Last January Dominican Sister Jane Meyer, 71, principal of Houston's St. Agnes Academy, told the school’s students that if they raised $25,000 for Haitian earthquake relief by Ash Wednesday, she would jump out of a plane—with a parachute, of course. A number of bake sales, talent shows, and raffles later, the students had raised more than $88,000. Keeping her promise, Sister Meyer took a 14,000-foot skydive. "I always tell our students they have to take good risks and stretch themselves," she said.

Sister Meyer’s story made Live with Regis & Kelly, and here’s the local news story about her jump:

The Roman Catholic bishops of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the only cities to have endured war-time nuclear bombings, are urging world leaders to abolish nuclear weapons, reports Ecumenical News International.

Nagasaki Archbishop Mitsuaki Takami and Hiroshima Bishop Joseph Atsumi Misue released a joint statement on February 26 ahead of a nuclear security summit scheduled for April in Washington, D.C. and a review conference of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty in New York City in May. Last week a group of nine churches in Britain launched a similar campaign that calls on the British Government to make a commitment to achieving a world free of nuclear weapons, thereby building a safer future for all.

According to Wikipedia, the U.S. dropped a nuclear weapon on the city of Hiroshima on Monday, August 6, 1945, followed by the detonation of another one over Nagasaki on August 9. These are the only attacks with nuclear weapons in the history of warfare.

Within the first two to four months of the bombings, the acute effects killed 90,000-166,000 people in Hiroshima and 60,000-80,000 in Nagasaki, with roughly half of the deaths in each city occurring on the first day. In both cities, most of the dead were civilians.

The role of the bombings in Japan's surrender and the U.S.'s ethical justification for them is still debated. How do you feel about the use of nuclear weapons? Can they be justified in this case or in any case?

As you ponder this moral question, you may find it helpful to refer to the U.S. Catholic Bishops' Pastoral Letter on War and Peace.

Hannah Corbin (left) gets a hug from Sister Denise Wilkinson, general superior, during her entrance into the postulancy Sept. 14 under the watchful eye of Saint Mother Theodore Guerin.

“Hannah’s ‘call’ to religious life,” says a story on the Sisters of Providence website, “was a gradual process. . . . She began to research other religious communities to see what choices were possible. She went online to the VISION website and read flyers on bulletin boards at college. She remembers seeing the Providence Volunteer Ministry (PVM) opportunity [on the VISION site] with the Sisters of Providence.”

Read Hannah’s full story here. And check out the Opportunities section on the VISION site to find a large number of discernment and service events available with Catholic communities of consecrated life.

New York Times columnist Nicholas D. Kristoff, who often writes about humanitarian crises around the world, has this engaging paragraph in his February 27, 2010 column on the growing role of faith-based groups in humanitarian relief efforts:

"One of the most inspiring figures I've met while covering Congo's brutal civil war is a determined Polish nun in the terrifying hinterland, feeding orphans, standing up to drunken soldiers and comforting survivors--all in a war zone. I came back and decided: I want to grow up and become a Polish nun."

Keep missionaries and relief workers of all faith traditions in your prayers today. And tell us how YOU are helping alleviate suffering somewhere in the world--through a donation, a volunteer effort, alternative spring break, or the like.

On Oct. 17 Pope Benedict XVI will canonize Blessed Mary MacKillop, making her Australia's first saint, and Canadian Blessed André Bessette, who will be the first saint of the Holy Cross Brothers.

Mother Mary MacKillop

Mother Mary MacKillop, an Australian, founded the Sisters of St. Joseph of the Sacred Heart in 1866 with the help of English priest Julian Tenison Woods. From the order's inception, the sisters, commonly known as the Josephites, lived among the people they served and provided education and support for the children and families living in remote rural and urban areas. This commitment to follow laborers and their families to isolated communities often without regular access to the sacraments was initially condemned by local church officials. MacKillop was briefly excommunicated but three years later the bishop who punished her recanted and she was exonerated.

MacKillop died in 1909 and was beatified by Pope John Paul II in 1995.

There are now about 1,000 Josephite sisters living and ministering throughout Australia and New Zealand, as well as Ireland, Peru, East Timor, Scotland, and Brazil.

Bl. André Bessette

Bessette spent his day greeting visitors to the novitiate and his evenings visiting the sick in the surrounding neighborhoods. He became known as a miracle-worker, which he ascribed to the healing power of Saint Joseph, and thousands began seeking his counsel and prayers. His devotion to Saint Joseph led him to start a campaign to build a shrine dedicated to the saint. Construction of the Oratory of St. Joseph began in 1924. Bessette died in 1937 and his remains are buried beneath the main chapel of the Oratory. It was reported that 1 million people filed past his coffin.

_____________________________________________________________

Others to be made saints on Oct. 17 according to Catholic News Service:

-- Blessed Stanislaw Soltys Kazimierczyk (1433-1489), a Polish-born member of the Canons Regular of the Lateran, famous as a preacher and confessor.

-- Blessed Juana Josefa Cipitria Barriola of Spain (d. 1912), founded the Daughters of Jesus.

-- Blessed Giulia Salzano of Italy (d. 1929), founder of the Catechetical Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

-- Blessed Camilla Battista Varano (1448-1524), founder of several Poor Clare communities in Italy.

Sainthood was also approved for Stanislaw Soltys, a 15th-century Polish priest; Italian nuns Giulia Salzano and Battista Varano; and Spanish nun Candida Maria de Jesus Cipitria y Barriola.

by Father Paul Weberg, O.S.B.

If someone would’ve told me when I was in high school that I would end up being a Benedictine monk, a priest, a high school teacher and chaplain, and an Army chaplain, I’m not sure if I would’ve laughed or cried, but I’m sure I would’ve been surprised! Somewhere in Saint Augustine’s Confessions he prays to God, saying something like: “When I was young, I wanted marriage, money, and prestige, and You laughed at me.” I think we have two lives: the one we plan for and the one we get, and if we’re in touch and in tune with the Lord, the one we get is always better for our eternal happiness and holiness. That has definitely been the case for me.

Father Paul Weberg, O.S.B. in Iraq

All of these “parts” or “layers” make up my vocation. Some have said: If you’ve met one Benedictine, you’ve met one Benedictine! There are truly no two monks alike, and rarely do monks live out their call to seek God in exactly the same way. Saint Benedict doesn’t even expect that—and with the chapters in his Rule on diet and artisans in the monastery, maybe he even discourages it. Being a monk and priest has opened so many doors for me. For me, the Lord has called me to seek him and to glorify him in the monastery, high school ministry, and the military. If you’re following the Lord, be ready for an adventure!

Here's a story you don't come across every day: An evangelical minister converts to Catholicism and enters the seminary. But that is Gregg Bronsema's story, according to a story by ChicagoCatholicNews.com

Born in Chicago, Bronsema and his family belonged to the Christian Reformed Church before becoming Baptist and moving to Oregon. Years later, Bronsema became an evangelical minister.

Photo by Gerry Lewin for Catholic Sentinel (Portland)

It was the "last thing in the world" he imagined himself doing. "I didn't exactly come running to the Catholic Church," wrote Bronsema in an open letter to the Oregon parish he has been affiliated with since converting. "I had a lot of stereotypes and misconceptions about the church that had to be broken down. But I have found the strength of the sacraments of the church and what a difference it makes in life."

How did it happen? While working at a Portland Christian bookstore, Bronsema began reading about the Catholic Church. Bolstered by his reading, Bronsema got up the courage to walk into St. Joseph the Worker church in Portland, where he got to know the pastoral staff and members of the parish. Gradually he came to realize this was his spiritual home and he entered the RCIA program.

Bronsema's journey of converting from evangelical Christianity to Catholicism has also been detailed in the Catholic Sentinel (Portland).

How about you? Did you, or someone you know, convert to Catholicism? How would you describe the faith of converts you have met? Are you familiar with the RCIA program?

“Perhaps the one that sets the tone for many of us is what we might call the penitential tradition. During the first centuries of the church, people who were aware of having committed serious sin would do public penance during Lent. They were obliged to stand outside the church and ask the members of the community for food and prayer. At the end of Lent they would be given reconciliation and allowed to rejoin the community in the celebration of the Eucharist. Even after the public celebration of the sacrament of Penance had ceased, the penitential character of Lent continued, with a focus on sinfulness and doing penance. The ashes on Ash Wednesday come from this tradition.

“The other tradition is even older and has a more positive emphasis. This is the tradition of Lent that developed around those who were preparing for the sacraments of Christian initiation—Baptism, Confirmation, and Eucharist. The 40 days before Easter were the time of their final preparation, just as we see today for those in the RCIA program. It was a time of anticipation and hope. The emphasis was on the great themes of the gospel in which Christ is seen as the source of Living Water and eternal life, the Light taking away spiritual blindness, and raising the dead to life. Lent is the time for conversion as the preparation to experience death to sin in Christ and resurrection to new life, as we experienced in Baptism. Lent looks directly to Easter.

“In solidarity with the catechumens, the members of the community are invited to recall their own initiation and reflect on these themes in their own lives. This call to ongoing conversion sets the tone for Lent. We remember that repentance calls us to more than sorrow for particular faults or failings; we are challenged to conversion, that is, to embrace a new fundamental attitude or change of heart. This change of heart begins with our realization of Christ’s love, as shown in the gospel images mentioned above (from the Cycle A readings for the Third, Fourth, and Fifth Sundays of Lent), and creates a vision of our life in Christ consistent with our Baptism. That is reflected nicely in the words we hear when receiving ashes at the beginning of Lent: 'Repent and believe in the gospel.'

“Our Catholic tradition of Lent is formed from both the baptismal and penitential traditions. . . . Let it be a time of renewal looking toward the meaning of Easter in your life.”

This important newsflash from Ecumenical News International—perhaps the good monks will want to give it up for Lent!

"A small band of Benedictine monks in the south of England has come under fire for producing a fortified wine that critics describe as the 'scourge of Scotland' for its high alcohol content. The tipple, officially known as 'Buckfast tonic wine' but nicknamed 'commotion motion' or 'wreck the hoose juice' by devotees in Britain's far north, is turned out at Buckfast Abbey, a monastery in the Devonshire hills of southwest England, Religion News Service reports. But 'Buckie' has become a national favorite brew in Scotland--doubtless in part because it contains about 15 percent alcohol by volume. In other words, it packs a punch, as the police report."

Many of you may know that the Oprah Winfrey Show ran a segment on the Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist, in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The sisters' website has a photo gallery of the event. Also, Oprah's site has the story and some video.

The Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate (CARA) at Georgetown University is a nonprofit research center that conducts social scientific studies about the Catholic Church. CARA has conducted a significant amount of research on the long-term effects (throughout life) of attending a Catholic higher education institution, with some interesting results:

Catholics who attended a Catholic college or university are more likely than Catholics who attended a non-Catholic college (public or private) to:

• Attend Mass every week (34 compared to 19 percent)
• Register with a parish (75 compared to 55 percent)
• To agree that "I seriously consider the Church's statements, such as those of the Pope and U.S. Bishops on social, political and moral issues" (55 percent compared to 38 percent)
• To agree that "all human life, from conception to natural death, is sacred. For this reason, the taking of life-whether through abortion, the death penalty, or assisted suicide-is wrong" (53 percent compared to 35 percent)
• To oppose the death penalty (51 compared to 33 percent)
• To disagree that "a woman should have the right whether or not to abort an unwanted pregnancy" (44 percent compared to 24 percent)
• To oppose "making it legal for a physician to help a dying person commit suicide" (53 compared to 43 percent)
• To agree that "Catholics have a duty to close the gap between the rich and the poor" (54 percent compared to 38 percent)
• To agree that "society has a responsibility for helping poor people get out of poverty" (76 compared to 59 percent)
• To agree that "the United States has a responsibility to take the lead in global peace-building (i.e., non-violent solutions to conflict)" (73 percent compared to 60 percent)
• To agree that "It is important to me to do what I can do to help poor and needy people in countries outside of the United States" (71 percent compared to 54 percent)
• To say that, when making political choices, they draw on their Catholic faith either "very much" or "somewhat" (70 compared to 55 percent)
• Among men, those who have attended a Catholic college are more likely to say they considered becoming a priest or brother (43 compared to 23 percent)
• Among women, those who have attended Catholic college are more likely to say they considered becoming a sister or nun (39 compared to 20 percent)

"Across the board, Catholics who have attended a Catholic college or university are more likely than those who attended a non-Catholic college to respond in a manner that is more consistent with Church teachings and practice," says CARA in reporting on its research.

What is your own experience? What is your opinion of Catholic colleges and universities and their role in faith development?

In a recent holiday message from Moscow, Sister Roberta Christine, F.S.P., a Daughter of St. Paul from Virginia, wished everyone a blessed Christmas and happy new year—or, more precisely, С Рождеством и новым годом!—and described some of her activities in the Russian capital.

Moscow's Catholic Cathedral

Sister Roberta’s efforts led to an invitation from the Salesian Oratory Youth Group at the cathedral to give a talk on Pauline life and mission, which she did with the help of two other sisters, a PowerPoint presentation in Russian, and youth translators when necessary. “We started the evening with ‘tea’ and ended the evening with the ‘tea’—a very Russian thing to do,” she said. Some of the young people have even started stopping by the Pauline book center.

As for the weather: “We have had -23 C, -20, -16 so that 0 C feels like summer,” Sister Roberta reported. “But at -15C’’—that’s 5 degrees Fahrenheit—“your nose hairs and eyelashes actually freeze. The trick seems to be dressing like an onion.”

Gathering reports from the National Religious Vocation Conference's February Newsletter, and Fides, the news agency for the Ponitifical Mission Society, the earthquake in Haiti has had a devasting effect on many religious communities even as many religious men and women are in the forefront of relief efforts. Here is what is being reported to date:

From the NRVC:

Sister Brigitte Pierre, D.C., a Haitian member of the Daughters of Charity was found dead January 17. Remaining members of the Daughters of Charity were unharmed, although their homes were destroyed, and they have been living in tents as they reach out to assist their neighbors. An international team of 8 Daughters of Charity has arrived to assist with the relief effort.

Sister Mary Finnick, G.N.S.H. of the Grey Nuns of the Sacred Heart is a nurse and has been treating the injured at Matthew 25, a Port-au-Prince hospitality house she runs. She and a doctor have been using the dining room of the partially damaged house as an operating room.

Sister Judy Dohner, H.M., a Humility of Mary sister suffered broken ribs and a concussion. She lives with the Sisters of St. Antoine of Fondwa, a Haitian community that lost a novice sister and a 2-year-old orphan in her care, along with its convent. The community’s orphanage and school also were damaged, forcing

The funeral service for Archbishop Joseph Serge Miot, outside the ruins of Cathédrale Notre-Dame de l'Assomption, in Haiti on Jan. 23, 2010. Miot and many parishioners were killed when the cathedral collapsed during the earthquake Shawn Thew / EPA Read mor

members to sleep outdoors with the orphans.

The Marist Brothers report that since their works are far from Port-au-Prince, they withstood the earthquake without any serious damage.

Two seminarians of the Oblates of St. Francis de Sales were killed; five others were seriously injured but expected to recover. Two of the community’s three houses were completely destroyed. The community’s three priests and seminarians are living out in the open.

The 11 Sisters of Providence serving in Haiti survived the earthquake, although their homes were damaged. The sisters are sleeping in the street but continue to serve the poor by caring for the injured in a make-shift clinic set up on the grounds of a demolished church. Meanwhile the international congregation of the Sisters of Providence has launched a fundraising campaign to help Haiti rebuild and has pledged that its sisters will remain for the long term.

Sister Odlinè Morcy, S.S.A. of the Sisters of St. Anne was killed and another sister was injured. The community also lost a dispensary, a school and two residences.

The Society of the Sacred Heart reports that the three R.S.C.J. sisters based in Port-au-Prince are safe, but their house was destroyed. They express gratitude to the Daughters of Mary who extended hospitality to Sister Josefa Corrada, R.S.C.J. after she escaped a building. The R.S.C.J.s will move to Verrettes, Haiti where the community offers educational programs.

At least five employees at the Viatorians’ principal building, Villa Manrèse, were killed when the building was destroyed. One Viatorian, Jean-Michelin Cadet, injured his leg when the Viatorian community house and parish church in Grand Goâve were destroyed. Several Viatorians have opted not to take refuge in the community’s intact house in Cazeau neighborhood near the airport but to remain in Grand Goâve and Villa Manrèse, ministering to the people as best they can. The Superior General of the Viatorians has launched an international fundraising campaign to help rebuild and continue its mission in Haiti.

The two Xaverian Brothers who run the Maison Fortuné Orphanage in Hinche, Haiti are safe. They are moving forward with plans to take in children from Port-au-Prince orphanages that have been destroyed. The Xavierian Brothers also sponsor Sant Zveryen, a house for young men attending college in Port-au-Prince. The house was damaged, but all nine student-residents survived.

The Sisters of Charity of St. Hyacinthe, Canada lost their convent and school in Haiti, but their 21 sisters are safe and living with other congregations.

From Fides:

The Missionaries of St. Jacques lost Port-au-Prince Archbishop Serge Miot.

The Montfort Missionaries lost nine seminarians and one priest.

The Congregation of Daughters of Wisdom lost three sisters. Three others are still trapped under the rubble.

Oblates of Mary Immaculate in Haiti have about 130 members. One seminarian was killed.

The Congregation of the Holy Ghost lost one seminarian.

The Christian Brothers (with 15 working in Haiti) reported no deaths or injuries. There was slight damage to its novitiate, which has been converted into a shelter for nuns who were left homeless.

None of the 41 Redemptorist fathers or brothers was killed; only one was wounded. However damage to their property estimated at $2 million.

The seven Dominican men religious also escaped unharmed. The Dominican Sisters of Charity of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin sustained one injured sister; one of their two homes was completely destroyed. One of the children of their school was killed.

The 49 Sisters of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary all survived.

The five Camillian seminarians escaped unharmed.

The Salesians reported about the collapse of a school that buried 200 students and the religious working there. The bodies of two Salesian seminarians have been found.

Jesuits reported little damage and no lives lost; only one priest was injured.

The Franciscans also reported that their 16 brothers are alive. However, an Argentinean priest of the order, who worked as a missionary in Haiti for the past two years, is among those who disappeared in the earthquake, his brother reported on a local television station.

According to the most recent statistics Haiti's capital was served by 277 priests, 387 men religious and 1,200 women religious.

The Oakland A's Grant Desme, a former second-round pick and one of Oakland's top outfield prospects, announced Friday morning that he is retiring from baseball to become a Norbertine priest at St. Michael's Abbey in Silverado, CA.

The slugging 23-year-old, who won Arizona Fall League MVP honors in 2009, said he knew he was likely done with baseball when he finished his stint in Arizona two months ago.

"I do love the game, but I have no regrets," Desme said in a media conference call reported by Danny Wild at MinorLeagueBaseball.com. "I called yesterday to inform [A's general manager Billy Beane] of my decision, knowing I'd be done with baseball for the rest of my life after that call. I was able to experience a great amount of peace because of it--it reconfirmed my decision. I think I'd detached myself from baseball a while ago."

Desme enjoyed a breakout season in '09, batting .288 with 31 home runs and 89 RBIs in 131 games between Class A Kane County and Class A Advanced Stockton. His 40 stolen bases made him minor league bBaseball's only 30-30 player in '09.

"Last year before the season, I had a really strong feel of calling and strong desire to follow it," said Desme, who began the season in the Midwest League. "I guess in a way I fought it. God blessed me, I had a better year than I could have ever imagined. It reconfirmed my desire even more. I wasn't at peace with where I was at, I felt I was called to more."

The outfielder said he'd been contemplating his career as a priest for over a year. A separated shoulder in 2008 limited him to just two games, but more important, it gave him time to reflect on his life and goals. "My injuries were the biggest blessings that God's ever given me," he said. "For my entire life, baseball's been my life. I've defined myself as a baseball player. When it was taken away, it was kind of an eye opener, a real shock. Either way, if I played in the big leagues and became a Hall of Famer, you never know when it's going to end. I started doing some soul searching about who I was, and this is where its led me."

The slugger visited St. Michael's Abbey of the Norbertine Fathers and Brothers in Silverado, Calif. following the AFL season, and that's where he'll begin what he hopes is a 10-year journey to becoming a Catholic priest.

"Grant Desme performed far beyond his experience during his six weeks in Arizona this fall," AFL director Steve Cobb said in November. "For a young man who has yet to face Double-A and Triple-A competition, his success against an array of the game's top prospects was remarkable."

Despite his success on the field, Desme said he never considered trying to stay in baseball while dedicating himself to his faith. "I wanted to give my life completely to God for love, for everything he has done for me," Desme said. "I'm very thankful for that. Something like this is very little in comparison to what he has done for me. "It's about 10 year process of studying, so in reality, this is kind of a comparison," he added. "It's like I'm re-entering the Minor Leagues."

Last night I heard Olivia Wilde, an actress from Artists for Peace and Justice, speak of Passionist Father Rick Frechette's

Passionist Father Rick Frechette, a medical doctor, at one of his clinics in Haiti prior to the recent devastating earthquake. Frechette had been in the U.S. visting his ailing mother, but returned to Haiti immediately following news of the disaster.

great work in Haiti, founding hospitals, free clinics, and schools. He has received the "Hollywood Humanitarian Award" for his untiring dedication to the people of Haiti.

Here is news from him posted January 15 on the Passionists' website:

Hello Friends,

After driving by night to Kennedy Airport January 12th, and flying to the Dominican Republic January 13th, Conan and I arrived to Haiti this morning in the helicopter of the President of the Dominican Republic. This ride was due to the reputation of NPH in the Dominican Republic, NPH Italy, a reputation enhanced in the DR by Andrea Bocelli not long ago.

Our first tasks were the medical evacuation of one of our American volunteers, the medical evacuation of one of our Cuban doctors and the evacuation of the body if one of our American visitors. The search still continues in the rubble for another missing American volunteer, Molly.

We also had 18 funerals today. One for John who works at our St Luke program. We miss John very much. He often stopped to at my door to tell me the milestone of his developing baby, which delighted him no end. John ran our computerized language lab. Another was for Johanne’s mother. Joanne is one of the Directors of the St Luke program. All the others were of unknown people who were sadly rotting by the wayside. Other sadnesses…the death of Immacula, our only physician assistant, who worked at our huge outpatient side of our hospital. The death of ALL but one of Joseph Ferdinand’s brothers and sisters, the death of the husband of Jacqueline Gautier as he was visiting a school which fell and all the students (all died), the death of our ex-pequeno Wilfrid Altisme who was in his 5th year of seminary for priesthood.

Other stories of deaths of people who are dear to us keep coming in. We spent the rest of the time managing the countless people with serious and severe wounds, coming to our hospital. We are doing our best for them, under trees and in the parking lot with ever diminishing supplies. We will work throughout the night and beyond. No stores are open, no banks are open. Diesel is running out. Will be out in two days if we don’t find a solution, which will mean no power at all. The hospital is without water since there is some broken line between the well and the water tower. Structural damages to the hospital seem superficial at first glance, but about half the outer perimeter walls have fallen. The old hospital in Petionville is in ruins, and teams of workers, led by Ferel, and been digging for Molly non-stop around the clock.

WE HAVE NO INTERNET. OUR PHONES DO NOT WORK. IF A CALL DOES GET THROUGH WE CAN’T HEAR OR BE HEARD. Robin has internet access through a satellite. I asked her to send this message for me, and to read my emails and answer them as best she can for now. Please continue to pray for us. We pray for you too.

Fr. Rick Frechette

The Passsionists have the following message on their website:

Please consider a donation to help Fr. Rick help the people of Haiti:

Passionist Missionaries Inc.
526 Monastery Place
Union City NJ 07087-3398
Tel: 888/806-6606
E-mail: DLisotta@cpprov.org

Donate on-line. The link for our Donate Now will redirect you to Caring Habits, Inc. (CHI), the credit card processing company for The Passionist Missionaries website.

Born into slavery in Ralls County, Missouri to Catholic parents in 1854, Augustus Tolton was destined to become the United States' first recognized African American priest, But his road would not be an easy one.

With his mother and siblings he escaped to Illinois and freedom during the Civil War and eventually settled in Quincy, Illinois, where the family found work. Some priests and nuns encouraged and taught him, while others were hostile to his desire to become a priest. After years of rejection from U.S. seminaries, Tolton finally traveled to Rome for his studies, where he was ordained in 1886 at the age of 31. He had hoped to become a missionary to Africa, said an Associated Press story, but was assigned to parish work in Quincy, Illinois and later Chicago, at St, Monica's parish. At St. Monica's the beloved Tolton was known to parishioners at "Good Father Gus" and admired for his homilies and singing voice. Tolton died during a Chicago heat wave in 1897 at age 43.

Tolton was and continues to be a source of encouragement for African American Catholics. "Young people can look to Father Augustine's legacy—and be inspired and be able to say, 'If he could do it, so could I," said African American Deacon Harold Burke-Sivers of Portland, Oregon. Burke-Sivers wrote the introduction to a reissue of Sister Caroline Hemesath's 1973 biography of Tolton, From Slave to Priest..

Tolton's struggle continues, said Adrienne Curry, managing editor of the Black Catholic Chicago website: "We're faced with the same issues in the church—needing churches we can go to that feed our needs, and education we can afford, and still facing racism in the church," she said. "I think Father Tolton would be saddened but hopeful at the same time—just like we are."

Here's a video on the life of Father Tolton:

The book and film Dead Man Walking did a lot to get the word out about Sister of St. Joseph Helen Prejean's efforts against the death penalty. But did you know the book was also made into an opera, with music by Jake Heggie and a libretto by Terrance McNally? Heggie has also set to music Prejean's poems The Deepest Desire: Four Meditations on Love called The Deepest Desire: Four Dramatic Songs of Praise, which talk about the vocation of love and her own vocation.

The texts of the songs are below. Here's a performance:

Prelude: The Call

More is required
More is required than being swept along—
All the currents pulling me
Easy and wide in a long, slow drift—
Without rudder, floating backwards, now to the side.
What can one person do against a sucking tide?

I coil like a bow;
I gather like a fist;
I forge like a rudder
And I lean into the wide, slow drift.

I tack and veer by God's own will.
I raise my voice against the silence.
My voice alone until a chorus joins.

Love

Love is the pure energy of God: pray for it ardently.
Be grateful when it comes into your life: give of it generously.
Lavish it on others: even the undeserving ones.
Cultivate friendship with care: it is the best love of all.

I catch on fire
Long black dress to my toes—Flowing black sleeves and veil.
A walking bolt of black material.
Fourth grade religion class-Teaching full force:
The gospel according to . . .
Lit candle.

Fifty little eyes wide. Twenty-five voices shout:
"Sister! Sister! You're on fire!"

Flames shooting. Hands beating.
Silence. Breathing.

Children, this teaches us always to be careful with fire.

Now, years later, when I pray
I catch on fire.
Amen.

The deepest desire

A compilation of spirited food, drink, and travel

Wisconsin journalist Madeline Scherb recently published A Taste of Heaven: A Guide to Food and Drink Made by Monks and Nuns (Tarcher, 2009), part cookbook, part travel guide.

According to her Amazon biography, Scherb, a Catholic and member of St. Bernard Parish in Middleton, WI, first came up with the idea for A Taste of Heaven while completing a journalism fellowship in 2003. Financing her efforts with her personal savings, Scherb took six years to complete the book and traveled to more than a dozen abbeys in the United States and Europe.

She offers many insights into religious life, including this observation from her introduction:

Perhaps the greatest lesson to be learned from the example of monks and nuns is that a life lived simply can be both rewarding and sustainable. Monks and nuns don't live to work, they live to pray. They work only as much as they need to, but they give it their best effort every day. They work whether they are young or old according to their abilities (an octogenarian nun was recently spotted making chocolates at Bonneval, while monks of a similar age staff the reception desk at Gethsemani).

What if God had texted the Ten Commandments? Jamie Quatro on the literary ezine McSweeney's has some suggestions:

1. no1 b4 me. srsly.

2. dnt wrshp pix/idols

3. no omg's

4. no wrk on w/end (sat 4 now; sun l8r)

5. pos ok - ur m&d r cool

6. dnt kill ppl

7. :-X only w/ m8

8. dnt steal

9. dnt lie re: bf

10. dnt ogle ur bf's m8. or ox. or dnkey. myob.

Highlights from VISION Vocation Guide's first time attendance to the National Catholic Youth Conference--held last week in Kansas City, MO--included:

• Greeting enthusiastic young adults, teenagers, youth ministers, parents, chaperones among the 22,000-plus in attendance
• Watching teenagers bowl with the bishops using the Wii that VocationMatch.com sponsored
• Feeling the enthusiasm and spirit of the faith-filled crowd in and around Kansas City's Bartle Convention Center
• Eating at Lidia's restaurant--yum!

A few photos--sorry we couldn't provide more--we were glued to the booth!

Sisters at the National Youth Conference inKansas City

Franciscan Friars at their booth at NCYC

National Religious Vocation Conference (NRVC) Board Member Augustinian Father Kevin DiPrinzio, NRVC Executive Director Holy Cross Brother Paul Bednarczyk, and NRVC Associate Director Sister of St. Joseph of Philadelphia Charlene Diorka