I have always been a fan of the Olympics, so this year I got to watch many of the events. I admire the ability, the dedication and commitment of the athletes. They amaze me, especially since I am not the least bit athletic. Being a fan is as far as I can go, but I’m Read more »
Yesterday, September 3, was the Feast Day of St. Gregory I, also know as the Great. He was born in Rome around 540, around the time of St. Benedict’s death. He was born into a family of great wealth. His father, Gordianus, was a senator and a Prefect of Rome. His mother, Silvia, was also Read more »
Sister Denise Gough was born May 10, 1929 to Frank M. Gough and Catherine P. Volkering and given the name Anne Marie. Anne Marie was the sixth of thirteen children, seven brothers and five sisters. Her youngest brother died shortly after birth. Anne Marie entered St. Walburg Monastery in 1952, became a novice in 1953 Read more »
Remember the paperback Psalms for Modern Man? I liked its line drawings, especially of the animals in Psalm 104. Translations give them various names. The most intriguing animal name for me is the coney, also known as the rock badger or hyrax. The coney is not without esteem. Proverbs 30:24-28 speaks of four things that Read more »
Recently I have encountered several people who exemplify bravery. They each in their own way faced fear with mental strength and endured with courage. They each embodied the words of Nelson Mandela who wrote: “I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who Read more »
‘From the place where we are right flowers will never grow in the spring” Yehuda Amichai* This bold, hard-hitting assertion slams against the reader’s expectations and takes a while to be absorbed. While the scene of spring flowers can bring to mind a comfortable space with shade trees, new soft grass, a Read more »
On Friday June 26 we closed our annual retreat with evening prayer. The content of the retreat centered on the Women in John’s Gospel. The director was Bonnie Thurston, a New Testament scholar, a poet, a spiritual director and an ordained Episcopal Minister from the Appalachian region of West Virginia. Bonnie is an experienced energetic, Read more »
The National Eucharistic Congress just ended in Indianapolis, Indiana. Sr. Cathy Bauer from our Benedictine Community joined Benedictine Sisters from Beech Grove, Indiana to attend the event. Although I did not attend this Eucharistic Congress, I remember attending the International Eucharistic Congress in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1976 with the Legion of Mary. I remember the procession Read more »
“Come away by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while.” Mark 6:31 (Sunday’s Gospel) These are appealing words spoken by Jesus many times in the Gospels. However, in this instance of Mark’s Gospel we know that what Jesus desired and hoped for didn’t happen. Due to the pressure and the of the crowds Read more »
On Thursday, July 11, we celebrate the feast of St. Benedict. This is always a special day for us, but perhaps more so this year as we celebrate 165 years in the diocese of Covington. Benedictine history goes back to 450 AD and a lot has changed in all those years. Having had the privilege Read more »