20 Highlights for the 20th Anniversary

My recent 20th anniversary celebration of my Julian 8th Grade Graduation has energized me as I realize how much I have to celebrate from those 3 years.

In keeping with the spirit of celebration, here's a list of 20 highlights from my Julian years:

One of the first aspects of the building that caught my attention was the atrium that looked upward from the first floor to the roof with a skylight.  In those early days as I adjusted, it inspired me.

I completed an essay assignment on Harriette Gillem Robinet and had the opportunity to personally interview her.

I made it to the All-School Spelling Bee all three years.

I participated in the Word Power Challenge, which I think that I did in both grades 7 and 8.

I participated in the News Bowl competition in grades 6 and 8.  It was a team effort, and both years, our News Bowl teams scored high.  I remember enjoying those January and February Tuesday mornings in grade 8 in Mr. Krapf's room looking over news articles and enjoying snacks as we prepared for the competition in March.

I was elected Student Council Co-Vice President in 7th grade.  I made a 2-minute speech that I wrote in front of a packed auditorium as part of the campaign, and I repeated in two days later.  I continued on student council as a member in 8th grade.

In 7th grade, we did a math project to calculate how much it costs to light the school building for an entire year.

I participated in the Middle School Math Event in 6th grade.  After participating in the competition, we got lunch and lots of entertainment.

Our end of the year field trip in 6th grade was Medieval Times.

In keeping with a family tradition, I served as an office helper in the first trimester of grade 8.

In 8th grade, I went on a field trip to the Chicago Auto Show, which was connected to a project we did to determine how much it would cost to have a car for an entire year.

Two days later, I went on a field trip to the Chicago Shakespeare Theater.  I think we saw A Comedy of Errors.

Going to Tommy Gun's in 8th grade was a great way to celebrate what we had been learning about the Roaring 20's.  I portrayed Calvin Coolidge, as did another classmate, Aaron.

I participated in a service project sponsored by Seguin with my classmates as we did yardwork at a home with residents supported by Seguin.

I was on the staff of the Jayhawk Flyer newspaper in 8th grade.

We watched Mr. Smith Goes to Washington 8th grade, likely a connection point to our study of the US Constitution in the first trimester.

I was the 2005 Julian National Geographic Bee champion.

I really enjoyed Arts and Culture class in grade 6, with Ms. Worley, who came from serving as the art teacher at Longfellow School.  We explored multiple cultures throughout the world during this year-long elective.

Among the many art projects I did throughout my time at Julian in various art classes, one that was most memorable was a diorama of the National Mall and its environs in Washington, D.C.

My classmates voted me the "Most Likely to Succeed" along with Emma Lewis.

Mom and I once had a conversation about that distinction many years later.  Through it, I realize that I've found success by taking what I gained in middle school and offering it in service to others, most especially in Religoius Education class.

Indeed, Julian continues to bring me joy and be a blessing.

In Memory of Pope Francis

The joyful mood of Resurrection Sunday 2025 certainly changed suddenly on Easter Monday morning, April 21, when I awoke to see multiple emails in my inbox announcing that Pope Francis had gone to the  house of the Lord.

His passing brought back numerous memories, all the way back to March 13, 2013.  I was at home on Spring Break, and I was in front of the TV watching the live proceedings of his introduction to the world.  It was the first time I had the opportunity to watch the introduction of a new Pope.  When Cardinal Bergoglio was announced, I wasn't too familiar with him.  What stood out to me was how he lead the crowd in praying for Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, and then asked the crowds to pray for him.  He would ask for prayers often, which reminded me of how Cardinal George did something similar.

During his visits to the United States and Mexico in 2015 and 2016 respectively, I followed coverage on live TV.  Particularly memorable were his address to a joint session of the US Congress and then Mass in Philadelphia at the conclusion of the World Meeting of Families.  In Mexico, I watched his arrival in Mexico City and then Mass that he celebrated in Chiapas, and part of a Mass he celebrated in Ciudad Juarez.

Then came the great opportunity to spend time with him in person at World Youth Day 2019 in Panama.  I have so many great memories, including the fruit of waiting hours alongside a road for the opportunity to see him from 15 feet away and to make eye contact with him for about 3 seconds.

During these trips, he had so many profound remarks, especially in his homilies, and from time to time, I would look at what he had to say.

This month reminds me of one memorable part of his pontificate, establishing an annual Memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church, a great gift to the Church.  After the official conclusion of the Easter Season, it's great to have a special occasion to celebrate, recognizing Mary's role in the Church her Son established.

And under her gaze he lies in repose after expressing his devotion to Our Lady by visiting her icon in the Basilica of St. Mary Major before and after all his trips, and also the day after his election.

The Joy of Julian 20 Years Later

With great joy today, I mark 20 years since my Julian 8th Grade Graduation and party like it's 2005 all over again.  More than just a ceremony to signal the end of my time as a Julian student, it was an event in which I celebrated heartily the experience at Julian and the enormously positive impact it had on me.  I have often shared how my years at Julian truly shaped me to be the person I am today.  Those years engaged my interests and talents at a high level.  They fostered in me a sense of patriotism and what it means to contribute to the USA as a citizen.  And, very importantly, those Julian years defined me in shaping my faith.  That's why I join the joy of this anniversary with today's Solemnity of Pentecost, when the reality of the Risen Christ was poured out on the Church through the descent of the Holy Spirit.

As I reflect on my years at Julian, I realize that the Holy Spirit was at work in marvelous ways within me.  More than just going to school, the Holy Spirit led me through a process of sanctification so that I would be driven to live with great purpose in my pursuits.  Even growing in knowledge and doing my civic duty came under the Spirit's power of sanctification.  And it all makes sense in light of a certain detail in Acts 2, which describes the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Church and then St. Peter's sermon about what happened to the throngs gathered.  He mentioned toward the beginning that it was 9 o'clock in the morning, the same moment each school day began at Julian, a great sign of the Holy Spirit's work in me.

Starting at Julian was particularly momentous because I was in the first group of 6th graders and on our first day of school, we walked into a brand-new building.  Even with a certain amount of anxiety I felt starting 6th grade, I think that beneath my consciousness, there was a sense of excitement starting at a new school in a newly finished building.  I would be recreating myself while the District 97 experience was undergoing a recreation with two new middle school buildings now housing grades 6-8, and my classmates and I were on the frontlines of forging a new path forward.  As the Class of 2005 upon our graduation, we distinguished ourselves as the first to attend Julian for 3 years.

During middle school, I engaged my academic interests at a higher level.  Over the past few months, I have celebrated the 20th anniversary of my participation in the National Geographic Bee.  I first became intensely interested in the subject back in 2nd grade, probably in large part owing to my teacher Mrs. LoCoco's "Where is Waldo Game?", to add to the excitement of traveling the country with the computer game, Where in the USA is Carmen Sandiego? Amtrak version.  I enjoyed learning about the subject through lots of library reading, and I came to see it as a way for me to embrace the wider world.  I'm glad the National Geographic Bee offered an opportunity for young people like me to exhibit our appreciation for the world, its cultures, and its people.  Ultimately, I wasn't just having a good time filling my head with geographical knowledge through reading and other resources.  I came to understand our world better, including places far beyond home.  And I've been able to embrace new places I go with all the travels I've done.  Participating in the competition also allowed me to go in depth with the subject beyond what happened in class.  Indeed, the competition was a culmination point that helped me see this knowledge as something purposeful, and gave me an outlet to express it, as did other competitions.

And in some respects, geographic knowledge helped me appreciate the United States as a whole, just as much as watching Liberty's Kids throughout my 6th grade school year.  Appreciating my place in this society inspired me to get involved, and I'm glad that serving on Student Council for two years gave me that outlet.  Being on the staff of the Jayhawk Flyer newspaper was also an outlet for me to channel my creative energies in writing about current events from the perspective of Julian.

Over the course of time at Julian, I saw that it had so much to offer me, especially beyond the classroom, and I enriched my experience by embracing it.

I indeed had so much to celebrate on June 8 as I concluded my time as a Julian student.  And 20 years later, I still have so much to celebrate, with the anticipation building for some time when I recognized these occasions would share the date of June 8.  Similarly, there has been a buildup to Pentecost Sunday, especially since May 30:  Leading up to Pentecost is a 9-Day Novena period.  We hearken back to the days after the Risen Christ ascended and the apostles waited for Christ's promise to be manifested.

This year, the Pentecost Novena began on May 30, and it was so fitting that I returned to Julian Middle School that day as a presenter for Career Exploration Day.  After participating as a presenter last year, I was eager to do so again in anticipation of the 20th anniversary of my graduation.  So I quickly signed up when I got an email in April inviting me to return.

Fresh back from my East Coast vacation, I was eager to relive the experience of my Julian days by walking from beloved 1036 to Julian.

Right around 11 AM, I arrived at Julian's office.  After the sign-in process, I went to the Commons for lunch, just like in my days there.  The school and its PTO provided sub sandwiches along with drinks and other snacks.  I enjoyed the company of some other presenters before we got a welcome from the organizers, Ms. Court and Ms. Barlich, who then said we could go to our rooms for set-up.  During lunch, I was glad to see my 7th grade science teacher, Mr. Vincenti, who I also saw later as I left the school.

Between 11:45 and 12:00, I left the commons and walked with upstairs to room B408 to set up, and I got helpful assistance from Paul, an IT staffperson.  Presenting in that room was special because it was in the 4th floor B-wing, where I had my 8th grade core classes.

Here I am standing in the hallway of the 4th floor B-wing of Julian where I had my 8th grade classes.  Gina, a fellow presenter across the hall and a fellow parishioner, photographed me while we had a break between presentations.

I was really in my element as a presenter because I had the chance to interact with Julian students, and it is much in line with my experience teaching middle school Religious Education.  Opportunities like these presentations reinvigorate me in what I do as I take a step back to think about the nature of my work and then share it with others.

I started my presentations by showing photos of myself from my yearbooks and even some video footage of myself from the 2005 National Geographic Bee School Round.  Then I showed how my name still lives on at Julian in the plaque for my graduation class in the first floor hallway and in a tile I had inscribed in the Julian mural outside the school building as a way for me to offer tribute to my extraordinary Julian years.  I was eager to show how connected I feel to Julian by illustrating to the students how I was once in their place.

I then shared a little about my path into librarianship as a career before illustrating what I do at work behind the scenes with the catalog, revealing the "Staff View" button in the public Aspen catalog display of the SWAN libraries which shows a MARC record, the focus of my cataloging work, and describing the process.

As an activity, I had them consider different options for how to catalog the book Mellon vs. Churchill, a book I did at work and which I had to give much thought to when deciding how to classify it.

I was intrigued to see the variety of ideas the students had as a response for where to put the book. And, of course, I enjoyed the questions the students asked me.  I was particularly delighted when a 6th grader asked me what I like most about my work.  Other students decided to jump on my points of connection with Julian and Irving to ask me about my time as a student back in the day.  Speaking with the 6th graders reminded me of my cousin Ava, a 6th grader in this school year that's concluding.

I presented to one 8th grade group.  I was very glad at the end of my presentation to offer them, the class of 2025, my congratulations on behalf of the class of 2005, since they were just days away from their graduation on June 3, and I offered them high-fives at the end of our time period.

As that group entered the room, one student recognized me from my involvement in Religious Education and delightedly greeted me, which prompted a question from her classmate about how she knows me.  Not far behind her was one of the students from my RE class this past year, and it was a delight to see him, too.

Later in the afternoon, after I finished presenting to a group, another one of my students from RE class this year entered the room and greeted me, remarking that she heard me talking from out in the hallway.  There was much joy in these encounters.  Teaching RE has been such an extraordinary experience for me, and through it, I have developed such wonderful relationships with the students.  It is a joy that the students feel affirmed by what they experience in class and three of them were glad to see me present at Julian on that day.  Indeed, I'm in my element when I teach RE, and I felt so much of that energy when I was there on Career Exploration day.

Here I am in action during my presentation.  This photo was taken by the teacher of my final presentation group.

So much of this celebration today is illuminated by faith. As ironic as it might sound, being at Julian brought me alive in faith so powerfully.  And as I said in the previous paragraph, I'm in my element in RE because it has been an outlet for me to channel how I was enhanced during my Julian years.

What I experienced in the halls of Julian brought me in tune with what's most worthwhile in life that I experienced outside those halls.  It's a great irony that attending a public middle school helped me appreciate my faith more deeply.  Oak Park likes to tout its diversity, and I experienced its diversity in an enhanced way when I started 6th grade at Julian.  Getting to know so many Jewish people and their religion and culture helped me turn inwardly and reflect on myself more, and it enhanced my faith.  It reminds me of a Word on Fire program I listened to recently in which Bishop Barron reflects on multiculturalism.  He says that unity allows us to truly experience diversity in a way that is edifying.  I know that reality because of how my faith came alive in middle school.

I am so blessed the journey of my faith has led me back to the classroom to teach middle school Religious Education, where I am constantly reconnecting with what helped me appreciate faith at that time, as I hand it on.  Perhaps in that way, teaching RE has made middle school a living experience that persists.

To celebrate the end of my time at Julian, I wore red on Wednesday, June 8, 2005.  

I asked Mom to photograph me before I set off on the mile-long walk from 1036 Clarence to Julian for the final time as a Julian student.  Since then, I have walked the route many times as a way to reminisce.

Later, at the graduation ceremony, I wore a red cap and gown.  

Mom or Dad photographed me before we left for the graduation ceremony.

A few months later, on Saturday, October 15, 2005, I stood before Bishop Kane in red vestments, and he sealed me with the gift of the Holy Spirit in Confirmation.

Today, Sunday, June 8, 2025, I celebrate Pentecost by wearing red. As I celebrate this doubly special occasion, I reflect on the role of red in representing how the Holy Spirit was at work in me during my Julian years and how it continues to be so, marveling at these great works.

Here I am posing today, Pentecost Sunday 2025, at the pew where I sat at my Confirmation Mass. Thanks to parishioner Rosemarie Nowicki for getting this photo.

Paschal Mystery Version of 2025

Over the past couple of years, I've gone to Daily Mass more often at St. Leonard's Church in Berwyn.  On Holy Monday, the priest there, Father Bobby, gave a super insightful presentation about Holy Week and the Triduum, offering further information to build on a similar presentation the year before.  I discovered this year's presentation on YouTube and played it later when I had the time.  One major idea that stood out to me was that as Catholics, we hold to the idea that in our liturgy gatherings, including the Mass, we aren't simply remembering what Jesus did for us in His work of salvation: We are making it present again, and Jesus Christ continues to offer us His graces.  (Father Bobby used a word, and I'm uncertain how to spell it, but I think it's something like amenisis.)

Indeed, Christ continually has something to offer us when we commemorate the central events of our salvation in the Triduum.

It's the culmination point of Lent.  I read somewhere a person reflecting on how he went to Mass with his family and on Laetare Sunday, the priest remarked they had reached the midpoint of Lent. His young daughter said, "We're only halfway through?"  This writer reflected on how Lent has a 40-day period because God has so much to offer us.  He desires to renew us so we are open to all that He has for us to experience in the Triduum.

Every Sunday is a special day to celebrate that Jesus rose from the dead, a Little Easter.  One week before Resurrection Sunday, Palm Sunday of the Lord's Passion had a triumphal feel as we began Mass, as is typical, heralding Jesus's entry into Jerusalem.  One line from the prayers at the opening of Mass got my attention:  As we herald anew Jesus's entry into Jerusalem, we renew our hope to one day enter the Heavenly Jerusalem with Him.  After the Passion Narrative, Father Carl offered good thoughts in his homily.  He posed the question of whether we follow Jesus when it's popular, or stay the course even in difficult times.  We're reminded to be grounded in Christ our Savior.

Concurrent with Holy Week this year was the Jewish celebration of Passover, which has so many elements that speak to the Paschal Mystery, and so much of it fittingly comes alive on Maundy Thursday.  Once again, Mass started with a triumphant tone with the opening hymn "We Should Glory in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ".  He is the reason we live with great purpose and mission because of the work He accomplished on the Cross.

Indeed, He offered the sacrifice of Himself as the perfect Passover Lamb of God, offering His Body and Blood.  In so doing, He sends us forth to live out His command to love one another, just like we hear at the end of Mass.

At the end of the Mass, the hymn "Pange Lingua" was so moving and mystical as the Eucharist was solemnly processed through the church to the side altar.  The mystical mood continued in the dimmed light of the church while I lingered to pray before the Blessed Sacrament as a way to keep watch with Christ.

The next day, Cross Friday, I departed work early and drove 7 minutes to Mary Queen of Heaven Parish in Elmhurst for 3 PM Stations of the Cross.  It was fitting to mark this holy hour by recounting Jesus's Passion in this long-held form of prayer.  There's so much to meditate upon as we recount the different stations in Jesus's way to His death on the Cross.

Later, at the Liturgy at Ascension Church, after hearing the Passion Narrative in the Gospel according to St. John, we venerated the Cross.  This day offers us a meaningful opportunity to behold this important symbol of our faith.  As scandalous as it was in its original context, we recognize God's power was at work in the Cross, and continues to be at work.  So we join our sufferings to Christ and venerate His Holy Cross.

The next morning on Holy Saturday, I went to Morning Prayer at St. Edmund, where we prayed for those preparing to receive the initiation sacraments that night.  There's a hymn sung customarily on Holy Saturday morning that speaks to how we are waiting for the great victory Christ brings when He rises from the dead.

I spent the next few hours doing various things to make ready for the great celebration.  Per an idea I got from Catholic Vote's lifestyle guide, I bought some fresh-cut flowers to add a touch of Easter celebration.  I also helped with some decorations at Ascension.

Shortly before 7 PM, I was at St. Giles for the Holy Saturday Easter Vigil Mass.  So much of our liturgical experience focuses on natural elements, and it was fitting to walk past a bonfire outside the main entrance of the church.  We then gathered around that fire to light the Paschal Candle.  It's a powerful symbol to see the light of the Paschal Candle, along with all the other smaller candles lit from it in the darkened church as we turn our attention toward the victory of Christ we celebrate on this night.  The Exultet sets the tone so well for the celebration at hand, from the first words of "Exult, let them exult".  It's not a word we use typically, yet it is so eloquent in lifting us up to the new reality we enter in the Resurrection of Christ.  There's another phrase that stood out to me, "Be glad, let Earth be glad".  We can be glad in a profound way because of the work God has done to save us.

Then we hear a series of readings that show how God has been at work throughout history to save us.  Little by little, His purposes have been unfolding.  Just as Lent was a 40-day period in which God has been at work in us, so we see that salvation history has been a process in which God has worked in His own timing.  Then, the reading from Romans 6 is a great explanation for how what we celebrate is not just rejoicing in what happened to Jesus, but to be open to how it transforms us, too, so that we may walk in newness of Life.

That passage provides a great backdrop as we joyfully reach the Gospel proclamation, singing an extended Alleluia to proclaim the marvelous deeds God has done, which is crowned by the Resurrection of Christ, because, again, His Resurrection transforms us gloriously.

Father Carl emphasized it well in his homily when he said that because He lives, we carry His Spirit with us, and he even had us repeat that phrase aloud for emphasis.

To celebrate how God is alive among us, it was very special that soon after the homily came the Baptisms of three youths, followed by their Confirmations and the Confirmations of two others.  The joyful spirit persisted into the Liturgy of the Eucharist and then the gathering of food and drink afterwards.

The next morning felt so alive, as is typical for Easter/Resurrection Sunday.  The physical space and its decorations inside Ascension Church set the tone so well as the sanctuary filled, nearly bursting at the seams with those gathered for this glorious celebration.  I was glad to see so many students I know from my many years of teaching Religious Education.  Part of the Mass included the renewal of baptismal vows and then sprinkling with holy water.  As I mentioned to my students in RE class, all of Lent was focused on growing in our relationship with God so we could renew our baptismal vows on Easter/Resurrection Sunday with great fervor.  As an added touch, it was raining at the end of Mass to emphasize the newness of life that water brings to the Earth, just as baptism brings new life to the faithful.  There was exuberant music throughout Mass that set the tone so well for this glorious occasion.  And in teh spirit of the Colossians 3 passage of the 2nd reading, it was a time to lift ourselves up and focus our gaze on what is of Heaven.

Later that day, as I drove to my Uncle Bernie's place for our family meal, I played selections from The Messiah as a way to enter into the joyful celebration of Christ's Resurrection.  The oratorio is based on Scripture, and there's not necessarily a specific selection from the Gospel narratives of the Resurrection accounts.  However, there are several verses from 1 Corinthians 15, in which St. Paul writes about the Resurrection and what it means for us who confess faith in Christ, which I see as an example of making the Resurrection present to us, and furthermore, a reality in us.

The joyful mood shifted to a sobering reality the next morning. I awoke, and upon checking my e-mail inbox, saw the news about the passing of Pope Francis.  It was sorrowful, yet spoke to what we celebrated the day before as we acknowledge Christ has provided a way for us to experience Eternal Life after death, and how Pope Francis had entered into that life beyond this life just a day after celebrating the Resurrection, when he movingly made the effort to appear to the crowds in St. Peter's Square and offer his blessing.

Then, on May 8, it was so powerful to hear the newly-elected Pope Leo XIV speak the words of the Risen Christ in his first remarks to the world.

Indeed, the Resurrection is an awesome reality that continues to be present to us.  We are invited to present to the Risen Christ as He manifests Himself so we can be transformed and that the Resurrection and its joy can dwell deep within us that we may live anew.

Throughout the days of the Easter Season, I've enjoyed focusing in a new way on the many wonderful Easter hymns.  While Christmastime is known for its many carols, this year, I've come to marvel at Easter hymns, and I realize how many wonderful statements set to music are included in these hymns.  They spoke to the marvelous song that all the Earth sings because we are renewed by the reality of the Resurrection.  Like Pope St. John Paul II said, we the faithful, while acknowledging difficult realities in the world, are an Easter people, and Alleluia is our song.  We sing it ceaselly in our hearts and by our lives as we testify to how the Resurrection has transformed us and is in us.

Alleluia!

At Ascension Church, the lighted Paschal Candle is flanked by flowers that add to the sense of triumph on Easter/Resurrection Sunday.

The altar at St. Giles is flanked with flowers and other symbols to illustrate the sense of triumph we had just celebrated at the Holy Saturday Easter Vigil Mass.

At St. Leonard Church in Berwyn, the Paschal Candle is adorned with a white cloth, and along with the flowers, evokes a sense of exultation and triumph in the Easter Season celebration of the Resurrection.

Dear 1036: Mom Memories

Dearly Beloved 1036 Clarence Avenue,

May has been a triply special month for my Mom.  Right around Mothers' Day is Nurses Day and Nurses Week.

Mom was particularly fond of a Johnson and Johnson commercial saluting nurses with the song lyrics, "They dare to care."  She intently focused on the TV whenever it appeared.

Later in the month is her birthday on May 26. Back in 2014, it was on Memorial Day observed.  We invited family over for a meal to celebrate.  My cousin Ava came, and it was right before she turned 1.  She had fun playing with the stacked wire baskets we had in the kitchen and even at the piano. I also recall that present were Grandma Dottie, Aunt Terri, Uncle Mark, Uncle Bernie, and Uncle Brian, along with Mom, Dad, and Eric.

We stayed inside to enjoy each other's company as rain fell.  The end of the meal brought a cherry pie, Mom's favorite dessert, and the Whole Foods cherry pie is among her favorite places for cherry pie.  Somehow I have this idea in my head that we had White Fence Farm Chicken for our main meal, although Dad also fired up the grill, and there was something like smoke that arose from the cover when the rain fell on it.  So much great food was cooked on that grill, especially burgers, for which Dad added his special touch, and that gives me extra reason to celebrate on National Burger Day.

Back on that day, while my memory is a bit foggy, I feel like some of us played a card game later in the evening to continue enjoying each other's company in merriment.

Indeed, May brought many reasons to celebrate, and these are among many reasons I celebrate you all the time.  You are at the center of a celebration that shall persist, for you shall not fade into the background, but remain deep in my heart as that dearly beloved place.

We remain connected: All my relations.

With gladness and gratitude,

Joyful, joyful, I adore the Lord in thanksgiving for you.

Paul

Post-College: 12 Years

As I mark the 12th anniversary of my college graduation at Valparaiso University, I consider the various connections I have maintained with ValpU.

I was glad to be back on campus for Homecoming weekend back in October when the Department of Meteorology and Geology hosted a retirement celebration for Professor Bart Wolf.  Dinner was a great time of catching up, particularly with my good friend Richard, who I hadn't seen in years.  After dinner, several people shared stories about our experiences in the department with Bart in a "roast", like times in class, including my roast on his atmospheric heights questions on quizzes and tests, along with stories from storm chasing trips.

Richard is one of many good friends I'm still in regular contact with since graduation.  I'm glad to count Zach as another great friend after we had such a great quality of time sharing a roomspace together.  He lives closer to me now, and we've gotten together a couple of times, which has been nice.  It was special to celebrate him as he and his wife Heather welcomed their son into the world about 2 weeks ago.  We forged special bonds on the fields of Valparaiso, and we continue to celebrate what's happening in each others' lives.

In recent years, I've kept up with what's happening at ValpU through the lens of missionaries serving at St. Teresa's through Fellowship of Catholic University Students, otherwise known as FOCUS.

Missionaries for FOCUS are often recruited from recent college graduates who minister at Catholic Newman Centers at universities, building community and also launching student-led Bible studies.  They are at over 200 universities throughout the USA, and they came to Valparaiso shortly after Father Chris started at St. Teresa's in 2016.

I was greatly impacted by my experience at St. Teresa's, and I can tell that the presence of FOCUS missionaries is only enhancing the ministry there.  So I eagerly support those missionaries serving ValpU at St. Teresa's.  They periodically send updates about their ministry, often sharing stories of experiences with specific students.  It provides me a lens to see what's happening with current ValpU students and it gladdens my heart to sense a vibrant sense of community there.  I certainly have seen that sense of community when I have gone back to help with the student meals after the Sunday evening Mass.  Sharing a meal together really has a powerful way of connecting people, and I'm delighted to pay it forward by contributing to the meals the students share today.

FOCUS holds an annual conference during the first week of January called SEEK, which has tracks for college students and parish ministry leaders, too.  The conference has grown to the point that this year in 2025, it was held in three different locations: Salt Lake City; Washington, D.C.; and Cologne, Germany.

I watched the livestream of a presentation at SEEK, courtesy of Relevant Radio, one of its sponsors.  Combined with what I saw from the ValpU FOCUS missionary updates, I can see that SEEK is offering college students such an energizing experience, bringing them together in community and encouraging them in faith, and giving a picture of how vibrant the church of young adults is.  It reminds me of what was so amazing about my own college experience, especially as it enlivened me in faith.  So it was rather appropriate to attend another energizing spiritual event in Indiana last summer when I participated in the National Eucharistic Congress in Indianapolis.

I also felt a sense of ValpU in Springfield, IL, during the Illinois March for Life.  Andrew Hansen, a ValpU graduate, was there in his capacity as the Director of Communications for the Diocese of Springfield, IL, filming footage.  When I watched the documentary God is Alive, he mentioned his time at ValpU, and we connected over comments in the documentary's YouTube page.  So it was great to meet him that day, with our shared connection at ValpU and St. Teresa's.

As I mark this 12th anniversary, my thoughts also turn toward Religious Education, which has been part of my life every year since my ValpU graduation.  They have been 12 amazing years of passing on the faith, shaped so powerfully during my time at ValpU.  Teaching has been an opportunity for me to connect with today's middle schoolers, who are at the age I was when I came to an abundant sense of my own faith, which was sealed when I was confirmed.  Yet there is so much more transformation that results from Confirmation, which is exactly what happened when I was in college, and I have brought that to my students.

It is wonderful to see how the students pick up on the things of faith.  One student even enthusiastically wanted to lead the P-A-R-T-Y routine in class that Father Kevin taught and I handed on to them.  Later in that same class, he volunteered with equal enthusiasm to lead our closing prayer.

I hand on the faith, so they can follow the path I've gone in building up faith as a way of life.  In fact, at the Confirmation retreat in February, I was expounding on the story of when Jesus called the fishermen to be His Apostles after we watched the scene from The Chosen series.  As I talked with a certain level of energy, one very talkative student noticed my demeanor and blurted out, "Do you do this for a living?", as if she asked if I do religious education for a living.  The power of that question was not lost on me and I responded, "I do this as my life."

It is a blessed way of life that I can focus not just on making a living to support myself, to make a life by giving of myself and answering the commission I received on the day of my graduation on Pentecost Sunday to live with purpose and make God known.

Joanna Gentile, who oversees the team that prepares and serves the student meals, photographed me serving the students as dinnertime began.

Here I am pouring milk in the moments leading up to serving dinner. Joanna may have also taken this photo, or another volunteer.

2025 Speeches Round-up

There's been a flurry of activity in the political world over the past few months as President Trump began his second term.  His various speeches have underscored his personality and the sense of political capital he's gained from his election to a second term.  I feel that he often conveys himself in speeches in not the best way, sometimes even being as forceful as a bulldozer to get his point across, although I agree with the principles behind what he says.

As I listened to his inaugural address in the US Capitol rotunda had lots of glowing language.  He referred to the time at hand as the "Golden Age of America".  While certainly some of his policy changes are going to take the USA in the right direction, in contrast to the previous administration, I recognize that many people aren't sharing in that sense of celebration and it's not feeling so "golden" for them.

I think it's unnecessary to change the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America.  Furthermore, I don't think there's a pressing need to switch Denali back to Mt. McKinley, although maybe there's a way to make the two names interchangeable and both equally valid.  On both points, it didn't seem to fitting to include those details in his inaugural address because they're rather off-topic.

One talking point I was glad to hear was his firm declaration that the federal government would now recognize only two genders, male and female.  The trends toward promoting a spectrum of genders isn't helping our society and leading to some rather bizarre acts, like the DEI activities, so it's refreshing to hear the President of the USA steer us back to something that's common sense.

After the inaugural ceremony concluded, he made off-the-cuff style remarks to the crowd in the US Capitol Visitors' Center, and it was kind of nice to hear him engage with the crowd in a more light-hearted way.

About a month later, Governor Pritzker gave his annual State of the State and Budget Address to the Illinois General Assembly.  During the speech, he talked about keeping finances in sound shape and continuing to provide social services to meet he needs of people, a topic he often mentions in his annual speeches.  One policy topic he mentioned that got my attention was for the General Assembly to pass legislation requiring that all public school districts in Illinois have a policy governing student use of cell phones/mobile devices, which is part of a bigger conversation gaining traction about managing the use of these devices by students to help steer them from adverse effects.  He took plenty of jabs at President Trump, and I didn't feel they were all in good taste, because they weren't balanced with a vision of responding with more edifying action.  Toward the end, I was rather taken aback by his brazen comparison of President Trump with Adolf Hitler and the rise of the Nazi Party.  While President Trump can be forceful, I don't think it was right how Governor Pritzker made that comparison, and even a couple of prominent Jewish people in Illinois criticized those remarks.

Next month, on March 4, President Trump gave a presidential address before a joint session of Congress.  I felt it was too long, but again, he made many worthwhile points, including about policy, that I agreed with and needed to be said.  He highlighted the story of a mother whose daughter was secretly transitioned to the opposite gender, and used that to underscore his opposition to transitioning procedures.  He then shifted to stating that the US government won't promote woke DEI efforts, which is a great opportunity for us turn our attention away from something that isn't substantially helping bring our society together, doing more harm than good.

It was interesting how he actually went through a list of wasteful expenses uncovered by DOGE.

Furthermore, he underscored that no matter what good things he does in office, the Democrats will continually oppose him, and then we saw that actually happen in the chamber.  At many points, there were standing ovations, even for touching stories that President Trump highlighted, but the Democrats remained seated and wouldn't react, like the teen who was made an honorary member of the Secret Service.

Senator Elissa Slotkin gave the rebuttal after the speech.  She was concise in making her point, criticizing the seeming overreach of DOGE and suggesting better ways to address government inefficiency.  Tellingly, she didn't address much in the way of social issues, perhaps because Donald Trump is spot on and there's not much Democrats could do as effectively in rebutting him.  It was a strategic move for the Democrats to choose her because she was elected from an area of Michigan that largely favored Donald Trump in the 2024 election.

Overall, Donald Trump is, again, acting like a bulldozer, moving with immense determination in seeking to clean up government waste, making functions more efficient, and putting the US back in better moral standing.

Life is Beautiful

As winter begins, we rejoice in the beginning of a wondrous Life on December 25 when we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ.

As spring begins 9 months earlier, we celebrate the one great "Yes" by which that Life took form in our world on the Solemnity of the Annunciation.  This great Feast made for a wonderful backdrop to this year's annual Illinois March for Life.

We continue to celebrate Mary's Fiat on the Solemnity of the Annunciation, usually on March 25.  It was so special to celebrate the beauty of life on March 25, 2025, in Springfield, IL, as hundreds gathered for the annual Illinois March for Life.

After the Dobbs decision, the Illinois March was moved from Chicago to Springfield to engage the state government.  When I saw that the March was scheduled for March 25, the Solemnity of the Annunciation, I knew I wanted to be there to enter deeply into the spirit of celebration and do my part to stand for the sanctity of life.

In the waning daylight of March 24, I headed south, eventually getting on I-55 and driving it for nearly 200 miles until I rounded the curve on the southeast side of Springfield and then went a short distance west to the Sleep Inn to spend the night.

The following day, after breakfast and my morning routine, I went to the University of Illinois Springfield to start the day with the Right to Life Mass hosted by the Diocese of Springfield at 10 AM.  It was a short drive to the campus.  I parked near the Sangamon Auditorium and headed inside.  As seats filled, a group that came with the Diocese of Rockford sat near me, and one lady struck up a conversation with me.  I noticed groups of students seated all around the auditorium.

The Mass was an uplifting experience, certainly because it was a celebration of the Solemnity of the Annunciation.  Bishop Paprocki, the Bishop of Springfield, was the principal celebrant.  He was joined by bishops from other Illinois dioceses and many other concelebrating priests.  Bishop McGovern gave the homily.  (About a week later, Pope Francis appointed him Archbishop of Omaha, and he was officially installed on May 7.)

The Bishops are seated at Mass.  Bishop Paprocki is seated in the taller-backed chair toward the left.

Then-Bishop McGovern gives the homily at Mass.

Mass was over shortly after 11 AM.  I walked back to Avila and then drove into central Springfield to find a place to eat.  I ended up at Maid-Rite, a historic drive-thru restaurant, featuring loose-meat sandwiches--please see the photo below.  

Then I drove to the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception to park.  And I walked to the rally site, by the Lincoln Statue at the Illinois State Capitol.  I connected with Bill, a Knight of Columbus who had organized other Knights to serve as marshals.

In the minutes leading up the march, there was so much energy in the crowd, especially the Crusaders for Life, a group of teens from Chicago, who were leading what were basically cheerleading routines.

The Crusaders for Life get energized before the rally starts.

The speaker's stage in front of the Lincoln State with the State Capitol behind it

At 1 PM, the March Rally began.  We Knights serving as marshals stationed ourselves around the Lincoln Statue, where the speakers' stage was, to steer people away from walking into that area during the rally.

Mary Kate Zander, the executive director of Illinois Right to Life, served as the Master of Ceremonies, introducing the speakers, with her baby in a carrier on her chest.

Bishop Paprocki made a few remarks before he offered the opening prayer.  He noted the presence of pro-abortion protestors speaking loudly on the other side of the street.  He even went so far as to say that the Democratic Party has significantly declined morally, which he said with sadness because in high school, he was involved with a Democratic Party group.

His prayer was so uplifting as we recalled that we were gathering to thank God for the gift of life and the freedom we have in life to do good.

The other speakers at the rally included Jeanne Ives, a former Illinois state legislator, who called out Governor Pritzker and the Democrats on fostering a culture of death in Illinois.  She also shared a heartfelt story about how she navigated a pregnancy that was expected to end in the death of her child, and how she offered dignity to her son in the few minutes he was alive after birth.

Then we heard from Illinois State Representative Adam Niemerg about the efforts in the General Assembly to support a culture of life.  Many of his fellow Freedom Caucus members stood by him near the stage during his remarks.  Other speakers included Dr. Matthew Eppinette of the Center for Bioethics and Human Dignity; Erin Andrews, the Executive Director of We Care Pregnancy Clinic; U of I student Mike Sanders; and the keynote speaker Dr. Christina Francis, the CEO of the American Association of Pro-Life OBGYNs.  It was great to medical perspective on treating two patients in the case of a pregnant woman and how abortion is never medically necessary.  We also heard about the effort to sue a Champaign clinic that didn't provide proper care for a woman who came from Indiana for an abortion.

Here, Dr. Francis speaks.  One of my fellow Knights appears to the right wearing a white-and-yellow baldric.

Michael Mohr, President of the LCMS Central Illinois District, led the closing prayer, with spiritually eloquent words.  At this point, shortly after 2 PM, we marshals stationed ourselves along 2nd Street as the crowd prepared to march.  As I waited there, I chatted with Andrew Hansen, the communications director for the Diocese of Springfield, IL, who was filming footage of the day.  I was glad to connect with a fellow ValpU alumnus, after hearing him say so in the first God is Alive film.

Mary Kate Zander made closing remarks with logistics of the march and then lobbying afterwards.  With that, the Crusaders of Life and the WeDignify college students group positioned themselves at the front, and the march began around the Illinois Capitol complex.  We marshals waited to start moving so we could stagger ourselves at various points along the whole group of the marchers.

The energy of the pre-rally gathering time and the rally itself continued as we marched.  I noticed the energy especially from the many teens there who came with high school groups and the Crusaders for Life, like when they cheered, "We love babies, yes we do. We love babies, how about you?"

As pro-abortion protestors followed us and then went around the side of the marchers, it was clear that they were small in number, about a dozen.

The WeDignify college students prepare to march.

The Crusaders for Life teen group prepare to lead the march.

Marching along Adams Street toward the west, this view looks southeast toward the Capitol Building.

At the intersection of College and Edwards, looking northeast toward the Capitol building, the march heads east.

Above and below are views of when the March returns to where it started at 2nd Street and Capitol Avenue.

By 3 PM, we were back where we started, by the Lincoln statue outside the Capitol.  The Knights gathered for a short prayer liturgy.  Then I lingered for a few minutes outside, noticing that the Crusaders for Life were kneeling in prayer on the lawn.

When the line for the security screening to enter the Capitol ceased, I went inside.  I dropped off some literature for Senator Don Harmon.  When I noticed the House was in session, I sat in the gallery for a few minutes to hear the "personal privilege" speeches of the state representatives.

Then I started walking toward the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception.  I stopped inside the Gwendolyn Brooks State Library to look around briefly.  I noticed an Illinois authors room with Ms. Brooks featured prominently.

By 4:30, I was at the Cathedral and spent 34 minutes in adoration prayer before the Blessed Sacrament to give thanks for my 34 years of life I celebrated earlier in the month.  

Adoration inside the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception

Shortly after 5 PM, I got in Avila and began my journey back home.

Just after 5:30, I stopped at the Cracker Barrel in Lincoln for dinner.  I visited with Mom via videochat while my dinner was on its way.  I had chicken and dumplings with carrots and broccoli.  For dessert, I got a strawberry icebox pie, which was free as my birthday month treat.

My dinner

My dessert

Then I continued northeastward along I-55, and I was back in Oak Park around 9:30 or so.

Final mileage upon arriving back at homebase

One aspect of the March that stands out is the tremendous amount of positive energy and a palpable sense of love.  We realize there are so many forces working against a culture of life, especially in Illinois.  Yet hundreds of us gathered for this March, rejoicing that Life is Beautiful, and that motivates us to stand up for a better way.

The Diocese of Springfield posted a video about the March on its YouTube channel.  I made a cameo appearance at the 2:18 mark.  The man behind the camera was Andrew Hansen, the diocesan communications director, and a fellow ValpU graduate.

I am glad that I connected with the Knights assisting as marshals.  The Knights is a great organization for many reasons, especially its work to advocate for a culture of life, and in that light, I was glad to participate in the March as a marshal.

And clearly the spirit of the Annunciation was manifest at the March.  Mary, the Blessed Mother, consented to God's plan for her to be the Mother of His Son, which was a blessing that had an enormous impact on the world and on history.

In affirming God's plan for her, she acknowledged that life is beautiful, and she would bear into life in this world the Son of God Who would establish the great worth of life and then transform our lives into the abundant Life offered by Jesus Christ.

It was inspiring to be with such a large gathering of people who recognize the Truth about how beautiful of a gift life is, and to honor God and what He done for us by going to the public square and taking a stand for life.

After the March concluded, a fellow marcher photographed me with my signs in front of the Capitol.

Lifelong Learning at 9 Years

Today, I mark 9 years since my MLIS graduation.  Although I finished my schooling for my degree that day, I knew that I was going to continue the pursuit of lifelong learning.  This anniversary is a great occasion to reflect on what I've been learning.

Last summer, my supervisor trained me to catalog music CDs, a step away from my overall focus on book cataloging. There are different aspects of the records for items in the audio format, and it's been a good opportunity to work my brain in a different way.

My role focuses on getting the books ready for the shelves once they've arrived.  In my department is a group of staff who focus on collection development and the ordering of books.  In the past few months, I've had the chance to acquaint myself more with their work.

During our recent Staff Development Day, the collection development staff led us in exercises simulating what they do.  I could think about what they consider when they look at suggestions from the vendors and decide what to buy.

It's interesting to get the inside look at what happens in various roles at work, just as I like sharing about my work as a way to give people an inside look of what happens behind the scenes in the library.  In fact, I remember having dinner with my Grandma and her friend a few months ago.  I mentioned that my work involves metadata, and it's a concept that can be confusing to define.  Usually, I find it easy to give an example of metadata.  So picture standing at an intersection and you see street signs positioned above the street, sometimes on traffic signals.  Those signs are not actually the streets, because those streets are the pavement below.  Yet those signs function as metadata because they tell us the names of the pavement on the surface.  Similarly, if you look at a map, you might see names on or along the streets.  If you went to the street, you wouldn't likely see the name written on the street, but the names are on the map as metadata to help us know which lines represent which streets and their relative location to one another.

Bibliographic records have metadata about books and other library items so people can find then when searching in a library catalog.

Libraries have so many materials that can help us learn about subjects for our enrichment and enjoyment, with so much available to learn.  I usually seek to encourage my students in Religious Education to keep learning because there's so much to know about faith and it helps us grow in relationship with God.  I thought about this reality when I attended teh National Eucharistic Congress last summer:  During that time, I learned much about faith even as I opened myself to encounters with God.

As I mark this anniversary today, I realize that lifelong learning is a great pursuit that helps us encounter Truth so that we may live with purpose.

The Learning in the Process

I was back at Ascension 20 years ago today.  I had already been at Ascension the evening prior for a special Mass to conclude the Religious Education year, on Tuesday, May 3.

On the evening of Wednesday, May 4, I went to the Pine Room for another monthly Confirmation meeting.  It would be a bit shorter, and its primary purpose was for us to complete a quiz on what we had learned so far in the process.  Fortunately, we got all the questions and answers ahead of time, and as I look back, it was an opportunity for us to hone in on those important aspects of what we learned in previous sessions.

So while the process was to lead me to an encounter with God in the sacrament of Confirmation, I also realize the importance of what I learned along the way.

As I mentioned previously, I gained a solid framework for the 7 sacraments at the first monthly Confirmation meeting.  There were other lists I learned, too, like the 7 Gifts of the Holy Spirit and the 7 Corporal Works of Mercy.  These lists provide a structure for how we grow in relationship with God and how we live it out.  (Interestingly, I participated in a service project with my school classmates about 2-3 weeks prior to this May meeting.  Some other teens from a different school were there, and one was attempting to recite one of these lists for her own Confirmation preparation, perhaps the 7 sacraments.)

And then there was the Nicene Creed, our statement of beliefs, with its sections on God the Father, Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit, and the Church, the last of which has the 4 marks as One, Holy, Catholic, Apostolic.

Indeed, I learned much, and I learned it so well that I got a perfect score on the quiz.  Yet that would be just a mark of how I was coming to understand the framework in which I would live out my Confirmation as part of the church as I prepared to complete my initiation into it.

Sainthood Established

This past week, as April has given way to May, has been a great opportunity to party like it's 1991 all over again.

On April 28, I celebrate the anniversary of the day I joined with Christ in dying and rising through the waters of baptism.  Just days after my baptism, Carlo Acutis was born.  Since we're so close in age, his story deeply resonates with me.

His canonization was scheduled for April 27, 2025, and then was postponed because of the passing of His Holiness Pope Francis.  Yet it was still fitting that the documentary Carlo Acutis: Roadmap to Reality was released in theaters, since it was right before Carlo's birthday.

From a very young age, Carlo developed a profound devotion to our Lord, going to Daily Mass before he was 10. He was eager to spread his devotion to faith, once saying it was sad that people flocked by the thousands to stadiums for concerts and sports games, yet churches were so empty.  Eventually, he created a website documenting Eucharistic miracles.

I was glad to see the documentary on the eve of the anniversary of my baptism and in the spirit of the ongoing Easter Season.  It was so amazing to see how devout Carlo was, to the point that I realized there are opportunities for me to grow in faith, which is all possible as the life of Jesus flows through us.

The documentary also masterfully incorporates discussion on how digital technology is affecting our human experience, almost to the point of detaching us from reality.  Yet it wasn't totally disheartening to hear these insights in the film, because it was balanced by the example of Carlo and how he used technology to evangelize.  And then we see a group of Catholic high school students from North Dakota on an Itality pilgrimage and how as they visit sites in Rome, the Vatican, Siena, and Assisi, especially Carlo's tomb, they are impacted and connect with faith more profoundly.

Thinking about the anniversary of my baptism, I'm reminded that the sacraments are visible signs of the invisible reality of God.  I can be in relationship with the God Who I can't see because I know His effects in my life as I continue to draw upon His graces from these sacraments, which are indeed starting points when I am inspired by divine encounters in new ways of living.  Certainly part of that way of life for me as involved supporting my RE students and those I accompany in the monthly Confirmation meetings, to encounter God and live out those encounters.

In fact, as I conclude my 12th year of teaching RE, I'm reminded that today, 20 years ago, I concluded my time in RE at Ascension.  I appreciate the sense of community I experienced with my classmates as we considered what faith means for us. I received a Bible as a gift at the Mass concluding the RE year, and I still read it regularly.  It's a way for me to see how the Word of God is living and active, continually speaking to me.

And Christ's living Presence continues to manifest itself to me in the Eucharist ever since I received my First Holy Communion on May 2, 1999.  Encountering the Eucharistic Lord is definitely something I have grown to appreciate over those 26 years.

Indeed, it's a way to live in the newness of Life that Christ brought us by His Resurrection, the way we grow in holiness, growing as the saints God calls us to be.  The story of Carlo is one example of how real God is in our modern world as He transforms us through visible means to be more conformed to the image of the unseen God.

Dear 1036: Abundant Life in Word and Celebration

Dearly Beloved 1036 Clarence,

Upon hearing the news that Pope Francis had gone to the house of the Father, I recall so many memories of him, many of which were on the TV in the sunroom, from the day he was elected.

I followed portions of the coverage of his 2016 trip to Mexico.  On Monday, February 15, I watched the live coverage of Mass celebrated in Chiapas.  Parts of the Mass were in indigenous languages specific to that region.  It was a powerful example of how God's Word reaches all people.

God's Word is truly alive in Jesus Christ, Who was once dead, and then rose victoriously.  We celebrate that glorious reality every year on Resurrection Sunday.

I recall that 10 years ago for Resurrection Sunday, Dad shopped at Costco and bought lamb meat for our dinner.  It made for a tasty entree, and I enjoyed it.

We had many great gatherings to celebrate the cornerstone of our faith, the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, an event that gives us glorious Life.  I'm reminded of that truth especially today on the anniversary of my baptism.  From that special moment at St. Cornelius Parish on the Northwest Side of Chicago, I have journeyed in the way of faith, seeking to encounter the living God, Who is transforming us as He continues to manifest the power of His Paschal Mystery, including in the moments we shared together as a family in you, 1036.

You are truly a gift from God by which the unseen God is made real and makes us alive as God meant for us.

You shall not fade into the background, but ever remain deep in my heart as that special place:

All my relations.

God's blessings,

With Easter joy and gladness,

Paul

Living the Mission of Living out Faith

I was back at Ascension School 20 years ago this evening for the next in a series of monthly meetings in preparation for my Confirmation.

During this meeting, after starting in the Pine Room, we rotated to different classrooms to hear from a variety of speakers about how they live their faith in the world in life and work.

I think there were 4, and two that I remember were a lady who spent time serving in a different country, even learning another language, and a man who worked with the SEC.

Certainly, we learned many important aspects about faith.  This meeting was an important point to help us see how we are called to live out faith in our lives, and truly let Confirmation impact how we live.  As I reflect, I realize that we had many examples of people living out their faith in the mentors for our groups.  My Dad even served as a mentor, although for a different group than mine.  They gave of themselves to support us and accompany us in the journey toward encountering God in Confirmation.

Notably, 9 years later, I was back at Ascension for a monthly Confirmation meeting on Sunday, April 6, 2014, which was 11 years ago today.  I now had the role of serving as a mentor accompanying a group of five students in preparing for Confirmation. There's no doubt that my time participating with St. Teresa's in college helped build on my COnfirmation of 2005 and I answered the call to put faith into action by participating in handing on the faith to the middle schoolers I was interacting with.  The focus of the meeting on April 6, 2014, was about our mission.  God calls His people to a mission, even granting a new name to those He calls, like He did from Abram and Jacob.  The whole purpose of their lives was directed by a powerful sense of His presence at work in them.

While I didn't realize it back on April 6, 2005, God was at work as I listened to those speakers in setting me on a course to live in a whole new way with the power of the Holy Spirit at work in driving me forth to live my faith in the world.

An American Slice in Central Texas

February is steeped in presidential history, certainly because of George Washington's Birthday.  There are others, too, like Abraham Lincoln on February 12 and Ronald Reagan on February 6.

All these birthdays provided a great backdrop to my recent trip to central Texas to visit the George H.W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum.

Part of my motivation to visit another of the presidential libraries/museum was that June 12, 2024, marked 100 years since his birth.  Furthermore, January 6, 2025, marked 80 years since he and Barbara Pierce Bush married.  And June 8, 2025, marks 100 years since Barbara Bush was born.

Right about 1 PM on February 6, 2025, I got in the car of Brian, a fellow parishioner, and headed to Chicago Union Station.  Shortly after I arrived there, I heard the boarding call for train #21, the southbound Texas Eagle.  (Please note that all times in this post are CST.  And as is typical for my posts, all photos are mine unless otherwise noted.)

On this sign board for Amtrak departures, the Texas Eagle appears third from the top.

While my watch said 1:51, the train's conductor said the train indeed departed on time at 1:52 PM.  There were great views of the Chicago skyline behind us as we headed southwesterly along the Canadian National tracks, also used by the Metra Heritage Corridor trains, and paralleling I-55, the Orange Line, and Archer Avenue for certain stretches.  The views were great along the Canal/Des Plaines River corridor.

In the initial miles outside of Chicago Union Station, the Amtrak Texas Eagle train traveled on the Canadian National Railroad tracks right next to the CTA Orange Line tracks, with a train shown in the photo, and close to I-55, which is the elevated roadway in the building.

Toward the center of this photo appears the Sears Tower.

We picked up a slight delay on the Southwest Side of Chicago, but moved along smoothly through the length of Illinois.  Just south of Joliet, I saw Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery.  Between Bloomington-Normal and Lincoln, there was a great sunset--please see photo below.

Around 8 PM, we arrived at St. Louis, and I got off for fresh air and walked around the platform.  After the train departed, I progressed toward bedtime.

I took advantage of fresh air stops at Little Rock and Texarkana.  I basically considered myself up from my nighttime sleep at Texarkana since it was about 7 AM, and the train was right at the AR-TX border.

The view of the Welcome to Texarkana display on the platform when I stepped off the trian for fresh air.

It was cool and overcast that morning as we traveled toward Dallas.

The route from Dallas to Fort Worth was different from what I remembered on the ride back in 2013, following the route of the Trinity Railway Express.  The train arrived in Fort Worth ahead of schedule around 12:40ish.  By this point, the sky had cleared, and it was warm enough for me to ditch my jackets.

It wasn't scheduled to leave until about 2 PM.  So I had plenty of time to wander around the station and beyond.  I got a wrap for lunch at the Subway in the station.  Then I walked west into downtown Fort Worth.  I was blessed when I stumbled upon St. Patrick Cathedral, and I stepped inside for a couple of minutes to admire its beauty.

Above is the exterior of St. Patrick Cathedral on Throckmorton as viewed from 11th Street, and below is the interior.

Then I returned to the train station and ate my wrap on the platform.  It was interesting that there was a marked difference in temperature between standing in the train's shadow on the platform and then stepping a couple of feet into the sunlight.

In this photo, looking south, the Texas Eagle train appears to the right.  The Heartland Flyer train is to the left, which travels between Fort Worth and Oklahoma City.

The train departed right about on time at 2 PM headed south.  After leaving the DFW Metro Area, we passed through wide open plains, like in the photo below.  I also went to the lounge car and chatted with Joel, someone from the UK who was traveling throughout the USA on an Amtrak Rail Pass.

We arrived in Temple right about on time close to 4:30.  I walked to the nearby 3rd Street Overpass bridge and got a great view of the train seconds before it departed. 

Near the platform at the Temple Amtrak station

Here's the view from the 3rd Street overpass, which is probably one of my top favorite photos of this trip

From there, I walked to the Temple Public Library to check the Internet so I could get oriented for check-in at my AirBnb place.

The entrance of the Temple Public Library

View from my desk space looking in a southerly direction

On the second floor of the library

Then I walked to Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish for a short time of prayer.

When I finished, for the first time ever, I requested an Uber ride.  I had a short ride across town to my AirBnb lodgings and I enjoyed the conversation with the woman who gave me a lift.  It was a nice house in a residential neighborhood with a bedroom that was accessible right off a patio by the driveway.

Above and directly below are inside the room where I stayed.

The patio space right by the door into the room where I stayed.

Once I was settled, I walked a couple of blocks to a food truck to get dinner.  I had a gordita, and I enjoyed eating al fresco in the wonderfully mild evening.  (Please see the two photos below.)

Back at my lodgings, I read a little, talked with Mom and Dad on the phone, and then watched the remainder of the Taize prayer gathering livestream from Ascension.  I was in bed asleep shortly before 11 PM.

The next morning, I was up around 7 AM.  I had my prayer time, reading time, and breakfast.  It was cloudy with comfortable temperatures outside.  Around 9:15, I got into another Uber ride for a short trip to the Enterprise Rental Car Agency to pick up my rental vehicle.

Before leaving and driving to College Station for the primary location of my day outing, I stopped in downtown Temple to visit the Railroad Museum.  It's housed in the train station on the second level.  The Amtrak station occupies a smaller space downstairs, and the large waiting room is the first space visitors enter before going to the museum.  The museum had great exhibits telling about the railroads, their technical operations, and even amenities like onboard dining.  

Above and below are displays in the museum

Display of the room where directions would be typed out and then sent via telegraph

View looking outside toward the west

There was also a model train display--please see these two photos below.

Outside, there were vintage railroad cars on display.  

BNSF engine

Here's a caboose on display, with the depot building behind it.

Train engine

Inside the cab of the train engine

By the stairs leading to the engine cab

Pullman passenger car

I particularly enjoyed it as a railroad enthusiast, and just because it's a well-done museum.  I came to learn that Temple had a significant role in the storied Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railroad.

By 11:30, I was on my way east toward College Station.  I mostly drove through wide open fields, punctuated occasionally by smaller towns.  At some points, the speed limit went as high as 75 mph.  At one point, I picked up an EWTN radio station.

At about 1 PM, I arrived at the George H.W. Bush Presidential Library/Museum in College Station, and on the sprawling campus of Texas A&M University.  I went to the Marine One/4141 Pavilion to get lunch at Daisy's Table.  I ordered Mrs. Bush's enchiladas.  While waiting for my lunch, I looked at the Marine helicopter on display that was used when President Bush was in office and the 4141 locomotive that Union Pacific manufactured to honor President Bush. 

Engine appears to the left in the foreground and the helicopter appears to the right toward the background.

I greatly enjoyed eating al fresco in the summerlike weather.

The restaurant staff who brought me my meal kindly photographed me in the summerlike day.

By 2 PM, I was inside the museum.  First, I watched the screening of the short biographical film on George Bush.  From there, I went to visit the main exhibit.  Near the entrance was "the Beast", the Presidential vehicle in use when President Bush was in office--please see the photo below.  

The first part of the exhibit told about President and Mrs. Bush's ancestors and their early lives.  

Next was a section about his service as a US Navy pilot during World War II.  

A plane similar to what Mr. Bush would have flown

While I can't remember if this outfit is the original Mr. Bush would have worn something like this outfit when serving as a navy pilo.

Then was a section about his wedding and his family's move to Texas, including a model of the red Studebaker he drove from New England to Texas which was a graduation gift from his parents.  

Display of the wedding of George and Barbara Bush

Model of the Studebaker that George Bush got as a gift

Further along was a section about how he got started in politics, and then proceeded to showcase his various political offices up until the presidency.  

His time in Congress

A display for when he served as US Ambassador to the United Nations

Display for when he served as special envoy to China

From the 1988 Presidential Campaign

The section on his presidency included an Oval Office model, displays of state gifts, a model of the presidential office at Camp David, a section of the Berlin Wall, a model of the Situation Room, and a large exhibit about the Persian Gulf War of 1991.

A number of visitors lined up and then a museum employee or volunteer who took photos of visitors posing at the Resolute Desk in the Oval Office model.

State dinner display

Here I pose by a photo of President and Mrs. Bush in the inaugural parade. This photo was taken by a fellow visitor.

Display of state gifts

Model of Camp David office

Segment of the Berlin Wall

Military equipment in the section about the Persian Gulf War of 1991

Here I am posing in the Situation Room replica, photographed by a fellow visitor.

In the post-presidency section was a display of his boat, various awards he received, and a tribute to Sully, the dog who accompanied him in the final months of his life.

Display of honors President Bush received

Display about his philanthropic efforts, including Point of Lights

Sully the Dog

A special exhibit focused on the relationship of the museum with Texas A&M University, in the two photos directly below.

From the library's groundbreaking ceremony

In a hallway leading to the entrance rotunda is this portrait of father and son George and George W. Bush.

I finished my time at the museum close to closing time at 5 PM. I walked to the back side of the museum, around a large pond, and through a wooded path to the gravesite of President and Mrs. Bush and their daughter Robin.

Here is the pond on the other side of the building's entrance.

The gravesite

The path leading to the gravesite

A fellow visitor photographed me by President Bush's statue outside the museum along the path toward the pond and gravesite.

A fellow visitor photographed me as I pose in front of the museum.

By 5:30, I was on my way back to Temple.  I drove about 10-15 minutes to nearby Bryan to visit the headquarters of 40 Days for Life.  To the side of a building was a memorial to aborted unborn children, with a mind to all the children who perished at the site when it was an abortion clinic.

40 Days for Life headquarters

Memorial at the building

Within the hour, I was back driving through the wide open fields with the setting sun in full view.  Upon reaching the outer edge of Temple, I drove the HK Dodgen Loop to visit Buc-ee's, arriving around 7:30.  There's something fun about Buc-ee's, especially with the chipper beaver.

Buc-ee's in Temple

Next, I drove a short distance along the I-35 corridor to order take-out dinner at Texas Roadhouse.  While waiting for the order to be prepared, I drove to a nearby HEB, which, to me, is exquisite since it's only in Texas.

Texas Roadhouse

HEB Grocery store

I was back at Texas Roadhouse with the order ready around 8:40.  Then I drove back to my lodgings to have my dinner, along with a key lime pudding dessert from Buc-ee's while I talked with Mom.

The next morning, I was up a few minutes before 7 AM.  I drove about 5 minutes east to attend 7:30 Mass at St. Mary's Church.  The first reading had two details that stood out to me, that Isaiah was in the Temple, just like the city where I was, and he saw the train of God's robe filling the Temple--seeing as how Temple has a significant railroad history.

I was glad to experience a sense of the church's community after Mass. As I reached the back of the sanctuary, the priest immediately said he thought he recognized me, and we had a nice brief chat.  The deacon also greeted me.  At their hospitality time of food and drink at the nearby hall, it was nice to see the Knights serving a light breakfast.

Inside the sanctuary of St. Mary's

Outside view of St. Mary's

Then I drove back to my lodgings to gather everything together.  From there, I drove south to reconnect with a good memory from my first trip to Texas and I stopped at Whataburger for breakfast, because they have good offerings there.  I ordered pancakes, bacon, and a biscuit with gravy, a very large helping of gravy.  I also ordered a lunch to have with me for later.  Also, I stopped at a nearby HEB to get one more item.

Whataburger breakfast

Whataburger restaurant

By 10:30, I was at the Enterprise office to return the car.  Once I was done, I requested an Uber ride, which picked me up a few minutes later, and it was just a short drive to the Amtrak station.  I arrived there about 11 AM.  The Amtrak employee at the station said the train had a delayed arrival estimated for 2 PM.  So I relaxed in and around the station.  I had my lunch, a chicken sandwich from Whataburger with apple slices, and watched Bishop Barron's homily as I reflected on the day's Mass Scriptures.

(photos to add: preparing to board, inside the train station waiting area, Dallas skyline, Arkansas sunrise, view along the MS River near St. Louis, St. Louis skyline, maybe Springfield, arrival at Chicago Union Station)

Around noon, I went to the Temple Library to fill up my water bottle with one of those special filtered water dispensers for bottles.  Next, I went across the street to Jack in the Box to get my dinner for later, a teriyaki chicken bowl.  And then I stopped at a Dairy Queen for a strawberry banana shake.

I was back at the station shortly after 1:30, and the train's delay got later.  So I passed the time walking around the grounds of the station, chatting with fellow passengers and others there waiting to pick up passengers, and surfed the Internet.

Inside the Temple Amtrak waiting room

I got my photograph taken as I wait to board the train, likely from someone waiting to pick up an inbound passenger.

Shortly before 4 PM, the train arrived.  Soon after departing Temple, I had my dinner.  My friend Matthew called and we talked for a while.  The train stopped in a rather remote area around sunset because the crew had reached their maximum number of allowed hours.  After nearly an hour, an engineer came who was able to get us to Cleburne and then to Fort Worth, where a full crew was ready.  We arrived there around 8:45 and had a few minutes to get fresh air on the platform and admire the Fort Worth skyline at night.  As the train journeyed east, there were plenty more lit scenes of the DFW area.

Around 10 PM, we arrived in Dallas.  While new passengers boarded, I got fresh air and chatted with fellow passengers on the platform while admiring the Dallas skyline at night.  

Lookking toward Dallas Union Station

The Reunion tower is lit up at night, with the train appearing nearing the bottom of the photo.

Once we departed, I got myself on toward bed for the night. During the middle of the night, I stepped off for fresh air in Little Rock, with a particularly great view of the Arkansas State Capitol from my vantage point on the platform.

A little while later, the train was still in Arkansas when I got great views of the sunrise as we approached Walnut Ridge, as is shown in this photo below.

Later, shortly after entering Missouri, we had a brief fresh air stop at Poplar Bluff--in the photo below--which I remember visiting briefly many years ago on a storm chasing field study trip in college.

On the way to St. Louis, the tracks traveled near the Mississippi River and I could see across into Illinois, as is shown in the photo below.

By 1 PM, the train reached St. Louis.  I had one more opportunity to get off for fresh air.  In the daylight of early afternoon, the views of the St. Louis Skyline looked great as the train crossed the Mississippi River into Illinois.

During the extended stop at the St. Louis Amtrak Station.

Heading toward the Mississippi River, here was the view of the St. Louis skyline.

The view as the train began its Mississippi River crossing.

Here's the view of the St. Louis skyline from the Illinois side, with the railroad bridge appearing toward the left.

The view of the Illinois State Capitol in Springfield also looked splendid from the tracks as the train approached the Springfield Amtrak station--please see photo below.

  

View of I-55 between Springfield and Joliet

A fellow passenger photographed me enjoying the ride as the train gets closer to Chicago.

Here's the view of Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery.

The sun set as we neared the outskirts of the Chicago Metro Area.  The train arrived at Chicago Union Station at about 6:30 PM.  

A fellow passenger offered to photograph me on the platform as I made my way from the train into Union Station.

The train engine

Brian was waiting to pick me up and I returned to homebase in Oak Park shortly after 7 PM.

So I completed my third trip to Texas, and notably, with all those trips, I have visited all three presidential museums in Texas, each an opportunity to unfold a little bit more of the story of the USA.  Like my trip to Dallas to see the George W. Bush Museum, this trip to central Texas to visit the George H.W. Bush Museum gave me the chance to connect with recent history at the beginning of my lifetime through the lens of his presidency.

The museum's main exhibit also did a great job telling the story of the lives of George and Barbara Bush, with the added context of a little bit of their respective family's histories.  George Bush served the USA in so many capacities, all the way back to his service in the US Navy during World War II and into his charitable efforts in retirement.  The various sections were well done in describing his experiences in each stage of life, including the various political offices he held.  Overall, the museum allowed me to enter into his life and presidency.  It showcased a life focused on upholding the important values and principles of this country.  I found it especially fitting to visit this museum because June 12, 2024, was the centennial of President George Bush's birth and June 8, 2025, is the centennial of First Lady Barbara Bush's birthday.  These milestones offered a special opportunity to appreciate what they offered to the United States, and for me, how they shaped the world in which I was born.

I was also impressed with the pavilion that housed the Marine helicopter and the specially commissioned Union Pacific train engine, which is a great tribute to George Bush, and a delight to me as a train enthusiast.

And while I don't necessarily seek out a winter escape to a warmer clime, it worked out that I could experience sudden summer in winter, which made dining alfresco at the museum's cafe especially delightful.

Indeed, I enjoyed other offerings of central Texas that I hadn't necessarily planned for, like the summerlike weather, and the railroad history of Temple.  I'm glad I had the chance to see the excellent railroad museum in Temple, and it enhanced my experience of traveling there by train.  The railroads have played an important role in the history of the USA, and they still have much to contribute.  The museum in Temple does a great job connecting people with the significance of the railroad.  Shopping at HEB and Buc-ee's was also fun as they are both Texas-based companies.

This trip certainly provided me some meaningful opportunities to connect with history that speaks to who I am.  It's amazing to see what was in a slice of the USA in central Texas.

A fellow visitor photographed me posing at the presidential podium, which I believe was the part of the exhibit about his inauguration in 1989.

Celebrating 100 years since the birth of President Bush 41