November 1, 2017 All Saints

Today, we celebrate the Feast of All Saints and, in a special way, we remember them, canonized or not. We belong to the communion of saints – those in heaven and those on earth. One of my first memories of saints is from a book of saints for girls that I received as a child.…

October 18, 2017 The Road Less Traveled

Recently, Sister Jacinta and I watched The Wizard of Oz with the group of Vietnamese sisters who live with us while they attend Brescia University. For most of the sisters, it was their first time to see the movie. It is one that I can watch over and over again. I’m sure some of it…

October 11, 2017 Immune to Fear

Yesterday, I received my first ever flu shot. I never really saw a purpose for intentionally subjecting myself to a needle stick. (If you read my September 5th blog you would know I don’t like scary things. To me, needles are scary things.) That is, however, until speaking to a group of school kids last…

October 4, 2017 Peace and Love

Today we celebrate the Feast of Saint Francis of Assisi. In 2008, I had the opportunity to visit Assisi and walk in the footsteps of St. Francis. My recollection is that Assisi is truly the most peaceful place I have ever visited, especially the hermitage at Mount Subasio. The peaceful silence was deafening and it…

September 28, 2017 18 Wheels and a Compassionate Driver

Over the weekend I attended the Owensboro Air Show, on the banks of the Ohio River, with my family. I grew up a few blocks from the river so we would walk to any events that were held there. On Saturday, however, my niece drove my mom home. My mom used a rolling walker to…

September 20, 2017 It’s All Greek to Me

Last night, after our community evening meal, I ran into a sister who had been trying to help one of the Dominican Sisters who lives with us with her algebra homework. She looked a bit defeated as she explained to me that she just couldn’t figure out how to solve the word problem using the…

September 5, 2017 Retreat Cabin in the Woods

Most people who know me know that I do not like scary stuff. Things like haunted houses, scary movies, and spiders are not attractive to me. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve been to a haunted house and I’ve watched a scary movie or two in my life. That is where this foundation of fear comes…

August 16, 2017 Reflections of Merton

My earliest memory of Thomas Merton was as a teenager when I was visiting a book exchange with my mom. She saw his book, The Seven Storey Mountain, on the shelf and went on and on about Merton. I really wasn’t interested at that point in my life but over the years I never forgot…

June 28, 2017 Inspirations of Leadership

The summer between my sophomore and junior years of high school, I participated in a week-long program offered through the Diocese of Owensboro called Christian Leadership Institute (CLI). The participants learn leadership skills in a faith based atmosphere. High school students came from various places in the diocese to gather under the leadership of faith…