Cradling Aviation

I noticed on a calendar that August 19 is Aviation Day.  Upon looking it up, I discovered this occasion celebrates the birth of Orville Wright, born on August 19, 1871, 150 years ago today, who, along with his brother, were pioneers of flight.  (Notably, August 19 is also the birthday of their younger sister Katharine, who was born 3 years after Orville in 1874.)

It's fitting that I had selected the audiobook version of David McCullough's book on the Wright Brothers, and listened to it during my recent Missouri road trip.

He did a great job sharing the story of their lives, and all their efforts to make a manned flight.  They worked their brains intensely, especially early on when they attempted to follow certain mathematical principles.  It was also incredible to hear about how arduous the journey was to the Outer Banks in North Carolina where they first tested their flying machines.  The Wright Brothers executed a true team effort with their flying machines, and even their sister Katharine offered much assistance.

But the story of their flying efforts doesn't stop with their first flights on December 17, 1903.  They built upon that first effort to create more advanced flying machines.  They eventually moved their testing efforts much closer to home at the Huffman Prairie in the Dayton area.

Government officials in the US were slow at first to embrace the Wright Brothers' early planes.  They ended up in Europe, and collaborated with foreign governments to market their planes.  Eventually, more and more people took note of their accomplishments and came to embrace the flying machines they built.

My one principal visual of the Wright Brothers is the site of their first flights.  In July 2003, while on a summer family vacation in the Outer Banks of North Carolina, I had the opportunity to visit the Wright Brothers National Memorial in Kill Devil Hills during the Centennial Year Celebration.  We went on a ranger-guided tour who showed us the spots where the Wright Brothers made their first flights, and illuminated us with other details about how the brothers made their flyer fly.  Back in 1903, the land was mostly sand, but now, it's covered with grasses and other vegetation.  We walked up a hill where there's a tall monument to the Wright Brothers' achievement.  As part of the centennial celebration, there was a special structure in place with exhibits about flight.

They had selected the Outer Banks for their early flying test efforts because it was one of the windiest spots in the country, based on information from the Weather Bureau.  And that spot ended up as the setting for history, and all it took was 12 seconds for that flyer's first flight to lead to a revolution in our movements in the world by going above it.

Missouri at 200

As I start today in the St. Louis Metro Area, I am eager to celebrate Missouri, which has now been a state for 200 years, since August 10, 1821.

I got to know Missouri fairly well early on in my life by visiting one of its major cities, St. Louis, a few times as a child.  My Dad would often go there for business trips.  When I got older, my family planned a vacation whereby we visited St. Louis along with some other locations in central and southern Illinois.

So at an early age, I had the chance to visit the top of the Gateway Arch, which was a pretty big deal for me as a child.  I also remember visiting the Old Courthouse nearby, and I'm pretty certain we went to get sweet treats at Ted Drewes, before I was aware how much of a landmark it is.  It was also fun going to the St. Louis Science Center where you could go to an overlook and watch the cars on I-64.

I've passed through St. Louis on other trips, too, like coming back north from Kaskaskia.  It's interesting that access to Illinois's first capital city involves crossing the Mississippi River into Missouri, and then reentering Illinois onto a piece of land declared to be part of Illinois per a court case.

I've also passed through St. Louis on my way to Texas onboard the Amtrak Texas Eagle route, which travels from St. Louis through southeastern Missouri.

I've traveled through the northern part of Missouri onboard the Southwest Chief, and also while on the 2011 storm chase trip.  Earlier in that storm chase trip, we traveled through southern Missouri.  Back in late December 2003, my family went on a road trip to Branson.

And on my way from West Branch, IA, to Quincy, IL, I passed through northeast Missouri, right along the Mississippi River corridor.  That was back 2 years ago, on August 10, 2019, Missouri's Birthday.  I was in Missouri 1 year ago today, after traveling Route 66 through Illinois to the Chain of Rocks Bridge.  It's an amazing experience to walk over the Mississippi River from Illinois to Missouri.

And here I am today, in Missouri once again, to celebrate its bicentennial, having traveled through the state on a road trip for the past couple of days.  I'll share more in a later post.

Missouri is notable as the first state west of the Mississippi River, and the Gateway Arch is an iconic landmark that underscores that city's role as a significant launch point for the growth of the US, not to mention the whole state.  The Lewis and Clark Expedition started by sailing into the mouth of the Missouri River.  Thousands more followed westward in coming years along the Santa Fe and Oregon Trails, which both started in Missouri.

The state is filled with wide-open farm fields like is found throughout the Midwest/Great Plains Region, yet there's a sense of how those fields give way to the wide open Plains that lie to the west.  There are also rolling hills of the Ozark Region.

While Missouri became a slave state upon its entry as part of the Missouri Compromise, two people fled from enslaved life to distinguish themselves in the story of the USA.  Father Tolton became the first African-American ordained a priest in the US.  George Washington Carver contributed significantly to the field of agricultural science, creating, among other food items, peanut butter.

So just as Missouri played a significant role in opening the way to the western United States, so have its people blazed new trails.

Indeed, the Show Me State has shown us a lot through its contributions to the USA.

So Happy Birthday, Missouri, and congratulations on your Bicentennial.

The Missouri River near Treloar, MO

What Comes After the Foundation

It's amazing to be present for something in formation, and then to follow it to see what it becomes.

I've been blessed with the opportunity over the past few years to interact with seminarians on their way to the priesthood.  And it's exciting when they are ordained and then exercise the functions of their priesthood, as I can think I knew them way back when they were in formation.

A few years ago, Ascension Parish started participation in the Augustus Tolton Teaching Parish Program for which Mundelein seminarians would be assigned to assist with various parish functions.  One of the seminarians who came to Ascension as part of this program was Kevin Ripley, originally from Wisconsin, near Oshkosh.

His involvement with functions increased in 2019 after his ordination as a deacon, so that, among other duties, he would proclaim the Gospel and offer homilies at Mass.  It was a great day, in the midst of the pandemic, when he was ordained as a priest, on July 10, 2020,  at the Cathedral in Green Bay.  I caught glimpses of the ordination Mass live.  Certainly, that ordination was one of many examples of what made 2020 a memorable year.

I was so pleased to see him following a Mass he celebrated at Ascension a few weeks after his ordination.

And then I invited him to my RE class back in October to share about his vocational journey.

All the while, I had been thinking about going up to Wisconsin to visit him at some point at his current parish, St. Raphael in Oshkosh.

St. Raphael statue at St. Raphael Parish.

I felt it was a fitting time to visit him on the first anniversary of his ordination, back on July 10, 2021.  So I got in Avila in the midday hour that day and headed north, as Cook County gave way to Lake County, and then into Wisconsin.

When I reached Fond Du Lac, I headed in a westerly direction through fields to Ripon. There, I visited the Little White School House, noted as the location of a meeting on March 20, 1854, that was instrumental in creating the Republican Party.

It's a neat place, a type of off-the-beaten-path site, in a fine little city, with a significant story to tell.  It's a one-room schoolhouse originally built for the school children in the town, but also offering space for a public meeting such as the one that birthed the Republican Party.  The exhibits offer lots of information on the context of Ripon, and the national-level politics of the day that compelled slavery opponents to gather and form a new political party, along with the major players in the Ripon area.  It was interesting to note how this meeting in a small town gave rise to a new political movement, which soon took its place as a major player in the political scene.

Above is me, posing outside the school house, photographed by a fellow visitor.  Below is a view of the inside.

After about an hour there, I walked around Ripon.  Then, I headed out of town and northeast toward Oshkosh, for 5 PM Mass at St. Raphael.

I arrived there with plenty of time before Mass started, and I took note of the splendid architectural details, inside and outside of the church.

I took my place in the sanctuary, and soon enough, Father Kevin spotted me as he got ready for Mass, and came over to my seat to greet me.  He was clearly surprised to see me there.

This day was the first time I ever saw Father Kevin celebrate Mass since his ordination, and it was marvelous to see him at this point in his vocational journey, living out his call to lead the faithful to encounter God through the sacraments.  And I heartily joined the applause when the Deacon announced Father Kevin's first ordination anniversary toward the conclusion of Mass.

Father Kevin and I chatted for a few minutes after Mass, and then I headed back south to Oak Park, delighted by this opportunity to reconnect with Father Kevin.  

A parishioner took this photo of Father Kevin and me.

As I headed home, I drove for a few miles along the shores of Lake Winnebago, with scenic views.  I had some nice views of downtown Milwaukee as I drove through on I-94.  Right before entering Illinois, I pulled off I-94 to eat at the very Wisconsin restaurant of Culver's.

A couple of weekends later, I had the chance to reconnect with another priest, Father Hurlbert, who served as Ascension's pastor until summer 2020, and then went to a new assignment as pastor of Nativity/St. Gabriel Parish in Bridgeport/Canaryville on the south side of Chicago.  I was glad to have him around at Ascension, and I'm pleased to see him at the next parish in his priestly ministry.  The sanctuary of Nativity Parish was painted in light colors, which gave the whole space an uplifting feel.  And, as would befit its name, there were paintings in panels in the sanctuary by the altar depicting scenes from the birth of Christ.

Turning my attention back to St. Raphael, the first piece of artwork there that really jumped out at me there was a table in a landscaped area at the entrance of the church.  There was one figure at the table, Jesus, holding out bread and wine.  The table was surrounded by unoccupied seats.  

That particular artwork looked so inviting, as God welcoming us to be present to Him Who has come to be with us in Jesus.  Time after time, God does amazing works in our lives, inviting us to open ourselves to each new marvelous work.  I marveled at Kevin as he journeyed to the priesthood, and I marvel to see where he is now, just as I do Father Hurlbert.  And as we each do our part, we join together to build up the One Church.

The Capitol Idea of the USA, 10 Years Ago

I often speak about how inspiring it is to visit Washington, D.C.  I have gone on multiple trips there and had numerous layovers there, too, with each experience unique and giving me the opportunity to build on what I've experienced already.

It was 10 years ago this week that my family foursome went there on a trip for a few days, from July 22-28.

We rode the tollways east.  We stopped in Annapolis to visit the Maryland State Capitol.  The Continental Congress met there back in the 1780's, and during one of these meetings, George Washington resigned his commission as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army.  It was an amazing experience to visit the place where something so momentous happened that set the tone for the United States at its founding.

Our lodgings for our stay were in National Harbor, a commercial area just south of the southernmost tip of Washington, D.C.

I was glad that on Sunday, we had the chance to visit the Washington National Cathedral during this trip, as I had been interested in going there for some time.  It is an incredible sacred space, filled with religious imagery and also so much symbolism of the USA.  Earlier that day, I went to Mass at a historic church, St. Ignatius, in nearby Oxon Hill, MD.

On Monday, we walked around in Old Town Alexandria, since our previous stay there in December 2004 piqued my interest.  Then, we spent a chunk of time at the National Museum of American History, chock full of great exhibits.  We attended a free evening concert at the Kennedy Center.  After having dinner there, we took in some great views from the roof of the Kennedy Center.

Our tour of the US Capitol on Tuesday, July 26, was a true highlight.  I booked a tour through the office of Representative Danny Davis, who still serves the 7th Illinois Congressional District.  As we waited in his office for the staff to take us on our tour, I couldn't help but feel at home with all the decor evoking a sense of Chicagoland, including an item on loan from the Field Museum  We visited the Crypt, the Rotunda, and the Old Senate and House Chambers. We sat in the House gallery for a few minutes to observe a session of Congress.  Interestingly, there were more people in the gallery than on the House floor, where someone was talking about something related to oil drilling.  We then had the thrill of riding the tram system back to the Rayburn House Office Building.  We finished our capitol visit with a brief visit with Danny Davis.  He remarked about notable people from Oak Park.  I remarked how inspiring it is to be in Washington, D.C.  He remarked how inspiring the process is to see legislation become law.

Earlier during our stay, we visited with one of my brother Eric's college friends, Paul, who, at the time, worked in the DC office of Senator Chuck Grassley.  It was fascinating to get his perspective.  On our way back to Oak Park, we stopped in the Columbus Metro Area, and visited with another one of Eric's friends, Jeff.

As I reflect on this trip 10 years later, I am inspired by how my experiences during those days gave me a new sense of who we are as the people of the United States.  It is such that it is truly our government and our common heritage that we get to see in that city.  We see exhibits in museums and even the displays in the National Archives, which connect us with who we are.  And it was fabulous to converse with Danny Davis, which was an opportunity to connect closely with those who serve in the government.

We share a great common heritage as people of the United States, much of which is stewarded by those who serve and work in Washington, D.C., so that we can continue to connect with what our country is.

It was a great time sharing a truly USA experience with my family.

Above is the Old Senate Chamber of the Maryland State Capitol, where George Washington resigned his commission as Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army at a meeting of the COntinental Congress on December 23, 1783.

In the above photo, you can see the Illinois flag in the nave of the Washington National Cathedral.

Mom and I are posing in the National Museum of American History.  The area with the gold tiles is at the entrance to an exhibit on the US flag that waved at the Battle of Fort McHenry in September 1814.  Eric or Dad might have gotten this photo.

Someone got this photo of my pose on the rooftop of the Kennedy Center, with the Washington Monument to the left of me and the Lincoln Memorial to the right.

Above, I am riding the tram system from the US capitol to the Rayburn House Office Building, taken by Lucas, an intern in Representative Davis's office, who appear to the left of me in the photo below, with Congressman Davis appearing to the right, in the inner office of Representative Davis.

Here's a family photo with Danny Davis, probably taken by Lucas.

George W. Bush at 75

George W. Bush was born 75 years ago today, July 6, 1946, in New Haven, CT.

Nearly 55 years later, on January 20, 2001, he was inaugurated the 43rd President of the United States.  I was in 4th grade.  I wasn't at school that day, since it was a Saturday, and I remember being at home watching the inauguration ceremony, the first time I can recall watching a presidential inauguration.

Over the course of the next 8 years, my sociopolitical awareness increased.  George W. Bush stands out most in my mind because he was President during noteworthy years of my coming of age, and my perspectives on the world around me were shaped in significant ways by the events of his presidency.

While I was observing the unfolding of the 2000 presidential election campaign, for some reason, I had a better feeling when I considered George W. Bush, versus Al Gore, although I can't really explain why.

One admirable quality of George W. Bush is that he is a gracious person.  I feel that is reflected in his leadership style.  It was rooted in a commitment to faith, and throughout his time in public office, he sought to engage faith-based initiatives.  His deep sense of faith resonated deeply with me as I came to embrace faith more deeply during the years he was president.  In fact, my Confirmation happened in 2005 at the midpoint of his administration.  I felt his leadership qualities were something to emulate as I sought to live out my Confirmed faith, and that was the motivation behind my choice of the Confirmation name George.

I enjoyed reading his memoir, Decision Points.  I was intrigued by his approach, to address significant decisions he faced.  Even though he focused on select areas of his life and presidency, he still covered a significant amount of ground.  Having lived through the events of his presidency while coming of age, it was intriguing to read about his thought process in situations like September 11, the War on Terror, embryonic stem cell research, and the 2008 financial crisis.  Indeed, reading the book helped me see him as someone thoughtful.

One other George W. Bush-related memory I have is visiting the White House just days before Nativity Day 2004, and seeing all the decorations.  They reflected their personal touch, especially as they involved their pets, Barney and India.

Happy 75-year Birthday, George W. Bush!  Thank you for the gracious ways you have served and edified the United States of America.

Patriotic Greetings 2021: The Culture of the USA

Patriotic Greetings!

Huzzah for the Spirit of '76 as we once again mark and celebrate those momentous days in 1776.

Following the conclusion of conflict between Britain and France in 1763, tensions increased between Britain and its 13 North American colonies as the British government steadily increased control over colonial affairs.  As the colonists resisted, the British government reacted more intensely, until the Battles of Lexington and Concord on April 19, 1775, launched war, increasing momentum for the colonies' independence.

On June 7, 1776, Virginia delegate Richard Henry Lee presented the following resolution before the Continental Congress: "Resolved. That these United Colonies are, and of right ought to be, free and independent States, that they are absolved from all allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain is, and ought to be, totally dissolved."

After some initial discussion, the Congress decided to schedule a vote on the resolution for July 1 as the colonies used the interval to consider their stance on the resolution.  Meanwhile, Congress appointed a committee to draft a document explaining the move for independence should it be needed, and Virginia delegate Thomas Jefferson was its primary author.

On July 1, Congress discussed the resolution.  The following day, Tuesday, July 2, 1776, Congress adopted the independence resolution by a unanimous vote.  After discussing Thomas Jefferson's draft, they adopted the Declaration of Independence on July 4.

Following several more years of war, the American colonists won a decisive victory at Yorktown against the British in October 1781.  On September 3, 1783, the Treaty of Paris 1783 formally concluded the war, and the United States of America became fully independent.

I consider these days in July so special because they speak to who we are as they tell about how we came into existence.  This story took on whole new dimensions for me 5 years ago last month when I visited Philadelphia and my long-awaited dream of touring Independence Hall became reality, as shown in the photo below taken by a fellow tourist when I was in the assembly room there.

It was one instance of traveling as an experience by which I came to more deeply behold what the United States is.

The United States has become so much over the course of the succeeding years, and has encompassed so much over this vast land, as I've come to see through many experience.  Especially throughout the past year, I've had so many experiences that have given me new insights into the all the richness of this country, especially its culture.

One encounters a very distinct sense of US culture driving along Route 66, and last summer, I drove most of the Illinois portion, from the edge of Berwyn and Cicero all the way to the Chain of Rocks Bridge at the Mississippi River just north of St. Louis.  I've heard stories about people from Europe specifically coming to the United States to visit Route 66 locations.  Once while in Springfield, IL, I even met a couple from Britain who said they were driving the whole length of the historic route.  There's something so down-to-earth driving through small towns, where local businesses sprang up as part of the infrastructure and services for Route 66 travelers.

Later that same week, I marveled at some great natural beauty in and around the Shawnee National Forest in southern Illinois, which is kind of like a hidden natural treasure.  It may not have the prominence of places like Yellowstone National Park, but there's so much beauty there nonetheless.

Another way I really soak in a sense of US culture is riding Amtrak.  While traveling from city to city, I see the land that is the United States while riding along, particularly on long-distance rides.  And there's a certain lifestyle connected with the geography of each region.  Crossing major rivers like the Mississippi, the Colorado, or the Potomac, often marks a passage from one state to another, and from one sense of culture to another.  From my seat, I see flat plains filled with farmlands as well as mountainous terrain, and the sky conditions add a special touch, too, like when I gaze upon an amazing sunrise or sunset.  And as I pass through small towns like Denmark, SC, and big cities like Kansas City, I can take note of how each place is unique and contributes something valuable to making the USA what it is.  Amtrak has truly helped me connect with my country, and so with great delight I marked its 50th anniversary back on May 1.

From the end of last September into October, I went to visit my friend Roy out in southern California, journeying there onboard the Amtrak Southwest Chief line, a route that hearkens back to the storied days of the Super Chief train and the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe railroad in the height of rail travel's golden days.

On my way there, I stopped in Flagstaff to take a day trip to visit the Grand Canyon.  It's challenging for pictures or words to convey the experience of gazing out at the vastness of the canyon.  Indeed, it's something that you feel inside of you when you stand at the rim.  It's a great natural wonder of the world, and a true national treasure, and it makes sense why Theodore Roosevelt said everyone should visit it.

Sheldon the guide or someone in my tour group got this photo of me, posing at the Grand Canyon, while sporting a patriotic bolo tie--the bolo tie is the official state neckwear of Arizona.

It was indeed a great first visit to the amazing state of Arizona.

Indeed, even in the desert, there is so much beauty to stir something inside a person, which I felt traveling through New Mexico and Arizona, especially watching the sunrise in eastern Arizona by Petrified Forest National Park.  Even in the dark of night, there was something amazing about the southern California desert under a moonlit sky.

My trip to visit Roy was my first time in Southern California, and being in such a warm place had a certain laidback vibe to it.  It was a culture of warmth matching the pleasant, sunny climate.

Months later, I was on a trip to southern Florida, with just as strong of a laidback, pleasant culture as its persistently warm climate.  

Here I am posing in Florida with a slice of key lime pie, the official Florida state pie--courtesy of Mom or Dad.

I also noticed how Florida draws upon its proximity to Cuba, geographically and demographically with all those who fled from there to southern Florida.  And few things could match the soothing sounds of ocean waves, especially at night.  I was so pleased that even in an area that caters so heavily to drawing tourists, I could still appreciate natural beauty, not only at the Atlantic Ocean, but also in the Everglades.

On my way back from Florida, I had a short visit to Washington, D.C.  There's so much in that city that speaks to the heart of who we are as a nation, and our culture.  Our values are reflected in the government institutions there that strive, even if imperfectly, to raise up and empower the people to run the government, which was how this country got started, and how it functions to this day.

That sense of our foundation was the inspiration I felt each time I served as an election judge worker, most recently on November 3, 2020, and then again on April 6, 2021.  We are called upon as the American people to contribute something to our government, manifested by going to the polls on Election Day, even as it compels us to keep up our involvement in government affairs in between elections.  But what's more, serving as an election judge gives me a strong sense of the community where I live as I served residents, neighbors, and even fellow Ascension parishioners.  One of the most exciting and inspiring parts of Election Day is seeing first-time voters.

The events of 1776 live on because they became so much more.  I even think about how the events of 1818 when Illinois became a state became so much more, especially as July 1, 2021, marks 50 years since the 4th Illinois State Constitution took effect.  These events have caused so much to happen as we act upon them in the democratic process of the Republic of the United States, at the ballot box and beyond.  

We're a people of action.  We're a people who can appreciate beauty, and pleasant climates, drawing from them in a way distinctly reflected in our culture.  And in such a vast land, we can be bound together by the reality that we, in all our variety, compose a single country, in all our richness.

So from actions taken on those pivotal days in the summer of 1776, to our vast culture today, we have so much to celebrate.

May our Patroness Saint, Blessed Mary of the Immaculate Conception, intercede for this land.

And may God bless the United States of America, and may He continue to prosper it.

Paul

At the heart of the United States: Here is the Old Chain of Rocks Bridge crossing the Mississippi River just north of downtown St. Louis, MO.  On this bridge, I walked over the Mississippi River for the first time in my life during my downstate Illinois vacation last summer.

P.S. This is my annual Patriotic Greetings note that I first wrote in 2008, and which has appeared annually on my blog since 2013.

Here are links to view the versions of these notes that appear on my blog for 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2020.

If you'd like a print copy, please feel free to contact me and let me know where I should send it.  A contact form is available on the sidebar of this blog page.

Small Seeds and Great Growth

Recent events have inspired me to put a post from my Scripture Readings Reflection blog onto my Paul Ponders blog.

On Sunday, June 13, 2021, the Oak Park middle schools held their 8th grade graduation ceremonies.  That same Sunday, the readings at Mass focused on seeds and their growth.

Jesus presents some marvelous imagery in the parables in the Gospel reading.

The farmer plants seeds and does his part tending to them, but then the process of the seeds becoming plants in full bloom unfolds in ways beyond his control or understanding.  Then there's the incredible reality of how the tiny mustard seed becomes such a large bush.

It is truly marvelous to think of how God is similarly at work in our lives.  While we can't see God, He reveals Himself to us, so that we walk by faith, not by sight, as St. Paul writes, striving to please God in this life as we journey toward the judgment.

As we devote our lives to putting faith into action through righteous deeds, God is at work in ways that we can't fully understand or control, though we know His work is really happening because of the fruits that come to bear.  Ultimately, God mightily declares Who He is through these deeds, doing what He alone can do.

Yet we marvel at how God invites us to be transformed so that even our small deeds of righteousness, kindness, and compassion can be part of His plan to advance the Kingdom of God on Earth, which is not a place, but a way of life.  By faith, we open ourselves up to how our deeds can be part of God's plan to advance the Kingdom by making God known.  So we constantly strive to do good works, ready for God's action through them.

At the June 13 ceremonies, 27 of the students I taught in RE class this past year graduated from both Brooks and Julian Middle Schools.

As a Religious Education teacher, part of my role is to plant seeds, and then open up to how God does His part to bring them forth to fruition.  By faith, I recognize that the seeds planted during their time in RE class will come to fruition, though I know not how it happens, and even if I'm not there to see the fruition.

Furthermore, I recognize in my experience that so many seeds were planted during my middle school years, especially in becoming a person of deep faith, which have born great fruit over the past 16 years, and I marvel to think of how God has been at work in wondrous ways that He alone can do.

I also recall how I was part of the first group of students to start middle school in 6th grade and then attend 7th and 8th grade in middle school.  I planted seeds that became part of the middle school experience in Oak Park today.

It's been great to teach RE for middle schoolers so I can connect with today's middle schoolers and see how the schools have turned out from the foundation I helped lay, even as I help to continue building on the foundation by accompanying my students in their faith journey at a time when I experience significant growth in my life.  And now I get to be part of the work of handing on the faith, which is something truly wondrous.