White House Milestone

Washington, D.C., received its most distinguished resident for the first time 225 years ago when President John Adams arrived to live in what is now the White House, on November 1, 1800.  This milestone anniversary reminds me of the importance of this building for both its role in our government and how it presents our nation as a whole to the world stage.

I have been inside the White House twice.  Back in 1999, when our family had a spring break trip to Washington, D.C., we got timed tour tickets to go inside.  5 years later, we got access into the White House during a short trip there in December 2004 and we saw the special decorations in place.  20 years later, I was in the Washington, D.C., Metro Area again for time with family in December 2024.  I met a family that went to the White House grounds to see a display of trees for all 50 states, and I took a cue from them and went to see the displays myself.

The White House is not just the residence and workplace of the President of the United States, but also is a living display of who we are as a country, collecting a treasure trove built by each President of items that speak to the USA.  The White House Historical Association does a great job stewarding the history and treasures of the White House, as I've seen through its various offerings, especially on YouTube.

The day after arrival, President Adams wrote to his wife in a letter, "I Pray Heaven To Bestow The Best Of Blessings On This House And All that shall hereafter Inhabit it. May none but Honest and Wise Men ever rule under This Roof.”  This quotation is now on a mantel in the White House.  May we continue to pray that wise and honest men may humbly acknowledge the important role they take in the office housed in this building.

Dear 1036: The Market and Confirmation Celebration at Home

Dearly Beloved 1036,

October 2025 is a special month.

The 50th Season of the Oak Park Farmers' Market concluded on Saturday.  Since I was little, I enjoyed going to the Market and coming home with goods, like the renowned donuts.  I also enjoyed going there to get apples and a pumpkin to carve toward the end of the season.  More recently, one product that has fascinated me is the microgreens.  After coming home from the market, I enjoyed tossing them on top of some meat and even wrapping it in a tortilla for a delicious lunch.

Also of great note this month, I celebrated the 20th anniversary of my Confirmation on October 15.  To this day, Saturday, October 15, 2005, remains one of the most important days of my life, and I have so many wonderful memories of it.

The Confirmation Mass began at 5 PM, and ended a few minutes after 7 PM.  My family decided to host a celebratory dinner back at home for everyone who came.  Dad, Uncle Bernie, Grandma Vel, Grandpa Jose, and I went to the reception after Mass to get pictures with Bishop Kane and enjoy some treats.  Mom, Grandma Dottie, Aunt June, and Eric returned home.  Eric went to DiNico's to pick up a large pizza, probably the stadium size.  We also had a large pot of soup from a starter mix.

I got many wonderful gifts.  On Dad's prompting, he and Mom got me a book of Bible verses for teens.  Abuela/Grandma Vel and Abuelo/Grandpa José offered me some wonderful gifts, including art images.  The Gospel reading for that weekend's Sunday liturgy, which was used at Mass, was the story of when important religious figures tried to trap Jesus by asking Him if it was lawful to pay the tax or not.  Abuelo gave me a card with an image of a painting of this story.  I keep it in the Bible I got as a gift upon completing Religious Education toward the end of 8th grade at the page with Matthew 22:15-22.  Abuela gave me a hand-drawn sketch of the Holy Family.  She found it at the St. Cornelius rummage sale.  Based on the note written on back, it was given to a priest named Father George upon his ordination.  Grandma also included some Holy Spirit prayers.

The Holy Family is a model for all us for how we can grow in virtue and holiness together as a family and so live fully aware of God's presence.  What flowed forth from special divine encounters like Confirmation brought meaning to what we shared together as a family in you, 1036.

With joy in the Holy Spirit, and with gladness before and gratitude to God, I declare that you shall not fade into the background but remain deep in my heart as that dearly beloved place.

We remain ever connected:

All my relations.

God's blessings,

Paul

Continued Learning in the Spirit

As I mark the 20th anniversary of my Confirmation, I reflect on what I've continued to learn in those 20 years, especially in light of my involvement with Religious Education.

I studied the 7 Gifts of the Holy Spirit, especially through creating a scrapbook as part of preparing for Confirmation.  My understanding has deepened of those Gifts that are an important effect of Confirmation.  There are gifts that help us to be in tune with God's perspective, and those help us boldly live out our faith.

During my own preparation for Confirmation, I selected the name St. George.  In the 20 years since Confirmation, I've learned so many other amazing saint stories.  It's also inspiring to follow the causes of canonization and see the important steps unfold, like with St. Carlo Acutis, and also Blessed Father Michael McGivney, whose Beatification Mass I watched.  Another inspiring story is that of Servant of God Michelle Duppong.  These saints come from all walks of life, showing that holiness is meant universally for all, and we are called to grow in holiness wherever God places us, so that He may be magnified and glorified.

In the 20 Years with the Holy Spirit

As I reflect on the glorious encounter with God I had on Saturday, October 15, 2005, in the sacrament of Confirmation, I realize how much of a nexus point it was for me.  So much had shaped my life leading up to that moment, especially an abundant appreciation for faith that happened in middle school.  And it was clear something impactful happened.  In fact, a couple of months later, when my literature teacher, Ms. Kinnan, gave us an assignment to write about a transformative experience in my life, I jumped at the opportunity to narrate my Confirmation experience, including the preparation process.

In the 20 years since my Confirmation, so much has unfolded that has been graced by the seal of the Holy Spirit on me.

Here's a list of 20 memorable faith experiences. It's not necessarily an exhaustive list, but is what comes to my mind as I reflect:

From the day of my Confirmation, I have developed a wonderful relationship with Uncle Bernie, my sponsor.

Soon after Confirmation, I started serving as a lector.

Father Loya's Presentation at Ascension in 2007

My involvement at St. Teresa's was a tremendous blessing and included some amazing opportunities, like the Kairos Retreat and the Wilderness Retreat.

Attending Father Ted Mauch's Ordination Mass in person at the Cathedral of the Holy Angels in Gary

Attending Deacon Bob Marben's Ordination Mass in person at the Cathedral of the Holy Angels in Gary

The St. Augustine Mission Trip

It was so special to visit the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception for the first time in 2013, and I've been drawn to return regularly.

Nearby, I've appreciated the National Shrine of St. John Paul II, and I've been drawn to return regularly there.

Joining the Knights of Columbus

Attending World Youth Day 2019

Attending Real Life Catholic event with Chris Stefanick

Discovering the riches of the Theology of the Body teachings

Attending the 2023 National Catholic Singles Conference in Plymouth, MI, and other opportunities with NCSC

The National Eucharistic Congress

Pope Leo XIV's celebration at Guaranteed Rate Field

Participating in the various March for Life events in Illinois, which included serving as a marshal with fellow Knights at the 2025 Illinois March for Life in Springfield, IL.

My involvement with Religious Education has been an enormous blessing.

Joy in the Holy Spirit for 20 Years

With joy in the Holy Spirit, I celebrate the 20th anniversary of my Confirmation today.  It was a significant Kairos nexus point in my life.  My faith had been shaped in so many ways up to this moment of encountering God, and I would be sent forth from it in a powerful way.

As an initiation sacrament, Confirmation is intended to complete the grace that we receive in baptism.  As Father Hurlbert, former Ascension Parish pastor, would tell the youths preparing for Confirmation, all the baptized have an invisible tattoo on the forehead that was traced there at baptism.  As I like to extend the metaphor, that tattoo gets oiled up in Confirmation.  In this sacrament, we receive an outpouring of the Holy Spirit and His seven gifts, which empowers us to uphold the faith.

I saw a citizenship ceremony 4 weeks ago as part of the Constitution (Signing) Day festivities at the National Constitution Center.  In my career, I've had at least 2 co-workers who became naturalized citizens.  With them in mind, I thought about how naturalized citizens spend years preparing, which includes studying for an oral test on knowledge of the USA and its government.  Then comes the momentous occasion when they take the oath of citizenship, which opens up for them the great opportunity to participate in the USA and its government processes.  I had that in mind when I went to the first of a series of monthly Confirmation preparation meetings that evening.  I got to meet my new group for this year, and I encouraged them at the start of their preparation by telling them about these newly naturalized citizens.  Similarly, we all spend time preparing for Confirmation to have a grounding in faith, and then, once Confirmed, we start an amazing new life with the gifts and graces of the Holy Spirit.

For the past 11 months, I've reflected on the preparation process through short posts that focused on the various topics at those meetings:  I started an important journey in November that would make me new.  I learned about the sacraments in December.  I learned about the Creed in January.  In February, I considered service as part of Confirmation and took stock of all I had learned.  I learned about the symbolism in the Church sanctuary in March.  I considered how the Holy Spirit works in the lives of the faithful through those who shared their testimony at the April meeting.  I put my knowledge to work in completing a test in May and considered all that I learned in the process.  I reflected on faith and Scripture as it shows a picture of the Kingdom of God at the summer meeting in July.  I came to understand what Confirmation is all about at the September meeting.  And I came to realize the implications of Confirmation at the retreat in September.

Throughout the months from November to May, we had Scripture reflection sheets to complete, in which we thought in-depth about the passages of Scripture for Mass on Sundays and Holy Days.  One of the reforms of the Vatican II Council was the intention that the faithful would more actively participate in Mass.  Those Scripture reflections helped me ponder more deeply what I was hearing at Mass.  Those sheets were in a red binder that each student had.  Three years after my Confirmation, I attended the Confirmation Vigil for the 2008 group.  Mrs. Ondrla told them to keep their red binders for three years, and then, look at the Scripture reflection sheets as a way to see that while the Scripture readings remain the same in a 3-year cycle, each of us changes.  I still have my red binder with all those reflection sheets, and I read them each time the set of readings comes up again, and I can see how I have progressed in my understanding of faith since 8th grade.

So much of the Confirmation process was learning about what we believe as a Church and why it matters.  I entered into this process having been profoundly impacted by my middle school experience.  As I have mentioned before, interacting with people of other religious and cultural backgrounds at Julian Middle School caused me to turn inward and reflect more on who I am, and I appreciated who I am even more.  With a greater embrace of faith, I knew that it was meant to be something by which I would make a holy impact on the world.  While my Confirmation happened at the beginning of my high school years, it was undoubtedly shaped to be an impactful experience by what happened in middle school.  As I anticipated this anniversary today, I was so delighted that the 20th anniversary of my 8th grade graduation was on Pentecost Sunday, a celebration of the Holy Spirit's working in my life.

Clearly, Confirmation was a new beginning for me, and so much of the Mass that day and the dinner at beloved 1036 Clarence afterwards helped truly make it a time of celebration, like the choir being present to offer music and the dinner with DiNico's Pizza and soup, along with the wonderful gifts I received.  

It wasn't clear what life as a Confirmed Roman Catholic would exactly look like in the first few weeks and months.  I took important steps to make something of faith, like lectoring at Mass, which was an opportunity for me to continue building my understanding of Scripture, and share my gifts and talents.  I thank Mrs. Ondrla for giving me the opportunity to lector at two RE Masses, which then made it a good fit going forward into high school.

Then, when I went to college, I built upon my Confirmation by getting involved at St. Teresa's, and my understanding of faith got even greater.  There was so much more to learn about faith, and St. Teresa's provided a place where I could learn, and experience a community that would empower me in faith.  There's no doubt that being part of St. Teresa's was part of God's big plan for me because I was confirmed on the Feast of St. Teresa of Avila.

I developed such a vibrant faith life in college, and after graduating, as I thought about what I would do in life, I sensed teaching Religious Education would be a great way to channel the great gift of a vibrant faith and act on it by supporting youth in their journey of faith.  My involvement as a Religious Education volunteer, in the classroom, and at Confirmation preparation meetings, has been so rewarding and a tremendous blessing.

The evening before the Confirmation Mass set the tone.  There was a prayer vigil, and I wasn't expecting the Church bells to ring shortly before it started and then a procession with candles up the main aisle to the altar.  Nevertheless, it underscored what had been part of the process all along, that Confirmation would be a powerful encounter with God.  We also chanted the Litany of the Saints, an awesome reminder of our friends in Heaven, and that we share in communion with them, throughout the centuries of the Church.

The readings at the Mass were from the lectionary for the 29th Sunday of Ordinary Time in Cycle A.  The Gospel reading is from Matthew 22, when Jesus utters the profound statement, as a fine comeback to the schemings of the Jewish religious experts, "Then repay to Casear what belongs to Caesar, and to God what belongs to God".

I am in the image of God, created for His purpose.  His gifts to me in Confirmation have allowed me to be a gift.

More recently, I encountered the magnificent encyclical Dominum et Vivificantem, in which Pope St. John Paul II writes about the Holy Spirit.  Here's one sentence that stands out to me: "In our own age, then, we are called anew by the ever ancient and ever new faith of the Church, to draw near to the Holy Spirit as the giver of life."

Indeed, by my Confirmation, I was sealed in the ancient faith of the Church and I was empowered to live it anew with the very life of Christ imparted to me by the Holy Spirit.

Glory to God!

Party like it's 2005: Here I am with my Uncle Bernie, my sponsor on the left, and Bishop Kane to the right.

My Uncle Bernie and I posed by Ascension last Saturday as I approached the anniversary of my Confirmation. Thanks to fellow parishioner Clem who photographed us.

Fellow parishioner Laurie photographed me by the pew where I sat during my Confirmation Mass when I was there this morning for Mass to celebrate.

Dear 1036: Pope Francis Appearances in You

Dearly Beloved 1036 Clarence,

September 2015 was a momentous month when Pope Francis made an apostolic visit to the USA.

I watched live coverage of some events with him on the TV in the back sunroom, a TV that I still have today with me.  I was there on the morning of Thursday, September 24, with NBC to watch his speech to Congress live, the first Pope to address a Joint Session of the US Congress.  After finishing, he emerged on the Speaker's balcony to appear before the crowd gathered on the west front of the US Capitol.  It was a memorable day.

Days later, I watched live the Mass in Philadelphia at the Conclusion of the World Meeting of Families with the assembly gathered along Benjamin Franklin Parkway.  He had so many great insights in his homilies, and I remember so many wonderful words he had to say about the power of family in this homily.  Here's one part of that homily that resonated with me:

"Faith opens a 'window' to the presence and working of the Spirit. It shows us that, like happiness, holiness is always tied to little gestures. 'Whoever gives you a cup of water in my name will not go unrewarded', says Jesus (cf. Mk 9:41). These little gestures are those we learn at home, in the family; they get lost amid all the other things we do, yet they do make each day different. They are the quiet things done by mothers and grandmothers, by fathers and grandfathers, by children, by brothers and sisters. They are little signs of tenderness, affection, and compassion. Like the warm supper we look forward to at night, the early lunch awaiting someone who gets up early to go to work. Homely gestures. Like a blessing before we go to bed, or a hug after we return from a hard day’s work. Love is shown by little things, by attention to small daily signs which make us feel at home. Faith grows when it is lived and shaped by love. That is why our families, our homes, are true domestic churches. They are the right place for faith to become life, and life to grow in faith."

Yes, these words speak to what resonates so much with me about my time at you, 1036.  You were the setting for where I shared and received these gestures that showed how real God's presence and His love are in this world.

With memories grounded in such marvelous realities, I declare that you shall not fade into the background but remain deeply in my heart as that dearly beloved place.

We remain ever connected:

All my relations.

God's blessings,

With great joy, gladness, and gratitude,

Paul

The Retreat and the Encounter 20 Years Ago

The Chicago southwest suburb of Darien, IL, has a true spiritual treasure, the National Shrine of St. Therese of Lisieux.  That's where I was 20 years ago today.

My Uncle Bernie picked me up in his Jeep and we drove southwest, arriving at the Shrine there between 9-10 AM on the morning of Saturday, September 24, 2005.  We would spend a few hours there with my Confirmation group for a retreat.  He had volunteered to assist with the retreat.  Much of the past 10 months had given me the opportunity to study the faith.  This day would be a Kairos experience, when the meaning of Confirmation went from my head to my heart.

As we got settled in our space at St. Paul Hall, a fellow student, who happened to be in my small group, sitting next to my uncle, expressed some skepticism about whether or not anything meaningful would happen during this retreat.  I have a vague memory of my uncle telling her to have an open mind.

During the first two hours, we had a speaker named Mr. Johnson.  Mrs. Ondrla, the Director Religious Education, remarked that she heard him present before, and the response was so positive from the audience that she booked him well in advance--perhaps like 2 years.  His presentation had a way of drawing us into his message.

For the first hour, he used a variety of humorous anecdotes to ask us about what Confirmation is.  He even started with what he called a "traditional Catholic hymn", and then he started belting a song about respect, though not the Aretha song.  From what I remember, he got people laughing a little, including the student who had just been expressing some skepticism to my uncle.  At one point, I volunteered to go up in front for one of his demonstrations, which I can't remember fully.

After a short break, Mr. Johnson resumed his talk, and it got more serious.  He showed a 60 Minutes clip about a Scottish doctor who had a medical clinic in South America. There, he met a boy with a disfigured face and remarked that if he came to Scotland, he could the care that could help address his disfigurement.  The boy's parents got him to Scotland, and he underwent multiple surgeries to reconstruct his face.  Mr. Johnson used that as an example for what it means to serve for the good of others.  He actually got in touch with the doctor, and told him how he uses this story in his presentations.  Mr. Johnson then shared a story from his childhood when his brother stepped away from Halloween evening with his friends to help him when his got damaged and fashion a new decorative pumpkin.  Mr. Johnson said what his brother did touched him and that memory buoyed him years later when his brother had advanced stage cancer and was near the end of his life.

This moving part of the talk with these examples helped underscore the point he stated about the meaning of Confirmation:  It is a public profession that I will love others in the name of Jesus and in the communion of the saints.  It is love shown for the glory of God.

We then had lunch, which was tasty and Father Larry raved about it, particularly the fries.  We had time outside on the splendid grounds.  Back inside St. Paul Hall, we had some creative activities.  We did a sort of "human bingo" game. We also had the opportunity to create a personalized piece of a Confirmation banner.  We also wrote notes to our future selves.  I drew upon Mr. Johnson's primary point about Confirmation as something for me to remember in the future.  Then we walked to the nearby chapel.  On the way in and out, we walked past an exhibit of the life of St. Therese, which included some of her personal items.  I was especially intrigued by a hand-drawn map.  Our retreat concluded in the chapel, where we sat quietly for a short time while the instrumental version of "Amazing Grace" played.  While some others got unfocused, I felt drawn to this reflective end to our retreat, given what a powerful realization I had about the meaning of Confirmation.

Faith is a great gift that draws us into a relationship with God.  While He is unseen, we acknowledge how He is present and at work all around us.  It's in our life's circumstances that we act upon this gift of faith.  The graces of Confirmation complete what we experience in baptism so that we can put faith in action, responding to whatever circumstances we have in life to be a blessing in the world.  I had grown up thinking of love as something I experience with family.  As I reflect on this retreat, especially Mr. Johnson's presentation, I came to an enhanced understanding of love, like Bishop Barron says often in his homilies, as "willing the good of the other".  And the Holy Spirit shows us the way to meet the needs of the world and edify each other by using what we have received that it may truly be a gift, that beliefs may become action to bless the world.

4 years ago, I went to Mass at the Shrine and a fellow visit photographed me posing with St. Paul Hall in the background.