Seeing what he called “a random mob” destroy statue after statue felt like watching “wanton violence against our culture.” He says the statues, are works of art being used as scapegoats for the country’s perceived historical sins

He has been a sculptor for 30 years and is perhaps best known for his sculpture the "Angels Unawares" dedicated to migrants in St. Peter’s square.

“I know the amount of time that is spent working on each sculpture and a lot of these sculptures were done a century ago and the skill level, the time that it's been put into that--just on a simple work ethic and good craftsmanship and time and love that is put into it... Its basic presence is that of time enduring.”

Sculpture, he said, is different from other art forms, as unlike a play or a piece of music, it is intended to be permanent. . “They’re visual ambassadors of that history, and to destroy it--[its] absolute arrogance.”

“I'm a sculptor, I'm a creative, I create, I do not destroy, and I wish more people would follow the role model of creating rather than destroying,” he said. Timothy conceives his sculptures with keen devotion to Catholicism and gives his time to each piece, sometimes taking as much as 10 years forming the idea and sculpting it.

Creation, he explained, is far more difficult than destruction. Some of the statues that were destroyed took years to make, “and they’re toppled in 15 minutes.”

“I want to be in a culture that is one of creating, not one of destroying. And, and what I say is that if you have a problem with that sculpture, let's create more sculptures, let's create more stuff.”

"If my sculptures are used by people as a tool to think, then I’m very happy."

In this crises time in our world and in our church, many are not able to get to Mass on a regular basis but there are usually weekday Masses and sometimes even adoration of the Blessed sacrament.

Our second holy man of the Eucharist was the Hungarian chaplain János Brenner (born 1931), who died guarding the Eucharist on 15th December 1957.

JANOS BRENNERwas ordained a priest by bishop Sándor Kovács on 19th June 1955 in the cathedral of Szombathely. He celebrated his first mass in the St. Norbert church of that town. He became the chaplain of Rábakéthely, in the second district of Szentgotthárd, near the Hungarian border.

Father János was ready to make any sacrifice for the faithful. He especially loved children and youth.

One of the faithful remembers: "He had a certain glow which cannot even be described in words. The people loved him, and loved to listen to his words. There was something in him, what attracted the people. This was his main crime.: both the young and the old loved him. He won a great number of people for the faith and the Church. He could not pass by a person without stopping to talk to them even a word or two. He always had a beautiful smile on his face... He seriously announced the Word of God and testified his faith in every minute. He was a very good confessor since he always gave some advice for our lives."

His charism was not seen favorably by the Communist regime, especially in hi work with the young. The representative of the state for the Church wanted to remove him from the community. When the bishop informed Father Brenner about this, he replied: "I am not afraid, it would be a pleasure for me to stay." The bishop stood by the chaplain and decided to leave him in Rábakéthely. The representative said: "Well then, you shall see the consequences, too."

Father János clearly saw that his vocation was trying at the time. He wrote in is spiritual journal: "My Lord, You know, that I do not seek happiness in this life, since I have put my everything into You... I know, my Lord, that You do not save yours from suffering, since they got a tremendous profit from it."

One autumn evening, when he was on his way home on his motorcycle from Farkasfa, unknown ruffians threw logs in from of him, but he managed to avoid them. When he arrived at home, he said "They weren't lucky", and had a good laugh.

It is still not clear, not even today, what exactly happened on the night of 14-15 December 1957. There are only a few pieces of the puzzle: testimonies of the suspects and of the convicted and some memories of witnesses, which Dr. Frigyes Kahler, law-historian reconstructed.

Around midnight a 17-years-old man knocked on the door of the parish with the request that his seriously ill uncle should be given the Sacraments. Father János went to the church, and took the Eucharist, placing it in the pyx, and with his companion started towards Zsida on the pitch-dark way leading through the hills. On the way he was attacked many times, but he managed to escape. In the end he was caught near the house of the supposed-sick-uncle.

And there, with the Eucharist around his neck, they stabbed him 32 times. From the autopsy report we also know that multiple fracture of the hyoid bone and the horns of the laryngeal cartilage were visible on the body. This cannot be caused by strangling; this injury occurs by stepping on the neck and trampling on it. On the white collar belonging to the cassock ground samples were visible, and the silhouette of a sole could also be seen. So, they wanted not only to kill him, but also humiliate him, too.

The investigation was merely a show, everyone was a suspect, even the parish priest. In the end one person was sentenced to death by the courts, but the Supreme Court released him. Later that boy was sentenced, who called János Brenner from the parish.

"God works with those who love him" (Rom 8,28) - the first-mass-motto of János Brenner was the main lead of his life as a priest. He lived and died by this spirituality for Christ and for those entrusted to him. His short, but God-loving life was for the good of all and also (or maybe mainly) is death, since his blood is also the sowing of the Christianity. "The good shepherd lays down his life for his sheep" - that is, what János Brenner did: he gave his life for a non-existent sick, he laid down his life for his vocation and Christ. He was capable of all the sacrifices. He did not fear threats or being persecuted.

During the investigation many charges were brought against him (jealousy, human trafficking) looking for the motive of the murder, but they could not find a single person, who would speak ill of him. After the investigation someone said: "They have just conducted the process of the canonization of János Brenner!" The life of the pure-hearted, honest and faithful to God priest was obvious for everyone. His was not a human trafficker, but a fisher of men.

Youth of the world have a new patron in VENERABLE MATTEO FARINA, who died in 2009. Born in 1990 in Brindisi, he spent his brief but deep earthly life surrounded by love of his family, his friends, his parish community and his girlfriend.

Like people of his own age, he played various sports and loved music, playing several instruments. He found a music band called “ No name”.

He also had a passion for chemistry, and would have continued his studies in the environmental engineering field. He also liked all the new information technology.

Two events marked his life: a dream and the diagnosis of a brain cancer.

When he is 9 years old, he dreamt of St. Pio from Pietrelcinawho revealed to him the secret of happiness,giving him the task to spread it to everyone. These are St. Pio’s words according to the story of the young Matteo: “If you managed to understand that who is without sin is happy, than you have to teach it to the others, so that we can go all together happily in the heavenly kingdom”.

This dream led Matteo to understand this was his vocation and he wrote: “I hope to succeed in realizing my mission as ‘undercover agent’ among young people, telling them about God (enlightened from Him)… I look around me and I want to enter in young people’s lives quietly like a virus, infecting them of an incurable illness: Love!”.

When Matteo was 13, he was diagnosed with a brain tumor. He underwent his first operation in Hannover, Germany. In spite of this he was still an inspiration to all who came into contact with him, from friends to his doctors and other patients.

“You would like to scream to the world that you would do everything for your Savior, that you are ready to suffer for the salvation of souls, to die for Him. You will have the opportunity of showing Him your love”.

“ Faith is to grasp God to spread his Word. Happiness is the fruit of faith.” Matteo used to say: “It is useless to despond, we have to be happy and transmit happiness. The more happiness we give people, the more people are happy. The more they are happy, the more we are happy”.

At seventeen, he met Serena, his girlfriend and “the most beautiful gift I could receive from the Lord”. He started to meditate on the mystery of human love as mirroring the love of God. His love for Serena was a love which became companionship, communion and sharing.

But his illness strike once more, and in 2009 he underwent his third operation, which left him partially paralyzed. He understood that his life might be short, and he wrote: “We must live every day as if it were the last, but not in the sadness of death, rather in the joy of being ready for our encounter with the Lord”

Sometimes when the pain was simply too much, Matteo wondered where the Lord was. “Has God deserted you? No. In silence, He’s always at your side, He wipes away your tears and holds you in His arms, until you’ll be strong enough to walk for yourself, holding His hands in yours vigorously. Fatigue. Curl up humbly in His arms and you’ll be sheltered there until good weather will come again. You’ll shine again, then, in His love, giving a caress, a smile, your small contribution to help those who, like you, are in need or tired; bring them to God. They’ll resurrect in turn, with our Lord, to a life of love”.

His mission can be described with his own words : “My God, I have two hands, let one of them to be always clasped to You in order to hold You closer in every trial. And let the other hand fall throughout the world if this is Your will… as I know You by others, so let others know You through me. I want to be a mirror, the clearest possible, and if this is Your will, I want to reflect Your light in the heart of every man. Thanks for life. Thanks for faith. Thanks for love. I’m Yours”.

In a rare move in modern times, a “lowly” priest was made a cardinal of the Church, without first being a bishop. In accordance with the norm that all cardinals should be bishops, Pope Francis consecrated Father Czerny a bishop on 4 October 2019, making him titular archbishop of Benevento. He was made a Cardinal the next day!

CARDINAL MICHAEL F. CZERNY, SJ (born 1946) is a Czechoslovakian-born priest whose work in Canada, Latin America, Africa, and Romehas promoted social justice. He has been under-secretary of the Migrants and Refugees Section of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development since 1 January 2017.

Born in Brno, Czechoslovakia, his family immigrated to Canadaby ship in 1948. He attended a Jesuit high school in Montrealand joined the Jesuits in 1964. He attended GonzagaUniversity, in our own state of Washington. He was ordained a priest in 1973 and obtained his doctorate in interdisciplinary studies from the University of Chicago in 1978.

Cardinal Czerny co-founded the Jesuit Center for Social Faith and Justice in Toronto in 1979, and was the first director until 1989. In 1990–1991, following the murder of six Jesuits and others at the University of Central America in San Salvador, he assumed the director's role of the University's Institute for Human Rights, a position that had been held by one of the murdered priests.

From 1992 to 2002, he worked in the Social Justice Secretariat at the Jesuit General Curia in Rome. In 2002 he founded the African Jesuit AIDS Network and directed it until 2010. During these nine years, he initiated and coordinated efforts by Jesuits and others in nearly 30 countries of Sub-Saharan Africa to provide pastoral care, education, health services, social and spiritual support, and to fight stigma for victims of HIV/AIDS, and channeled resources from foreign sources. During that time, he also taught at Hekima University College in Nairobi.

Cardinal Czerny worked in Romeat the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace as the personal assistant to Cardinal Peter Turkson from 2010 to 2016.

On 14 December 2016, Pope Francis appointed him under-secretary of the Migrants and Refugees Section of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, effective 1 January 2017, along with Scalabrinian Father Fabio Baggio. Discussing his new responsibility, he called migration "one of the most important and urgent human phenomena of our times", adding: "There’s hardly a place in the planet which is not touched by this phenomenon. Indeed, though many are not aware of it, there are more people moving in Russiaand Chinatoday than in any other part of the world.”

With Angels Unawares

In 2016 he commissioned Timothy Schmalz (see Blog 7/17/20) to create the Angels Unawares sculpture that depicts a boat carrying migrants and refugees wearing clothes that identify them with a variety of cultures and time periods. It was inaugurated in St. Peter's Square in the Vatican in 2019.

Pope Francis named him a voting member of the October 2018 Synod of Bishops on Young People, Faith, and Vocational Discernment.

In October 2018, he said the rhetoric used to describe migration and refugee movements was misleading. He said: "It's not a crisis. It's a series of mismanagements and poor policies and self-interested manipulations. The numbers that we're talking about, even on the total scale, are not at all that great."

In keeping with his work to better the lives of migrants, his pectoral cross, made by the Italian artist Domenico Pellegrino, is wood from the remains of a boat used by migrants to cross the Mediterranean from Northern Africa in their attempt to reach the Italian island of Lampedusa.

The new Cardinal says. The poor wood suggests the Jesuit vow of poverty and the desire for a humble, engaged Church. The origin of the wood reflects my family's flight to safety when I was very young as well as my current responsibilities in the Migrants and Refugees Section.

In a Blog last year (9/5/19) we briefly mentionedST. PEDRO de JESUS MALDONADO, as one of the Knights of Columbus martyrs, but he was also a defender of the Eucharist. He was a priest during the anti-Catholic rule of Mexican President Plutarco Calles. Father Pedro Maldonado was a great priest in Chihuahuaduring the anti-Catholic persecution, helping prepare children for their First Communion and serving the poor.

When he was 17 years old, he entered the diocesan seminary, where he was known for his piety; once, after completing the Spiritual Exercises of Ignatius of Loyola, he told the rector of the seminary "I have thought of always having my heart in heaven and in the Tabernacle."

Due to the political situation in Mexico, he left to study for the priesthood in El Paso, Texas where he was ordained on Jan. 25, 1918.

St. Pedro worked with the Tarahumara Natives and sought to reduce the amount of alcohol they consumed. He helped the poor with money and clothing, and raised and educated a poor orphan. He took a special interest in the religious education of both children and adults, explaining Catholic doctrine by using photographs. At harvest time, farmers would ask him to bless fields invaded by locusts, and there are accounts that claim his prayers expelled the locusts more than once.

On February 10, 1937, Ash Wednesday, drunken men with guns came into his church, threatening to arrest him. The priest quickly grabbed the church’s pyx of consecrated hosts before the thugs pushed him out into the street. He was dragged by the hair to the region’s political leader, Andrés Rivera, who hit the priest so hard on the head with his pistol that he damaged his skull and eye. The gang began beating Father Pedro, but the priest held his pyx tightly, until a direct blow knocked it loose.

The hosts spilled on the ground, and one of the thugs shoved them into the priest’s mouth, sneering, “Eat this! Your last Communion.” The holy priest did just that. He died the following day in a hospital.

He is the first canonized saint and martyr from Chihuahua City, Mexico, yet holds a special place in the hearts of the people of El Paso, Texas. In this day and age when so few believe in the true presence of Christ in the Eucharist, he is a good example for those who hold to the true faith!

In past centuries, spirituality and culture coexisted and complemented each other. Today however, we live in a time of their total separation. Countries of the Soviet Block suffered this most of all after WWII, when Communism took over banning most religious art.

For me some of the best religious art is coming out of the

Ukraine

, noted for its iconography, but now seeing a play between this classical style and a more modern approach.

Ukrainian art has long been influenced by the Eastern Orthodox Church and Slavic mythology. But today Ukrainian contemporary art has evolved into a vibrant, dynamic scene with the major social and political changes of the 20th and 21st Centuries.

Lyuba Yatskiv- Creation of the World

In past Blogs I have presented the art ofIvanka Demchuk, who goes beyond the boundaries of the conservative art form of the icon, as she uses different color palettes and contemporary compositions. Ulyana Tomkevych is another wonderful artist who also uses elements of the icon but gives her art a new vitality with modern patterns and shapes. But perhaps my favorite is Lyuba Yatskiv. “She is an intuitive artist who begins with free sketches and adapts them to historic prototypes, creating long, sinous lines, which extend and bend holy figures in expressive ways.” (John Kohan - Sacred Art Pilgrim)

While I am familiar with the women of this country, I have found two men whose work I do not know, but who have a major influence on the art scene in the

Ukraine today.

'I am for stillness', declares the Ukrainian artist Feodosiy Humeniuk. 'I am for an art that is deep and peaceful, like the soul of my people'.

FEODOSIY HUMENIUKis one of

Ukraine

's great artists, a visionary master who brings legends to life. He is an Honored Artist of the Ukraine and winner of the prestigious Shevchenko Prize (1993). In 2009 he was given the title of People's Artist of Ukraine. His art combines the traditions of old Byzantine art with folk art and modern Western styles and he is a dominant influence in

Ukraine

's artistic processes today.

St. George & the Dragon

Feodosiy was born in the village of Rybchyntsi, near the city of Vinnytsiain central

Ukraine

in 1941. He studied at the Dnipropetrovs'k Art College where he was a pupil of Iakiv Kalashnyk. In 1971 he graduated from the Ilya Repin Institute for Painting, Sculpture and Architecture in Leningrad.

In 1975 he organized an exhibition of nonconformist artists in Moscow, a seminal event that defied the enforced tenets of Socialist Realism. After participating in another exhibition of nonconformist art in Leningrad in 1976, he was accused of nationalism and denied the right to reside in Leningrad.

In the Desert

Together with his wife Natalia and his daughter Ulyana, he moved to Dnipropetrovs'k, where he lived for six years. In 1983 Humeniuk returned to Leningrad, where he was invited to participate in the exhibition of the Group of Fourteen. In 1989 his work was exhibited abroad at the National Archives of Canada in Ottawa, YorkUniversityin Toronto, and the UkrainianMuseum in New York.

His work was later exhibited at the Grand Palais in Paris. In 1993 he began to direct a studio at the National Academy of Art devoted to historical painting, a genre he has sought to revive in Ukraine. In 2000 he was named professor of painting and composition.

Feodosiy has held over twenty solo exhibitions and participated in over forty group exhibitions. His work, skillfully combining folkloric content and avant-garde form, is a cornerstone of contemporary Ukrainian art.
With almost muted colors and very geometric design, for me he conveys the beauty of his people and their culture.

Holy Family

Christmas Festivities

Fishermen

In my last Blog I said I had discovered two Ukrainian artists whose work I found interesting. But when I went to find some information on the second I could find nothing- not even in the native language. But I still present some of the art of VLADIMIR KORNEV, which is unique with its almost ghostly colors, and geometric forms. It reminds me of the Art Deco period.

For me, finding new forms of art and new artists, can give food for thought, as these differences convey how others perceive the Lord and His works. We get used to the old Masters and so get "stuck" in our moving in our own period in salvation history.

Gifts of Angels

One does not have to like the art, but it can still stir something in our hearts and move us further in our relation to the Lord, which is what good religious art should do. It just so happens I do like this artist. My favorite in Holy Family, which shows Mary and Joseph as one, as they together hold the Christ Child.

Holy Family

Sometimes something in the news hits hard, like a stab in the heart or punch in the gut. In these turbulent times, especially in our own country regarding racism, prejudice and downright hatred, I think this story of one man trying to make right the injustices in his own town, hits close to home. When I first read the story last week I wept, perhaps not tears, but something deeper in my soul, and everyone I showed the article to had the same reaction.

LASZLO BOGDAN was the 46 year old mayor of Cserdi, Hungary. He was known to be a charismatic and much-loved man, but what makes this story unique is, he was Romani and two thirds of his town were “Gypsies”, a term I think as derogartory today as “Nigger”.

Laszlo (Laci) was a man driven by a strong sense of personal responsibility as he organized the life in his small town,setting up work programs, eliminating crime, caring for the poor, building parks and green areas for all. His success was dubbed the ‘Cserdi miracle’.

In 2020, along with Gábor Iványi and Jenő Setét, he received the Wallenberg Prize, for ‘setting an example for humanism’ and his contribution to ‘peaceful coexistence of minority and majority society’.

When asked about his success he replied: “It is difficult to determine what is the measure of credibility. I am neither the Dalai Lama, nor am I a Pope Francis…I merely try to offer sober messages and goals, so that people might understand that there is hope, not everything is lost.”

In a tribute on Facebook, Mayor of Budapest, Gergely Karácsony recalled “the last time I was in Cserdi, I got a beautiful photo from Laci. The photo shows the oldest citizen of Cserdi, a beautiful elderly Romani woman. He said he was giving me this photo to always remind me that only very rarely do Roma live to such a beautiful age, and carry a lot of burdens even during their shorter lives. László Bogdán, the mayor of Cserdi, carried these burdens and more. His own, those of his village, and even the common burdens of all of us: poverty, exclusion, futility, dogmas.”

Even Opposition leaders respected the man and mourned his loss. Klára Dobrev described Laci as a role model: “The calm, soft-spoken man radiated strength, good sense of conscience, and a belief that it was worth fighting for. I learned a lot from him.” Another leader, described his loss as a tragedy: “There is one less among those who want to bring peace and cooperation between Roma and non-Roma … without László Bogdán, there is one less proof that it is possible to run a settlement in such a way that everyone feels at home, regardless of skin color.” To ensure the legacy of László Bogdán does not pass, she called on all in public life to take responsibility to fight against exclusion, disadvantage, and domination: “It is a common tragedy that we have to continue this work without László Bogdán.”

Those close to him said that he was not ill, or at least had not spoken to anyone about health issues. He was full of plans, saw himself as an ambitious public figure with a promising future, a view shared by many across the country, including parliamentary parties who wanted him on their national lists for the next general election in 2022.

With so much to look forward to it in hard for anyone who knew this brave man to know why he took his life. Perhaps he felt the future was hopeless- that he was not doing enough, fast enough. Certainly anyone who experiences racism and discrimination as a part of their daily life, is vulnerable, but to take on a whole village?

His name, Lazslo means “glorious ruler”. May the man who tried to better the lives of his people find peace in the Lord and may the "Gypsy" St. Ceferino Giménez Malla (also known as El Pelé, "the Strong One") patron saint of Romani people, greet him with open arms!

St. Ceferino

Our dear friend Abbot Neal Roth, O.S.B. retired earlier this year and so a new abbot was elected for Saint Martin's Abbey in Lacey, WA. ABBOT MARION, the ninth abbot of Saint Martins, was born in Can Tho,

South Vietnam

, in 1976.

He is the second of four children of Thien Nguyen and Thu-Trinh Pham of Everett, Washington. When he was four, his family escaped South Vietnam by boat, was raided by sea pirates and eventually arrived in Thailand, where they lived in a refugee camp for three years. In the mid-1980s, the family began a new life in Washington, where Abbot Marion attended Immaculate Conception Grade School in Everettand BishopO’DeaHigh School in Seattle.

He did his studies in philosophy at Saint John Vianney Seminary and the University of St. Thomasin Saint Paul, Minnesotaand theology at the GregorianUniversity and the Angelicum while residing at the North American College. He was ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of Seattle on 12 June 2004.

Since priestly ordination, he has held the following offices: parish vicar of St Joseph parish in Vancouver, the cluster of St Edward parish, St Paul parish, St George in Seattle and Sacred Heart parish and Assumption parish in Bellingham, priest administrator, the pastor of Sacred Heart parish in Bellingham. While there he was chaplain of the Newman Catholic Campus Ministry at WesternWashingtonUniversity.

After receiving permission from Archbishop J. Peter Sartain in 2012, he entered as a postulant of Saint Martin’s Abbey, making his first vows on 15 August 2013, receiving the name Marion. He made final profession on 11 July 2016.

Abbot Marion reads and speaks Vietnamese, French, English, Spanish and Italian; his hobby is digital photography.

Abbot Marion was a doctoral student in the Monastic Institute of the Pontifical University of Sant’Anselmo in Rome, and will finish his studies - on line.

Abbey Church

On August 15, the feast of the Assumption of Mary, Abbot Marion will receive the blessing as Abbot. Due to the coronavirus, it will be a closed ceremony, but one which we are sure will be a happy occasion for the monks. We pray for this young new Abbot, that his road ahead be as grace-filled and fruitful as was Abbot Neal’s.

Always interesting what one finds on the internet when searching for something else. I came across an article about a nun, who should be better known than she is, as her contribution to modern science is phenomenal.

The discovery of DNA, or deoxyribonucleic acid, was a groundbreaking step in understanding the building blocks of all living creatures. DNA is a molecule in each cell that bears the genetic instructions for the development and reproduction of living organisms, including viruses.

In 1962, Francis Crick (British), James Watson (American), and Maurice Wilkins (New Zealander) received the Nobel Prize for discovering the double-helix structure of the DNA molecule. Yet this work could not have been done without the discoveries of other scientists, many of whose contributions have gone unrecognized. A Dominican nun and a professor of chemistry at SienaHeightsUniversity, Adrian, Michiganwas one of these unsung geniuses.

SISTER MIRIAM MICHAEL STIMSON, O.P. (December 24, 1913 – June 17, 2002). Her obituary notes:

“Her early success in chemistry, working on early research examining cells, led to an invitation to lecture at the Sorbonne in Paris. She was the second woman to lecture there; the first was Marie Curie, and the first woman invited to lecture at Notre DameUniversity.

She later received international recognition for her early work with the spectroscope, a tool used for analyzing chemicals, and wrote manuals for using the instrument.”

Sister Miriam also worked on wound-healing hormones, helping to create Preparation H. She established a research laboratory at SienaHeights in 1939, where she researched cancer for more than 30 years. Known at Siena as “M2,”Sister Miriam introduced undergraduate research and an addiction counseling program.

Sister’s most significant contribution in cancer research was her solution that unlocked the shape of DNA nucleobases. Jun Tsuji’s book “The Soul of DNA” records:

“For lack of knowledge of the DNA double helix, scientists were unable to understand the genetic roots of cancer, and subsequently they were unable to develop effective methods of treatment. In the early 1950s, scientists were on the verge of discovering the DNA double helix and unveiling cancer as a genetic disease. Stumped by the uncertainty regarding the shape of the DNA bases, the structural and functional “soul” of DNA, the male-dominated scientific establishment – from James Watson and Francis Crick to Linus Pauling – proposed models of DNA that were, in effect, inside out. In contrast, a woman, Sister Miriam Michael Stimson, OP, an Adrian Dominican sister and chemist, dared to imagine a solution to the DNA base problem. Using potassium bromide (KBr) to prepare the DNA bases for analysis by infrared spectroscopy, Sister Miriam Michael successfully developed a chemical method that affirmed the structure of the DNA bases and of the double helix itself.”

Sister Miriam saw her scientific work as a means of discovering truth that would lead us closer to God. Indeed, DNA investigations led prominent atheist philosopher Antony Flew to affirm God’s existence:

“What I think the DNA material has done is that it has shown, by the almost unbelievable complexity of the arrangements which are needed to produce (life), that intelligence must have been involved in getting these extraordinarily diverse elements to work together. It’s the enormous complexity of the number of elements and the enormous subtlety of the ways they work together. The meeting of these two parts at the right time by chance is simply minute. It is all a matter of the enormous complexity by which the results were achieved, which looked to me like the work of intelligence.”

Marian Emma Stimson was born into a devout Catholic family in Chicago on December 14, 1913. She attended SiennaHeightsCollege in Adrian, Michigan. In 1935, she joined the Adrian Dominican Sisters, taking the name Miriam Michael.

She received a B.S. in Chemistry from SienaHeightsCollegein 1936. She continued her studies at the Institutum Divi Thomae in Cincinnatti, where she received her M.S. in 1939.

She then joined the chemistry faculty at SienaHeightsCollege, while working toward her Ph.D. at Institutum Divi Thomae, which she completed in 1948.

She remained at SienaHeightsCollegefor most of her career, except for a stint at KeukaCollege in New York between 1969 and 1978. She started an undergraduate research program at the university. She chaired the chemistry department from 1948-1968 and served as director of graduate studies from 1978-1991.

Sr. Miriam Michael Stimson died of a stroke in Chicagoon June 17, 2002. Sister Miriam Michael believed that knowledge will lead us to God, “if we maintain a disposition of humility and love.”

Daniel Bonnell

What seems like eons ago, I started to present excerpts from our Seattle Archbishop’s pastoral letter given to us April 29 of this year. No one knew then, how our lives would be changed by this virus, which seems to be roaming around like a lion seeking whom it can devour.

Many are still not able to attend Mass, either because the liturgy has been suspended again, or because there is little room for all at the Masses, or simply because, as in the case of the elderly, they are afraid of contagion.

People write daily for prayers, for jobs, for their children, and sometimes for the seemingly hopelessness of our world today. But what a time to give ourselves to the redemptive work of Christ, to find our place in salvation history. We are all guilty of telling the Lord we will carry our cross, we will offer up whatever He asks of us, but when the shit hits the fan- and it can be that bad- we moan and groan and wander around like lost children.

‘When it comes to the liturgy, it is not enough simply to be present, because we are not to be “silent spectators” or consumers, but devout collaborators with Christ in the holy work of redemption. Our active participation in the liturgy is a reflection of our active participation in the mission of Christ. Gathering time and again to celebrate the liturgy, we experience and participate in Christ’s self-offering in the Eucharist. And even as we share in the fruits of his sacrificial love, we are called to make that love the model of our own lives: We are called to offer ourselves for others. The liturgy is not only the model for our lives, but forms us to live our day-to-day lives with this same sacrificial love of Christ.”

Great food for thought, as this pandemic goes on and on and people become more and more restless and careless or fearful. I spoke with a priest recently who said that of the 800+ regulars who attended Sunday Mass before the pandemic, only about 250 fill four Masses. Fear yes, and also a complacency that they can continue to stream Mass. So much easier and with little effort. But what of the Eucharist?

When our Archbishop has asked us to focus the year 2020-2021 on the Eucharist, I am sure he never had a clue how our lives would be changed- and how the loss of the Body and Blood of Christ would effect us. The Church has been going through some major changes in the past five to ten years, but suddenly it is as if the Holy Spirit is sweeping through to cleanse even more. How many of the faithful will remain?

“The Eucharist strengthens our interior life, while transporting us beyond ourselves into a profound relationship with the Lord. This heavenly food fortifies us for this earthly pilgrimage until we find our true home in heaven. I recently received a lovely note from one of our women religious who made this concise observation: “Our home is not here. Our home is in heaven, and heaven is found in the Eucharist.” There is nothing else like the Eucharist on earth: Comparisons cannot do it justice! This is food and drink, but different from any other food and drink. This is a shared meal, but different from any other meal. In the Eucharist, God takes the humblest of our earthly offerings — bread and wine — and transforms them into something extraordinary, the very Body and Blood of Christ. In the presence of this awesome mystery, all we can do is humbly approach the Lord to receive what He desires to give us.”

Food for thought?

As many schools are deciding to keep children home this fall, using Zoom or Google Classroom to interact with their students directly, it means that parents are being forced to be more involved in their children’s education. This is an added stressor, especially to parents who feel ill equipped to teach their children. Social media is filled with people sharing their experiences of what it is like to stay at home during this pandemic.

I will not use this space to tell you how to educate your child, but rather look to the lives of the saints to see how they took responsibility for their child’s growth. What an opportunity parents today have to form their children in the faith.

I recently came across a young man on our island, visiting his grandmother. The father of three young children and getting his master’s in special education, he is concerned that we return to giving our children a path of morality and spirituality, which builds on their faith- faith that can take care of them in times of crises- such as pandemics.

We can take some advice from St. Benedict who in the prologue of The Rule of Saint Benedict writes:

Listen carefully, my child, to my instructions, and attend to them with the ear of your heart. This is advice from one who loves you; welcome it, and faithfully put it into practice. Let us open our eyes to the light that comes from God, and our ears to the voice from the heavens that every day calls out this charge: “If you hear God’s voice today, do not harden your hearts (Psalm 95:8).”

Therefore we intend to establish a school for God’s service. In drawing up its regulations, we hope to set down nothing harsh, nothing burdensome. The good of all concerned, however, may prompt us to a little strictness in order to amend faults and to safeguard love. … But as we progress in this way of live and in faith, we shall run on the path of God’s commandments, our hearts overflowing with the inexpressible delight of love.

Parents right now already have a lot on their plates, so even if they simply see this time at home as a way to pray together as a family or to talk about God at the dinner table, that’s important. But this is a chance for parents to educate their children in more than just the "three Rs". I do not pretend to think this is easy. Many parents have left the education of their children, especially spiritually, in the hands of others so are unsure of how to proceed in this. For me the most important part of education, especially in young children, is to develop a love of learning. They can do the basics later, but if they are given the chance their rapidly growing minds can absorb more than we can dream of giving them.

An interesting article I found recently was Jerry Windley-Daoust “What does the Rule of St. Benedict offer families?” A good example of a parent thinking! (Teaching Catholic Kids.com). In the past I have also recommended the videos of Father Mike Schmitz for teens.

I have stressed in this Blog the saints. Now is the time to read about and discuss saints with children of all ages. Find a theme. Find the modern saints who have something in common with your child’s interests. Stretch their minds. Inspire awe and wonder, knowledge and appreciation of Jesus and His saints.

Jacob Tate writes: …some of our greatest saints would be appalled at the thought of randomly assigned teachers, who may or may not be qualified, educating our children according to arbitrary, anti-religious government standards. St. Thomas Aquinas, for one, wrote that early childhood education should be a sort of “guided discovery” for the child. That phrase could be unpacked quite a bit, but I think anyone can admit that an army of six-year-olds in desks all day being taught what the current educational regime deems intellectually and morally appropriate for them looks quite different from “guided discovery.” (5 Reasons to Keep Homeschooling after COVID)

In my last Blog I mentioned how important it is to give our children a knowledge of the saints but it is also important for adults- parents- to have some guides as they go through these uncertain times in educating their children in the faith. Yesterday was the feast of SAINT MONICA a who should be an inspiration to all mothers, especially those whose children have lost their way. Today is the feast of the son she saved.

Born in Tagaste (in

Algeria

) around 330, St. Monica was raised in a Christian family, but married Patricius, a pagan who served on the City Council of Tagaste. Augustine was the couple's eldest son. Monica was a good mother, but Augustine, as a young man, did not follow her example of Christian faith. Monica prayed continually for her son, as well as for her husband. Both eventually become followers of Christ.

Monica, in her fervor to see her son truly come to know the Lord, at times exhibits a lack of trust that God will bring good even out of Augustine’s mistakes and failings. Throughout Confessions, Augustine describes many of his mother’s admirable qualities and gifts including her sincere faith and vast wealth of patience. However, his writing also unveils the fear and worry she lived with wanting to keep watch over her son at all times, and thereby, to a certain extent, desiring to control the course of his life. Even from the earliest days of Augustine’s life, Monica seeks to protect him from any potential dangers to his faith. In his youth, his mother decides not to have him baptized because “if [he] continued to live, [he] should defile [him]self again with sin and, after baptism, the guilt of pollution would be greater and more dangerous” (Confessions 1.11).

St. Monica cried many times over her son’s transgressions, but received affirmation from God on several accounts.

She had a dream in which she wept over her son, and a figure told her that he was still with her. In his autobiography, The Confessions of Saint Augustine, St. Augustinewrote, “that it was my soul’s doom she was lamenting…” The figure told her to be at peace, and “see that where she was there I was also.”

She also received encouragement from a local bishop, who told her that “God’s time will come.” He added, “Go now, I beg you; it is not possible that the son of so many tears should perish.”

Augustine credited his mother with planting the seeds of faith in his heart. He called his conversion a return to the faith which had been instilled in him as a child. When Augustine and his friends would get together for philosophical discussions, Augustine would invite his mother to join them. Her wise comments helped nurture the faith that had begun to grow in Augustine's heart.

The conversion of Augustine, whose earlier ways had caused many tears, brought particular joy to Monica. She was present at his baptism. On her way back to Africa with Augustine, she died at Ostia, near Rome, probably some time in October, 387. Her remains are at the Churchof Saint Augustine, Rome. She is an example of the mother who never gives up hope.

I recently came across this video, which is sure to delight. The Franciscan Mission of Legnano in Italy is bringing joy to the locals in dance.

Dancing together to the contemporary song “Jerusalem”, the religious show off some nifty footwork and coordination. The friars and nuns are wearing their sandals, and habits, and their joie de vivre spreads around the crowd.

Dance is an art which expresses human feelings, especially joy.

Even among the mystics, we find intervals of dancing as an expression of the fullness of their love of God. (St. Theresa of Avila, St. Philip Neri, St. Gerard Majella)

Una Kim- Monk Dance

The dance can turn into prayer which expresses itself with a movement which engages the whole being, soul and body.

It’s not the first time the Mission Legnano has taken to the streets to spread some joy. Their aim is to follow in the footsteps of Christ by bringing friendship, peace, and comfort to the streets. Watch these joyful Italian religious men and women using dance to express their love for Jesus Christ and their community.

https://www.facebook.com/vittorio.ricco/videos/10223367267558725

“The Eucharist brings us the Father’s faithful love, which heals our sense of being orphans. It gives us Jesus’ love, which transformed a tomb from an end to a beginning, and in the same way can transform our lives. It fills our hearts with the consoling love of the Holy Spirit, who never leaves us alone and always heals our wounds.”

“Every time we receive Him, He reminds us that we are precious, that we are guests He has invited to His banquet, friends with whom He wants to dine. And not only because He is generous, but because He is truly in love with us. He sees and loves the beauty and goodness that we are.”

Pope Francis- Homily Corpus Christi , 2020

In recent Blog, I mentioned the Rue of St. Benedict and how he can influence families in education of their children. I found this recently written by Prior Mark Kirby, OSB, of Silverstream monastery, in Ireland. (VULTUS CHRISTI September 18, 2019).

If you were or are attracted to Carmel, to Saint Teresa and Saint John of the Cross, or to Saint Thérèse and her Little Way, know that nothing of their teaching is missing from the Rule of Saint Benedict: purification of the heart, ceaseless prayer, secret exchanges with the Word, the Divine Bridegroom, and participation by patience in the Passion of Christ.

If you were or are drawn to Saint Dominic, Saint Thomas Aquinas, and Saint Catherine of Siena, know that the Rule of Saint Benedict calls you to the joy of the Gospel, to the love of chastity, to the quest for Truth, to confidence in the mercy of God for sinners, and to the ceaseless prayer of the heart represented by the Holy Rosary.

If you were or are fascinated by the Little Poor Man of Assisi, the Seraphic Saint Francis, know that the Rule of Saint Benedict offers you complete disappropriation to the point of having neither your body nor your will at your own disposal; that the Twelfth Degree of Humility is configuration to the Crucified Jesus; and that the adorable Body of Christ, the Sacred Host, shows you the perfection of monastic holiness in silence, hiddenness, poverty, and humility.

If you were or are charmed by Saint Philip and the Oratory, know that the Rule of Saint Benedict calls you to good cheer, to gentlemanly courtesy, to an ever greater infusion of the charity of God, that is the Holy Ghost.

All of these virtues, qualities, and gifts are found in abundance in the Holy Rule. Why do I say this? I say it because Saint Gregory the Great authorizes me to do so when he tells us that Saint Benedict, the vir Dei, was filled with the Spirit of all the just. Saint Gregory says:

The man of god, Benedict, had the spirit of the one true God, who, by the grace of our redemption, hath filled the hearts of his elect servants; of whom Saint John saith: “He was the true light, which doth lighten every man coming into this world,” [John 1:9]. Of whom, again, we find it written: “Of his fullness we have all received,” [John 1:16]. (Second Book of the Dialogues, Chapter 8).

The Holy Rule is, according to Bossuet, a mysterious abridgment of the Gospel, and the Gospel is the wellspring of every variety of holiness and of a torrent of graces that irrigates the Church by means of countless rivulets in every age and in every place. The son of Saint Benedict may rightly say with Saint Thérèse, Je choisis tout, “I choose all,” because in submission to the Holy Rule, he places himself in the school of the Lord’s service, he enrols in the army of the Lord Christ, the True King. Saint Benedict himself concludes the Holy Rule by saying:

Whoever, therefore, thou art that hasteneth to thy heavenly country, fulfill by the help of Christ this least of Rules which we have written for beginners; and then at length thou shalt arrive, under God’s protection, at the lofty summits of doctrine and virtue of which we have spoken above. (Chapter 73)

Prior Mark Kirby, OSB, VULTUS CHRISTI September 18, 2019

Too often in the past, we have heard about the wrong doings of priests, while the majority who have dedicated their lives to Christ and his people go unnoticed, except by their flocks. Mundelein Seminary ( the largest priesthood preparation program in the

United States)

is giving us a glimpse into the lives of some priests- I have nominated a priest I have known for 50 years through our abbey in CT. (See Blog "Christ in the Streets 4/19/20)

Msgr. Robert Tucker, Litchfield CT (who I nominated)

As COVID-19 has changed so much about the way we live in 2020, the Church has remained an essential source of hope, inspiration and support. Heroic priests across the country have answered the chaos of the pandemic with extraordinary creativity and resolve to continue serving as a bridge between Christ and his people.

Mundelein Seminary is collectively honoring these priests with our 2020 In Service of One Another Catholic Humanitarian Award.

The award presentation will be streamed on their website on September 17.

Go to their website to view some of the priests nominated already. https://usml.edu/hero-priests/

With all the racial tension/discrimination in our country, I am trying to find saints to pray to- who suffered either directly (Thea Bowman) or through those they cared for.

Our saint today was one such man. ST. PETER CLAVERwas a Jesuit missionary from Spain during the 17th century, who was appalled by the slave trade and the living conditions of enslaved people.

This holy man saw the slaves as human beings, not animals, deserving the same respect and dignity that was given to anyone else believing that each one needed to hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ. He cared deeply about them and the salvation of their souls, exhorting them not to lose hope.

In caring for victims and survivors of slavery, he understood the need to address their physical needs thinking that providing food and medicine was often more effective to communicate the love of God than just preaching. He was quoted as often saying "We must speak to them with our hands before we try to speak to them with our lips."

Not only did he treat each with great dignity and compassion, he also protected them and interceded for them when he saw them being abused. He tried to soften the hearts of traders toward their human cargo and brought the slaves refreshment as soon as they reached port. He insisted that European nobles line up behind them at his confessional. By his own (probably conservative) estimate, St. Peter baptized 300,000 men and women. He ministered to them for 40 years in Cartagena on Colombia’s Caribbean coast.

St. Peter Claver shows us that our actions speak louder than words. If we want true racial equality in the world, it must first begin with ourselves and how we treat others whom encounter on a daily basis.

In a letter to the leaders of the world’s episcopal conferences, the head of the Vatican’s office for worship and sacraments, Cardinal Robert Sarah, said that Catholic communities should return to Mass as soon as it can be done safely, and that the Christian life cannot be sustained without the Sacrifice of the Mass and the Christian community of the Church. Here are some of his words:

We cannot be without the banquet of the Eucharist, the table of the Lord to which we are invited as sons and daughters, brothers and sisters to receive the Risen Christ Himself, present in body, blood, soul and divinity in that Bread of Heaven which sustains us in the joys and labors of this earthly pilgrimage.

We cannot live as Christians without participating in the Sacrifice of the Cross in the which the Lord Jesus gave himself unreservedly to save, by his death, humanity which had died because of sin...in the embrace of the Crucified One all human suffering finds light and comfort.

The Church bears witness to hope, invites us to trust in God, recalls that earthly existence is important, but much more important is eternal life: sharing the same life with God for eternity is our goal, our vocation. This is the faith of the Church, witnessed over the centuries by hosts of martyrs and saints.

I came across this at Aleteia (a wonderful Catholic site) - A thoughtful prayer composed by the sweet actress Jennifer Garner, as parents, teachers and school officials struggle with what to do next.

Jennifer with her 3 children

Thank you for the gifts and lessons of this summer. God bless teachers, faculty and administrators as they guide us through this big question mark of a school year.

Bless the parents trying to make it all work. And the children who are learning to make the best of things in ways we couldn’t have predicted.

Help us remember we hold each other in our hands. And please God, preserve our collective sense of humor. Amen.

CREATE NOT DESTROY

HUNGARIAN LOVER OF THE EUCHARIST

UNDERCOVER AGENT FOR GOD

A RARE CARDINAL

MARTYR FOR THE EUCHARIST IN MEXICO

PEACEFUL ART FROM UKRAINE

UNKNOWN ARTIST

A PAIN TO THE HEART- RACISM IN HUNGARY

NEW ABBOT

KNOWLEDGE LEADING US TO GOD

FOOD IN A PANDEMIC

HOMESCHOOLING FOR CATHOLICS- FIND THE SAINTS

A MOTHER WHO NEVER GAVE UP

DANCING FOR THE LORD

DINE WITH JESUS

THE RULE

HERO PRIESTS

DEFENDER OF SLAVES

LIFE WITHOUT THE EUCHARIST

A SENSE OF HUMOR FOR OUR CHILDREN'S SAKE