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.