Glory of America! Catholic Fiction for Kids

Long Overdue

2011-11-09T07:16:00.001-05:00

A long-time successful blogger friend of mine once told me the key to good blogging is consistency. Obviously, I didn't listen to her or I didn't want to be successful...one of the two.

But a recent discussion with my son, Joe, also a history buff and writer, spurred me into posting and again resolving to keep up this blog. I believe its focus on Catholics in American history is very important and very neglected in this age of pluralism and "tolerance."

Of course, we are now in the midst of celebrating the 150th anniversary of the first year of the Civil War. This war was such a pivotal point in our history, our society, our government and has held a fascination for historians through the generations.

I just finished a book on John Wilkes Booth and his brother Edwin Booth, "My Thoughts Be Bloody" by Nora Titone. It was a fascinating study about a fascinating family and period of time. Did you know that John Wilkes Booth's father, a famous married London actor, and his mother, an unmarried London flower girl, ran away from England to come to America? They left because Mary Ann, the pregnant flower girl, and Junius Brutus Booth wanted to get away from Booth's wife. For the next 20 years and nine children, Mary Ann and Junius lived in America as husband and wife while Junius sent money to London to his wife and son who had no idea he had a family in America.

As a family of actors, the Booths were quite well known. Junius and his son Edwin were the most successful. John always aspired to be an actor, but was not nearly as successful as his brother and father. The family loved playing Shakespeare and packed theatres (including Ford's Theatre in Washington, DC) with their shows. Edwin was so successful that he basically supported the rest of his family on the wealth he earned acting. The book suggests that John Wilkes' rivalry with his older brother, the longing for a legacy of sorts and his unpredictable temper played huge roles in his decision to assassinate the president. From the behavior described in the book, I would even conclude that John Wilkes was bi-polar.

History is an odd thing. We know the name Booth for the American Brutus he was (another great book on the conspiracy and assassination of Lincoln), but we forget the names of his brother and his father, who were so famous for so long and yet whose names will forever be overshadowed by the one act of John Wilkes on that April night in 1865.

So, what does this have to do with Catholics in history? Well, look at my note on the movie "The Conspirator" below. I was trying to get a better grasp on the motivation behind the assassination of Lincoln. After all, the war was nearly over, Washington was in celebration mode, and there seemed to be nothing to gain and everything to lose for the South in the killing of the president. I don't think I'll totally understand this horrendous act, but I do understand the man behind it a bit better after reading this book. (Actually, I listened to it on my mp3 player while I sewed sashes!)

Although this isn't a book for children, it is a good book for teens and adults who are interested in this period in history.

God bless-Joan

http://myemail.constantcontact.com/50--OFF-ALL-BOOKS--Celebrate-Bl--JP2-.html?soid=1102382270107&aid=NRzs2tK3lDo

2011-04-28T16:06:00.000-04:00

We began our family publishing apostolate/business through the inspiration of Pope John Paul II's call for a New Evangelization. Help us celebrate his beatification! Click through for this special offer:

http://myemail.constantcontact.com/50--OFF-ALL-BOOKS--Celebrate-Bl--JP2-.html?soid=1102382270107&aid=NRzs2tK3lDo

The Conspirator -- Great History on Film

2011-04-18T09:06:00.000-04:00

When I view historical movies, I am frequently disappointed. So many times Hollywood sacrifices the truth for a little extra drama. Or at least what they view as drama. In my opinion, the truth is usually stranger, and more interesting, than fiction. We also tend to judge history with modern-day eyes, not realizing that people may have had different ideas and ways of doing things. They had different prejudices, different views and different reactions to situations. At the same time, human nature itself is relatively unchanging. Some concepts and ideas are as relevant today as they were 150 years ago.

Yesterday, my son, Joe, also a student of history, took me to see The Conspirator for my birthday. On the 150th Anniversary of the Civil War, and 146th Anniversary of the assassination of Abraham Lincoln, this movie is about Mary Surratt, the first woman executed in this country for her part in the assassination plot. I have been very interested in her story because it is part of our American Catholic heritage. All those accused and hung in the plot were Catholic at a time when anti-Catholic feelings in this country were almost as high as anti-Southern feelings. To be Catholic and a Southern sympathizer was even worse. There was always doubt surrounding Mary Surratt's guilt and this movie brings it out wonderfully. The way the conspirators were tried...in a military court with no due process or trial by jury of their peers, has since been ruled un-Constitutional. Abraham Lincoln was shot on the 14th of April, 1865. The conspirators were hung less than three months later, at the beginning of July, 1865. Can you imagine if this kind of swift execution happened today?

I have been convinced of Mary Surratt's innocence for a while. You see, in doing family genealogy work for my book, Kat Finds a Friend, I found out that one of Kat Walter's descendants, Father Jacob Ambrose Walter, was the pastor of St. Patrick's Church in Washington, DC and Mary Surratt's confessor. She was his parishioner, frequent Mass attendee and considered a devout Catholic woman. Fr. Walter was so convinced of her innocence that he ran to the White House on the morning of her execution to seek an audience with President Johnson to stay her execution. Johnson refused to see him.

Fr. Jacob Ambrose Walter

Amazingly, Fr. Walter is in this movie. They even got his name right! And his likeness, from family photos, is quite accurate, too. When he first entered the picture and was addressed as "Fr. Walter," I nudged Joe and said, "There is your great, great uncle right there on the silver screen!" It was pretty amazing.

The movie brought out so many things that are still relevant today. How many times do we suspend the Constitutional rights of individuals for the "good of the state?" How many times do we, as a people, react to things unjustly and then forget about them months later?

Other questions remain unanswered. How much did Mary Surratt know? If the conspirators were tried in a civil court, would they have all been hung? (John Surratt was later tried in a civil court and not executed). How much did the conspirator's faith influence them or influence the outcome of the trial? John Surratt sought sanctuary from the Church. I'm sure that didn't set well with Americans or help mend any kind of anti-Catholic sentiments that prevailed at the time.

Overall, I really, really liked the movie and loved how historically accurate it was. The authenticity of everything from the clothing to the music to the scenes of the prison and old Washington transported me to 1865. For almost two hours, I felt like I was living history in the making. Definitely worth a view, even if you aren't related to any of the characters!

More books on Kindle!

2011-04-12T14:16:00.000-04:00

We have three more Glory of America books now available on the Amazon Kindle: Willy Finds Victory: A Blessed Francis Seelos Story, Thomas Finds a Treasure: A St. Joh Neumann Story, and our historical mystery title The Iron Spy. All books are by Joan Stromberg, come with interactive tables of content, and are available for the special ebook price of $5.50. Check them out!

Kat Comes to Kindle!

2011-03-07T14:18:00.000-05:00

Kat Finds a Friend: A St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Story by Joan Stromberg joins our growing line of Catholic Historical Fiction available on the Kindle. Get it now for the special ebook price of $5.50! And continue to check back with us regularly as we work to make our entire line of Glory of America books available in the convenient form of the ebook. Next up: Thomas Finds a Treasure.

Another book on Kindle!

2011-02-21T12:24:00.000-05:00

We have another book now available on Amazon's Kindle e-reader: The Orphans Find a Home by Joan Stromberg. This is the very first book in the Glory of America series, and it is now available for the special Kindle-only price of $5.50. Check it out and download your copy today!

Search for the Madonna now on Kindle!

2010-12-13T11:54:00.001-05:00

The Search for the Madonna is now available on the Kindle! For the Love of Literature is taking a little longer than expected, but we hope to have it available sometime this week. Check it out!

Glory of America Coming to Kindle!

2010-12-08T12:31:00.000-05:00

We have some exciting news today! We are currently working on publishing our Glory of America books, as well as Maureen Wittmann's Love for Literature, to Kindle (and possibly other ebook platforms) in the very near future. Love for Literature will be the first book released, so look for annoucement when that happens! The next book after that will probably be Donna Patton's Search for the Madonna, and the goal is to eventually have our entire line of children's historical fiction available on the Kindle. Stay tuned!

Search for the Madonna review

2010-11-30T14:59:00.003-05:00

A review of our most recent addition to the Glory of America product line. Check it out!

http://new.catholicmom.com/2010/11/20/catholic-book-review-the-search-for-the-madonna-by-donna-alice-patton/

Feast of Blessed Miguel Pro

2010-11-23T12:03:00.000-05:00

Today is the feast of Mexico's holy martyr, Blessed Miguel Pro. In honor of him we have a few links to share with you.

First, we have the blog of Veronica Maria Jarski. She is the author of our latest book, Celebrating Blessed Miguel Pro and she keeps an extensive blog of her own dedicated to her crafts and other projects. Today she has a nice post filled with lots of tidbits to honor Miguel Pro.

I also found this great blog post from a mom whose family who did one of the crafts found in Celebrating Blessed Miguel Pro to honor him on his feast. She has a number of great pictures showing her kids and the craft end result. Check it out here.

Finally, you can order your own copy of Celebrating Blessed Miguel Pro from the Behold Publications website. But there's more. This great activity book is actually just a supplement to one of our childrens historical fiction stories that is also about Blessed Miguel Pro. That book is called Jose Finds the King and was written by Ann Ball. You can order Jose Finds the King here or by visiting our website at http://www.eccehomopress.com/.

God bless!

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2010-11-23T11:15:00.001-05:00

Do you love the Glory of America books or any of the other great products offered by Behold Publications? Show your support for us on Facebook by clicking here!

Great Review for Search for the Madonna!

2010-07-08T15:44:00.000-04:00

Out of Control Characters blogspot

To order: http://www.eccehomopress.com/

Search for the Madonna available next week!

2010-05-13T12:19:00.000-04:00

Here's an interview with author, Donna Patton, on our new Glory of America book: Search for the Madonna. It is an awesome story...reserve your copy today! http://www.eccehomopress.com/
What is the Search for the Madonna about? Mysterious lights in the haunted woods. A missing treasure in gold and jewels. A family who vanished years ago, Maggie finds more questions than answers in a summer visit to Aunt Sophie's farm. Can Maggie and her twin sister, Em, solve all the mysteries in time to save the family farm along with Maggie's dreams for a real home at last? Set during the Depression era, readers can step back in time to the way life used to be.
What was your inspiration for Search for the Madonna? I always loved the idea of being a twin. The first book I ever read by myself was a little picture book about twins. Then when I was in 7th grade, I found a biography of the Dionne Quintuplets and was fascinated by their story. Soon after that, I began collecting Dionne Quintuplet memorabilia and fell in love with learning all I could about the 1930's. Although people didn't have a lot of money and times were hard, they learned to work together and to get by with a greater appreciation for the simple things in life. It's a philosophy I've always tried to imitate - be grateful to God for the small things.
The idea for the book came about because I like to daydream stories - usually when I should be doing something else! I knew I wanted to write a book about twins who lived during the 1930's and one of them had to have a Dionne Quintuplet scrapbook. Maggie and Em were both named after my favorite saint, Mary Magdalen, and their story just unfolded as I thought about what kind of treasure they could find. Although my family never owned such a beautiful statue of the Madonna, I modeled the story's Madonna after a beautiful and miraculous image of Our Lady that I saw a few years ago, Our Lady of Consolation. Because I like to use some of my real ancestors in every story I write, one of my great-great grandfathers', Matthias Brandenburg, made an appearance. Although some details of his story were changed, it was true that at one time he had a great fortune in gold and jewels.

What is the target age group for the book and why did you want to write for that age group? The book is aimed at readers' 8-12 but could certainly be read to younger children and enjoyed by older readers. I feel most comfortable writing for that age group because I love to read mid-grade books myself! Although I don't have children of my own, I have 11 nieces and nephews and 17 and counting, great-nieces and nephews. I've read probably thousands of books to them and the ones I enjoy most are for the 8-12 age group.

How do you weave the Catholic faith into the story and how will it help children grow in the faith? Most of the characters I write about are Catholic, even if it is just a matter-of-fact part of the story. Maggie, Em and their family are all Catholics, struggling to survive in a very difficult time in history. They have to rely on their faith to sustain them for everything. Although I hoped that some of the story would influence children to take their faith more seriously and to learn it's something they can depend on during hard times, I have to thank my very wise publisher () for helping me take the book to an even greater dimension. At Joan's suggestion, I added more references to Maggie's dependence on her mother's favorite prayer, The Memorare. Maggie learns throughout the book that she can depend on God's mother to lead, guide and show her the way. At the end of the book, Maggie has learned a greater level of trusting in the real Madonna. Hopefully, other children will be inspired to grow as Maggie did.

What is your favorite part of the book? That's a hard question! It's like asking a mother which of her children is the prettiest. But, if I have to choose, my favorite part to write was the scene where the twins and Aunt Sophie visit a neighbor and listen to the radio. Maggie gets a valuable clue from the experience and it's just such a delicious, spooky, and funny scene!

Did you like mysteries when you were younger? I loved mysteries! After I'd read all the mysteries in our local library, I started all over reading them again. Even today, when I want to relax, I'll go to my library and get a stack of the mysteries I read as a child. As a collector, I've managed to buy almost all of my favorite childhood mysteries too and even a series that my grandmother read when she was a little girl. I belong to several book collecting groups that strive to preserve children's books from the past.

Tell a little about your background and family My story is not as interesting as Maggie's! I'm the oldest of five children - four girls and a boy. Although I was born in Ohio and still live there, I've been blessed to travel to many places throughout the US, Canada and even Mexico. I love to visit new places and always try to find something "Catholic" to visit. I always knew I'd be a writer someday, even as a little girl. Filling empty notebooks with new stories and drawings was one of my favorite activities, along with daydreaming new characters. Each time I'd read a book, I'd get another idea for a story. My best friend, Kitty, gave me a diary in 7th grade and after that, I wrote all the time.
Hopefully, I have grown as a writer since junior high! I currently write for an educational website and have done many unit study/homeschool activities for Gryphon House Publishers, Learn Every Day Series. My articles have appeared online in Stories for Children, Fandangle, and Long Story Short. My work has appeared in Reminisce, Mature Living, Catholic Digest and other publications. With two other writers, I co-edit a monthly page for children titled, "Cookies and Milk." We began our 3rd year in September and are currently syndicated in four Ohio newspapers. One of my adult mysteries, Wrestling Demons, won 2nd place in the ACFW Genesis contest in 2008. I'm a member of both ACFW and SCBWI and love to mentor other writers - no matter how old or young! My parish has a nice writer's group, Scribes of St. Francis deSales, that encompasses many senior citizen and teenage members.
Mom, myself and one sister live in rural Ohio on a small farm. Another sister and her family live right next door; which makes it convenient as Mom and I have been homeschooling my two nephew's since birth. I'm an avid homeschooler, homeschool mentor and love to open people's eyes to the wonderful possibilities of teaching. Although my dad sadly passed away in December, 2009, the rest of my family are very close and enjoy doing things together. My family has always been encouraging about my writing but they do remind visitors, "You better watch out! Donna writes everything down and you might end up in a book!"

American History Holy Week part 6

2010-04-12T07:35:00.001-04:00

Oh my, this is beginning to be longer than the book I just finished! I guess I'm on a writing roll.

Easter is truly a celebration at Mater Ecclesiae. Mass was glorious, the altar so full of flowers and light it takes your breath away. The singing is angelic and moves you to tears. The joy is so thick, you wish you could bag it up and take it home with you and let a little bit out of the bag every now and then to remind you of what our Faith is all about.

We took a van load of girls to ICA (Immaculate Conception Academy, the high school, or *PC* as they call it) for a visit. The girls that went knew many of the girls at the PC. Many, like my daughter, Mary, had attended the school for a year or two, others had sisters there or friends they wanted to see. They had been waiting for this visit all weekend. When we arrived, there were tons of screaming and hugging as girls were reunited with friends and family. Then the tears flowed. The girls simply didn't want to leave. At 6 am, though, we were up and dressed and packing up the van. We had to swing by Mater Eccleasiae to pick up another girl and give Beth one last hug. We got on the road about 8:30 am after a stop at New England's own Duncan Donuts (no, we don't have them in the mid-west). The girls got such a kick out of the cashier saying, "Here's your cuoofee, han," in Bostonese.

We were doing great until we lost a duffle bag off the back of the van 3/4 of the way through Pennsylvania. An hour of searching and reporting it to the PA patrol was fruitless, so we went on to Stuebenville where two parents were already waiting for us. Initially, we were going to stay there, but I just wanted to get home, so we continued on to Louisville. After dropping off three more girls outside Columbus, we finally arrived at 4 am. What a great Holy Week, and a great trip. Thank you, Lord, Our Lady and so many guardian angels for keeping us safe!

Now comes the hard part...editing the book, typesetting, getting illustrations, etc. etc. I'll try to update the status of the book here for you, just in case you are interested in what a publisher really does.

American History Holy Week part 5

2010-04-11T07:09:00.000-04:00

So, we were at the family cemetery on Holy Saturday. I took a mental note of the names on the gravestones, Sayless and Phebe Mowry, hard names to forget! I'll look them up later on my Ancestry.com website and see what I come up with. We said a quick prayer for their souls and then Beth wanted to show me the river. It was roaring! We trudged through the woods, but could hear it before we saw it. I splashed some of the cold, clear water on my hot, sweaty face and it felt so good! We decided to follow the property marker back to the house and avoid the muck. In Rhode Island, fences are made of piled rocks. It is much more attractive than barbed wire!

When we got back to the house, we just hung out in the hallway and talked to all the anyone who came by. A lot of the girls I have known for years and years. It always amazes me how happy everyone is. There is always a lot of laughter, smiles, and hugs. There were a few tears, too. I started crying when one of the consecrated told me how the girls went on mission to the abortion clinic. The prayed the rosary and saw so many young women enter to terminate their babies' lives. Some were brought in by their mothers, others dropped off by their boyfriends. It was very sad. After the abortion clinic, the girls on retreat went to serve sandwiches to the homeless shelter. My daughter, Mary, was among them and she said that she was very touched by the experience.

Mary, Beth and I went and grabbed some pizza for dinner before they had to be back for Easter Vigil practice. They have the Easter Vigil from 10 pm to midnight. Since I was staying 45 minutes away, I opted to just come back the next morning for Mass. My cell phone charger had stopped working, too, so I had to find a Radio Shack and get a new one. Tomorrow was Easter Sunday! Alleluia!!
(to be continued...)

American History Holy Week part 4

2010-04-10T06:48:00.000-04:00

I grabbed some lunch/dinner at BK and headed back up the Jersey Turnpike, listening to Danielle Rose, the Consecrated and The Priests all the way up I-95. I knew I would hit rush hour traffic, so I just took it nice and slow. It took about 6 hours to get back to RI. All the way home, I was eager to use what I had learned at the archives to finish the book. The next day, Good Friday, I would have most of the day to write.

And write I did. I got up early, prayed and went for a 5 1/2 mile run through Wakefield. It was a glorious morning. Evidence of the flooding was all around, though. Many houses had the contents of their basements drying out on lawns and hoses looking like snakes running syphoning water toward the streets. I wondered if residents didn't have sump pumps or if they weren't sufficient? In talking to those who had lived in RI long, flooding is such a rare occurrence, sumps are not needed much. It rains steadily, but not torrentially. In the mid-west where flash flooding is always a problem, we couldn't live without our sump-pump. We even have a battery back-up for it.

I wrote all day, taking a break for lunch and then going right back at it. Good Friday services at Mater Ecclesiae, where my daughters were, began at 3:30. They began with a wonderful meditation linking the parable of the prodigal son with the last seven words of Christ. Unfortunately, Fr. Julio, who gave the meditation, has a very thick accent. But I got a lot out of it anyway. We then had Good Friday services--readings, veneration of the cross, communion service and finished up about 6 pm. Since the girls were still in silence, I went back to the house to finishe up the book, which I did about 10 pm. When I went to bed, I couldn't sleep thinking of all the things I wanted to fix and change, add and clarify. I got up the next morning and tweeked the manuscript a bit, but left it substantially the same.

Holy Saturday was also sunny and warm. Rhode Island desparately needed the time to dry out. Creeks and rivers still raged five days after the rain had stopped. I went back to Mater Ecclesiae and met with their publications director to talk about illustrating the book. Our goal is to have it ready for the printer by July 1st. Then my daughter, Beth and I went to get some lunch. We had a leisurely Chinese take-out lunch where we just enjoyed being with each other. She is in her last year of formation and will get her "yellow letter" sometime in the next three months. This will tell her what her first formal apostolic assignment will be. She could be sent out on a road team, sent overseas, or sent to a Regnum Christi school to work. It is all part of the obedience thing...

After lunch, we went for a five mile run around Greenville. I don't run well in the afternoon, so it was more of a run/walk. So far, out of the ten kids, Beth is the only runner in the bunch, so it is a rare treat to get to run with her. She then took me into "the woods" behind Mater Ecclesiae. She said she had a surprise for me. After navigating the muck caused by the flooding, we came upon her "surprise." It was an old cemetery. I was thrilled!! I love old cemeteries. This one was a family plot where the oldest tombstone was about 1830 and the newest about 1886.

(to be continued...)

American History Holy Week part 3

2010-04-09T12:06:00.000-04:00

Now the archives are located in Bensalem, PA, about half way between Trenton, NJ and Philadelphia, PA. From Rhode Island, the most direct route would be to take 95 south to Trenton. I hemmed and hawed, knowing that those 250 miles of 95 are the heaviest traveled and least known to me. I think I would have prefered even the miles from Philadelphia through Baltimore and DC, simply because they are much more familiar to me. Something about driving through Manhattan by myself in a 15 passenger van just made me nervous. But I told myself that it would be well worth it and if I wanted to get to the archives, this was my best shot. After getting what I needed at the archives, then I would have nearly all day on Good Friday to finish the book. Usually, I grab a couple hours of early morning writing (5-7am) a couple of times a week, so a whole day seemed practically luxurious.

I made it to Bensalem in about five hours. I found the archives and the archivist, who obviously knew her job very well, was prepared for me. I had told her specifically what I was looking for before I came, so she had everything outlined and ready to pull for me when I got there. The most important thing about work in the archives for me is finding the voice of your characters. Nothing can do this better than reading their own words, their thoughts and their feelings about an event or something that is happening in their lives. Biographers tell you about the person, at least how they interpret that person. Primary documents like letters and annals tell you how that person views themselves. Mother Katharine's letters are so full of love of Christ, love of her sisters, love of the people she serves. I really feel I got to know her as a person much more closely.

The other primary character in my St. Katharine Drexel book is her cousin, Josephine Drexel. The archivist found a travel journal written by Josephine Drexel about the time she traveled with Mother Katharine out west to visit the Indian missions. This was an amazing find because this is exactly the time-frame of my book. Here, too, I found Josephine's voice. She sounded exactly as I pictured her—young, full of life and adventure, eager, positive, fun. Now pray that this is how I portray her in the book so that young girls may also find her as appealing.

One amusing interaction I had with the very, very serious archivist involved an illustration I have planned for the cover of the book. Since the book is part of our “Princesses You Can Believe In” series, I wanted to picture Mother Katharine in the wedding dress she wore for her profession. Then, because she founded the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament for Indian and Colored People, I wanted to have an image of a monstrance in the background with Mother Katharine in her habit and a Navajo woman with her.

“No,” the archivist said firmly.

“No?” I stammered, not at all expecting this reaction.

“No, the Blessed Sacrament was Mother Katharine's life. Don't mess with the Blessed Sacrament.” she said very sternly. I felt my face growing beet red. Last thing I wanted was to mess with the Blessed Sacrament! Heaven preserve me, I would never want to do anything sacrilegious! So, not wanting to offend anyone, I am rethinking the image on the cover. Oh, and just in case you are wondering....no, the archivist wasn't a nun and she didn't have a ruler in her hand.

The archivist literally kicked me out of the archive about 3:30. I had been there about two and a half hours. Although she said the archive closed at 4, she wanted to leave early. Perhaps because it was Holy Thursday. I wasn't quite finished, but I thought I got what I needed to finish the book.

Not quite ready to face the New York traffic, I decided to make a Holy Hour at the Sister's chapel. I was going to miss Holy Thursday Mass, which I was sad to have to do, so I thought praying with our Lord for an hour would make the trip back to Rhode Island more pleasant. The chapel was beautiful. It was built like most motherhouses, with the sisters lofts on both sides of the main church facing each other. After my Holy Hour, I visited the shrine and crypt where St. Katharine Drexel is buried. I prayed at her tomb for her to guide me in writing about her life and to guide all the little girls who may read the book to become closer to Our Lord because of it.

The shrine also had several of Mother Katharine's artifacts. Her habit was there, and I was surprised to realize how short she was. Of course, I'm tall even by today's standards (5'9.5”) but it looked to me that she was only just over five feet tall. Her cousin Josephine was much taller. I think I read in an old New York Times that she was about my height. There is a story about Mother Katharine and Josephine sharing a bed at fairly primitive lodging out west. The owners had been illegally excavating ancient burial tombs and had dug up a mummified baby and kept it under the bed in which Mother Katharine and Josephine where sleeping. Mother Katharine told Josephine, “You know you are heavy dear, so don't toss and turn much or you may harm the baby!” I thought it was odd that Mother Katharine would have told Jo she was heavy, but if Mother Katharine was only five feet tall and Jo nine inches taller, she had to have been heavier.

(to be continued...)

American History Holy Week part 2

2010-04-08T12:04:00.001-04:00

Although the day was sunny and getting pretty warm, apparently it had been pouring cats and dogs in Rhode Island, our destination. Several concerned parents (and in my case, concerned husband and daughter) called to warn us about the state of emergency in Rhode Island and the flooding there. Of course, you, gentle reader, may ask, “Were you going where there was flooding?” Well, our destination took us to two retreat houses in Rhode Island 30 miles apart. In Rhode Island, that is like traversing the entire state, so the answer would be, “Yes!”

So, when we stopped for dinner at a McD's with wifi (hurray!) I found out which roads were closed in Rhode Island and we rerouted with the laptop GPS to avoid the flooding. We arrived a little late, but no worse for the wear. Because it was dark, we didn't see the extent of the damage of the flooding until the next morning. I dropped off six of the girls in Greenville, RI and got to spend a few minutes with my daughter who I hadn't seen since last August. She looked so beautiful! Before she was consecrated, I remember asking her why so many consecrated wear the most hideous color of orange. Of course, I know they don't have a choice. Their clothes are all donated and nothing they have belongs to them (yes, they do take the evangelical counsel of poverty as well as obedience and chastity), but, simply, I didn't like her in orange. Well, she looks good in red and wore the loveliest red sweater. Her hair was attractively cut and straightened, slightly curved toward her face. Her face, as always, glows with radiance that can only come from true happiness.

Our reunion was too short, for I had to take the other two girls 30 miles to the other retreat/school where I would be staying. Since all the young ladies would be in silence for the triduum and I had several free days, a very, very rare treat for me, I decided to go to the archives of the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament on Holy Thursday. Off to Philly!! (to be continued....)

An American History Holy Week

2010-04-07T12:03:00.000-04:00

He is Risen, Alleluia!

Wow, I had a fruitful Holy Week. I ended up driving eleven young ladies to Rhode Island for a retreat. The trip had multiple purposes. Mary, a senior in high school, is trying to decide to go to Franciscan University of Steubenville, John Paul the Great University (San Diego) or be a co-worker (volunteer to be a Catholic missionary for a year). So, since Steubenville is about a six-hour drive from us and the retreat center (where her sister is serving as a consecrated Catholic Missionary in her last months of formation), is 12 hours from Steubenville, we thought we'd combine the trips.

So, Holy Week began by scurrying around making last minute preparations for our trip. For a mom of ten to leave the family for a week, takes a lot of preparation, I can tell you that! I began preparing several weeks ago by making extra dinners and freezing them. Then, of course, there are check-lists, schedules and assignments left behind for the teen-agers to help the younger ones make sure everything is accomplished. Things, for the most part, went pretty smoothly. I did get a call from Maggie, 13, who said that Tommy (21 months) was being especially uncooperative. I told her she could beg off the school work for the rest of the day and just play with him. He sounded like he needed some extra attention because mom wasn't there. She said later that it worked like a charm. He became he same old sweet self after she pampered him a little.

Tuesday we went to Steubenville. Although Joe, the oldest, graduated there just over a year ago, I'd forgotten what a special place it is. The students are so friendly (well, everyone is) and they literally wear their faith on their sleeves...and on the front of their shirts, backs, sweatshirts, hats, etc. If there is a dress code at Franciscan it must be: modest and Catholic. It was very inspiring to see. We sat in on a digital compositing class (Mary is looking at a Media Arts degree) which was very interesting. Again, the students helped Mary follow along with the class in the computer lab even though she was only going to be there for one day.

That night, Mary spent in the dorms with one of her friends. We, my part-time employee, and one-time classmate of my consecrated missionary daughter, Julia, spent the night at the Super 8. We were joined by three girls from Cincinnati who would be going on retreat with us. The next morning at seven am, we were joined by five more young ladies: from Akron area and Toledo. We had also brought a girl from Bloomington, IN who had met us in Louisville before we left. We loaded up the van and put the extra suitcases on a rack that attaches to the trailer-hitch. Although I had some problems with the ratchet straps (too mechanical for me...I'm more of a bungee cord person!), we were able to pack up and hit the road by 8 am. We were off to Rhode Island!! (to be continued...)

Search for the Madonna

2010-03-28T10:53:00.001-04:00

Coming May 15th! This is the newest story in the Saints In Progress series of Catholic historical fiction by Donna Alice Patton. This book is set in the midwest during the Great Depression. Margaret Mary and Mary Margaret are twins looking to save the family farm with the lost family treasure hidden with a priceless family heirloom of a statue of the Madonna. Can they find the treasure in before they lose everything? Look for special publication offers coming this spring!

Princess You Can Believe In--Margaret of Scotland

2010-03-27T10:58:00.001-04:00

Our new line of books: Princesses You Can Believe In, will feature saints who were royalty. St. Margaret of Scotland is presented in a delightlful story by Rachel Watkins, creator of the Little Flowers program. Rachel, her husband Matt, are Catholic homeschool parents of eleven, frequent contributors to the Little Flower blog (http://www.littleflowersgirlsclub.blogspot.com/) and Heart and Mind Radio and blog (http://www.exceptionalmarriages.com/).
Look for the new line for Princesses You Can Believe In coming late this summer from Behold Publications.

More Mother Katharine

2010-03-25T10:53:00.000-04:00

I've been knee-deep in research for my Mother Katharine Drexel book. I've decided to concentrate on the founding of the mission at St. Michaels near Ft. Defiance, Arizona. I found some fantastic resources including a book of primary documents written by the Franciscans assigned to the mission. Their description of Navajo dances, faith, people and culture are really fascinating. Fr. Anselm Weber's accounts are especially insightful.
Some of the fun facts I found were:

*Mother Katharine sometimes had to travel incognito in order to keep the paparazzi off her back. In this trip to Arizona, she traveled with her cousin, Josephine Drexel, but their assumed names were: Sister Mary and Miss Warden.

*Mother Katharine tried to tame some new Navajo students by pitching rocks at a can. Fr. Anselm remarked that her aim wasn't very good, but perhaps shooting wasn't part of the curriculum for a woman who was also a millionaire's daughter!

*Once Mother Katharine became a nun, she pinched pennies like a miser, often negotiating with the train's porter on how few hours she could rent the sleeping car (of which she was ordered to use at night by her spiritual director) to save money. She would then tip the porter, usually a black person, very generously with her saved funds!

We put together a Mother Drexel game that we tested on our homeschool group last month. It was a big hit! Perhaps we'll be able to polish it up and release it with the book.

We are gearing up for a release of this Mother Drexel book in conjuction with others in our new line: Princesses You Can Believe In. This line will feature saints that were royalty. Look for release late this summer.

Catholic Builders of a Nation

2010-01-07T10:41:00.000-05:00

I have this five volume set written in 1923 consisting of a variety of authors on a number of subjects. One day, I'll have time to read all the volumes, but right now, I just browse through it and find an interesting essay. I always find something new and interesting. One of my biggest surprises is how different our world view is today from what it was 90 years ago!

I'm doing research on Mother Katharine Drexel who founded the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament for Indian and Colored People (later renamed Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament). In the Catholic Builders of the Nation, there was an article on the Catholic Indian Missions. At the end of the 1800's, the US Government paid Christian religious denominations --Protestant and Catholic--to come into Indian Reservations and set up missions, schools, and churches. Some denominations did this more effectively than others. Some were less than happy with other denominations who were more effective. Eventually, the government limited the funding to only educating the students. Buildings, the running of the missions, etc., were no longer funded. This is where Mother Drexel and the Catholic Indian Mission stepped in. Mother Drexel not only visited the missions, formed a religious order to staff the missions, she also gave an estimated $20 million dollars of her own fortune for the continuation of the missions when the government pulled out of the funding.

I found this interesting link to the periodical published to keep those who supported the Catholic Indian Missions up to date on their progress. I haven't even scratched the surface of all the great information on this site, but hope to be able to in the near future. If you find something that might be interesting in my research, please drop me a line or leave a comment here.

Visit The Indian Sentinel here:http://digitalmarquette.cdmhost.com/IS/

Mother Drexel came up against some great opposition to her work. I'd love to find some specifics of this (editorials, news clippings, references). If you have any Mother Drexel stories, please let me know. God bless!

American Saint Week!

2010-01-04T14:43:00.000-05:00

This week we celebrate the feast days of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton (today) and St. John Neumann (tomorrow). I love beginning the new year with such great American Saints! We can add to the week's litany Blessed Andre Bassette, a Canadian, to make it a Glory of North America Saints!

Both Mother Seton and Bishop Neumann are dear to my heart. The research I did while writing their books (Kat Finds a Friend and Thomas Finds a Treasure) was like sitting at the feet of masters of the spiritual life and soaking in their holiness. The one thing that Mother Seton taught me in her writings was how valuable a true friend is. Mother Seton cherished her friends. She kept them despite differences in religion, despite distances and despite all that was going on in her life. She always kept in touch with and prayed for her friends. I am inspired by her to offer up my day, her feast day, for you, my friends. I apologize if I have fallen short in keeping in touch with many of you, but please know that you are in my thoughts and prayers and you are dear to my heart.

In reading Bishop Neumann, I would have to say the one thing that his words taught me was love for the Blessed Sacrament. It was because of him the Forty Hours Devotion still is practiced through much of Pennsylvania, including our former diocese of Harrisburg. Bishop Neumann wanted to implement the devotion during a time when there was great animosity toward immigrants in general and Catholic immigrants in particular. Churches were frequently vandalized, the faithful terrorized and the sacraments defiled. Against the advise of his priests, Bishop Neumann set up a schedule to have the Blessed Sacrament exposed and adored in all the parishes throughout his vaste diocese for 40 hours at a time. He fell asleep while making up the proposal and schedule. When he awoke, the paper all around him was on fire from the candle. After quickly extinguishing the flames, Bishop Neumann saw that, although the paper had burned around the edges, none of his words had been burned. He took this as a sign that God would protect this new apostolate of 40 Hours Devotion. And protect it, He did. A hundred and fifty years later, the devotion of 40 Hours is still going strong.

So, have a Happy American Saint Week! God bless, Joan

It all started...

2009-11-13T16:10:00.000-05:00

With St. Frances Xavier Cabrini....Happy Feast Day, Mother Cabrini!

In 1996 or so, I was reading to my little Bethy (well she was little back then) an American Girl book...Samantha, I think, and got the idea that it would be great to have a Catholic version to teach American Catholic history. At the same time, I was reading saint biographies, including one on Mother Cabrini. I was so impressed with her vital role in American history, I wanted to share my love of her and this country with my kids, my family, anyone who would listen! I started formulating a Mother Cabrini story in my mind along the lines of the American Girl books. A little while later, The Orphans Find a Home, a St. Frances Xavier Cabrini Story was published.

As the years went by, more American Saint stories found their way into books and when the LIttle Flowers and Blue Knights were added to the line up, Ecce Homo Press grew by leaps and bounds. Despite the growth, we tried to keep the family-owned and operated business within the home so that I could homeschool and be with the kids. It became increasingly difficult to keep up with everything, so I had to hire part and then full time employees. My son, Joe, who graduated from Franciscan with an English degree, joined me full time last year. Finally, we are ready to move out of the house because he can take care of things much better in an office than in a house with one medium sized business, nine noisy children, two kitties and a hyperactive dog named Benedict.

With the new office will also see a name change as Ecce Homo Press becomes Behold Publications, LLC. We will still be family owned and operated, but hopefully our customers will be serviced in a quicker, more professional manner in an outside office.

It seemed appropriate that today, on the feast of St. Frances Xavier Cabrini, we ask her intercession to continue to bless our apostolate and our families.
God bless! Joan

Life, a beautiful gift

2009-09-21T10:25:00.000-04:00

I know that it has been a while since I've posted here. I want to thank you all again for all your prayers for John. As I sit here at Kosair's Children's hospital waiting for a room for John to get his bi-weekly treatment of Avastin, a beautiful little girl is standing next to her mother registering for another outpatient treatment. The girl, about eight, is dressed in a pink shirt and shorts. She is bald, most likely from chemo treatments, and is losing her breakfast as the registrar and mother help her with the bag at her mouth. I think at this moment, she is the bravest little girl I've ever seen. I am kind of getting used to seeing beautiful bald children at the office (the "clinic" as they call it) before they send us over to the children's hospital for treatment. I am not getting used to hearing sick little children cry and beg not to be poked, prodded or getting sick in bags. It is heart-wrenching.
The first time we went to the clinic, I was scared to death. We had just found out that John's tumor had grown by 40% and had to therefore look into chemotherapy. The walls of the waiting room of the clinic are covered in painted hand-prints with names of children and the types of cancer they had battled (and presumably overcome). I know the hand-prints were signs of hope and encouragement, but they, and the bald children shivering under blankets in the waiting room, scared me. Were we facing this? How would we get through it?
I have to admit that the fear I felt at the clinic and the fear of the effects of chemo, were factors in choosing radiation for John's condition. Little did I know that radiation would cause so much swelling that several months later, we were regulars at the clinic, now receiving treatments of our own.
God is good, all the time. John does not have to have strong chemo drugs that make him loose his stomach and his hair. In fact, the chemo drug we use is very mild and unless he is involved in any traumatic injury, has little or no side-effects. In all, it makes his quality of life greatly improved.
So, why several weeks ago when we got the news that treatments would continue for several more months, did we gripe and complain? I wanted them to be finished! I wanted to get on with life! Being here, watching this beautiful little girl and her mother, I realized that this is life. And it is beautiful.
Lord, help me to complain no more and always to sing your praises. Thank you for everything you do in my beautiful life!

An American Saint in Progress

2009-07-05T15:52:00.000-04:00

I was thinking this morning that I haven't done this blog justice for its original purpose...that is discussing American Saints and how to teach American Catholic History. Instead, I've been using as an update tool for John's brain tumor condition.

But as I reflected on John's next update post, I realized that I may have become single-subject with this blog, but it isn't far off its intended purpose. You see, everytime I do a book signing, I try to personalize the signature for the young girl, boy or family members that will read the saints' story and learn from it. My goal in writing the stories was that the children relate to the girls and boys in the story and how they struggle to learn from saints in their own lives so that they grow and learn to become saints, also. So I frequently sign the books: To_____, May you, too, become a great American Saint!

I realized this morning that making us American Saints was exactly what God has been trying to do with us. Although we have a long way to go, with God's grace, we may just be able to stand with other great American Saints, who, through the grace of God, have reached their heavenly reward.

You see, John is doing much better, thanks to his new treatment and the grace of God. And, as I reflect on the last few years since his original diagnosis, I do wonder at times how we've been able to come this far. Your prayers and God's grace is the only answer that comes to mind. My oldest daughter, Beth, who is consecrated and not at home, would often ask us to write her and tell her how we were handling everything physically and spiritually. That was much more difficult than it sounds. While you are in a critical, long-term medical condition, you simply do what you have to do. You pray daily, you accept God's will one day at a time, and trust. Trust that God knows what He's doing and that you do what He wants. Trust that somehow there will be a light at the end of the endless doctor's appointments, waiting rooms, trying to squeeze time to feed the family, do laundry, get out orders, and change a diaper. Somehow, what absolutely needs to get done, does get done and the world doesn't collapse. God is always there.

So, here's the update on John: he's been receiving the infusion of Avastin for about three months now. The last MRI taken at the end of June shows "moderate" improvement. But I didn't need a test to know that the Avastin was working. John can read again! John talks again! John isn't bloated anymore! John rides his bike and plays basketball and swims! His personality is back in full swing, which means he talks and talks and talks and talks!

And the best news is that Make a Wish is sending us to Legoland! The whole family, with the exception of Beth, will be flying to San Diego later this month to spend a week seeing the wonderful sights of Southern California! Make a Wish is a fantastic organization and I can't thank them enough for their kindness toward John and the whole family. We are very, very blessed.

So, although we have know idea how the whole John-and-his-brain-tumor story may turn out in the end, we thank you for your prayers and know that in the end, what really matters is that we know that our true calling is to be Great American Saints. May you, too, become a great American Saint! God bless, Joan

New Treatment, New John

2009-05-29T13:13:00.000-04:00

Sorry it has been so long since the last update. There were weeks when we were going to two or three doctors appointments a week. So our already hectic life was taken up a notch and I was spent half my time hurrying to get everything done so that I could sit and wait and wait and wait at any number of doctors' offices. At present, we are sitting at the Kosair's Children's Hospital waiting for the new medication that John is on to be infused. But I'm getting ahead of the story here.

Right after the last post, John was officially diagnosed with "radiation necrosis." Although I wasn't given the same definition of this from different doctors, what I understand is that the tumor and the tissue that surrounds it, has died and swelled up. Blood has rushed to the area and the steroids were no longer controlling the swelling. John's body was showing the signs of long-term cortico-steroid use. Angry-looking red stretch marks were no only apparent under his arms and upper thighs, but even on his belly and shins. The hematologist wanted to try another medication that is used in combination with chemo drugs. This drug, Avastin, is a blood inhibitor. Because tumors attract blood to grow so rapidly, they actually form new blood vessels to feed the tumor. Avastin inhibits the blood flow to the tumors. The thought was that it would also inhibit the blood flow to the dead tumor, thus reducing the swelling inside the brain. The medication has been approved to treat tumors, but was only approved to treat radiation necrosis in adults in early May. Despite that, our insurance did approve the Avastin for use in treating John's radiation necrosis.

We go to the hospital every other week for a whole day to have the medication infused intravenously. From the very first treatment, we could see the difference. After the second treatment, his double vision nearly completely disappeared. His personality started to become more outgoing, also. The week before the third treatment, we were able to stop the steroids altogether. John's face is beginning to look less bloated and his eyes actually track together so his sight has improved.

Of course, with everything we've experienced, there are side effects. So far, the side-effects of the Avastin seems much more manageable than the side-effects of the steroids. Certainly, the benefits seem to be outweighing anything we've experienced. He's had a few headaches and some down time, but nothing compared to what it was before.

This Sunday, Pentecost, John is receiving the sacrament of Confirmation. His Confirmation name is John Bosco. We are all looking forward to the celebration with him. He's been through a lot and this celebration is most welcomed! Again, thanks for your prayers! God bless, Joan

What the Team says...

2009-04-17T07:53:00.000-04:00

John had his MRI on April 2nd and since then we've met with his general practitioner and three more doctors: his radiologist, the chemotologist and one, to tell you the truth, I don't know why he was there! Perhaps he was just curious! (or he wanted our copay?) He's also had some bloodwork drawn right before Easter. The short version of the results is that they weren't very encouraging.

The MRI showed very little, if any change from the January MRI...the brain tumor hasn't grown (good news) and they say it looks "dead." The bad news is that the swelling hasn't gone down any. They were hoping it would have gone down by now so that he could be weaned off the steroids. The steroids are causing problems with cholesterol. He's been on a strict diet and exercising everyday, but in six weeks, the cholesterol level went from 330 to only about 323. The weight has stayed the same, or he's lost a pound or two. But he figures as much as he is watching his weight and exercising, he should be losing weight, not keeping it the same. The doctors tell us that he'll loose it after he's off the steroids. The steroids are also wreaking havoc with other hormones, so they are concerned about his endocrine system, also.

So the first thing the doctors want to do is find another alternative to the steroids to help with the brain swelling. The hematologist suggested a chemo drug they use called Cellebrex. She wanted to do a little more research to see if that might work. We have another appointment with her next week. The other option is hyperbolic chamber oxygen treatment. This would be an hour or two a day, five days a week for six weeks. They are reluctant to do that because the oxygen saturation that would heal the brain faster and reduce the swelling would also stimulate any cancer cells that may not have died in the radiation treatment. I think we'll hold off on that for now.

So, the doctors suggested that we see more doctors! We now have an appointment for the endocrinologist and a pediatric eye specialist (for the double vision.) Our old pediatric eye specialist moved to Cleveland in January. Too bad, too. We also have an appointment for a PET scan. I'm not sure what that is...I'm really not good at medical stuff...but I think it measures the cancer cells in the body. This will help if we have to go the hyperbolic oxygen chamber route.

John is taking this pretty much in stride. I think he is very slowly getting better. The doctors still don't think this is a permanent condition and that he'll eventually get over it. Right now they are trying to improve on his quality of life because he isn't extremely functional. He has a hard time seeing, focusing and things like riding a bike, playing sports, or reading and writing are very difficult. I see improvement in his general disposition. He seems more like himself with the coming of spring. I feel like he's had a very rough winter.

We also got the good news that he's been granted a wish from the Make a Wish Foundation. We are waiting for them to call to set up an appointment. John has mentioned that he'd like to go to Legoland in San Diego. Perhaps we'll fly out there and motor home back so we can see Grand Canyon, Hoover Dam and more. It is definitely something to look forward to.

Well, I think that is all on the update for John. Thank you all for your prayers. Know that you all are in mine! God bless, Joan

Bottoming out?

2009-03-27T12:01:00.000-04:00

My girls and I had a great time in New England last week. We got to visit Louisa May Alcott's house in Concord, MA, which was a great field trip! I was impressed that her house had been a museum since 1911. Because of that, most of the items in the house actually belonged to the Alcotts including the pen and ink well Louisa used for writing her famous books. Her sister, May (Amy in the book, Little Women), was as artist and her original works grace the walls and doors of her room. Other of her artworks are on scattered throughout the house. It was a real treat.

When we returned home, I was hoping to find John greatly improved, but he wasn't. He has been having such bad double vision and trouble opening his eyes, he really can't read much anymore. Physically, he has lost about 8 pounds and his face is clearing up. It doesn't look so puffy to me, either. I was glad about that, since that means the effects of the cortico steroid were diminishing. But instead, he was having the terrible double vision. I called the radiologist, who wanted to increase the cortico-steroid. He said it sounded like the medication had "bottomed out." He also wanted to have John do a repeat MRI and come in to meet three doctors: the radiology oncologist, the chomotologist and the neurosurgeon, all at the same time. So John has a repeat MRI on April 2nd and meets with the trio of doctors on April 14th.

The extra pill really did help. He can open his eyes and focus much better. I said, "Great, now you can do an Algebra lesson!" He then tried to roll his eyes, but they weren't THAT much better! He is in a nice place now where the steroid effects are diminishing and he can open his eyes. I told him I thought he was getting better and he began arguing with me. I said, "See, right there, you're being beligerent so I know you're getting better!" A little peek of the old John.

I was able to see both my parents and my in-laws on the way back from New England. Both seemed to be doing well. It was great to see them.
Thanks again for your prayers! Know that you all are in ours.

Another Round of Doctors...

2009-03-03T20:44:00.000-05:00

John went for another round of doctor's appointments last week. We went to the family doctor, then to the lab to get some blood drawn, then to the neurosurgeon. The radiology doctor wanted the other doctors to see John and make sure that they all were doing what they could for him. The family doctor ordered the bloodwork. We got the results today. The good news is that John doesn't have diabetes that is sometimes associated with cortico-steroid medication. The bad news is that the "other sugar" test the doctor did (hemo Ac1?) was very close to being alarming. He was a 5.98 and the alarms go off at 6.0. His cholesterol was also extremely high at 330. Since he is reducing the steroids slowly, the doctor thinks that we can help the high levels by diet and exercise. This is really difficult since the steroids make John's hunger greater and his muscles weaker. I feel like such a mean mom telling him, "No, you can't eat that," all the time. He tries to exercise everyday for a little while. The steroids also cause shortness of breath, so after 15 minutes walking quickly on the treadmill, he is pretty exhausted. He says that exercising helps his double-vision, if only temporarily. We did try to decrease the steroids over the weekend, but the double-vision was just too bad, so we had to go back to two 1 mg tablets a day. One of the doctors said that it might take up to six months for the swelling to go down. I can't imagine him being on the steroids for three more months. I pray that the swelling goes down before then.

John has also withdrawn into himself quite a bit. He's so quiet, I hardly know when he's around. Before this, he was so talkative, we would have to ask him to be quiet just to let our ears get a rest! The family doctor seems to think that this will return to normal after he is weaned off the steroids, also.

Life continues on other fronts, too. Maggie turns 12 on Thursday (Happy Birthday, Maggie!) and Maggie, Tommy and I are planning on visiting Mary and Elizabeth in Rhode Island next week. Joe is taking off next week to visit with his buddies in Steubenville and Mick is on spring break the week I'm in Rhode Island, so he will take care of the kids while I'm away. I'm putting in a revolving door to save wear and tear on the front door!!

As always, thank you all for your prayers and cards and little gifts for John. I know he taps into the graces from your prayers to get through his days. Have a beautiful Feast of St. Katharine Drexel!

New American Saint!!

2009-02-18T16:07:00.001-05:00

Fr. Damian, born Joseph de Veuster, was known as the "apostle to the lepers." He lived on the leper colony in Molokai, Hawaii in the 1800's. He knew when he went there, he would never be allowed to leave. His work to improve the lives of those forgotten ones banished by society earned him a martyr's death as a leper himself.

One of my favorite stories about soon-to-be St. Damian concerns the great American author Robert Louis Stevenson, a Presbyterian. St. Damian was not without controversy during his lifetime. Dr. Hyde, a Presbyterian minister, wrote a vicious attack on Fr. Damian during his life. The attack was published far and wide and many people believed it. Stevenson, on the other hand, was convinced of Fr. Damian's sanctity. He wrote a defense of Fr. Damian and was so horrified by the viciousness of Dr. Hyde's remarks that he named his the villian of his next story after him...The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.

Here is a link to the Zenit news agency about the canonization. St. Damian, pray for us!

http://www.zenit.org/article-25112?l=english

Well...more waiting

2009-02-11T15:54:00.000-05:00

We went to see the radiation doctor today...finally. It had been three weeks since the follow-up MRI. The initial reading of the MRI seemed to indicate that the tumor had shrunk. What the radiation doctor today said was that the MRI showed the tumor tissue very swollen and the surrounding tissue was also swollen. He said, "In essence, the radiation worked too well, causing the tissue to swell up and die." So, the good news is that the radiation worked.

The bad news is the side effects. The only medication for the tissue swelling is steroids. John has gained 25 pounds, or increased his body weight by about 20%, since he Thanksgiving. He looks terrible. The doctor apologized for the rough time John is having from the steroids. He did give us a plan to start reducing them slowly so that he can eventually be weaned from them. God willing, he'll be weaned from them in the next month. Meanwhile, the doctor suggested we make appointments with the chemo doctor, the neurosurgeon and our family doctor. He wants John to have some bloodwork done because such extreme weight gain can put a strain on the organs including the pancreas.

John has been a model of charity throughout this. Knowing that the steroids make him irratable and causes insomnia, he still tries to help out as much as he can and do as much as he can. He feels a bit self-conscience about how he looks, but still makes sure he follows through on commitments like altar-serving, Confirmation retreat, etc. He is very grateful for all the cards and letters he's received. I believe these lift his spirit and help him get through another day.

From here, we try to reduce the steroids and look forward to a repeat MRI in April. Hopefully by then, a new spring will bring a new John that is free from growing tumor, and all the nasty side effects, too.

Thanks again for your prayers!

Girls' Book Club

2009-01-30T10:51:00.000-05:00

Would you believe a post relating to the actual subject of this blog? Here is a link to an "virtual author visit" I did with a group of girls who had read "Kat Finds a Friend." Thanks, Nancy for the link and the opportunity to talk with the girls.

http://goodbookbestfriend.typepad.com/girls_book_group/2009/01/joan-stromberg-virtual-visit.html

Do you have a book club that would to read a Glory of America book? Drop me a line at EcceHomoPr@aol.com and we'll set your group up for a special rate on the books and arrange a visit or virtual visit with the author.

Hurry up and wait!

2009-01-29T09:27:00.000-05:00

Well, we waited for two months of brain swelling, face swelling, double-vision, sleepless nights and more to finally meet with Dr. Silverman yesterday to get the word on how the radiation treatments worked. Did the tumor stop growing? If so, did the radiation shrink it at all? How bad is the brain swelling? How much longer will John have to be on steroids? Bob even took off work to attend the meeting and our daughter, Elizabeth was timing her monthly phone call to coincide with the appointment. Divine Providence and mother nature had a different idea. We had a whallop of an ice storm yesterday followed by five or so inches of snow. Kentucky does not do well in this type of weather. Power was out from about midnight through dinner on Wednesday. Fortunately, we learned during the wind storm left over from hurricane Ike remanents in September. We installed a wood stove and bought a generator, so yesterday was merely annoying rather than down-right uncomfortable. The roads were closed, though, because Louisville had declared a state of emergency. Trees covered in ice were down all over the place. Our kid's favorite climbing tree cracked and crashed all night long until half of it was left on the ground. In the end, the landscape is absolutely beautiful, the kids had a great time in the snow, Bob got a day off work and we were left to reschedule a doctor's appointment. I'll let you know when it is rescheduled (hopefully soon) and thanks again for your prayers. I am praying, too, for all my Louisville and Southern Indiana friends who may have lost power in the ice storm. Keep safe and warm! God bless!

Prognosis is Good

2009-01-23T10:07:00.000-05:00

Just a wanted to give you brief update on John's MRI results. I was still very concerned on Monday, the day before the MRI about John's condition. He was still exhibiting disturbing symptoms with eyes and steroid reactions. I ended up calling my sister, Mary, an oncology nurse. She encouraged me to call the neurosurgeon as well as the radiation oncologist to make sure they were aware of the symptoms and my concern so that they would read the MRI quickly and see if there was anything that needed more immediate attention. The doctors were very cooperative and added a few more tests while we were at the hospital. We spent most of the day there and, as usual, Kosair's Children's Hospital staff is so very pleasant and attentive.

I had just walked in the door and hadn't even gotten my coat off when the phone rang. It was the neurosurgeon (himself...not even his nurse!) to tell me the preliminary reading of the MRI. He said he had encouraging news. Although there was swelling around the area of the tumor still, it looked like the radiation worked. He said the tumor's center looked "dead." This is really good news because it means the radiation worked and we won't have to go to the alternative, a year or so of chemo. It also means that the symptoms he's experiencing are temporary and he should eventually get better.

The doctors all meet today for a consultation on John's case and then we meet with the radiation oncologist next Wednesday for a follow up on where to proceed from here.

We are so very grateful for your prayers and good wishes. Thank you all.

A rock and a hard place

2009-01-15T09:33:00.000-05:00

Well, we've been going back and forth with trying to deal with the swelling of the brain and the side effects of the steroids. John feels like he's between a rock and a hard place. The steroids were making him so irratable...he wasn't sleeping, he was cranky, his face and neck were uncomfortably puffed up. So we asked the doctor if we could reduce the steroid to one a day. He agreed. On the third day, John could only open his eyes a slit and he said the double vision was so bad it was "unbearable." This meant that the brain was swelling around the nerves that control the eyes again. He could do little more than lay on the couch, so we went back to two pills a day yesterday. I let him sleep in this morning because I heard him up more than once during the night. I asked the doctor if this was normal. His nurse said it wasn't too abnormal. He's still keeping the repeat MRI scheduled for next Tuesday, Jan. 20. We are praying a lot for him and just trying to keep him comfortable. I think at this point our biggest challenge is to make sure he doesn't get too discouraged. Thanks again for your prayers.

Dealing with Side Effects

2009-01-10T13:24:00.003-05:00

John's getting a bit discouraged with the side effects of the steroids he takes to reduce the brain swelling. The swelling was impairing his vision, so the doctor put him on the steroids. In the last few weeks, his face and neck have puffed up and broken out in acne thanks to the steroids. He is also having trouble sleeping, since they cause insomnia. As a result, he's pretty testy with everyone, and understandably so. The doctor told us to adjust his steroids, but if we reduce the amount, the brain swelling will return. So we have a choice of the brain swelling or the side effects. He is just not himself and really appreciates all your prayers. He's getting kind of tired of not feeling well, not sleeping, and not being able to do what he wants. I know he'll get through it, though, because he has all you prayer warriors rooting for him. Thanks! God bless!

Merry Christmas and a Blessed 2009!

2008-12-28T16:27:00.000-05:00

To all of your families from our family. May this Feast of the Holy Family see many blessings to you and yours.

We had a lovely Christmas, and welcomed home all the children save our consecrated daughter, Elizabeth, who called today to make the family complete. Mary had a bit of trouble getting home with the weather. She was stuck in Chicago overnight, but stayed with a fellow PC (pre-candidate) from Immaculate Conception Academy who had flown into Chicago earlier in the day. She eventually go home and is having a grand time organizing games and plays for her younger brothers and sisters.

John is doing fairly well. He ran out of the steroids right before Christmas and since there was no refill on the prescription and he was doing really well, I didn't refill it. After being off the steroids for a day, it was obvious that he was suffering. He couldn't open his eyelids again, the eyes weren't tracking together and he was feeling very sick. We put him back on the steroids the day before Christmas. He's feeling better, but we're still not back up to where he was before we stopped. He can open his eyelids about half-way and his eyes are focusing better, but he still has to turn his head to look at things with one eye, then with the other. The steroids are also causing some swelling in his face and neck. His face is so puffy, he looks like he's blowing out his cheeks! He's feeling better, though. Apparently, the tissue surrounding the brain tumor was swelling up and pinching the nerve that controls eye and eyelid movement. The steroids are used to control the swelling. As the swelling goes down, his eye control should improve. We have a repeat MRI scheduled for Jan 20. We won't don't know whether the radiation will have worked on this tumor until then. Meanwhile, thanks so much for keeping John in your prayers. God bless!

A Beautiful Ceremony

2008-12-16T08:41:00.000-05:00

Joe's graduation from Franciscan Univ. of Steubenville was absolutely beautiful! The Mass was celebrated by the bishop, numerous priests and religious and the guest homilist was Fr. Mitch Pacwa. His message to the graduates was very powerful. The guest speakers for the comencement were Sheila and John Kippley. As old CCL promoters and former NFP teachers, I enjoyed their talk, also. They challenged the graduates to go out and be Christ in the world and warned them that it would not be easy and that persecution, even if they worked within the Church, could be an obstacle, but their training at FUS had given them a firm foundation. This was the first winter comencement ceremony for FUS and shows how the university is growing. We also met up with some old friends: John's godparents, the Chris and Connie Colclough whose daughter, Christie, graduated with Joe. We also visited with other old friends while we were there, too.

The only thing to mar the weekend was that we got our driver's side window of the van smashed in while it was parked on a neighborhood street. Some places in Steubenville are safer than others, and we just happened to pick an unsafe street to park on. But it was covered by insurance, so it's all good.

So we are now back and preparing for the Christ child. Hope you all have a very blessed Advent.

Brain Swelling

2008-12-12T11:29:00.000-05:00

It looks like the symptoms John is experiencing is a result of the brain swelling around the area of the tumor, aggravating the eye symptoms. The radiation doctor, Dr. Silverman, said that since it could be either the swelling around the tumor, or a malfunction of the shunt, he would have to go with the swelling simply because of the timing. John did have a malfunction in the shunt last year about two months after it was inserted, and the symptoms were also eye related, but slightly different. Dr. Silverman said that they could do an early MRI, but it most likely show swelling and not much else, so we're just to keep our appointment for the repeat MRI in January. Basically, we wait and see if the symptoms improve.

Today we go to Steubenville for Joe's graduation. Everyone is really excited! I can't believe my oldest is going to be a college graduate! Only twenty two years or so to go until the youngest is, too! Does that mean I'm half-way there? Oh, Lord, help me...I'll never make it! Well, I'll look at it this way: it's all downhill from here, right? Piece of cake!

A Cumulative Effect

2008-12-10T14:13:00.000-05:00

Well, John's been on the steroids to reduce brain swelling for a week now. At first, the eyelids opened and he seemed his old self. Lately, though, I think he's reacting to the steroids and the cumulative effects of the radiation. He's pretty lethargic, lays around a lot. The eyelids seem to be drooping again, and his face is all flushed. I learned that the steroids can cause high blood pressure, so I have a call into the doctor to see if we need to adjust the prescription. Meanwhile, we pray and try not to worry. We've been doing a lot of Christmas crafts, read alouds and baking this Advent. I don't want to overtax John with the school work and since he's pretty much a year ahead for his age, he shouldn't have too much trouble making up the work. It will be nice to get back to "normal," though, whatever that may be!

Again, thanks for the prayers. God bless you all and have a Holy Advent!

Droopy eye-lids?

2008-12-04T11:18:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, it was a week since John's last radiation treatment. I mentioned the droopy eye lid symptom to the doctor the last week of radiation. He said it wasn't a big deal and should resolve itself. It was actually this symptom that prompted me to call the neurosurgeon two months ago. It seemed to get better during the radiation, then got much worse last week and even worse this week. It got to the point that John was holding his eyes open with his fingers and most of the time the eyes were open only about 1/4 of an inch. So I called Dr. Silverman's office yesterday and left a message. They called in a prescription for steroids as an anti-inflammatory for the brain tissue. Apparently, the radiation has caused swelling in the area around the tumor and aggravated the droopy eye-lid syndome. John nearly panicked when he heard he was going to have to swallow a pill. Now, he's been through brain surgery, six weeks of radiation, more MRI's and CT scans than I can count, but he was afraid to swallow a pill! Fortunately, the pill is the tiniest one I've ever seen and he got it down no problem. The results were startling! This morning, he woke up and could open his eyes almost half-way! His behavior, which had been a bit erratic, is starting to level out, too. Hopefully soon he'll be able to concentrate on some school work and catch up on his debate and reading, too.

He'll be taking the steroids for two weeks to help with the swelling. He's hoping it swells up his muscles! Thanks for the prayers. God bless you all during this Advent season.

Radiation is Finished...Now Comes the Waiting

2008-11-30T16:19:00.000-05:00

Hope you all had a great Thanksgiving with those you love! We had Joe and Mary come in so literally 9/10ths of the kids were here for Thanksgiving. The girls fixed the most beautiful table while I cooked most of the day. I love cooking-and eating- Thanksgiving dinner!

The day before Thanksgiving was John's last radiation treatment. He had been doing so well that the doctor wanted to "hit him hard" the last three days with a more concentrated radiation burst. Monday, he came out of radiation looking a little dazed and with his eyes almost closed and the left eye rolling up a bit. It was a little scary, so we stayed in the office until he looked better. Tuesday, he seemed fine, but again on Wednesday, he had the same symptoms. I call it a "sleepy eye" look. His lids are nearly closed and he can't seem to hold them open. When I mentioned it to Dr. Silverman, he said it was because the radiation beam concentrates on an area that is so close to the vision center. It was most likely causing some swelling and should return to normal as the swelling subsides now that the radiation has stopped.

Over the weekend, John looked better in the morning after he had some rest, but later in the day, the "sleepy eye" look was very pronounced. The picture above is how he looks pretty much all the time, now. I hope it does get better as the swelling subsides.

So, the question on everyone's mind is: did the radiation work? Is the tumor gone or at least has it stopped growing? Well, they wait 6-8 weeks after the end of radiation to do any more diagnostics to find out those answers. We have an MRI scheduled for the end of January to find out what affect the radiation had on this tumor. Fortunately, with Christmas and the New Year, the time should go fairly quickly. Meanwhile, we have two hours a day that we haven't had for the last six weeks. We hope to get some Christmas stuff done, catch up on schoolwork, work on speech and debate and 4-H Art, which has been a bit neglected during the last six weeks. Personally, I need to get the baby on a schedule and the toddler potty-trained. No rest for the weary!

Thanks again for all your prayers!

"I Told You I Was Tired of Shopping!"

2008-11-09T07:42:00.000-05:00

This John story is a classic. When John was four years old, we were at our tiny rural mall in Bloomsburg, PA looking for a suit for Mick for his First Communion. I had all six kids with me, ages 1 (Maggie) to 12 (Joe). We were in the Sears, made our purchases and went out to ride the little mall mechanical ponies. It was then I realized John was missing. I told Joe to keep the rest of the kids together and frantically began looking through Sears, then the toy store, then I went to Mall security. We had that whole mall looking for John. Fortunately, it was a small mall and in the middle of the day in the middle of the week, not too crowded. Still, he was nowhere to be found. The mall security officer was ready to call the police.

"Hold, on," I said, "Let me check the car." I couldn't imagine a four year old would be able to find his way out of a mall and back to the car, but John was not your average four year old. I ran out to the car and opened the door. There was John sitting in the back seat.

"John! What are you doing here?" I yelled. "We've been looking all over for you!"

"I TOLD you I was tired of shopping," he said defiantly. I burst into tears and scooped him up in my arms, half scolding, half crying in relief. It was only then he realized the seriousness of what he had done.

When we got back in the mall, the security officer asked John how he found his way to the car. He said, "You have to follow the tiles, because if you go on the carpet, it goes the wrong way." Not your average four year old, indeed.

So tomorrow starts our treatments again. Bob got back from Mexico and even took Friday off. He took John to treatments and to speech and debate. I didn't have to go anywhere. I was thrilled to stay home.

A Break...Sort of!

2008-11-06T12:58:00.000-05:00

Today started at 2:30 am. Thomas needed some nursing then, right after he was finished, the alarm sounded at 3 am. It was time to take Maggie to meet her ride in Indianapolis that would take her to Rhode Island for a five day long retreat with her sister, Mary, and the other girls discerning a religious vocation at Immaculate Conception Academy. Maggie couldn't think or talk about anything else but this trip for weeks! She must have started packing weeks ago, too, because when she brought the bags out to the car there were three backpacks, two canvas totes, her duffle bag, two pillows, coats, hoodies, and her lunch, too. Talk about being prepared!

Anyway, I returned to Louisville just in time to take John for his treatment. I was going to have to take all the little guys because Maggie usually babysits them, but as I was getting everyone together to leave, Mick came home from Mass and offered to take John since he doesn't have classes until this afternoon. What a good son. Bless him.

Anyway, we found out yesterday that they won't do a repeat MRI until about 8 weeks after the treatments are finished, so we have a ways to go before we find out if they worked. But with all the prayers coming our way, I have complete hope and faith that they will.

Today Bob returns from Mexico, so we are all looking forward to seeing him. He was gone for a week, but the trip was worth it. On All Saints' Day, he rented a car and drove to Cotija to pray at Father Maciel's tomb. God is good! All the time!

Half-way There

2008-11-05T13:12:00.000-05:00

John just finished treatment #16 out of 27-30 total treatments, so we are half-way finished. More than that if Dr. Silverman decides he only needs 27 treatments. It sounds like he wants John to do the full 30 treatments, though. John still hasn't had any major side effects to the radiation. This week, he said he had a loss of appetite, but my guess is it is because of Halloween candy rather than radiation. Fortunately, the Halloween candy is almost gone and hopefully the hyperactivity along with it. While Bob was gone this week, the children seemed even more energetic than usual. They get very excited about Halloween and All Saints Day and then pumped on sugar. Don't worry, they'll calm down just in time for Christmas!

Today's John story is one of my favorites. It is a little embarrassing for him, but he said I could tell it, so it's all good. A couple of years ago, I was taking a bunch of girls to the Ancora retreat in Rhode Island for their November retreat. There I met a lady from Ohio who had also brought some girls for the retreat. When we met, she told me she had just gotten back from a boys' retreat in Indiana. I told her that I also had a son on that retreat. She asked his name and when I told her, she got the funniest look on her face.

"You're John's mother?"

"Yes," I answered hesitantly. Then she began to laugh.

"We were having Holy Hour and benediction the last day of the retreat and John got up in th e middle of the Holy Hour to go to the bathroom. You know how the retreat center walls are just drywall to partition off the bathroom, sleeping area and chapel. Well, while he was in the bathroom, he started singing, "Immaculate Mary" at the top of his lungs! The boys were looking at each other and trying to stifle chuckles. Finally, after two full verses, one of the moms went over and tapped on the door tell John to pipe down."

At this point, I am laughing so hard, tears are coming out of my eyes. "That's my John!" I said.

The other mom was laughing too. "The thing is," she said, "he knew every word of Immaculate Mary! He didn't get one wrong."

Seriously, there were times when John's uniqueness would have embarrassed me. Now I realize was a gift this true individualist is. Thanks for the prayers!

The Baptism of Fr. Luie

2008-11-01T08:43:00.000-04:00

Happy All Saints Day!

We had a fresh newly ordained priest, his first assignment, when we were parishioners at St. Joseph's in Danville, PA. Fr. Luis Rodriguez was a big, black, Puerto Rican priest who loved children, loved the faith, and had boundless energy. When John was born he baptized him John Paul, but always called him Johannes Paulus, after John's namesake, John Paul II.

One day, when John was only a couple of months old, we were in the parish hall for a function when Fr. Luie walked in. He picked up the baby and started swinging him around. "How is my Johannes Paulus today?" he bellowed.

"Careful, Father, he just ate," I warned.

"My Johannes Paulus wouldn't spit up on me," he said as the baby went up and down in his arms. Then Fr. Luie put John over his shoulder to hug him. Two seconds later, John Paul was back in my arms as Fr. Luie looked at the white stain down the length of his dry-clean only, full-length black cassock! I guess John figured Fr. Luie had baptized him, so turnaround was fair play! In fact, I think it was the first time John was telling us he wanted to be a priest like Fr. Luie. He would verbalize it more elequently in years to come.

In fact, we just saw Fr. Luis Rodgriguez again a couple of months ago, although he didn't see us. We were staying in a hotel for Elizabeth's solemn renewals and watching EWTN, which we don't get at home. There on the screen was Fr. Luie giving a little catechism on marriage! Next time we see him, I expect it will be a picture in the paper saying he's been made bishop!

Action Packed Day

2008-10-31T06:45:00.000-04:00

I know some of you visiting here and praying for John may not know him very well. John was always the child that was different from the others. He is number five out of ten and when he came along, I thought I had this parenthood thing all figured out. Boy, was I wrong! My mother in law said it well when John was still small: "He just loves life!"

We frequently tell what Elizabeth calls, "John stories." Some are funny, some are embarrassing and all are uniquely John. My favorite one is the "The Most Action Packed Part of Our Day" story.

Once, when John was about 11 years old, we were attending a homeschool get together at "The Farm," a retreat center in Bloomington run by the Franciscan Friars of the Immaculate. First we celebrated Mass in their beautiful little chapel. Fr. Michael, the young prior of the small friary, was the celebrant. Afterwards, the friars gave a little catechism lesson to the children and then played games on the property. After the lesson, Fr. Michael comes up to me with this "John story." He said that John had approached him after Mass and said," Thanks Father for saying Mass for us."

"Sure, John, no problem."

"Yeah," John says, "It is the most action-packed part of our day."

"Oh?" says Father.

"Yeah," John pauses. "Just think about it, you lift the bread up and Jesus comes down from heaven and turns the bread into his body and then the wine into his blood. It's the most action-packed part of our day."

"Well, I never really thought of it that way before, John," replies Father.

"Yeah, I didn't used to either," John says as he walked away.

This story really showed me that John sees things from a unique perspective. If you ever need someone to think outside the box...John is your man! Thanks for your prayers. God bless, Joan

Bob's Gone, Joe's Home

2008-10-30T07:27:00.000-04:00

Sometimes our house is like a revolving door. This week Bob left for Mexico for a week. Trying to make your GE refrigerators even better than ever....maybe they would be better if he spoke Spanish??? Right before Bob left, Joe came home for a visit. So nice to see him. He'll graduate in December and then we may not see him for a while, or everyday, depending on his job situation!

We saw Dr. Silverman again yesterday after John's 11th treatment. John said he was having some balance issues...just disorientation and unsteady gait. But for John, that isn't too far out of the ordinary. Dr. Silverman just told him to keep an eye on it. They are looking for brain swelling as a result of the radiation and would want to take care of that immediately with steroids. John's thinking: great! muscles finally! No, John, not that kind of steroids!

We've had a busier week than usual. We dressed as saints and visited the Little Sister's of the Poor nursing home on Monday. There, the residents give the children candy, which they love, of course. Tuesday was Thomas' first well visit with immunizations. They add a new shot every time I have a baby! Poor Thomas was so cranky yesterday and the children were so wound up on candy, excitement about having their brother home and halloween coming up that I thought the house would literally burst with the noise and commotion...oh, no, wait, that was my head.

Again, thanks for the prayers! God bless, Joan

A Day of Blessings and Prayers

2008-10-26T17:26:00.000-04:00

Well, after eight treatments, John is doing well. We don't know yet if the tumor has stopped growing or, God willing, shrunk.

Yesterday, we had the best physical manifistations of your prayers. First, a lovely family from church gave John a jar of candy corn. The Mullanys, a family of six children who we are blessed to know, put a candy corn in the jar every time they said a prayer or made a sacrifice for John and his treatment. Then they gave John the jar. I told John he had to say a prayer for the Mullanys every time he ate a candy corn!

Then, in the mail, we got a beautiful note from the president of Mater Ecclessiae College, where Elizabeth receives her formation along with about 130 other consecrated women of Regnum Christi. Luly Fernandez, the consecrated who heads up the college, sent a first class relic of St. Rafael Guizar Valencia, the saintly bishop of Veracruz and uncle of Fr. Maciel. This was such an unexpected blessing. We were thrilled and happy to ask the saintly bishop's intercession in reducing the size of John's tumor. Luly is now in Mexico for her home visit and promised to pray for John at the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe and at Fr. Maciel's tomb, also.

We are so very grateful to the Mullanys, Luly and the consecrated women, the pre-candidates at Immaculate Conception Academy, and all the prayers of friends, families, homeschool groups, our parish and so much more. Know that we pray for all of you, also.

Blessings, Joan

Week of Radiation

2008-10-22T08:52:00.000-04:00

Well, you would think that my life consists of running to Louisville everyday (40 minutes drive; if there is no traffic), and you would be right! But it is so much more! Crying babies, changing diapers, homeschooling, filling orders and answering the phone. The trip to Louisville is actually a small oasis in the crazyness where John and I listen to books on tape, arrive at the Brown Cancer Center at the Univ. of Louisville Medical complex, get free parking, free coffee, free lollipops and very efficient service! John is usually in and out of there in 20 minutes. We are home in about two hours, where the crazyness awaits us once again!

The radiology doctor, Dr. Silverman, is very pleased with John's lack of side effects to the radiation. John himself is getting quite comfortable with the process, saying he almost fell asleep yesterday during the procedure. Of course, he was up early so he could finish his schoolwork before he went to radiation (10:20 am everyday M-F). The Brown Cancer Center called about 9 am saying that the machine wasn't operating correctly so could we come in at 4:15 instead. John lamented that he got up early for nothing!

We don't know if the tumor has shrunk yet. We may get an update today with a repeat CT scan. I'm still concerned about John's eyes. The same "sleepy eye" look that prompted me to call the doctor in the first place two weeks ago seems the same or a little worse. His far vision and depth perception/peripheral vision seems worse, too. He is reading fine, though, which, to him, is all that matters. His sister, Mary, gave him a book for his birthday (Sept 13) called Eregon and now he is on book 2; Eldest. Too bad he doesn't read the Iliad which was assigned for his Greek Literature course, with the same gusto!

I'll post again soon. Thanks for reading and thanks for your prayers. We are uplifted by them and can feel them supporting our whole family. God bless.

Three down, twenty four or so to go!

2008-10-18T09:32:00.000-04:00

John has had three out of his scheduled 27 radiation treatments and is doing well, so far.

We had good news and bad news yesterday. We went to the pediatric chemo doctor first thing in the morning and waited about 2 1/2 hours to see the doctor. She was going to put him on the oral chemo drug and needed to counsel us about the effects and dosage, etc. Well, after being there for several hours, a doctor who was substituting for the regular doctor walked in and talked to us about the drug. Then she seemed confused, walked out for ten minutes and when she came back said that the regular doctor had decided not to use any chemo on John at all. She wanted to save any chemo in case the radiation didn't work. So that was the good news, of which we are very grateful that John doesn't have to do chemo. The bad news was the hours wasted in a doctor's office in a visit we didn't have to make! It also made us late for our radiation appointment, which was several blocks away, and late for speech and debate, which is four hours every other Friday afternoon.

John is so grateful, though, that he didn't have to swallow a pill. He was actually dreading that more than having the beneath the skin chemo delivery system or the radiation or hair falling out or anything. He is such a unique character that he dreaded swallowing the pill more than anything else! God came through and answered his prayers, though, and he doesn't have to swallow the pill.

I do want to apologize to anyone coming to this blog wanting more ideas on American Catholic History. I'll get back to that topic soon, I promise. Meanwhile, a prayer for John and our family is greatefully accepted and appreciated.

Update on John

2008-10-16T13:51:00.000-04:00

John has been to radiation twice so far. He'll start the oral chemo drug next week. The radiation was quick and painless, but he seemed a little unsteady on his feet today when he got back to the waiting room. A candy bar later and he had more color in his cheeks and seemed his old sef...picking on little brother, Mark, who came with us just to be awed by the giant fish tank in the waiting room.

In the picture at left, John is in the striped shirt with sisters Beth, Maggie and Theresa and baby Thomas.

Thanks for your prayers one and all! I'll keep you appraised of John's progress here. God bless, Joan

Prayers for my son, John

2008-10-09T16:53:00.000-04:00

We just found out that John's brain tumor (a tectal glioma) has grown 40% over the last few months. He'll begin radiation next week, five days a week for six weeks. Please keep him and our whole family in your prayers.

Too long...sorry!

2008-08-28T19:56:00.000-04:00

So sorry it has been so long since the last post. Sleepless nights, a beautiful solemn renewals for my daughter, a baptism and now a new year of Little Flowers and Blue Knights has left the last month a complete blurr.

This picture of little Cecelia and baby Thomas is a good reason to always have a camera ready! We are getting along day by day and Thomas is growing like a weed already!

I'll post again, soon, I promise!

Thomas Benedict

2008-07-26T10:28:00.000-04:00

Here's a picture of Thomas with his older sister, Mary. Mary was able to be home for the baby's birth and held him as much as she could before she went back to school. Everyone loves a new baby in the house!

Arrived!

2008-07-25T12:16:00.000-04:00

Thomas Benedict Stromberg arrived on July 17th at 5:11 pm. He weighed in at 8 lbs 2 oz and 20 1/2 inches long. He has a lot of black hair and dark eyes. He evened things five boys and five girls meaning we have a total of 100 fingers and 100 toes!

The kids all adore him and mom and baby are doing well and looking forward to getting back into the swing of things. Thanks for all your prayers for a healthy delivery. Our Lady of Mt. Carmel kept us under her mantle the whole time.

Almost There!

2008-07-05T09:41:00.000-04:00

I've been so preoccupied with producing new products (including baby #10) that I've neglected the blog. So sorry! Keep checking the website: www.eccehomopress.com for the product updates and I'll announce baby in the next two weeks or so.

We don't know if this is a boy or a girl, but we have five girls and four boys, so most are rooting for a boy to even things up. I'm scheduled to be induced on July 16th, the Feast of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, if I don't go into labor before then (very slim chance I will...I never have gone into labor on my own).

Please say a prayer for a safe and quick delivery! Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, Pray for Us!

See you in Michigan!

2008-06-16T11:18:00.000-04:00

Hi all,

Ecce Homo Press will be in Lansing, Michigan for the Catholic homeschool conference this weekend, June 20-21st. Stop by and say "hi" to my summer intern, Julia Fahy while you're there. I'm staying home with my feet up for the last few weeks before baby arrives.
Stop by and ask Julia about our new products, especially the Little Women Hospitality Program. She'll have samples of the manuals and charms, too.

Don't forget to get your supplies for the coming year. Buy them at the conference and not only will you save on shipping, you'll get an extra 15% off the retail price! It will be worth the trip...even with today's gas prices!

Thank you, Ann Ball, May you rest in peace!

2008-06-10T07:32:00.000-04:00

I just received an email from Ann Ball's children that Ann passed away from a heart attack on Sunday evening. Ann is the author of Ecce Homo Press' Jose Finds the King, a Blessed Miguel Pro Story. Ann was instramental in my own writing career. Her books on Modern Saints (volumes one and two) and Faces of Holiness (volumes one and two) were one of the first inspirations for the Glory of America Series.
Several years ago Ann contacted me to write a children's story on her favorite saint: Blessed Miguel Pro. I not only didn't know anything about Blessed Miguel Pro, but I know even less of Mexican history or even the Spanish language (Latin is my forte!). I asked Ann to write the story and I would publish it. Less than a week later, I had the story in my inbox! She was a prolific and professional writer. Her love of the Catholic faith and the lives of the saints was so evident in everything she wrote.
Last night, while I was praying for Ann's soul, I could picture her entrance into heaven, greeted by all those holy men and women she wrote about and spread devotion to. First in line, perhaps wearing a jaunty cap and smoking a cigar, was the happy martyr, Blessed Miguel Pro. Then Ann would give Bl. Miguel a high five as they both shout: Viva Cristo Rey!

See you in Indy!

2008-05-31T08:34:00.001-04:00

I'll be in Indianapolis for the Catholic Homeschool Conference June 7th. Stop by and see our new Hospitality Program, the beautiful charms, and just to say "HI!"

Also, get all your materials for the fall and save shipping AND an additional 15% off your entire order when buy it at the conference!
If you plan on doing that, shoot me a quick email (eccehomopr@aol.com) and I'll make sure I'll bring enough for your needs. Thanks! See you there!

Baby Ticker

2008-05-20T12:26:00.001-04:00

Thought this was cute! Stromberg number 10 will be welcomed sometime in July to make our own Catholic American History!

Quiz for today!

2008-05-16T09:28:00.000-04:00

We were travelling again, so I got behind on my weekly quizzes. The answer to the last one was St. John Neumann. Although Mother Seton is credited with having the first Catholic school in America, St. John Neumann, while bishop of Philadelphia, set up the first parochial school system that other diocese then imitated and led to our current diocesan school system.

Try your hand at today's quiz. I am fascinated by the holy people of color that have graced and inspired the Catholic Church in this country. See if you know who they are.

Come see us!

2008-05-04T09:37:00.000-04:00

Ecce Homo Press will be a vendor at the following midwest conferences:

Dayton, OH: May 16-17
Indianapolis, IN: June 7
Lansing, MI: June 20-21

Look for us and come by and say "HI!" We have some special conference surprises for attendees. 15% off your entire order and a preview of new and exciting products! This is a great time to get a jump start and SAVE on next fall's school year.

First Communion American History

2008-05-01T17:02:00.000-04:00

This week was my daughter, Theresa's First Communion. She was radiant as she wore her grandmother's veil from 1939. It still looked fresh and white after all these years. My sisters and I also wore the same veil for our first communions. These pictures are my mom, Maureen Smith Siewert in May, 1939; me, Joan Siewert Stromberg in May, 1969 and Theresa Stromberg, April 27, 2008. Congratulations, Theresa!

Also, today is my Joseph's birthday (and St. Joseph the Worker's Feast Day!) Happy Birthday, Joe!

Thanks for the Memories!

2008-04-22T07:32:00.000-04:00

Hopefully you all got to watch or read some of the coverage of Pope Benedict's historic visit to America. I was pleasantly surprised by the coverage. The secular media was mostly positive! How often has that happened when covering anything to do with the Catholic Church? Most people got the last two quiz answers correct...the four diocese that were celebrating their 200th anniversary were: Boston, Philadelphia, New York and Louisville (which was originally Bardstown). Mother Theodore Guerin, who started the Sisters of Providence in Terre Haute, IN, was the only American citizen to be canonized by Pope Benedict XVI...so far.

Try your hand at this weeks quiz and pray that the Holy Father's words last week inspire Americans for a long time to come!

Getting to see the Holy Father!

2008-04-12T20:59:00.000-04:00

America is getting ready for Benedict XVI's visit and both my daughters in Rhode Island were able to get tickets to go see the Holy Father in New York! Mary Rose (L, age 15) and Elizabeth (R, age 20) will go with their school and fellow consecrated members of Regnum Christi. It should be a great experience for both of them.

My husband, Bob and I were fortunate enough to attend Mass with the Holy Father, John Paul II in Oriole Park in Baltimore in 1995. It was a great experience and one that I'll always remember. Please pray for the Holy Father's visit, and my daughters while during the next few days. Thank you!

Benedict XVI visit to the US

2008-04-08T09:05:00.001-04:00

Although this may or may not give you the answer to this week's quiz, this site from Pflaum publishing is a great teaching tool for primary and intermediate grades for the Holy Father's upcoming visit to the US. It has stories, word games, quizzes and activities to help the kids (and moms) get excited about the Pope's visit.

New Week, New Quiz

2008-04-07T07:08:00.000-04:00

This week's quiz was a lot easier and many of you knew the answer. St. John Neumann was a German (actually, he was Bohemian, like my grandmother) immigrant who came to this country after going through seminary in his native land but wasn't ordained because there were already too many priests! He walked and hitched rides from Germany to France where he used his last cent to take a boat to the United States hoping that the Bishop of New York would ordain him. He gladly did and immediately sent him to the vast parish of Western New York near Buffalo. This is the setting for my Glory of America book, Thomas Finds a Treasure, a St. John Neumann Story. By the way, Thomas' last name in the book is Hrody, my grandmother's maiden name.

Fr. John Neumann eventually joined the Redemptorists, lived in Pittsburgh (with Blessed Francis Seelos), Baltimore and eventually was named Bishop of Philadelphia. He is known for starting the Catholic diocesan school system, the 40 hours devotion in the US, and encouraging the formation of new religious institutions like the Sisters of Providence, founded by Blessed Mother Mary Lange.

He collapsed on a street corner in Philadelphia in 1860 while delivering a new chalice to the post office to be sent to one of his outlying parishes. He died the same day.

Visit his shrine if you are ever in Philadelphia. It is well worth the trip.

Catholic High School--1926

2008-04-03T12:22:00.000-04:00

I'm STILL researching a book centered on St. Mother Theodore Guerin's foundation at St. Mary's of the Woods in Terre Haute, IN. I found this great yearbook from 1926 that I wanted to share with you. The yearbook is called, "Les Bois" or The Woods. The name reflects the name of St. Mary's as well as the French heritage of the school. The picture copied is of the club Children of Mary, Virginia Reiss, President.

The description of the club on page 113 says: "The Children of Mary has ever been oneof the foremost and exclusive religious societies of the College. In return for the honor bestowed upon them, Mary's children endeavor to keep their hearts unsullied, and to cultivate the virtues of their divine Mistress, charity and piety."

Other pictures in the book include a beautiful May Crowning and songs and poetry to our Lady. Although I'm looking at setting my upcoming book many years before this yearbook was published, I used it to see the foundation in which the school was built. The pride in the school is very evident as are the Catholic roots strongly associated to Our Blessed Mother and the refined French heritage.

Quiz Answer-1st American Citizen Saint

2008-03-30T07:55:00.000-04:00

Congrats to both of you who got the right answer in our American History Quiz! The correct answer to the question: Who was the first American Citizen to be canonized? is St. Frances Xavier Cabrini. Mother Cabrini came to this country in 1890 from Italy. She was made an American citizen in 1907 and died in 1917. She was canonized thirty years later.

Most of you answered "Elizabeth Seton" and although Mother Seton was the first native born American to be canonized, she wasn't canonized until 1975 in anticipation of the country's bicentennial.

If you want to know more about Mother Cabrini and her contribution to American Catholic history, read The Orphans Find a Home, a St. Frances Xavier Cabrini Story.

New Book by Ann Ball

2008-03-29T17:19:00.000-04:00

Here's a new book by EHP author Ann Ball that would be a great resource for homeschooling moms looking for some supplemental crafts. Click on the book for ordering information from Our Sunday Visitor. For some great exerpts from the book, go to Ann Ball's website.
Ann wrote Jose Finds the King, a Blessed Miguel Pro Story which is part of the Glory of America Series. This is a great children's story about Ann's favorite saint. This is also a great First Communion story perfect for boys. Click here for ordering information.

Edible Spring Craft

2008-03-26T11:58:00.000-04:00

I'm currently researching a book based at St. Mary's of the Woods in Terre Haute, IN. Many of you probably already know that our latest canonized American started the Sisters of Providence there in the 1840's. Mother Theodore Guerin came from France to found her new order and girls' school which still stands in a beautiful park-like setting in Terre Haute. (St. Mary's of the Woods College - Sisters of Providence, St. Mary's of the Woods )

Mother Theodore used the symbol of the white violet, which grew abundently in the woods of Western Indiana, to symbolize her new school. Along with the violet she gave the school the motto: Truth and Virtue United. I know my violets are about to bloom all over my yard, so I dug out this recipe to make a beautiful and yummy treat with the kids:

Candied Pansies or Violets

Ingredients: 1 egg white

violets or pansies

fine granulated sugar

Directions: Whip one egg white until it is frothy but does not stand in peaks. Gather unblemished violiets or pansies and their leaves; wash them gently and quickly in cold water and drip dry. When completely dry, dip each violet or leaf in the egg white and roll it quickly in fine sugar to coat evenly, taking care not to get the sugar on too thickly. Lay out on waxed paper to dry. In 12-24 hours, the blossoms will be quite crisp and can keep for several weeks without losing fragrance or flavor. Store in an airtight container, layered between wax paper.

These delicate edible confections can be used as decorations on cakes or simply put out for nibbling.

Happy St. Pat's Day, Ven. Michael McGivney!

2008-03-17T08:26:00.000-04:00

This post is dedicated to my dear husband, Bob, who has been a Knight of Columbus for nearly 30 years.......

Vatican declares Knights of Columbus founder "venerable"
Fr. Michael J. McGivney would be first American-born priest to be declared a saint

New Haven, CT - March 16, 2008 - Pope Benedict XVI Saturday approved a decree recognizing the heroic virtue of Father Michael J. McGivney, founder of the Knights of Columbus. The pope's declaration significantly advances the priest's process toward sainthood and gives the parish priest the distinction of "Venerable Servant of God." If canonized, Fr. McGivney would be the first American born priest to be so honored.

"All of us who are members of the Knights of Columbus are profoundly grateful for this recognition of the holiness of our founder," said Supreme Knight Carl Anderson. "The strength of the Knights of Columbus today is a testament to his timeless vision, his holiness and his ideals."
Worried about the religious faith and financial stability of immigrant families, Father McGivney founded the Knights of Columbus with the help of several men of St. Mary's Parish in New Haven in 1882 to help strengthen the faith of the men of his parish and to provide financial assistance in the event of their death to the widows and orphans they left behind. He was also known for his tireless work among his parishioners.
Born in Waterbury, Conn., Aug. 12, 1852, Michael Joseph McGivney, was the first of Patrick and Mary (Lynch) McGivney's 13 children, six of whom died in infancy or early childhood. His parents, natives of Ireland, had immigrated to the United States during the 19th century. Patrick was a molder in a Waterbury brass mill, where Michael himself worked for a brief time as a child to help support his family.
From an early age, however, he realized a calling to the Catholic priesthood. After studying in several seminaries, he was ordained in that Baltimore's historic Cathedral by Cardinal James Gibbons Dec. 22, 1877. He took up his first assignment, as curate at St. Mary's Church, New Haven, Conn., Jan. 2, 1878. Father McGivney was named pastor of St. Thomas Church in Thomaston, Conn. in 1884. He became seriously ill with pneumonia in January 1890, and died Aug. 14, 1890 at age 38.
The cause, or process, for Father McGivney's sainthood, was opened by Hartford Archbishop Daniel A. Cronin, in December 1997. The cause was presented to the Vatican in 2000, where it has been under review by the Congregation for the Causes of Saints. With the pope's recent decree, and the authentication of a miracle at Father McGivney's intercession, the priest could be beatified. A second miracle would be required for canonization.Still maintaining its headquarters in New Haven, the Knights of Columbus is the world's largest Catholic Fraternal Organization with more than 1.7 million members in the United States, Canada, Mexico and Central America, the Caribbean islands, the Philippines, Guam and, most recently, Poland.

LINKS:

McGivney Guild website:
http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=0015wo_THr2bzND6qtD7RCxrS3-PCgDSfp9ExsgFivuo4_OFHzHt2tOvRZJOqF_Zwv5zgncEgqljuLfcrl0M_zb1Sora-aCLfUCchkGg1VteWlDiGbw0FGljEXyvtMHYT_kwcBt8WscpqNHwwaw9rKJZg==

Join the McGivney Guild:http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=0015wo_THr2bzOlcsm962p0RBHAWMJPJYxteHShH9UJYx1R7jB-9Hp788zAsWvMhZJzVsNCWFrwHahK24sVEmZ3cNOvxxzlINfwzDwndS9IyHymuwm-671Nf_q_7iolMPAxWiYPmILu5Oz76XAbT_vf8NcfOvSJgqi23b7kAbd5y3GP-3zClkjYhpSY29DdgslJ-e6vxPVy9r5ruPf0XeYkQskaUrVefJDV

When in Memphis, Visit Maureen!

2008-03-14T09:19:00.000-04:00

Maureen Wittmann, EHP author of For the Love of Literature will be in Memphis this weekend at the Catholic homeschool conference there. If you are in the area, don't miss her talks and stop by the table and say, "HI." Oh, and if you don't already have her fantastic book on teaching core subjects through literature, pick up a signed copy while you are there!

New Catholic Magazine for Kids!

2008-03-11T08:24:00.000-04:00

My kids love My Friend Magazine by the Daughters of St. Paul and really missed it when it ceased publication last year. So I was thrilled to learn of this new project. At present, they are gauging interest to present possible subscription numbers to publishers. If you have a minute, click on the banner above and fill out the interest form. There is no obligation and no money involved. I'm sure they could also use your prayers for a successful apostolate!

The British are NOT Coming!

2008-03-07T09:50:00.000-05:00

Visiting Boston last week, we went to the Granary Cemetery where we had our picture taken in front of Paul Revere's grave (Mary, mom and Elizabeth). The booklet I'm holding in my hand was handed to me at the entrance to the ancient burial ground. It had interesting tidbits and facts, maps, and trivia about the graveyard. Included in the trivia under the Paul Revere page were inaccuracies in Longfellow's "The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere." Among the inaccuracies were:

*Paul Revere would never had said, "The British are coming!" because the colonists all considered themselves British citizens.

*Paul Revere didn't receive the signal in the Old North Church, but gave it.

*Paul Revere didn't finish his ride because he was taken prisoner before he reached Cambridge.

There were many more on this list that I don't recall, but after reading it to my girls, they said, "Mom, that sounds like something you would write!" I love watching a so-called "historical" movies and finding inaccuracies in the timeline or facts. (One of my favorites is in "Braveheart" where it is implied that William Wallace fathered the heir to the British throne that was born about 7 years after his death. I have long gestations, but that's ridiculous!)

Last year, I had John (then age 12) memorize the first four stanzas of "The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere." The whole thing was much more lengthy than just four stanzas (Longfellow was long-winded), but it gave hime a good feel for the material. Next one who memorizes the poem will also have to find the inaccuracies! God bless!

Boston in the Winter!

2008-03-06T13:53:00.000-05:00

I spent the last six days visiting my two daughters in Rhode Island. One is a consecrated member of Regnum Christi attending their college in Greenville, RI (http://www.materecclesiae.net/) and the other one is in her first year of discernment at Immaculate Conception Academy in Wakefield, RI (http://www.regnumchristi.org/).

Previously, when visiting my oldest daughter, Elizabeth, I had mentioned a desire to go to Boston because I had never been there and it had such a historical significance. So the two daughters conspired to get me to Boston on this trip. My biggest fear was driving a 15 passenger van in and out of the city. I grew up outside Washington, DC and whenever I visit the city, I try to take public transportation when possible. Plus, the GPS on my laptop was unavailable because of a computer malfunction, so we had to rely on maps and instinct. (how primitive!) It was actually fairly easy to maneuver in Boston and we had no problems. We even got preferential parking (but expensive) parking because of my oversized vehicle.

Anyway, we were only able to walk part of the Freedom Trail that weaves in and out of the city blocks of old Boston. Along our stop were some of the oldest cemeteries I had ever seen. I haven't met a historian that doesn't like cemeteries. That grave is a tangible connection to past events and people. We visitied the Granary Cemetery which holds the remains of the victims of the Boston Massacre, Sam Adams, Paul Revere and Ben Franklin's parents.

Other items we saw were the original painting of Washington Crossing the Delaware, the balcony where the Declaration of Independence was read (and where the Queen pardoned the colonists 200 years later), the church where Ben Franklin was baptised and the spot where the first Mass was said in Boston.

I had a great time, as my daughters knew I would. My only regret was that all the children left at home had to do schoolwork using books instead of sharing this great field trip with me. Oh, well, maybe we'll go back in May for Mary's Confirmation and count it as a school day.

Hard Core Hardtack

2008-02-27T15:08:00.000-05:00

Maggie, 11 next week, is going through the book "Civil War for Kids." This week, she made "hardtack" a staple in the Civil War soldier's diet. Not surprisingly, the hardtack came out hard as a rock and nearly inedible by our fast-food standards. Theresa, her 7 year old sister, sprinkled hers with salt and said it tasted better. I suppose the taste (or lack thereof) grows on you, but it impressed the girls that soldiers ate this for days on end, if they were lucky. Sometimes it was moldy hardtack!

If you have this book, you can follow the recipe on page 81. We modified it a bit because the children didn't want to eat it after it was made, fresh or moldy, so my suggestion would be:

1 cup flour

1/2 cup water

1/2 tsp salt

Mix well and knead dough for about a minute. Flatten biscuit size wafers with your hand and poke with a fork. Bake on cookie sheet for 20 to 25 minutes in a 350 degrees.

Enjoy it as much as a Civil War Soldier!

The Snakes Come to America!

2008-02-24T19:21:00.000-05:00

Have you seen the media coverage about the big bad Catholic Church telling civil government when they should hold their St. Patrick's Day celebrations this year? It so happens that St. Patrick's Day will fall on Monday of Holy Week, and, as always, Holy Week takes precedence over general memorial days, including St. Patrick's Day. So the bishops have asked municipalities to move St. Patrick's Day before Holy Week. Most have complied, but what blew me away was a poll attached to the story on AOL where they asked if reader's agreed with the Church in asking to move the festivities. A whopping 80% said that the Church should not have the right to ask municipalities to move the St. Patrick's Day Festivities! Do most of these readers not know what a saint is and how saints became saints? It wasn't because they drove snakes into the sea, but because they followed Christ in living their lives in heroic virtue.

As a Catholic of Irish descent, I love the Irish saints: Patrick, Bridget, Kevin, etc. As an American of Irish descent, I hold in great esteem those Irish-Americans whose causes for canonization have been opened: Fulton Sheen, Solanus Casey, and Father Michael McGivney, founder of the Knights of Columbus. I was once blessed with hearing Archbisop Fulton Sheen speak when I was a teenager. I wonder what that "great communicator" would say to a YouTube audience of AOL readers who responded to that poll. Would he have convinced them of St. Patrick's true mission and that it should be their mission, too? Would he have used an electronic blackboard, a blog, a website, to get the message of the Gospel to his fellow Americans?

I think, in preparation for St. Patrick's Day, I'll do a little lesson on Archbishop Sheen and how he used the media to spread the Gospel. I think we'll make some Colcannon, too. This recipe is in "Fun with the Orphans," and if you don't have it or haven't ever made colcannon, you might be in for a tasty traditional Irish treat.

Colcannon

(serves 8-10)

8 potatoes peeled and diced

1/2 head cabbage, shredded

butter, salt, pepper, onion powder

Boil potatoes until soft. Mash. Add butter, salt, pepper and onion powder to taste. (my kids don't like onion bits in their food!). Steam cabbage until tender. Add to mashed potatoes. You can always add bits of ham, too.

Enjoy!

First Hand WW2 POW Account

2008-02-23T08:51:00.000-05:00

Our local paper, The Louisville Courier-Journal, doesn't have a lot that I like to read, but my favorite section is the Oldham County pull out that comes every Thursday. This week had an amazing first hand account of a local resident who was taken prisoner by the Germans in the Battle of the Bulge. The Germans marched 1000 prisoners at a time deep into German territory toward work camps. There weren't many guards, but the prisoners really had no where to go, so they stuck together. Since this was near the end of the war, Allied planes would fly overhead and "strafe" the groups of a thousand thinking they were German troops. In order to avoid this, the POW's would run into a nearby field and form "USPW" with their bodies so that the planes wouldn't bother them!

When they got to the work camp, they were "processed": name, rank and serial number. According to the Geneva Convention, officers were not required to do physical labor, so many of the soldiers gave themselves promotions. The guy filling out the required information before him, gave himself a promotion to sergeant. When he handed the pen to his buddy, it was out of ink, so he remained a private and stayed at the work camp. He said it saved his life. Since the officers weren't required to work, they were marched back and forth across Germany until many of them died. His budy, the new sergeant, was a strapping 200+ 6 foot 2 man when he was captured. He lost 100 pounds in his few months as a sergeant.

Work detail meant fixing the damage caused by allied bombs mostly done to the rail lines. Their camp was outside the town, so when the town was bombed, they were out of the danger zone, but had to walk through the new devestation every morning toward the railyards. He said he never seen such devestation. People walking around dazed not knowing where to go or what to do.

My kids (and me, too) were fascinated by this first hand account of the war. John, my 13 year old, just finished "The Rise and Fall of Adolf Hitler" (Landmark book, I believe) so this was really good timing to be able to put this type of account to a local face and name. I love this kind of history. It really makes it come alive. Do you have any WW2 vets near you? John is so outgoing, he wanted to talk to this guy. Perhaps I'll make that his next assignment....hmmm...interview a WW2 vet and write an article about it. What do you think?

American Catholic History

2008-02-22T16:49:00.000-05:00

I love American History and I love uncovering what Catholics have contributed to American History. In my research, I've uncovered some interesting stuff that may or may not be in your children's history books (or any other history books, either!) Catholics have made HUGE contributions in our country's history and the evidence is all around us, even if it isn't always accredited to our Faith.

Here in the Archdiocese of Louisville, we are celebrating our 200th Anniversary. This is a rich Catholic heritage state, depsite being set in the south. I've been doing some research on the archdiocese (originally the diocese of Bardstown). I'll be posting some of my findings here as I read more about the fascinating history. Feel free to add your own interesting tidbits from Louisville or anywhere else!

God bless, Joan