One Pilgrim's Progress

Link to New Vlog

2012-01-07T18:54:00.000-08:00

Well, this blog is moving way too slow. It was a nice introduction, for me, to blogging. Now it is time to continue the journey but with a clean slate. So, One Pilgrim's Progress: Take Two will now be my active/current blog. I will not close this one and from time to time refer back to it.The new blog will focus more on video and will be more of a vlog and a traditional blog.

My Front Yard Community

2011-12-17T20:09:00.001-08:00

Well, as I mentioned with the last post, this is a time of catch up! So what do I have first? To start with, just some video of my animal friends who visit our front yard daily. This was last summer. We had made a decision to get rid of the grass. Our yard is all grasses and flowers. Oh, and bird feeders, squirrel feeders and bird baths. Francis would approve!Front Yard FeedingI am especially fond of the Morning Doves and the Woodpeckers. We also get visits from Blue Jays, Cardinals, and finches. We are beginning to develop an impressive little library on birds! A Busy Front YardI love our squirrels. However, my favorite visitor is this sneaky little chipmunk. If we are in the house he is brave and will eat with the squirrels and birds. However, if we are anywhere near the yard he does the best disappearing act I have ever seen. Chipmunk in My Front YardWell, now it is winter. Our guests are less spectacular but the one’s who have stayed our loyal. I like our little community.

USF Graduation 2011

2011-12-14T19:33:00.000-08:00

Well I have fallen far behind in my blogging. First I had to make sure I blogged the unique events of the summer. That included attending the International Christian Alliance on Prostitution global conference in May. In June I attended Collegium in Massachusetts. In July I attended a four day conference at St. Bonaventure University in Western New York. All of these needed to be covered. What I did not post was our graduation in the beginning of May.This was a unique event for me. Instead of participating in the graduation as a faculty member I sat in the bleachers with Cathi. I was the proud father of a daughter graduating with highest honors. I got to watch the pageantry from above. I got to watch the procession; the President and Provost, the Bishop and faculty formally greet the graduating students. I got to watch my graduate and under graduate students and especially my daughter move from being students to being graduates.I have a lot of catching up to do. That includes summer day tripos, fall festivals, community service days. However, first I need to finally post my daughter’s graduation. Very late but for those involved in the day it is still fun to watch .Preparing for USF Commencement 2011I liked watching the faculty forum executive officers prepare for the Commencement. I served three years on the executive committee and I shared their excitement. Best of all, I shared their excitement and pride without any of the related anxieties. It is good to be an observer! USF Graduation 2011: The Stage is SetI remember carrying the mace. It was made by our Dean of the School of the Arts, Rick Cartwright. It feels medieval, academic and connects the students and the day with the history of the academy. USF Graduation 2011: It BeginsIt was only a couple of years ago that we started the tradition of faculty crating an honor corridor for the students. It feels so good to see all of their smiling faces.bUSF Graduation 2011: Oh My,T here’s Amy Carrigan-Smith!bI felt excited not just recognizing students, it was good to see collegues, friends making the day a Rite of Passage.USF Graduation 2011: the Students EnterFinally, the students entered the hall, it had begun.USF Graduation 2011: The StageOnce the stage was occupied the students began to fill the hall. What was moments ago a huge echoing hall becomes full and the robes, the music, and the proud parents. All serve to set a tone of the celebration.USF Graduation 2011: The Hall FillsI have to say, I was not at all neutral or stoic when I say my graduate students!USF Graduation 2011: Some of My Graduate StudentsFinally we sighted Kerri and she looked so happy. She should be, she worked so hard for four straight years. USF Graduation 2011: My Baby!USF Graduation 2011: So Happy!USF Graduation 2011: Such a Big Screen!USF Graduation 2011: Dr. Daniel Introducing the Bishop USF Graduation 2011: The BishopAh, more graduate students!USF Graduation 2011: Shannon, Katie, Janelle and Jesse Finally, the moment Cathi and I had been waiting for!USF Graduation 2011: Kerri Gets Her DiplomaThe last official act and then…the march into adulthood.USF Graduation 2011: The Turning of the Tassels It was a great day. Afterward we joined Jared’s family and went out for dinner. All and all it was a day that lived up to its expectations. It was a day that marked a turning point in so many lives. It was a beautiful Commencement in Fort Wayne. USF Graduation 2011: It Is DoneFor our family it was the culmination of a wonderful journey at the University of Saint Francis. Kerri had written for the school paper. She had presented a poster at the Association of Franciscan Colleges and Universities 2010 Symposium held at USF. She had won numerous literary awards. She had an A-, her one none A! She graduated with highest honors and was recognized as an Outstanding Student in Psychology. She was also a pilgrim to Assisi and Rome. Finally, to top it all off, she met her fiancée at uSF. Yep, it had been a great four years.Kerri’s USF Journey

AFCU-SBU Liberal Arts Conference 2011: Spaces and Places

2011-09-05T06:54:00.000-07:00

There was so much to learn while we were at St. Bonaventure University for the AFCU conference. However, there was also so much to see. This was a big campus, a beautiful setting and it was oh so Franciscan!

Each night after dinner we had a social at the Thomas Merton Center. It was a great way to unwind, to plan implementation and to get to know new people.

AFCU 2011 Liberal Arts Conference: A Social at the Thomas Merton Center

We ate in the Hickey Dining Hall. This was considered the regular, nothing special hall. Well, I was impressed with it!

AFCU 2011 Liberal Arts Conference: The Dining Hall

I walked over to the Reilly Center. I wanted to visit the sports complex again. I would love to see a basket ball game here. The excitement, the noise, it must be wonderful.

AFCU 2011 Liberal Arts Conference: Reilly Center II

AFCU 2011 Liberal Arts Conference: Reilly Center

While on campus the Franciscan Institute had a sale on their publications. While the Institute is hosed in the library their inventory was kept at a place known as “the Crypt.” I suspect our gas mileage was lower driving home because we all bought so many books.

AFCU 2011 Liberal Arts Conference: Campus by the Crypt

AFCU 2011 Liberal Arts Conference: Outside of the Crypt

Our conference was initially headquartered at the R. Jones Trustee Room in Doyle Hall. Next to it was the chapel. The chapel reflected a time when each priest said Mass and so there were individual altars. The mosaics were colorful and wonderful to just gaze at. Unfortunately I could nevfr get in to video with the lights on. Even dimmed it is a beautiful space for worship.

AFCU 2011 Liberal Arts Conference: SBU Chapel

That was our July trip. The challenge now is to apply what we learned to our own discipline. The challenge is for the various schools that make up the AFCU to support one another. It was a great conference and I hope there is a follow up. We can do this.

AFCU-SBU Liberal Arts Conference: An Early Morning Walk to the Cemetery

2011-09-05T06:29:00.000-07:00

We listened, we studied, we learned. We also laughed, ate, drank and made new friends. And I walked. One of my walks along the river was a quiet moment of looking, seeing, and appreciating a simple creature.

AFCU 2011 Liberal Arts Conference: Life Beside the River

On our last morning I got up early and walked to the cemetery. Along the road were blossoms that were quietly waiting to be appreciated.

AFCU 2011 Liberal Arts Conference: Blossoms on the Side of the Road

When I finally got to the cemetery it was almost too dark to see the Grotto. I could se it but I could not film it proprerly. This is just a hint of how stunning it was.

AFCU 2011 Liberal Arts Conference: The Cemetery Grotto

The cemetery had tombstones from the 1800s. It connected you to the land and the people. This was another dimension of community we often forget. Best of all, no vampires!

AFCU 2011 Liberal Arts Conference: A Walk in the Morning to the Cemetery

On my walk back to the campus there were more plants awaiting my attention. The campus we beginning to wake up, that was good, I was ready for some coffee.

AFCU 2011 Liberal Arts Conference: Walking Along the Road

AFCU-SBU Liberal Arts Conference 2011: Rare Books Collection

2011-09-05T06:11:00.000-07:00

By the third day of the conference we are all attending breakout sessions. That took us to another part of the campus. It also helped us individualize our training. We were learning a lot. In the morning I attended a talk by Sister Carney the president of SBU. I went to her talk because I was interested in Clare. I also went because Margaret had been one of our guides on our pilgrimage to Assisi and Rome. It was good to see her again.

Still, as interesting as the talks were the campus kept calling us to her. After lunch we had one of our most interesting tours. We got to see the Rare Books Collection. The library is a beautiful, formal library. There are stacks, alcoves to read in and pillars at the entryway. The Rare Books Collection is in a separate but connected building that is climate controlled.

AFCU 2011 Liberal Arts Conference: Father Joe and the Library

The following is a collection of video clips from the tour. Two things are clear, it is an impressive collection and I am not a movie maker! I should edit and remove some of these clips however, the tour was important to many of the members. I have no idea which clip best illustrates what the participant wanted to see or remember. So for better or worse here are all of them!

When we began the tour we did not know we were entering a separate building. The books on display would have been enough to keep many of us happy. However, that was just the beginning.

AFCU 2011 Liberal Arts Conference: Entering the Rare Book Collection

The books were from different centuries and even different collections. When a college with a Franciscan book collection had to close it ‘s doors it would send its collection to SBU. They knew the books would be cared for and valued. The result is one of the largest collections in the United States and a center of scholarly research whose reach is worldwide.

AFCU 2011 Liberal Arts Conference: Rare Book Collection and Still More Books

The climate control, the security precautions and the restoration programs all reflected just how important and special this collection was.

AFCU 2011 Liberal Arts Conference: Rare Book Collection Climate Control

AFCU 2011 Liberal Arts Conference: The Stacks of the Rare Books Collection

AFCU 2011 Liberal Arts Conference: Rare Books and Dr. Spath

Dr. Spath provided a casual and yet useful tour. It was clear he was a man who was happy with his job. Joseph Campbell would have described Dr. Spath as a man who followed his bliss.

AFCU 2011 Liberal Arts Conference: Rare Book Collection Tour

I think we all left the tour wondering if we would ever have occasion to use the resources the collection had to offer. I suspect we were trying to find a way to integrate and apply the treasures of this collection to our own disciplines.

AFCU 2011 Liberal Arts Conference: Rare Book Collection

So, that was our tour. It was wonderful and yet it was just a pause in the conference. It was time to go back and learn more.

AFCU-SBU Liberal Arts Conference 2011: A Small Town Church

2011-09-05T05:50:00.000-07:00

Many members of our group would get up early and drive into town to attend St. Bonaventure Church for morning Mass. The town was tiny, the church simple and yet, it was such a nice setting for worship. The people were friendly and inviting. The priest was a Franciscan who was always happy to see other members of the Franciscan family.

AFCU 2011 Liberal Arts Conference: Outside of St. Bonaventure Church

The inside of the church was deceptive (in a good way!) The outside appeared simple. The inside of the church was beautiful. It was easy to see why so any people made the trek each morning for Mass. Sure it was a sign of devotion but it was also reflective of people who appreciated how special their church was.

AFCU 2011 Liberal Arts Conference: St. Bonaventure Church

I only attended Mass once in the Morning. Others in our group went daily. They knew how to start the day off right!

AFCU-SBU Liberal Arts Conference: A Walk in the Fog

2011-09-05T04:56:00.000-07:00

I normally get up very early on trips. This allows me to get in some exploring before we get to work. I was less driven at SBU to get up so early. I had been here before. Still, I did want to walk along the river early in the morning.

Six years ago I was walking along the river when I encountered a young “moose” standing in the river drinking. When it saw me is casually galloped away, lifting it’s heavy hoofs and splashing in the water that was spotted my sun light that peeked between the tree tops. The animal did not have antlers or I cold have know immediately if it was a moose or a caribou. It did have a hump and a shovel mouth and it was large and ‘lunky” looking. So I called it a moose. I was teased for what seemed for ever since there are no moose in this area. However, when I called Natural Resources they told me it was a cross between a European Red Deer and an Asian Deer that is raided in the area. They are smaller than moose and bigger than caribou. They are also the only animal that has the shovel mouth when young. So I walked hoping to see another miracle in the morning.

I was not disappointed. What I found was a fog so thick I could only see a few feet ahead of me. I had also never seen a fog disappear so quickly. By the time I was ready for breakfast there was no indication that the campus had been hidden in fog. It was a time of quiet and solitude and I loved it.

AFCU 2011 Liberal Arts Conference: A Morning Walk in the Fog

After slowly and carefully making my way to the river path I watched the fog lift. The path was revealed and I felt like I was on my way to Middle Earth. It was a nice way to begin a day.

AFCU 2011 Liberal Arts Conference: A Morning Walk by the River

As I walked along the river on my way to breakfast my eye caught a spider web glimmering in the morning light. Upon closer inspection I discovered a whole world of beauty and architecture. It was not a moose but it was wonderful. Morning walks are almost always magical if you allow yourself to see!

AFCU 2011 Liberal Arts Conference: The Web of Life

AFCU-SBU Liberal Education Conference 2011: The Quick Art Center

2011-09-05T04:28:00.000-07:00

Our conference was serious. We were being called upon to be innovators of higher education and at the same time to be guardians of a precious treasure, our Franciscan Intellectual Tradition. We were presented with models of education, research history. Still, during breaks thee was time to be explorers!

I wanted our group to make sure they spent time in the Quick Art Center. The last time I was here the curator had been a fellow pilgrim with me at Assisi. She gave us a great tour. I wanted our group to see how wonderful SBU’s art collection was. However, in fact our group did not need any prodding from me. They were all natural explorers.

AFCU 2011 Liberal Arts Conference: Quick Art Center Entry

The Art Center had some special collections. My undergrad degree was in Political Science/Asian Affairs so I was very happy to see the exhibit on Chinese art.

AFCU 2011 Liberal Arts Conference: Chinese Collection

I also liked the African Art Exhibit. There was a lot to be seen from a vast continent and yet it was not a large room. The use of space allowed for ‘traveling” through space and time.

AFCU 2011 Liberal Arts Conference: The Quick Art Center African Collection

The Permanent Collection was far more formal and far more European/Western. I liked it but I am not an artist or art historian. I was drawn to the other exhibits.

AFCU 2011 Liberal Arts Conference: Quick Art Center Permanent Collection

The first floor was simply an excellent way to be introduced to the building. It was a magi door. Outside was hustle and bustle, the race for knowledge and a degree. Once you cross the threshold you entered a quiet place that stimulated the senses and demanded your attention. I loved this space.

AFCU 2011 Liberal Arts Conference: The Regina A. Quick Art Center 1st Floor

AFCU-SBU Liberal Education Conference 2011: The Beginning

2011-09-05T04:09:00.000-07:00

St. Bonaventure University in Western New York sponsored an Association of Franciscan Colleges and Universities (AFCU) symposium on “Liberal Education and Franciscan Pedagogues” from July 25 to July 28th. The University of Saint Francis Fort Wayne sent an impressive delegation. It has lead by the Dean of the School or Arts and Science, Matt Smith. The team included Earl Kumfer, Trish Bugajski, Connie Collins, Dan Torlone, Sister Anita Holzmer , sister Mary Govert and myself. We were the largest delegation at the conference. I think an objective evaluation would also reveal we were the must fun and the best looking as well!

It was a long drive. Once we got to the university and got our rooms we had a little time to wind down before the opening of the conference. I immediately took a walk along the shore of the Allegheny River. The campus is large, over 500 acres. It is framed by low mountains and the river. Forty five minutes away the school also has a mountain retreat. It is a beautiful setting.

AFCU 2011 Liberal Arts Conference: First Afternoon Along the River

AFCU 2011 Liberal Arts Conference: Walking Along the Allegheny River

Behind the sports complex and across the river , on the side of a hill/mountain is “Merton’s Heart.” This is where Thomas Merton went to meditate when he was at SBU. For a man who was rejected by the Franciscans (to be a friar) and became a Trappist, his influence on the campus is substantial. I always feel happy looking at “Merton’s Heart.”

AFCU 2011 Liberal Arts Conference: SBU Merton's Heart

With the little bit of time we had we did a little exploring of the campus. I had been to SBU for their AFCU Symposium six years ago. It was like visiting an old friend. I loved the buildings, the open spaces, the library.

AFCU 2011 Liberal Arts Conference: The SBU Campus

I always liked spending a little time at the Oratory. It was one of the many ways you knew you were at SBU.

AFCU 2011 Liberal Arts Conference: The Oratory

Inside the Oratory was a quiet place of meditation. You were cut off from the busy campus. It was a place of meditation

AFCU 2011 Liberal Arts Conference: Inside the Oratory

However, as I stated, it was a brief time to explore. At 4:30 the conference began. The first presentation set the tone, “Liberal Education in the 21st Century: The Challenge and Opportunity.”The talk let us know what would happen to schools that did not meet the challenges of distant learning, a move toward professional school education or government funding that was often gong to for-profit schools. It also highlighted what we as Franciscans had to offer that was of value and different. It was food for thought.

And so went then went, had had some food at Hickey Dinning Hall. Finally we had drinks and conversation at the Merton Ministry Center. It was the beginning of a productive and four weeks.

A Day Trip With My Nephew: a Wee Hoosier Renaissance Faire

2011-08-02T11:52:00.000-07:00

After coming home from the International Christian Alliance on Prostitution global conference I had some catching up to do. One of those joyful obligations on my list was to spend some time with my great-great-nephew, Andre. Cathi suggested that the two of us go visit the Renaissance Faire in Huntington Indiana. I do not normally think of such things as guy time but Andre and I both have vivid imaginations so it sounded good.

Now to be sure it was not your usual Renaissance Faire. There were bar maids and pirates, flood control outside the park and carnival food. There were however lords and ladies, minstrel singers, carnival games, jousting and the Queen.

Now to be sure, watching the Queen hold court was exciting by there was something else that kept grabbing my attention and was that Shakira I heard singing?

It was a grand time and a great way to spend time with a seven year old boy.

Day Trip: Huntington's Renaissance Faire

The Queen was holding court. Kids were being presented to her. I asked Andre if he wanted to meet her but he was a little too shy. After a little too much teasing from me he let me know that she was “fake”! Fake, that was just madness.

Day Trip: Huntington's Renaissance Faire: The (fake) Queen Holding Court

We both enjoyed the jousting. The suites of armor were so cool and the rules of engagement were taken seriously. We both thought it would be cool to be a knight.

Day Trip: Huntington's Renaissance Faire: Jousting

We both had different favorite knights. Which one is your favorite?

Day Trip: Huntington's Renaissance Faire: Jousting

However, the best part of the day was the singing pirates. They got everyone involved, they were fun and funny. I was told their songs were very different in the evening when they sang just for the grown-ups.

Day Trip: Huntington's Renaissance Faire: Pirates Singing

They involved everyone, the adults hiding in the back, the young children and everyone in between.

Day Trip: Huntington's Renaissance Faire: A Group Sing

We were all honored with a visit by the Queen. Still, Andre would not allow himself to be presented to the “fake Queen.”

Day Trip: Huntington's Renaissance Faire: The Queen Visits the Concert

Oh, and there was just one more thing that made this Renaissance Faire unique, Hoosier Belly Dancers. I liked them because they were so comfortable and clearly having so much fun. I liked them because they were enjoying the dance and the music and not trying to just be provocative. I liked them because they brought a little something extra to the stage! Cathi noticed that I was filming Belly Dancers but focusing the camera on their faces. Andre just knew we had a geat day together.

Day Trip: Huntington's Renaissance Faire (Hoosier Belly Dancers)

Collegium 2011: Day Nine

2011-07-18T09:29:00.001-07:00

While others were partying and saying goodbye I slept! I awoke at 3 AM and got ready for my van ride to Boston. At 4 AM I left the College of Holy Cross. From Boston I flew to Atlanta. From Atlanta I flew to Fort Wayne. There was an hour delay. The first time I went to Collegium I arrived at 3 AM. The second time it took two days to fly from Minneapolis to Fort Wayne. A one hour delay was almost the same as being on time!

The final day was a day of goodbyes, at the school and at the airports. However, everyone understood it was also a day of hellos. I was looking forward to seeing Cathi. I looked forward to a normal routine. I also looked forward to the next Collegium.

The challenge now is for Collegium Fellows to take what they learned and apply it to their classrooms, their courses and ultimately their institutions. I look forward to hearing how that progress.

Collegium 2011: Day Eight

2011-07-18T09:19:00.000-07:00

Well, the final day of Collegium 2011 had arrived. However, that did not mean it was a day of doing nothing. We were busy! We had our second Discipline Group. I co-lead the group with Monica. She was great. The group focused on how they would apply their new knowledge to their respective schools.

Our Small Group then focused on preparing to go home. Again we focused on what the members would take home. Our group had quickly formed its own identity, there was a strong sense of “us.” While it was clear we would miss one another it was time for people to get back to their lives. Some of the members would be traveling and they were excited about that. Others would simply enjoy the remainder of summer. Either way it was time to begin our good byes.

We had our last Prayer/Spirituality group. During that time we had our sending forth ceremony. Looking at the faces of my Small Group members as I lit their candles it was hard not to chock up. They were a wonderful group of folks. Watching all of the other groups having their goodbyes and being blessed by all he participants it was clear that everyone knew they were in the best group ever. That is a perfect way to end Collegium. .

After worship we all got ready for our final social. The social was in the science building. The food was wonderful, the music set the tone and it was just a great way to begin an entire evening of saying goodbye.

Collegium 2011: the Final Social

One of the best parts of the social was simply to watch people interact with one another. It was amazing to think these folks did not know one another a week before and now they were reluctantly saying farewell to new but good friends.

Collegium 2011: Friends, Food, Drink and Jazz

After the social we had our Farewell Banquet. We began the week dining in a huge ballroom/ We ended in a more intimate space. It was a good choice. We were all closer, we all had things to say and things to hear. The food was great, the final statements moving but most of all it was the company that we savored.

Collegium 2011: The Farewell Banquet

After the banquet many participants went over to the Williams social room. There people drank, ate and talked until 3 A.M. It was a great ending to a great week and a great Collegium.

Collegium 2011: The Mentors

2011-07-18T08:50:00.000-07:00

I was blessed to work with such a talented and committed group of fellow mentors. Some I had worked with before, two were first-timers. All were great.

Sr. Eva Hooker is an institution at Collegium. She has been there since the beginning and it shows. She is the writer-in-residence at Saint Mary’s College. She has a tool box full of techniques and ideas to engage her group members. She is mellow, supportive, fun and so, so creative.

John Neary is a professor of English at St. Norbert College. He often gives his story or testimony at Collegium. He is published. He served on Collegium’s board. However I know John as a runner and as a person who is all about helping Collegium Fellows get the most out of their Collegium experience. He is a soft spoken man who is worth listening to. He is clearly one of the gems of Collegium.

Karen Eifer teaches in he Education Department at the University of Portland. She also tells her story during Collegium This is an important activity that makes the Collgium experience come to life. Karen is a team player. She is creative, full of life and her energy is contagious.

I had the privilege of working with Eva, john and Karen in the past. They were also mentors during my fellowship year.

My roommate was “Sandy’ or William Karstens. He is an Associate Professor of Physics at Saint Michel’s College in Vermont. He is also a Collegium Board member. Sandy contributed to the music part of our worship every single day. He was at e ach social hour. I found his counselor to be valuable. The stereotype might be that physicists are aloof and not emotionally expressive, that would not fit Sandy. I felt blessed to have Sandy as a roommate.
Matt Schmalz is an Associate Professor of Religious Studies at the College of Holy Cross. He gave his story this year and everyone talked about how powerful it was. I had never met Matt before. He was flexile, creative and he brought a wealth of inter-faith knowledge to Collegium. I hope to get to know him better in the coming years.

Monica Sylvia was one of two first time mentors. She is an Associate Professor at Le Moyne College. She teaches developmental psychology. Initially she was anxious but quickly found her footing. I am sure her clinical skills as a group facilitator kicked right in. She was always doing something. If she was not focusing on her mentor responsibilities she was helping Joyce or attending to a group member.
Finally there was Nancy Billias who is an Associate Professor of Philosophy at Saint Joseph College in Connecticut. Nancy also studied religious studies and was a Fulbright Scholar. She is a licensed psychotherapist and brings a whole palette of skills and experiences to her groups.

Monica and Nancy might have been the new kids on the block but they were major contributors to a great Collegium. So that was the group I worked with. We had a working breakfast meeting every day. We brainstormed together. We supported one another. While our focus was on our own Small Groups we also found time to enjoy each others company. I t was a really good group of mentors.

Collegium 2011: What Made My Group So Special?

2011-07-18T07:47:00.000-07:00

I made the claim all mentors should make, that their Small Group was the best. I hope all the other mentors feel that, I also know my group was special.
Jonathan was this very bright Ph.D. candidate in history from Fordham University.He was bright, funny and caring. Life is not fair, he was also tall, in shape, handsome and had great glasses. Still, while he could have been arrogant he was humble and a team player. He was also incredibly easy to like.

Skylar was a Political Science doctoral candidate from the University of California Santa Barbara. He was a serious pianist in high school and he skied competitively. He had an incredible ability to appreciate multiple sides of an argument without being immobilized by the divergent arguments. Our Small Group was successful in convincing Skylar to play a small concert for Collegium prior to worship. The video I have is of Skylar practicing for his concert. His concert was wonderful, his practice is just getting use to the piano.

Collegium 2011: Skylar Practicing for Concert

Ricardo brought a sociologists appreciation of group processes to our Small Group. He had also lived in Central America and had an appreciation for the need for social justice. He also was able to apply our lecture on Catholic Social Justice to his school. Plus he lived in New York which just made me jealous. I suppose there were moments when he was not smiling but I never witnessed those times.

Cara was the enthusiastic English professor. She was also a self-identified secular Jew. It was great to see Catholic Intellectuals Identity though her eyes. She savored everything Collegium had to offer and like Ricardo she could not stop smiling.

Mark was our resident physic and the scientific method was a corner stone of how he made sense of the universe. He was also a self-described “Protestant Atheist.” Mark questioned our readings, the lectures, the movies. He questioned things enthusiastically. He also respected others and he was just fun to be around. One of the strengths of our group was due to the honest challenging that Mark provided.

Collegium 2011: Skylar Practicing for Concert II

Judith was this wonderful art historian. Now I have a bias, I have never met an art historian who is not brilliant, after working with Judith I can state that is still true. Judith savored life and was able to put ideas and reading into an historical context. She was also deeply moved by the sufferings of others. She made sure our intellectual explorations did not ignore the impact teachings have on real people. She also had a contagious smile.

Ray was our theologian. I was at first threatened by that when I read the bios. I suspect I feared looking under-qualified to lead the group next to someone with his qualifications. Boy that was a waste of time! Ray had to be the easiest person to get along with I had met. He was caring, funny and practical. He made theology and our readings come alive. He was able to describe how our readings were lived in his classes. Ray is the kind of guy I would like to spend time with talking about theology over a couple of beers.

Collegium 2011: Skylar Practicing in the Fog

Sonalini was our multi-talented professor. She taught women’s studies and political science. She was a Hindu teaching at a Catholic university. I loved how open she was to the entire experience. She was able to find areas of commonality. She was able to better understand where her students and colleagues were coming from. I appreciated how seriously she took the assignments of the Small Group. Best of all she was simply good company. She is now a fellow Hoosier and Judith is a neighbor in Dayton Ohio. I hope I get to see both of them in the future.

That was my group. It was a group of very diverse people. It was a supportive group, a happy group and a group that took advantage of all hat Collegium had to offer. Yeah, I had the best group!

Collegium 2011: Prayer and Spirituality

2011-07-18T07:04:00.000-07:00

We had daily worship and that was an important part of Collegium. However, we also had daily Prayer and Spirituality gatherings. They were led by Marty Kelly. Marty is the Assistant Chaplain and Director of the Immersion Programs of the College of the Holy Cross. The other leader was his very capable wife Megan Fox-Kelly. Megan is an Assistant Chaplain and Director of the retreat program of Holy Cross College. This was an experienced, high powered and nurturing duo. I am always happy to be in their company and I always know which one I like best. It is the one I am speaking to at the moment! They would introduce a different type of prayer or theological reflection to the participants. There would be a brief description, a hand out and then time for people to individually reflect or meditate. It was not unusual for participants to go outside or to other parts of the chapel for prayer and meditation.

The music was an important part of Collegium. The music reflected the Universal Church and was from around the world. I never videoed the services or spirituality classes, that would have felt intrusive. The videos I have here are simply downloaded from YouTube and are samplings of the songs we sang.

Jesus We Are Here - Valley Steel Drum Ensemble

The first night we gathered. This was the first time the participants entered the lower chapel, the Chapel of St. Mary. The place was quiet and beautiful. As we processed in I had the privilege of carrying in the Paschal Candle which was used to light the participants individual candles. The evening prayers set the tone for the week. We were told the chapel would be a place of silence except for the services. The chapel became a powerful place of refuge and retreat for many throughout the week.

We Are Marching In The Light Of God

As the week progressed we were introduced to a variety of prayer techniques and foci. This included “Remembrance and Spirituality.” This was a topic that fit in well with a week that would be lived sacramentally.

Open My Eyes, Lord - Preparation Hymn - 4/3/11

We were introduced to Christian Meditation or Contemplative Prayer. It is very different to change the focus of prayer from one of asking to one of listening. It is especially helpful in developing a pilgrim identity, of knowing we are only temporarily of this world. It is particularly powerful in learning to be humble. Perhaps most importantly, for a group of type A, task-driven folks it was important to simply stop, to pause and spend time with God.

Lord of All Hopefulness.MP4

We were introduced to Lectio Divina and formal forms of reflection. All of this prepared us for our Day of Retreat. All of this assisted us in our private journeys.
Finally, our last prayer service was one of sending forth. Each group came to the front of the chapel. The mentor spoke some private words to his or her group and then he or she lit the groups individual candles. The group would then face the participants who would raise their arms and bless the group. It was simple and powerful. Marty and Megan, you are a blessing!

Collegium 2011: Day Seven, Boston

2011-07-17T19:20:00.000-07:00

The week at Collegium was coming to an end. It could have been depressing having something that was so stimulating and so joyful coming to an end. However, it was not. This was the day that ended after the afternoon Small Group. After that we got to play in Boston. Some folks planned on going to the Pops, others to see Blue Men. Me, I planned on walking around discovering the city. There was no time to be depressed. However, first there was work to do.

After Morning Prayer and the Prayer/Spirituality class we had a major presentation. Christine Firer-Hinze from Fordham University spoke on Catholic Social Thought. She gave a history of Catholic Social Justice. Issues of aligning with workers, caring for the poor, being in many ways counter-cultural permeated her talk. When we met in our Small Group the members were able to readily apply the talk to their universities and to their careers. They were also surprised and encouraged to find a history of social involvement that reflected many of their values. At the end of the day I was reminded of the lecture in a surprising way.

Unfortunately the weather was not exactly perfect for being a tourist. It rained on and off during the day and promised to rain more in the evening. Still, it was 4 PM and time to drive in to Boston. I had the bus drop me off where the folks going to the Pops stopped. As I descended the steps I saw a wonderful church. Turns out it was the Christian Science Cathedral. In front of it was a reflecting pond. Behind it was downtown Boston. Even in the drizzling rain I was happy to have this be my first contact with Boston.

Collegium 2011" Boston: Christian Science Cathedral

After viewing the church I walked over to the Boston Museum of Fine Arts. It was incredible. There were floors of Egyptian, Roman and Greek art. There was sculpture, glass, impressionists painting. It was wonderful. However, I only had six hours to see Boston so it was back out into the rain.

Luckily as I was walking past the Christian Science Cathedral I noticed it was open. I went inside and explored. I always associated Christian Scientists with reading rooms. This was incredible. I felt like I was in Europe.

Collegium 2011: Inside the Christian Science Cathedral

After my tour it was time to see more of Boston. I wanted to walk some of the Freedom Trail. As I walked toward it I came to the Boston Public Library. It was raining hard so I went inside to dry off. I was stopped in my tracks by how beautiful the entry way was. It reminded me of the Chicago Cultural Center.

Collegium 2011: the Boston Public Library

As I walked around the library I was amazed at the size of the library. I was impressed with the collections. It was impressed with how friendly the staff was. If I had the time I would have spent the day there. The library also hosted social events. I don’t know what was going on but was there were folks in formal dress sipping wine and listening to chamber music. What a great place.

Collegium 2011: Inside the Boston Public Library

And then I bumped into the courtyard. What a wonderful surprise!

Collegium 2011: The Courtyard of the Boston Public Library

After the library I began what proved to be a long walk, I walked to Boston Commons. There I came up to a church that reminded me my Unitarian-Universalist roots. The church was beautiful. However, the church was closed, it was raining and I had more walking to do.

Collegium 2011: Boston: Arlington Street Church UUC

I walked through Boston Commons. I stopped for some pizza. By then every part of me was wet. My jacket must have weighed 15 pounds. After dinner I began my trek on the Boston Freedom Trail. By the time I was done I had seen the State Capitol, the Old State Capitol, the first public school, King’s Chapel and the site where the Boston Tea Party was planned.
When I came up to the State Capitol I was reminded in a very real way of our earlier lecture on Social Justice. It was raining out and young adults were camping outside. They were holding vigil to protest harsh immigration laws that wee being voted on in the Capital. I was feeling a little sorry for myself walking in the rain and these folks were sleeping in it to help others. I was humbled and encouraged.

Collegium 2011: Boston: State Capital and Social Justice

So that was my day. We learned about social justice in the morning, talked about it in the afternoon and then I saw it in action that evening. I also got a hint of Boston and I know I have to come back for an extended visit.

Collegium 2011: My Small Group

2011-07-17T17:05:00.000-07:00

Each day the mentors met with their Small Groups. Each group was picked by Tom and Joyce. They reflected diversity in disciplines, schools, religious identity. The groups usually met twice a day. During that time we would process the readings of the day or a movie or lecture. The goal was to help us understand and appreciate the Catholic Intellectual Tradition and identity. That meant understanding that at Catholic universities faith and reason went together. It meant understanding various views and positions were important. Additionally, to understand identity you need to have points of comparisons. Having groups that were not exclusively Catholic was very important. It also meant not avoiding issues related to Catholicism that were painful.

Each Small Group was named after an important Catholic intellectual. Our group was the Orestes Brownson group. Brownson was a New Englander who started as a liberal minister. He had various Protestant denominational affiliations including Unitarian and Universalist. He published numerous magazines and was a prominent Transcendentalists. He converted to Catholicism and fluctuated in his social and political view. What was important for us was that he was a person whose identify was always in formation.

Our group was also one of identify formation. We had members from different faith traditions, we had an atheist, we had two graduate students and we had enthusiasm.

Collegium 2011: The Best Small Group

We met in Fenwick Hall. Our room looked out over the cemetery which was actually a pleasant view. Our members were diverse but united in wanting to make the week a time of free, honest, and respectful sharing of ideas and values. They were very successful.

Collegium 2011: The View from My Classroom Window

Ricardo Dello Buono was an Associate Professor of Sociology at Manhattan College. He had lived in Central America. Cara Erdheim was a Professor of English at Sacred Heart University. Mark Fisher was a Physic Professor at the College of Mount Saint Joseph. Judith Huacuja was an Associate Professor of Art History at the University of Dayton. Raymond Patterson was an Assocaite Professor of Religious Studies at Saint Michael’s College. Sonalina Sapra was an Associate Professor of Political Science and Women’s Studies at Saint Mary’s College. Jonathan Pettinato was a Ph.D Candidate and graduate fellow from Fordham University. Skylar Covich was also a graduate fellow and a Political Science doctoral candidate from the University of California, Santa Barbara.

This was a high powered group. They studied at important schools and taught at important schools. They came from not only different parts of the nation but from different countries. They also immersed themselves in the work of Collegium. That meant reading Vatican II documents, articles on Catholic education and history and processing lectures. However, what I liked most was their sense of fun and their willingness to dive into the work at hand.

Collegium 2011: The Best Small Group Ever in the History of the Universe (this year)

Collegium 2011: Day Six

2011-07-17T14:51:00.001-07:00

Tuesday was our Retreat Day. That meant the mentors had the day off. Most of them used the time to participate in one of the formal retreats or to create their own retreat. Catholicism is a pilgrim faith and the mentors knew how to be pilgrims and how to savor the journey. I was leading a retreat for the first time. Luckily I was feeling a little under the weather and tired and didn’t have the energy to be anxious!

The participants had many choices. Fr. Palmigiano led a Cistercian retreat, Dennis McAuliffe lead a retreat on Christian Meditation. I participated in his retreat in Oregon and found it simple, instructive and most of all powerful. Marty Kelly led the Ignatian retreat. I lead the Franciscan retreat.

After breakfast we started the day off with Morning Prayer. I did a Franciscan reading and I was moved by the reading. It was the same reading I had heard Father Andre give at St. Bonaventure’s home church in Italy. After the service we broke into our groups to begin a day of retreat.

I had a small group which was great for an initial retreat. We started with some history. I wanted them to understand how the persons of Francis and Clare influence Franciscan Spirituality today. So that meant having a discussion on living a Gospel Life and being willing to be a Fool for God. It included caring for the lepers of today. It included understanding what it meant to participate in peacemaking, not peace hoping. It also included learning the dance of Franciscanism, of being in the world but also of removing yourself to have time with God. That included an appreciation for the holiness of place starting with Assisi but encompassing the world.

Prayer of St. Francis,(Make Me A Channel of Your Peace) sung by Angelina, EWTN

Just as one of Brother Francis’ conversions was to embrace the leper we meditated on who our lepers were today. We identified the leper and in our meditations we embraced our leper. If we could not embrace the leper we explored what inside of us prevented us from embracing him or her. This we did in our small group in our classroom. It was the beginning of moving back and forth from the world to God and back again.

This was a retreat day, and not a class on Franciscan Spirituality. So the day included meditations, group time, and time alone. The retreat took place in our assigned room but also included using the chapel and the campus.

As we began our journey outside of the classroom we met at the Baptismal Font in St. Mary’s Chapel. There we blessed each others journeys.

Collegium 2011: St. Mary's Chapel, the Prayer Room

Using the skills we learned from Pelikan and having just learned about the connection of the Stations of the Cross and Franciscanism we then moved to the Stations in the chapel. The participants were asked to think about having a live Stations of the Cross performed in their community. In front of the Stations in St. Mary’s Chapel the members individually meditated on what parts of their communities most needed to have Christ’s presence known to them. They were asked to consider what that would look like, what difference would it make, what they could do to make it happen.

It was a good morning and it was time for lunch.

After lunch we did a theological reflection similar to lectio divina created by St. Clare. Finally they were asked to go out by themselves, in a spirit of gratitude to a generous Creator and sacramentally experience the campus. It was a day of peace, of learning, of doing and of connecting. I had never been a Retreat Director before and I was surprised at how much I enjoyed it and by how much I got out of it.

Collegium 2011: Brother Rabbit's Sanctuary

Finally, we all participated in a casual dinner. We had a picnic out of doors. Again, it was good food and a beautiful setting that was secondary to wonderful company. After dinner some participants went to a baseball game. Others gathered for a social and yet others participated in a “Poetry Smorgasbord.” It was a wonderful day of putting our work and studies into action.

Collegium 2011: The Picnic

Collegium 2011: Day Five

2011-07-17T12:19:00.000-07:00

Day five was a day of varied activities. Right after the working breakfast meeting there was Morning Prayer and then the Disciplinary Groups. I skipped out on both. My second day at Collegium Joyce approached me and asked if I would be willing to direct a Franciscan Retreat on Retreat Day. After thinking about it I said yes. Well Retreat Day was less than 24 hours away and I used that time to prepare my retreat.

The next group meeting in the morning was modified groups that talked about “A World in Need of Redemption.” It was really the other end of the continuum of sacramental living. It addressed the role of evil in the world. I was impressed with how our group started talking about their responsibilities as professors. They focused on what they could do in their little corner of the world to make a difference. They were great.

In the afternoon we addressed the Pelikan book; Jesus Through the Centuries: His Place in the History of Culture. We talked about how Jesus was depicted in art through the centuries. The campus was a good place to have this discussion. The statue of Christ the King, the statue of the Hand of Jesus, the Stations of the Cross, and other religious art set people in a reflective mood. One of our members talked about religious music that inspired hm. He also spoke of touching the art of Rome and seeing the art with his hands. The discussion helped members realize which images of Jesus were most powerful for them, which images were called up at different times. In our group it was interesting to hear about the images that were called up by members who were not Christian.

Face of Jesus

The Prayer/Spirituality group then focused on “Where Do We Need Healing? Where Does the World Need Healing?” The service tied the first discussion on redemption to our depictions of Jesus as the source of healing. Afterward we celebrated Mass. We then had dinner at Kimball Hall. Afterward many went to a social hour. It was a very good day.

Collegium 2011: The Kimball Dinning Hall

Collegium 2011: The Holiness of Space and Place

2011-07-15T19:12:00.000-07:00

One of the things that makes Collegium so special is all of the people. Another thing that makes Collegium so special is the ability to get away from them! There is always time to be alone with your thoughts, with the quiet, with God. What is even better is the spaces and places are all so beautiful.

Next to the Chapel is a small cemetery for the Jesuits. Bishop Fenwick, the founder of the school is buried there. The cemetery has places to pause and pray. There are often birds, chipmunks and rabbits who visit the site. It is simply one of many peaceful areas to visit on campus.

Collegium 2011: Cemetery of the College of the Holy Cross

The second level of the cemetery has a wonderful statue of Mary. It is good to see the Patron Saint of North America have such a prominent place on campus.

Collegium 2011: Mary Giving Comfort

I would get up early and walk around campus before breakfast. I was never alone, There was always other participants, many whom ran while they took in the sites and quiet of the campus.

Collegium 2011: A Walk Around Campus Before Breakfast

The walk up to the library was always nice. There were statues, gates, flowers. However, what was truly special was the statue of a large hand at the top of the stairs going to the library. I did not initially realize I was looking at the hand of Jesus. It stopped you in your steps.

Collegium 2011: Encountering the Hand of Jesus

After walking to the top of the campus I would make my way down. As I passed Fenwick Hall and got closer to the Dining Hall I also entered an area of flowers, blossoms and the statue of Christ the King. I loved my solitary walks on the campus of The College of the Holy Cross.

Collegium 2011: Blossoms and Christ the King at Holy Cross

Collegium 2011: Day Four

2011-07-15T18:55:00.000-07:00

Our fourth day or the third day for the participants was one of my favorites. The focus was on living sacramentally. That meant allowing all that is, all that is taken in by our senses to speak to us. It means being reminded of the awesome generosity of the Creator. It meant listening, seeing, really seeing, touching and being touched by the world we live in.

My early morning walks, my time with the trees, the flowers, the birds and the rabbits was part of living sacramentally. I watched the participants and it seemed to me there were simply two types of participants; those who were intentionally living sacramentally and those who lived sacramentally during Collegium but were not aware of it. Now to make sure I am being sensitive to the Protestant participants and the non-Christian participants, I am not talking about the seven Sacraments of the Catholic church. I am talking about allowing the world to remind us of the miracles of the world, of life. I am talking about becoming aware of that which we had taken for granted.

So after breakfast we all gathered for Common Prayer. This was very special. We read the wisdom of numerous Christian leaders from various denominations. However, we also read the teachings of other faiths. Remembering a devout Muslim student who attended USF I felt privileged to honor her by reading from the Koran. It was a great way to begin the day.

After the service we had a break and spent time with one another outdoors. Then we proceeded to the Fenwick Theater to watch Babette’s Feast. I love this film. It touches me as a Catholic and as a Scandinavian-America.

Collegium 2011: Getting Ready for Babette's Feast

After the movie we had our own feast. In the courtyard among the flowers, the fountain and the distinct buildings we had a Champagne brunch. We discussed the film, the campus,and Collegium. Most of all we laughed and enjoyed each others company.

Collegium 2011: Our Feast

It was a lazy lunch. Afterward people walked, did some readings or spent time in Chapel. It was a great way to take in the teachings of the movie.

Collegium 2011: Our Feast II

After lunch we all went to combined groups to watch Michael Hines talk about “Finding God in All Things: A Sacramental World View.” It was a bookend performance of sacramental living.

The day continued with processing in the small groups. There was more prayer services. There was dinner at the Kimball Dining Hall. What made this day additionally special was the presentations by mentors Mat Schmatz and Karen Eifier. These were the presentations that made the Collegium journey real. These were the Catholic equivalent of testimonies. Participants left moved by what they heard.
Then, to top off a wonderful day many gathered for another evening social of drinks, company and laughs. It was a good day.

Collegium 2011: Day Three

2011-07-15T13:55:00.000-07:00

Day three was the beginning of our regular work schedule. Not that anything was regular. There was always something different and unique added to the schedule each day. However, this was the beginning of the mentors earning their keep! We were happy to begin the work of Collegium.

As usual we began with our planning or working breakfast. I liked this because I would get up early and walk the campus. By the time the meeting started I was ready to begin focusing on Catholic Intellectual identity. I was ready to work with my colleagues and to help my Small Group form its own identity. I also loved the breakfast meetings because we got to interact with the kitchen staff. They were the friendliest group of people around. I know we Midwesterners think we are the friendly Americans, well, we got company!

We had two small group meetings. The first was for us to get to know one another and to talk about the upcoming week. I really liked my group. It was academically diverse, religiously diverse and in so many other ways diverse. We did not just have Catholics of differing experiences and questions. We had Protestants, an atheists, a self described Secular Jew and a Hindu. The group differed in disciplines, age, abilities. Two were graduate students. They all brought so much to the group.

The second small group meeting of the day was actually to get to work. That work was in part a response to the talk Tom gave. Tom spoke in the Rehm Library, a small but elegant library in Fenwick. Fenwick was named after the bishop who founded the school. Tom spoke on “What if Our Work Mattered? Thinking About the Intellectual Vocation Today.” The talk grabbed people’s attention. When we returned to our small group rooms people immediately got to work.

Collegium 2011: Tom Landy at the Rehm Library

We then went to the St. Mary’s Chapel for prayer and spiritual training. St. Mary’s chapel is the lower church. Above is the more formal St. Joseph Chapel. Both were beautiful but also very different from one another. Prayer and worship would occur daily. Each day we would be introduced to a new form of prayer/reflection/meditation. Our spiritual directors were old (but young) friends, Marty Kelly and Megan Fox-Kelly. I first met them in Portland. They bring a quiet, comforting touch to Collegium while introducing folks to new ways of faithing. I am always happy to spend time with them.

St. Joseph Chapel, College of the Holy Cross

After our spiritual direction we all celebrated the Eucharist. The setting was lovely, the company was great and the sense of being connected to other Collegium fellows, to other faculty members of Catholic Universities and of being part of the Body of Christ was powerful.

Collegium 2011: Inside St. Mary's Chapel

Afterward we all had dinner together. Later in the evening many participated in the social hour. It was simply a time to enjoy each others company and that was so easy to do.

Collegium 2011: An After Hours Social

Collegium 2011: Day Two

2011-07-15T12:40:00.000-07:00

After all of the traveling the previous day the second day was actually a fairly light work day, for mentors. We all met for the first of many working breakfast meetings. We got to know each others working styles and the expectations of the week. There was a nice blend of new mentors and experienced mentors. We would be facilitating discussions in our small groups. The discussions would be in response to our readings and to lectures.

The meeting was extended. We reviewed the week’s schedule of events, special concerns or needs and resources. I am always impressed with the organizational skills Tom and Joyce bring to the table. They always make us look good.

After the meeting we had free time. Now it was not free time for Joyce or for the school. Participants were beginning to arrive., However, the mentors had the afternoon off. I would have liked to go into the city. Worcester is the second largest city in New England. It has 10 colleges, many museums, great restaurants. I was interested in seeing hte museum of armor, I like knights. This museum is the best collection of knights armor in North America. It is a center of New England architecture. The buildings are beautiful. It was here that the Declaration of Independence was s first read aloud to the public. However, I was tired and decided to just walk around campus and get the lay of the land.

The campus is hilly and at times steep. That also means the vistas are breathtaking. I kept looking down at downtown Worcester.

Downtown Worcester from the hills of the College of Holy Cross

As I walked around campus I noticed a lot of activity at the bottom of the hill. I went down to an area just outside of the campus. In this valley were tents, a stage, banners and lots of activity. It turned out this was the weekend for Worcester’s Relay for Life. I spoke to a young woman who spoke of her commitment to her family and how this event helped her deal with a family history of cancer. I decided I would have to visit the Relay for Life in the evening when it was active.

Collegium 2011: Relay for Life Preparation

I was also getting excited. I walked into the ballroom before it was set up for the evening’s his was where we would meet the new participants and where we would have our opening banquet. From here you could look out eh window toward the city and see part of the campus. This was going to be a great setting to explore Catholic intellectual identity and to make new friends.

The College of the Holy Cross from the Ballroom Window II

That evening we had our first social hour. It was great to identify the members of my small group. They were full of energy and I knew I was blessed with a great group The banquet was wonderful. The food, wine and camaraderie made for a great opening night.

When I finally got back to the dorms I remembered I had planned on checking out the Relay for life. I could see the valley from my window. It was illuminated by lights and the sound of music permeated the evening air. So I walked down the hill o see how Worcester put on a Relay. Well, they do it with gusto!

The place was loud and crowded. People were happy even though they were all united in dealing with a serious issue. I arrived to see a bunch of young men dressed in drag. This was the “Miss Relay for Life Competition.’ The guy who got the most money ‘donated” to his/her waist band would be declared “Miss Relay for Life 2010. It was just campy fun and a way to raise money for cancer research. These guys in drag looked very different fro the guys I met during my sabbatical!

Collegium 2011: Miss Relay for Life

So I had a full day. We planned. I explored. We greeted the participants and I got to enjoy some of the Relay for Life. It was a good beginning.

Collegium 2011: Miss Relay for Life Competition

It was also good to see the folks from the city just letting their hair down and being silly for a good cause.

Collegium 2011: Miss Relay for Life Awaits a Winner

Collegium 2011: Day One

2011-07-15T11:31:00.000-07:00

I had an opportunity to serve as a mentor at Collegium this summer. I first went to Collegium four years ago at the University of Portland. I loved the campus, the city and the Pacific Northwest. That is also where I fell in love with Collegium.

Collegium brings together instructors from 85 Catholic colleges and universities and during a period of a week explores Catholic Intellectual identity. It is a week of reading, studying, sharing, praying, worshiping, eating great food and playing. A friend of mine and a Collegium fellow said Collegium is where smart people get together to discuss interesting things. Yep, that is it.

I first served as a mentor two years ago at St. John’s University in Minnesota. I loved the lakes, the wildlife, and the monastery but again, it was the program that spoke to me in a deep way. I was invited to be a mentor last year but I had to decline. Our school was hosting the Association of Franciscan Colleges and Universities 2010 Symposium. I had helped plan the symposium and it was important that I stay on campus at the University of Saint Francis and help the rest of the leadership team. Besides, I would not have missed the symposium for the world. It was great to spend time with Franciscans from around the country and it was wonderful to show off our beautiful campus.

So this summer I again had the privilege of serving as a mentor. This time it was at The College of the Holy Cross in Worcester Massachusetts. This was the final Collegium school that hosts the event. It is also the headquarters for Collegium. I had never been to Massachusetts before and was excited about Collegium, the school and the area.

I was immediately lucky. I had a lay over at the Detroit International Airport. While there I bumped into John Neary. He is a fellow mentor and is a Professor of English at St. Norbert College in De Pere Wisconsin. He is a great guy and it made the travel time go by quickly.

I actually like traveling, even the sitting around part. So I love the Detroit Airport. I loved the airport tunnel which is awesome and I loved the monorail. I loved flying over Boston Harbor. I was excited to be in Boston just after they won the Stanly cup. Driving through Boston, seeing the downtown, Boston College thinking about Harvard, it all let me know I was in a different part of the country and I liked it.

Detroit Airport Tunnel

Mentors arrive a day prior to the Collegium. That gives us time for planning, introductions and to get settled. I needed that time to settle in. My first day was traveling from Fort Wayne to Boston, then taking a shuttle to Worcester for dinner and then arriving at the campus around nine in the evening. However, Tom Landy, the director of Collegium and Joyce Gawlick, the assistant director know how to make people feel welcomed and ready to work. We all arrived at The Citizens Kitchen and the People’s Wine Bar in downtown Worcester. This is a restored firehouse in the middle of the downtown. The food was great, we had a relaxed setting to get to know our fellow mentors and we had some laughs before a week of intense work.

After dinner we drove to the college. We were staying at the Williams apartments. It was a great residential setting looking down at the city and for the next nine days it would be home.

Collegium 2011: Our "Home"

Michael Dickman's " Birds and Scarves" at the Peace Frog Coffeehouse

2011-06-14T20:57:00.000-07:00

Michael Dickman is an Art Education major. He is also always doing something. He is involved in service projects. He attends school and community activities whenever he can. He produces art, boy does he do that. I saw an exhibit he had at the library on 50 portraits. I filmed a flash mob he coordinated at an art opening. The participants all wore masks. While he was working on a service project for Emmaus Ministries he designed their facebook cards. Well, he has been a it again.

Because of Mike’s creativity I had the pleasure of attending a n art opening titled “Birds and Scarves’ at a new coffeehouse in town. The show is at the Peace Frog Coffeehouse. The place is not far from the university. The atmosphere is early 60s. The people are friendly and everyone liked what they ordered. The Peace Frog has live concerts and late hours. I think it is my new favorite hangout.

Mike’s art fit in with the décor. It elicited some strong emotional reactions. This was true for “Lover”, “Divorce” and “Death of a Homeless.” This was a great way to spend an afternoon. Thanks Mike, so, what is next for you?

Michael Dickman's "Birds and Scarves" at the Peace Frog Coffeehouse

ICAP 2011: "Estelle, I'm a Testimony"

2011-06-14T11:28:00.000-07:00

So some how I did not post the video of Major Estelle Blake singing “I’m a Testimony.” I loved it, it was so simple and humble and from an earlier time. I loved it because Estelle sang it. Estelle is the Salvation Army officer from London. She is full of life and dedicated to a life of service. There is nothing arrogant or judgmental about here. She just loves, laughs and serves everyone and anybody. How did I forget to post this?

CAP 2011: Estelle, "I'm a Testimony"

A One-day Outing to Mexico with Whitney!

2011-06-11T05:05:00.000-07:00

As I had posted at the beginning of my ICAP 2011 journey, I spent a day in Chicago before heading to the conference. During that time Whitney Merrell and I got to go on a little outing to the Pilsen neighborhood and Little Village, two very distinct Mexican areas of the city. I was looking forward to this outing with my former Kaio Community member. On my last visit I went to an Ethiopian restaurant with Bethany Wilson, I worked outreach with Emily Manting and I attended Joshua Kent’s art opening. Nik Burkhart is always busy and our schedules just did not mesh. So, I still owed Whit some time together. Whit had lived in Mexico for two years so I wanted to share this part of the city with her.

As I stated earlier, it was a great day. There were giant murals, ethnic churches, and great food. Best of all, their was excellent company. So, the following is simply some of the video that was upload from the museum and the streets of Little Village.

National Museum of Mexican Art: Galleries of the Past

We were able to take pictures and video in the permanent collections at the National Museum of Mexican Art.

National Museum of Mexican Art: Now that is a mural!

National Museum of Mexican Art: The Nativity

Nothing like Christmas in the springtime and nothing like a regional interpretation of the holiday!

National Museum of Mexican Art: Now That is Catholic Art!

After a great morning in the yuppie/Mexican neighborhood of Pilsen we headed over to Little Village. There we had some good food and did some window shopping. Whitney assured me it was like being back in Mexico. To make a good day perfect we ran into an outdoor band. Ah, the sight, smells, tastes and now sounds of Mexico. I love Chicago!

Walking the Streets of Little Village

ICAP 2011: Shannon Taylor and Nepal

2011-06-09T13:52:00.000-07:00

We included a number of guest in our van for our ride back to Chicago. One of them was Shannon Taylor. Shannon works in Nepal. I can think of no more exotic place so far removed from the corn and soybean fields of Indiana than Nepal. My dream would be for Cathi and I to visit Shannon and provide some training for their workers. In the mean time she was nice enough to tell us about her missions. Yep, it was a great week!

ICAP 2011: Shannon Taylor and Nepal

ICAP 2011: Endings, Launching,and Beginnings

2011-06-09T13:49:00.000-07:00

Well, after many workshops, time spent with new and old friends, prayer and worship and lots of food, it was finally time to begin to say good bye to the International Christian Alliance on Prostitution 2011 global conference. After a great meal we all gathered one last time in the Pillsbury Rooms for worship and praise. The music was lividly. Hornrette and Sven got us into the mood with “Can’t Nobody Do Me Like Jesus.”

ICAP 2011: "Can't Nobody Do Me Like Jesus"

After a number of songs we are all pulled together in a united song of praise. Representatives from each country or language group sings “Good Is So Good”. As the nations rolls out the impact of working, playing and praising with people form 40 different nations begins to hit. This was a great time togheter and now we need to support one another as we good off to our home countries or missions. Yep, God is So Good!

ICAP 2011: And the Whole World Sings

ICAP 2011: Prophetic Dance of the Nations or Spanish Translated to English for a Russian!

Prophetic Dance was not something just for workshops, it was to fortify us as we go our separate ways in the knowledge we are all truly united in One Body. However, the introduction of the dance again reminded us of the challenges of the week. We had translators in every workshop, whey should tonight be any different! Spanish directions translated into English so the Russian translator can than translate them to the languages of Central Asia. I love this group of people!

ICAP 2011: Joyfully Ending a Great Conference

And so there were long, prolonged goodbyes and there were brief farewells mixed with joy and sadness. While many people prayed for the world, they prayed for the 2012 Olympics that it not be a center of prostitution, they prayed for the women and the people working missions in Central Asia, they prayed for their homelands, I was perhaps most moved by Toss. I love her simple faith, her willingness to be vulnerable and her willingness to share her journey in this work. I love her leadership. It was a chaotic,, joyful dance unto the Lord,. It was a joyful goodbye. I hope to return in three years to hear how missions have grown and how people’s lives have been transformed.

ICAP 2011: Trusting that the Victory is Already Assured

ICAP 2011: Beauty, Art and Worship

2011-06-09T13:46:00.000-07:00

My Franciscan roots run deep. I appreciate the ICAP Leadership Team providing special places for prayer and contemplation. I also appreciate the other effort they made that is important to Franciscans, they cared about beauty. For Franciscans beauty is all around us, we only have to open our eyes, our ears, pay attention to what we smell, feel and taste. Brother Francis instructed people to make sure they planted some flowers in their vegetable gardens simply to be able to pause and appreciate them. Beauty reminds us of how generous our Creator has been. The grounds of Green Lake Conference Center were full of natural beauty and the buildings proclaimed the beauty of simple, clean design and architecture. Well another way beauty becomes part of our consciousness is through the Arts. The ICAP Leadership Team made sure that the Arts were part of the global conference experience.

Now to be sure the sharing of music from around the world was part of the arts. The proud wearing of native dress also added to this. However, there was a more conventional addition, dance and visual arts.

Mariliana Morales, the Latin American Team Leader also provided a workshop on prophetic Dance. Now it would appear to me that the process is more important than the dance, the dance is simply the medium of communication. However, it is dance and involves the telling, if not of a story than at least a feeling, that is set to music and involves the full body as the avenue of communication. Mariliana danced for us at the conference, she led a workshop on Prophetic Dance and she then involved the entire conference is dance.

ICAP 2011: Prophetic Dance

Next to one of the prayer rooms was an art gallery. The paintings were powerful. The artist, Diane Graham had a very special exhibit, "Every Man's Daughter." The exhibit was sponsored by WE International. Nobody talked in the room except in short, muted whispers. The paintings were of girls and women of various ages from different nations. They shared a common sisterhood of bondage and trafficking. It was a sad room and yet it touched you. Part of art is to communicate, to touch and to change. It is difficult to look at this exhibit and not feel called to action. There are more people sold into modern day slavery than in the 1800s. The sex trade robs people not only of their innocence but of their sense of self, of their own power and of being able to see beauty in the world.

ICAP 2011: "Every Man's Daughter" A Powerful Exhibit

This gallery was not a quiet refuge from a busy conference. It was a stark reminder of why we must act. It was a reminder of why we must act today, tomorrow and the next day. It was a reminder that human trafficking is a global problem and a local reality. This gallery was a call to action.

Finally, we had a week of music that lifted us up, that connected us to one another and helped us move from one part of the world to the next. That music was provided by our Swedish drummer Sven-Gunnar Liden and by the master of music herself, Hornrette Washington. She was dynamic, inspiring and she was a blessing. Now that is the power of art.

ICAP 2011: "I am not..."

2011-06-09T13:11:00.001-07:00

Not all of my video recording is meant to be of interest to the whole world. Sometimes it is meant for just one person! Yep, same hair, same friendly smile and yet…

ICAP 2011: "I am not Annette Wellman"

ICAP 2011: A Cornucopia of Workshops

2011-06-09T13:01:00.000-07:00

The team from Emmaus Ministries came to the conference to learn, we also came to present. Sill Davis’ presentation was “What Drives Men to Sell Their Souls: Why Do They Prostitute Themselves?” Sill is the director of our ministry center. He has extensive experience working with people living with HIV and with working with people who are struggling with their identity. I like Sill a lot. However, Sill spoke two days before us, I never want that to happen again! Everyone told me how dynamic Sill was and they asked if we were going to be as much fun, as interesting. Who needs the pressure, next time I want to go first.

Doug and I gave a presentation titled “Homeless Youth: the Face of Vulnerability and Prostitution.” I provided facts and figures from the World Health Organization and various NGOs. I provided some typologies and plans of action. Doug provided three profiles that made the dry facts come to life. We received very positive feedback from our audience.

There were far more workshops than we could possibly attend. The nice part was that there were no bad choices. I attended a workshop on the challenges of working in Central Asia. It was given by Ann Marie Isenberg the team leader for the Central Asian Team. She was able to show how cultural norms and gender roles have to be taken into consideration when ministry to women involved in prostitution in this part of the world. I loved her strong Scottish brogue. She also had three women from different Central Asian nations participate in the workshop.

There was a workshop on Contemplative Prayer presented by Thelma Nambu and Peggy Giacoletto. I did not attend because my time was limited and because I was familiar with the topic. Still, as someone whose mantra is “self-care” I was so happy to see it on the schedule.

Svend-Gunnar Lidden our Swedish “African drummer” gave a presentation on “Demand.” It was a talk on the Swedish initiative to criminalize the purchaser of sex. I am told it was very good. Alicia attended Francesca Nuzzolese’s presentation “Joyful Care: Spiritual Resources for Caring Practices.” Alicia loved the talk and I cannot wait to get information about it from Alicia.

I did attend Bill Prevette’s talk, “Leading from Within: What does the inner spiritual journey mean for activities caregivers.” Again, as someone who cares about self-care for the care-givers, this was a useful workshop. Many of us from Emmaus Ministries attended “Men Are Part of the Solution”. The presentation was given by Chris Lenty and his colleagues from the MST Project. I had never considered ministering to the men who purchase sex. I found their talk to be challenging. I really respect them and I am a little jealous that they live in Thailand! It was a great presentation.

Time prevented me from attending “No Will of My Own”: How Patriarchy Smothers Female Dignity & Personhood” by Jon Zens. That seemed like such a relevant conversation to have. A friend of mine attended Mariliana Morales’ workshop on Prophetic Dance. He loved it, I would have felt pretty uncomfortable in the class but by the end of the conference it was clear many, many people found it to be a useful tool to have in their ministry tool box.

I am an Adlerian. We Adlerians lok at function by how it is addressed in the Life Tasks: Work Friendship, Love and Intimacy. Thagt being said, I wish I had time for the presentation on “Sacred Sex” by Tim Alan Gardner and the talk on “Safe and Dignified Work” by Jane Tafel.

I did get to attend “Telling Your Story” presented by Steve Lawson and Lisa Thompson. It was on how to most effectively get your message out. This might be in the form of book, video media, blogging or speaking. Steve is the senior editor at Regal Books. Lisa is the Liaison for the Abolition of Sexual Trafficking for the Salvation Army National Headquarters. I went to the talk thinking it would be useful but not interesting, wrong. Steve was very practical and Lisa was one of the most inspiring speakers I heard at the conference.

I went to hear Toos Heemskerk from the Netherlands’ speak on “Reintegration and After Care for Those Coming Out of Prostitution.” I learned so much at that talk. I learned about “Lover Boys” and branding or tattooing your “property.” I learned about decriminalization and the role of Eastern European poverty in the sex trade. I also witnessed the power of using limited self disclosure to illustrate how working in the this field and effect your personal life. I admire Toos so much.

Finally, I attended Glenn Miles’ presentation “What about Boys/?. The presentation was a powerful combination of facts, recommendations and practical applications. I found this workshop to be the most useful and compelling workshop I had attended. I felt privileged to spend time with this Welshmen who lives in Cambodia and has become a world expert on human trafficking. He has worked in India, as well as Cambodia. He studied in England and he is an author. He also testified before the United States State Department.

There were more presenters and workshops. I never heard anyone complaining that they had made a bad choice or wasted their time. This was not just a global conference, it was a world class conference.

ICAP 2011: Greetings From A Thai Ministry

2011-06-06T10:30:00.000-07:00

Just a brief greeting from a ministry worker in Thailand. The conference was packed with friendly people who all had a story to tell about God changing the lives of folks involved in survival sex.

CAP 2011: Ministry in Thailand

ICAP 2011: Welcome Asia

2011-06-06T10:25:00.000-07:00

The challenges of Central Asia and Asia are different. However, the challenges differ from one Asian country to another. This is a vast area and our introduction highlighted that. The gentleman who gave the introductory prayer in Tamil works with a unique population, the trans-gender folks of India. They are not like our trannies. The history and their place in society circumscribe much of their behavior. As soon as he gave his prayer I knew we were entering a different part of the world.

ICAP 2011: Welcome Asia: Tamil Prayer

I had attended Glen Miles talk on boys in prostitution. I was looking forward to hearing a different perspective, working with the men who pay for sex. This was hardly something I had thought about prior to the conference. I have worked with sexual offenders, I know if they are not worked with they will still re-enter society so it is better to try to help. I also knew that the label did not tell me much about the unique individuals.

So Chris from MST talked about his ministry in Thailand. I also heard his teams workshop. It was impressive, it is necessary. It is also challenging. If it is difficult to get people to support a ministry to women or men who participate in prostitution how in the world do they get funding for this ministry? What was clear was they were the right folks to be doing this ministry.

ICAP 2011: Chris Talking about MST

We had another prayer and we heard from a number of team members. The work in asia, from the Philippines to Cambodia, Thailand, India and Nepal is impressive.

ICAP 2011: Welcome Asia and Prayer

Not everything that happens during the evenings are serious. We have a lot of things to celebrate. So this evening we heard a joyful Chinese song. It is hard to be in a bad mood when listening to it.

ICAP 2011: Asia, "River of Life, River of Joy"

The worship was joyful. I however found myself awed by the magnitude of the work the members of the conference were doing around the world. They are a small part of the world population but their work sends out ripples of healing. That healing not only touches individuals, it touches families for generations. I was with a great group of brothers and sisters.

ICAP 2011: Lamin Pastor

2011-06-06T04:48:00.000-07:00

Lamin is a very special person. She is a minister in Sierra Leone. She came to America on her own to attend the conference. She brought with her shirts, blouses and art to sell to support her ministry. My shirt that makes me look so fine was from her table! This video does not do her justice. She is not a stiff, monotone person. Rather, she smiled, laughed, danced and worshiped with fervor. I am so glad I met her, I am also sure the women she works with feel the same way!

ICAP 2011: Ministry in Sierra Leone, Lamin Pastor

ICAP 2011: Welcome Europe

2011-06-06T04:39:00.000-07:00

I do not have any video of the European Regional Team, my camera was acting up. However it was a service that sparked my interest. The conference had a strong European influence. Folks from Scotland, England and Wales, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Russia and Moldova were present. Many of the Europeans, like many of the North Americans worked in other regions.

I also had opportunities to listen to some of the members in other formats. Glen Miles is from Wales but lives and works in Cambodia. I heard his excellent talk on boys in the sex trade. Estelle is from London and I simply spent time with her whenever I could. Toos is from the Netherlands, I went to her talk. It was both disturbing and encouraging.

I learned a lot during the focus on Europe. I knew about the Red Light district in Amsterdam, everyone knows about it. I did not realize that most of the women involved in prostitution were from Eastern Europe. I certainly did not know about the role of “Lover Boys” or the branding of their property, the women.

I knew next to nothing about the Republic of Moldova but boy am I learning. Now I am reading about its struggles with the Tartars, the Turks/Ottomans and Russia. I am learning of the Soviet era, the religions and the culture. However, until ICAP I knew nothing. So it was encouraging to find out that this landlocked small nation in Eastern Europe was the home of a regional conference. I learned that the work with the women of Eastern Europe in Amsterdam is replicated in the East.

Each day I was at ICAP the world became smaller because I was making friends from around the world. However, each day I was at ICAP the world became bigger because there were new cultures and ministries being presented every day.

Human Trafficking & Prostitution in Moldova - Michael Palin's New Europe - BBC

ICAP 2011: The Importance of Place

2011-06-05T19:42:00.000-07:00

I am inspired by he life of Francis of Assisi. I particularly like how he struggled with being in the world while wanting to be alone with God. His compromise was to faith as a verb in the world, to live the Gospel Life. However, to do this effectively he had to regularly retreat to places and spaces where he could be alone with his God. The places he visited were conducive to contemplation. Green Lake Conference Center and the ICAP conference were superb at taking place and space into consideration. This made the conference a pilgrimage for those who sought it.

There was corporate worship every morning and evening. There were plenty of opportunities to be with others, at workshops, meals, exploring the grounds together.These places brought people together with one another. Climbing the tower with Alicia and Doug exemplified this. The wonderful dining hall overlooking Green Lake reflected the use of place to bring people together.

ICAP 2011: Green Lake Dining Hall and View

However, the ICAP Leadership Team was aware that for many this would be a time of not only study but of internal exploration. That required time for prayer. To this end they created a number of prayer rooms. Those along with the Spurgeon Chapel and the Outdoor Chapel made time alone with God easy to secure. They also were aware that the topics studied and the internal journey may at times bring up powerful feelings, memories and reactions. Therefore they made sure there were counselors available each day of the conference. The counselors were kept busy and the prayer rooms were rarely empty. People took their journeys seriously.

ICAP 2011: A Place to Pray

Perhaps my favorite spot to be away from others and with God was the trail by Green Lake that lead to the Outdoor Chapel. The trail had plagues that were memorials to important American Baptist Association leaders. There were pavilions, stone benches and wonderful vistas. The chapel was simple in its construction and looked out toward the lake. This was a peaceful place to spend time with a generous Creator. The ICAP Leadership Team knew what they were doing!

ICAP 2011: Outdoor Chapel

ICAP 2011: Estelle Blake

2011-06-05T17:20:00.001-07:00

Estelle is a very special person. First, I have to admit, I am a sucker for a British accent. Beyond my foibles however, she is an incredible person. She is willing to take risks, she never ignores the fun around her and she is sensitive to other people’s pain. Having worked numerous disasters I have come to appreciate the Salvation Army. Estelle simply reinforces my fondness for our sisters and brothers in the army for the poor. I hope to see Estelle again, hopefully many more times. However, at least one of those times I would like to visit her in jolly ole London with Cathi who has family in England.

ICAP 2011: Estelle Blake from Salvation Army in London

ICAP 2011: Welcome Africa

2011-06-05T15:08:00.000-07:00

I know it sounds as if all we ever did was sing. Well, that was great fun and helped us keep our focus. It was a great way to get to know a little something about the ministries around the world. However, we really did attend workshops, we did listen to plenary speakers. We read and we connected to one another. I however did not video people giving their talks. Instead o took notes so that their experiences and wisdom can serve as a guide to me in the future. So after a day of learning, of meeting regional leaders and of building our libraries we met for evening worship.

The evening was full of energy. We as a group were singing louder and moving more. To add to that it was “Welcome Africa” night. We started by singing “How Great Thou Art.” Then three different members of the African regional team sang in their own languages. It was then that we first experienced the voice of Eunice from Kenya, what a voice!

ICAP 2011: Welcome Africa, "How Great Thou Art"

The singers were from Ethiopia, Kenya and Sierra Leone but the team represented more nations. The instruments, dress and the drumming by honorary African Sven made for an exciting evening. After the women sang we as a group joined in and we never sounded better.

ICAP 2011: "How Great Thou Art" in 3 African Languages

ICAP 2011: African Regional Team "There is No One Like Jesus"

We were then introduced to a popular African worship song, “There is No One Like Jesus”. Since that night I have heard that song sung in six different languages, it never sounds bad. Finally we ended with a rousing worship song that got everyone up on their feet. It was a night I will long remember.

ICAP 2011: African Worship Night

At the end of the evening I interviewed Eunice. She is part of a ministry in Kenya. Not only can she sing and dance, she is articulate and a woman of great strength.

ICAP 2011: Eunice from Kenya

ICAP 2011: A Tower of Leadership and Hope

2011-06-05T13:47:00.000-07:00

OK, so the title is corny. The fact is the conference was a tower of leadership. Some of the most important people on the planet who work in the areas of human trafficking and prostitution attended the conference. People who developed programs that changed other peoples lives, who developed the programs from scratch were here. Still, today I am being concrete, Green Lake has a tower and Doug, Alicia and I climbed it!

I first hiked up to the tower by myself. Please note you have to walk up and up and up just to get to the tower so you can then walk up! It was during the first walk that I found out you have to stop at the administration desk and get a key to the tower. All that walking and I could not ascend the tower stairs.

ICAP 2011: Walking to the Tower

So, on a rare sunny day the three of us hiked up to the tower. This time I made sure I had the key to the tower gates. Walking up the stairs took a little perseverance. My chest was pounding and I had to stop to catch my breath, still, I could not help smiling. I was sure we would have to fight off trolls to protect the Middle Kingdom.

ICAP 2011: Reaching the Top of the Tower

The tower looks down on the entire bay area. All of the resort centers were visible. The harbor, trails, rose garden were all visible. I looked, there were no trolls or ogres to be found. There was no tower with a giant eye looking back at me, we were safe!

ICAP 2011: Green Lake Conference Center from the Tower

The vista helped put the center in context. However, what we could not see was the golf course or the trails. Green Lake Conference Center is a huge complex. Still, we loved the view. It was also just nice to spend time with two very special people away from the world and yet viewing the world. We kind of did a dance, we would focus on us and then we would focus on the grounds. It was a nice dance.

ICAP 2011: We are So High Up!

So, after spending time above the trees, time in the quiet, it was time to descend. It was time to rejoin the conference, the energy, the music and the sharing of knowledge. We were ready, it was a good respite.

ICAP 2011: Welcome Central Asia and Latin America

2011-06-05T05:02:00.000-07:00

I was not prepared for what a full and exciting event the ICAP global conference was. It was not just talks and workshops, though they were excellent. It was a setting that took your breath away, it was colleagues from around the word ministering to people involved in all aspects of the sex trade and human trafficking. It was meeting folks who testified to the State Department, folks who worked in multiple nations, people who spent the last 20 years in the ministry and folks just beginning. It was praise and worship, exciting music, great food and song and dress from around the world. Yep, I was not prepared!

The first evening introduced us to praise and worship with brothers and sisters from around the world. Music was a critical component of that praise.

ICAP 2011: First Night of Worship: "What a Mighty God We Serve"

We also were introduced to a format that would become familiar. Each worship was lead by members of a different region. The first region was Central Asia. It is the only region which I have almost no video. That is because the members prefer to keep a low profile as a way of being respectful of the larger communities they live and work among. Still, their work with women involved in prostitution is moving. It also helped us grasp the work and reach of ICAP. The team was introduced by a member originally from Scotland, three ladies spoke in their respective Central Asian languages. One woman spoke in Russian so it could then be translated into English. Now that is work and commitment!

ICAP 2011: Welcome Central Asia

Each regional team would give us an update on the work in their part of the world. A particular member would give testimony. Then they would lead us in song. In the beginning we, as a group, were conservative in our singing, as the conference progressed we loosened up. The first song that helped me grasp the international reach of the conference was “God is so God.” First we sang it in English and then we had our introduction to the singing of the nations!

ICAP 2011: "God is so Good"

ICAP 2011: "God is so Good" in Multiple Languages

Each afternoon we had a break after lunch and before the next set of workshops. I walked around the grounds. I walked past the rose garden to Spurgeon Chapel. It was a simple American Baptist chapel that was a place of prayer and contemplation. I loved its simplicity.

ICAP 2011: Outside Spurgeon Chapel

I found myself returning to this place of quiet whenever I had some free time.

ICAP 2011: Inside Spurgeon Chapel

I did not expect to meet so many interesting people whom I would want to keep in contact with. The conference was full of very special people, each one left you feeling you had been blessed for attending. My first new friend and sister was Bronwen Healy fro Australia. Her story was living testimony to the power of redemption. I am so happy to have met her.

ICAP 2011: Bronwen Healy

After dinner we headed over for our evening worship. We were lead by the Latin American Region. It was here that we began to find our voice and our enthusiasm. They were wonderful and we were beginning to learn a bout prophetic dance without even knowing it!

ICAP 2011: Welcome Latin America

Finally, to cap-off our eventful day Doug brought us down to “The Special Glowing Rock Room.” Five of us sat in a small room as the lights went off and we were told about Mr. Kraft’s rock collection. It was like stepping into the past. It was unique, unusual and fun. Yep, this is a very full conference!

ICAP 2011: The Secret Rock Garden "It Glows"

ICAP 2011: It Begins!

2011-05-25T14:24:00.000-07:00

Sunday I joined Sill, Doug and Alicia from Emmaus Ministries as we drove to Green Lake Wisconsin to attend the 2011 International Christian Alliance on Prostitution global conference. The conference is held at the Green Lake Conference Center which is a retreat center of the American Baptist Association. “Conference Center” does not do the site justice. This is a place with multiple chapels, huge lodges, gardens, nature trails, a tower, a small island and it all sits next to the deepest lake in the state.

Sill Davis, the Ministry Center Director of Emmaus Ministries will be presenting.His talk is titled, “What Drives Men to Sell Their Souls: Why Do They Prostitute Themselves”. Doug and I will be presenting this week as well. Our talk is titled, “Homeless Youth: The Face of Vulnerability and Prostitution.” However, we are really here to listen and learn from others, to worship and play together and to network.

The conference attendees are from 40 different nations. It was wonderful to see Asians, Africans, Central Asians, Europeans, Latin Americans and North Americans all at one site. The dress, languages and hugs remind us that we are all from one family, one big family!

Our first night here set the tone for the joy of this place. I sat with folks from Australia, Nigeria, Cambodia and Thailand. Man, what a great way to start a week!

A Day in Chicago

2011-05-22T04:11:00.000-07:00

I am on my way to the global conference sponsored by the International Christian Alliance on Prostitution. It is in Green Lake Wisconsin. Doug, the outreach director at Emmaus Ministries and I will be presenting at the conference. So, in order to meet up with Doug I got to spend a day with Kaio!

Whitney Merrell and I went to Pilsen neighborhood and to Little Village. Whit had lived two years in Mexico and so I wanted to share these two vary Mexican neighborhoods with her.

In Pilsen we just enjoyed looking at the enormous murals with the Sears Tower in the background. There were magnificent churches everywhere. Pilsen is a Mexican neighborhood that is also has a large number of art glories. So it is kind of a middle class, yuppie, ethnic-neighborhood. In that way it reminds me of Ukrainian Village.

Whit and I visited the National Mexican Museum of Art. It was great. There were three special exhibits. These included “INTERMISSION” by Benito Huerta, “La Nacion Huichol: from the sea to the desert” which focused on the indigenous art prior to the formation of Mexico. I enjoyed listening to indigenous music from Mexico collected by a Norwegian anthropologist with Whit, my Hoosier-Kaio friend who lived in Mexico giving commentary. Now that is an integrative experience! The last exhibit was “Claroy Obscuro: Recent Paintings by Elsa Munoz”. Whit and I loved the museum and found ourselves spending a great deal of time in the permanent exhibits.

After the museum we drove down 26th street to Little Village. It was a strange drive because three blocks from Little Village is the Cook County Jail with its security walls, barb wire and guard towers. Still, the village was great. You enter under a large banner. The neighborhood is full of street vendors, live poultry shops, restaurants, shops and groceries. We had a great lunch. We then walked the streets. We stopped and enjoyed an outdoor mariachi band, we looked at vendors selling cotton candy, drinks and candies. Whit showed me how they sell jeans in Mexico (they have the mannequins face the opposite direction of the customers so you can see how good the pants make your butt look.) As soon as Whit explained this to me I saw the mannequins in a store front window, butts forward!

Street Vending in Little Village, Chicago

Whit and I then went out for coffee. Afterward we picked up Joshua Kent and just hung out for a few hours. Josh and I got to talk about all things Franciscan. It was good to be with the two of them again.

That evening I walked across the street to the Friendly Towers of Jesus People USA (JPUSA). They had sponsored a one day conference on Intentional Faith Communities. Now they were having a concert and I was going to attend. What a concert! Crossings played. Now JPUSA is home to so many arts and music is one part of that tapestry. JPUSA has bands from around the world play there but they also have their own blues and jazz bands, alternative and then their oldest, Crossings. Crossings is a Celtic band. However tonight they were very eclectic. They had African drums, Celtic hand drums. Bag pipes, tin whistles, fiddles, cello, guitar and mandolins. Tattooed and rainbow haired folks danced around the room. Patched up jeans, muslin blouses, and handmade jewelry made you know you were in a special place. It was a concert of hand clapping and foot stomping. I was happy I stopped by.

The Crossing

So that was my one day stop in Chicago. It was great. Now, on to the conference!

Transformations

2011-05-17T11:40:00.000-07:00

GoAnimate.com: Transformations by Uffdadoc

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Transformations

Just playing around trying to get comfortable with a new program. Also giving a plug for John Green's book, "Street Walking with Jesus"

and Nicole Foster's book, "Light in a Dark Place"

So that is what I am up to. I am learning a program and unabashedly plugging my freinds books. Kind of fun to be able to do both at the same time!

Art in Chicago: 2010

2011-05-15T18:09:00.000-07:00

Art in Chicago: 2010

Just a little sample of all of the art I was exposed to in Chicago. Some is out of focus because it was from my phone camera. Some of the stuff, like the eye ball, just happened to be where I was walking. The wall abstract that was out of focus was painted by Kaio member Nik Burkhart. The wall mural was at the school across the street from Emmaus Ministries. There is high art in the museums and folk art in the neighborhoods. Chicago is NOT bland! The city is just a feast for the senses. Love it.

Kerri's USF Journey

2011-05-11T07:19:00.001-07:00

Kerri's USF Journey

Four years: Campus Ministry, Paw Print writer, literary awards two years in a row, Honors Program, 3.9 GPA, pilgrimage to Assisi and Rome. Presented at the AFCU 2010 Symposium. Lunch on campus with her Papa. Yep, it was a great journey.

Top Ten: Assisi Pilgrimage 2006

2011-05-06T05:56:00.000-07:00

Top Ten: Assisi Pilgrimage 2006

Trish Bugajski's Final Profession as a Secular Franciscan

2011-05-06T05:47:00.000-07:00

Trish B-Lady Makes Her Final Profession

Last Saturday was a big day for the Holy Family Fraternity of the Our Lady of Indiana region of the Secular Franciscans. On that day Trish Bugajski made her final profession. That means after almost three years of formation she took that final step that made her a full member of our Order. That the service occurred during the season of Easter was great. The chapel was full of flowers and rebirth. That it occurred a week before graduation at the university was appropriate, this is a service of launching and joining. That is occurred during spring was most fitting. This is a service of promise, hope, growth and beginnings. That is occurred on one of the few days we have had so far without rain and clouds was simply a gift!

Just Getting Ready for Trish Bugajski's Profession Ceremony

The Secular Franciscans Order is the third Order that Brother Francis founded 800 years ago. Everyone is familiar with the First Order, the friars. Most people know of the Second Order the Poor Clares. However, 800 years ago there were people drawn to the Gospel Life as lived by Brother Francis who could not responsibly leave their spouses, children and obligations. The Secular Francis Order, known as the Third Order r then was founded for them. It is a full Religious Order with a Rule recognized by the Pope. Like the other members of our Franciscan family the Rule and the style of participation has changed over the last 800 years. However, like the rest of our Franciscan family our commitment to living a Gospel Life has not changed. This is what Trish was joining herself to last Saturday.

Trish Bugajski's Profession Ceremony: the altar

Trish did not simply join a club. This has been a true journey for her. She has a keen mind and a honed sense of moral responsibility to humanity and to her fellow sister and brother creatures. That means she did not simply accept the faith you was raised in, she struggled with it, she questioned it. For Trish faith is a verb. Trish and her husband Ken were AFCU pilgrims to Assisi and Rome. Trish attended the 2006 Association of Franciscan Colleges and Universities Symposium. She was so moved by the experience that she became one of the key planners of the 2010 AFCU Symposium at USF. It is fair to say that much of the 2010 Symposium success rests on her shoulders. Trish completed the AFCU on-line Franciscan Studies Certificate program. She was trained as a leader in the "God's Extravagant Love” program. B-Lady supports Saints on the Street (SOS) a local group that hangs with and provides basic support for the homeless. To be honest here, Trish was a Franciscan way before she made her final profession!

Trish Bugajski's Profession Ceremony: Intro by Sr. Anita Holzmer, OSF

It is so appropriate that the Seculars are the Order for Trish. Her family is important to her. Her daughter, “the little blond girl” is a source of joy and pride for Trish. It was great to see her actively participate in the service. Trish’s husband Ken shares a common faith with Trish but not exactly the same journey. He is a Knight of Columbus. He has attended Catholic Collegium twice, once as a graduate student and once as a faculty member of a Catholic university. Ken is a funny, funny man. He is bright and a leader. Best of all for me, he is a fantastic cook. Now to be honest I am a very good cook, at times I am a great cook. I am a rookie compared to Ken and always look forward to sampling his latest creation. Yep, the Seculars are right Order for Trish, this is a family worth valuing!

Trish Bugajski's Profession Ceremony: Entrance

The service was wonderful Father Adam Schmitt gave a wonderful homily. He was able to weave components of the Catholic faith and history, of the Seculars and of the season together. He was simply uplifting and affirming. Sisters Anita Holzmer and Jacinta Krecek, OSF, provided the music. Whenever I see the two of them walking the halls of the University of Saint Francis in their habits carrying their guitars I expect Ed Sullivan to appear. (“Tonight we have a really big shooow, ladies and gentlemen, please welcome the Singing Nuns”.)

Bill Duffy, one of our fraternity inspirational leaders and Trish’s daughter Krystka (aka, The Little Blond Girl) were the altar servers.

Trish Bugajski's Profession Ceremony: Vicky Foltz, SFO, reader

So many members of he fraternity made sure they had a part in the service. Erin Gigle designed the program, Martine Meeks handed them out. Kathy Harpel and Dick Lowden were Eucharistic Ministers. Vicky Foltz was the reader and she was wonderful.
Trish and Vicky Jacobs presented the Gifts during Mass. This was significant because Trish was making her Final Profession and Vicky was in formation. It was like watching new branches spring forth from your favorite tree.

Trish Bugajski's Rite of Profession

The Rite of Profession was lead by the Fraternity Minister, Jon Cooper and the Fraternity Formation director Dick Lowden. Potential members meet with the Formation Director on a regular basis for at least two years and often up to three years. Additionally the candidate participates in the fraternity’s on-going formation studies during the monthly meetings. So this Rite was the culmination of a lot of growth, exploration and prayer.

Trish Bugajski's Rite of Profession: Questioning

Trish was then questioned by Father Schmitt. I think by that time Trish could have aked the questions and answered them herself. She was clearly ready to join!

Welcome to the Family: Trish Bugajski, S.F.O.

Welcoming a new member to the fraternity and to the Order is such simple and yet joyful act. Hopefully because of Trish’s journey over the last three years she has grown. What is clear is because of her journey we have grown. She represents the promise of an invigorated future, of new possibilities for the fraternity, of continued growth. On this day our Franciscan family has grown. We were all so happy to see this day happen.

A Peek at Ken's Tau-shaped Cake

After the service we all met in the Social Room for snacks, cake and conversation. Ken made a Tau shaped cake and as usual, it was delicious. It was a wonderful day. Sunshine, fellowship and a Final Profession, yep, Trish B-Lady is a Secular Franciscan.

Kaio Fun

2011-05-04T10:52:00.000-07:00

Kaio Fun 2011

Goodbye and Thank You Phoebe Snow

2011-04-26T18:22:00.000-07:00

So with the death of Phoebe Snow we have lost not only a great voice but a great person. Here was a soulful voice, a woman of courage who had finally made it. With the release of “Poetry Man” she was on her way and then her life changed. Everyone‘s life changes but she made decisions that would have consequences for the remainder of her life. She was 24 and making some monumental decisions.

Phoebe Snow: Poetry Man

Phoebe became pregnant. When her daughter, Valerie Rose was born the baby suffered extreme brain damage. Phoebe was advised to have the child institutionalized and told the baby would only live three years. Phoebe would have none of it. She took her baby home and tended to her musical career as best she could.

That meant Phoebe toured when she could. It meant she took her magnificent voice and did background music for commercials. That meant she became a single mom of a special needs child and she did not regret it.

It is easy to talk about the dignity of all life, Phoebe actually lived those values. She actually would not have thought of it as a difficult thing to do. As she often stated, she was simply in love with her daughter. Her daughter had limited hearing, she was legally blind, and she could not talk. However, her daughter was able to use her body to communicate her wants, needs and feelings. Observers described Phoebe and Valerie Rose as having a very special relationship.

So Phoebe sang and toured the world. She made an appearance with a singer named Linda Ronstadt and they became fast friends. And Phoebe worked at her music. One day she noticed that her daughter liked opera so Phoebe began to sing opera. That may have been what kept her voice so pure over the decades.

Linda Ronstadt, Phoebe Snow - It's In His Kiss 5-19-1979

Valeria Rose was only supposed to live three years. She lived to be 31. When she died she left a hole in Phoebe’s life. It was Linda Ronstadt who got Phoebe back out singing and back into life. Phoebe would dedicate each concert to her daughter but it was an act of thanksgiving and not an act of mourning. She knew how blessed she had been to have her time with her daughter.

People Get Ready

Then at age 61 Phoebe left us. We were blessed to have Phoebe Snow in our lives. It is not simply her voice and her music that touches us. Lots of musicians can do that. It was the simple act of loving courageously and loving without end that demands our attention and our thanks. Good bye Phoebe and thank you for an art and a life so rare.

The Masks We Wear: Michael A. Dickman

2011-04-23T09:16:00.000-07:00

Each year the School of Creative Arts hosts its Student Exhibit. This year was the 35th exhibit. They are wonderful exhibits because it is so easy to see how students grow as artists in four short years. This year I was excited to attend because Michael A. Dickman was organizing a little performance art called “Masks.” His work was to reflect the fact that we are surrounded by people wearing masks, persona. It is not just “them”, “we” wear masks in public.

Michael has been fascinated with public presentations of self. Last year he had an exhibit at the USF library of 50 faces. He is an observer of people. Last year he joined us for an Alternative Spring Break trip to Chicago. We worked at Emmaus Ministries. As we participated in our Immersion Night he clearly observed and noted ways of being.

SOCA Student Exhibition 2011: Faces in the Crowd

So I went to the exhibit. The sad news is I did not get much video. The opening was jam packed with people. I could not easily video folks. The good news is that it was full of people. It was a great exhibit.

SOCA Student Exhibition 2011: Seeing the World Through a Mask

I watched Michael’s group gather. They put on their masks and then joined the visitors at the various exhibits. It was interesting to watch elaborate masks and simple masks, feathered masks, colorful masks and monochromatic masks appear among the crowds. It was interesting to see Michael, the observer, be transformed into the one being observed.

Book Launching of “Streetwalking with Jesus”

2011-04-23T08:36:00.001-07:00

Joshua Kent’s art installation Saturday evening was wonderful. Sunday morning I was looking forward to going to church with Nik Burkhart, however, that was not to be. I did so many chores in the early morning I ran out of time. Besides, I had papers to grade. At 2pm I caught up with Paul and Aubrey Goodell at the Emmaus Ministries offices and we were off the burbs for the book launching party.

John Green had been writing ‘Street Walking with Jesus” for a long, long time. I think Origen helped John with the first draft! So this was a big deal. The forward was written by Francis Cardinal George who has been a consistent and important supporter of Emmaus and the guys. I was looking forward to the event. Besides, I wanted John to autograph my copy.

We arrived early to help with the set up. Paul worked the inside and Aubrey and I posted the signs all over the place outside. Paul was not his to-the-point concise self. Instead he began to give us long drawn-out instructions on how to hang the posters. I turned to Aubrey and said not to worry, once we were outside he wouldn’t know where we hung them. Aubrey liked that approach and we got to work. Working with Aubrey was one of the best parts of the day. She is funny, animated, and very interesting.

Afterward we came inside. The room was huge, a school gymnasium. There were refreshments, art, music and people. Oh there were people. There were volunteers and board members, members from Uptown Baptist Church and friends and supporters of Emmaus Ministries. Before the launching formally started the Emmaus video was shown. Johnathan Hancock, the Executive Director of Emmaus is a great guy. He is supportive of the guys and staff and he is a man of faith. Still, seeing him on the big screen, I was impressed with how big his head was!

Book Signing for "Streetwalking with Jesus"

I liked the poster/exhibit for E.M. While I am not a fan of the use of the word “prostitute” because I feel it labels a person and ignores everything else about them, I still liked the poster exhibit. I liked it because it asks the reader to look at themselves. It asks them to consider who Jesus and the early Christians associated with. It asks the reader to consider who they are to walk with and how are they to treat others.

Booking Signing for "Streetwalking with Jesus"; Would YOU be a…

The book launching began with a blessing and comments by Francis Cardinal George. His commitment to Emmaus Ministers and his affection for the Greens was evident. While he is one of the busiest people in the Midwest he still stayed for the entire event. I was pleased to have a few moments of time with the cardinal.

Book Signing for "Streetwalking with Jesus" : Francis Cardinal George

John Green then spoke. This was his day. The book is really a history and a reflection. It guides the reader as they figure out what their ministry is. John is such an admirable guy. When I think of all the guys, volunteers, interns, students and staff that were touched by the work of John and Caroline I am humbled. He is the reason I cannot simply say ‘someone should do something.” It is clear we are that someone, one person can make a difference.

Book Signing for "Streetwalking with Jesus" : Deacon John Green

I enjoyed hearing John talk about the process of writing. I enjoyed hearing the history of Emmaus Ministries. I enjoyed hearing about his relationship with the cardinal.

John Green Telling a Story and then Reading a Story

The launching was an inclusive experience. We got to hear about the stories and illustrations in the book. At the tables volunteers were all sharing their favorite Emmaus Ministries stories. Most importantly, we were all buying copies of the book!

Book Signing for "Streetwalking with Jesus" : Stories Told with Words and with Pictures

Finally, after all of the talks and video clips people went to the table to have John and the Cardinal sign their books. While that was happening we enjoyed a short concert by GreenChoby. GreenChoby is a folksy group composed of Caroline Green (john’s wife) and Mike Choby.

Booking Signing for "Streetwalking with Jesus" ; GreenChoby

So that was my extra special visit to Chicago. Business, friends, art and a book launching. Not too shabby! My prayer is that John’s book helps Emmaus Ministries grow in the number of supporters and volunteers it has. I pray that it helps people discover what they are being called to do. In the meantime, I just spent the weekend with artists, authors, musicians and friends!

Joshua J. Kent’s Installation at Back Room Projects

2011-04-23T07:21:00.000-07:00

I had an opportunity to go back to Chicago. I needed to coordinate a presentation Doug and I were planning to give at the International Christian Alliance on Prostitution in May. While I was in Chicago I also walked down to Alternative and had a meeting about some training for a possible youth group in the Fort. It was a productive day. However, since I was already in Chicago I had a few perks I could not ignore. I stayed with the Kaio Community which was just wonderful. I attended the installation of my Kaio Roommate, Joshua Kent’s exhibit at Back Door Projects. Finally, on Sunday I attended the book launching party for John Green. That included time with Cardinal George. Clearly this was a great weekend.

I had my weekend all planned out. I would have my meeting with Doug and then Alternatives. I would go out to dinner with Bethany, do outreach with Emily and visit the Pilsen neighborhood with Whitney. Then I would go to Joshua’s installation and attend Nik’s church on Sundays. I planned on have some time with each member of Kaio. Well, that at least was the plan!

I did go out for dinner with Bethany and I did do outreach with Emily. I worked in the Ministry Center on Friday so that Whitney could help Josh with his installation. Then Saturday, instead of going to Pilsen and visiting the National Museum of Mexican Art with Whitney I again worked the Ministry Center. This allowed Nik, Emily, Bethany and Whitney to again work on the installation. I really did feel like that was my contribution to Josh and it made me happy to be able to help in this matter. So I spent Saturday cooking a Thanksgiving meal complete with 16 pound turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy and cranberries. I got to spend time with the guys which is always wonderful.

Saturday night was the installation. Joshua has spent 12 hour days installing his exhibit. Each of the Kaio members helped. This was a big event. The exhibit was at Back Room Projects on Troy Street. Back Room Projects was the creation of Jennifer Hines, a local Chicago artist and curator. She used the back porch room of her house to highlight the work of a new artist each month. Joshua’s exhibit was titled, “I have sat and watched each second blossom into existence.”

The opening was very nice. Artists and supporters were there. We spent time drinking Spanish wines and discussing art. However, the focal point obviously was the installation. We would all wait and then enter, one person at a time, and spend quiet time in the room. The ceiling was covered with flowers from cemeteries. The flowers and foliage draped down the walls. The room was dark and quiet and there was a meditation stool available for those who wanted to meditate.

I was able to film in the room. However, lets be honest, I am not a film-maker. I am a guy who has an on and off button on a camcorder. I could not compensate for the dark room. Still, the video captured a glimpse of Joshua's dream.

I have sat and watched each second blossom into existence

Now the flowers were not from grave sites that were newly decorated. Josh did not violate anyone’s mourning. Josh went to cemeteries around the country and gathered artificial flowers that were being thrown away so that the grounds could be taken care of. Josh had been collecting these artifacts for ten years.

Climbing Up the Walls of the Installation

I was looking forward to the installation. Josh was my Kaio roommate. The art in our room was about death, dying, passing, having lived. It was not morbid, there was no decay, this was not teen-slasher art. Rather, his art reflected an existential approach to the world. Well, his installation continued this approach.

In the room were the flowers and foliage of grave sites from around the nation and from various time periods. Thousands of flowers were on the walls. They were hung not by 9 thousand ink dots as stated in my video but rather 3000 glue dots. While the artifacts were meant to mark a person’s sorrow and remembrance they had been transformed. Walking into the room was like walking into a rain forest. The room was lush, full of color and shadows and full of life. This was a room of hope and promise and a room that shared of promise of lives being remembered.

I have sat and watched each second blossom into existence: the installation

Doug was the first person I heard talking about lying on his back on the floor just looking up at the ceiling. During my second time in the room I made sure I did that. The canopy was powerful, it pulled you into it. It was like looking at a Jungian painting. Mandelas, sand and pollen circles, medicine circles, and galaxies all came to mind. The room, the installation felt both cosmic/universal and uniquely personal. However, that is not unlike the experience of death and dying and it is not unlike existential moments of clarity.

Lying on the Floor Looking Up at Joshua Kent's Creation

I loved the whole evening. I again got to met Luke Larson, always a special occasion for me. I spent time talking with Jennifer Hines. She told me about grief and mourning in California. She also told me about the history of art galleries in the Pilsen neighborhood. I got to watch Joshua, dressed dapper as usual, greet and interact with his admirers. It was a wonderful evening and I was glad I was able to be a part of it.

MLK Day 2011 at USF: Part II In the Community

2011-04-21T20:35:00.000-07:00

MLK Day is always a big day at USF. In the morning I attended the gathering and worship service. I then observed some of the on-campus activities. In the afternoon I drove to some of the sites to see just what our students were doing. There were far more sites than I could have possibly visited. It was good to see the impact we were having.

The first visit was to one of my favorite agencies in the city, The Center for Nonviolence. I often have speakers from the Center in my classrooms. What they do is very consistent with our Franciscan values. So I was pleased to find out we were helping to restore heir floors.

MLK Day 2011: USF at the Center for Nonviolence

Not far from the Center is the St. Vincent DePaul resale shop. It was great to see a team of Sisters, faculty and students working together. I kept wondering if they would come over and organize my closet?

MLK Day 2011: USF at St. Vincent DePaul

Next I drove over to the Associated Churches of Fort Wayne. This large ecumenical group takes care of the nuts and bolts of caring for the poor. Our students were busy working in their food bank.

MLK Day 2011: USF at Associated Churches Food Bank

This was a larger team. They worked in an assembly line. They were focused, cheerful and I am told, very productive.

MLK Day 2011: USF at Associated Churches Food Bank (student interview)

My last stop was at the Love Community Center. This was a large organization. It was a automotive repair school, training for wood working, classes for adults and children, a church, parenting classes and job skills courses.

USF had been coming here for years and they were appreciated. Today they moved the computer lab to make room for new program. It is amazing that one day of service can have such an impact.

MLK Day 2011: USF at Love Community Center Computer Training Program

Consistent with Dr. King’s work toward peace-making our group “Just Peace” sponsored a film for the evening. I attend. The film was an artistic documentary titled “Little Town of Bethlehem.” It addressed the issue of Israeli-Palestinian relationships from a unique perspective .It was sad and yet hopeful.

So, a day of work, service and peace-building. That is a great way to honor Dr. King and a great way to begin a term.

Little Town Of Bethlehem: Official Film Trailer

MLK Day 2011 at USF: Part I On Campus

2011-04-21T20:32:00.000-07:00

It was exciting and strange to begin my academic teaching year in January. However, the nice thing about the Spring term is that one week into it is Martin Luther King Day. It is a wonderful way to be reminded of how much service our students do for their community. I think the idea of the day being “a day on not a day off” and being designed to be a day of service is inspiring. Our faculty and staff spend the year planning activities. The students get involved and finally on the day we have students all over the city making a difference. That is pretty cool and a great way to begin the term.

This year was no different. We started the day off with an assembly and a time of worship. It reminds every body why we are here and what makes this holiday different from the others.

"Here in This Place", MLK Day 2011 Service at USF

The worship service was not intimate. It was held in Gunderson instead of North Campus or the Campus Ministry building. Still, it was well organized, well attended and the students did a good job of leading the service.

MLK Day 2011 at USF: Worship

Afterward student, staff and faculty broke into service teams. Some of the projects were on campus and many were in the community. One project on campus was the making of blankets. I ws surprised how organized, methodical and yet cheerful everyone was.

MLK Day 2011 at USF: Making Blankets

The focus was not just on service, it was on community. To that end, having activities that could involve as many people as possible was important. One of those activities was an art project for youth led by USF students. It was popular and fun and some of the art looked pretty darn good!

MLK Day at USF 2011: the generations

Finally, it was a holiday. That meant fun was in order. So while lots of folks worked some also shot hoops. I mean, what is a holiday without either football or basketball?

MLK Day 2011 at USF: shooting hoops, well, it is a holiday!

A Christmas Daycation Part II

2011-04-21T14:59:00.000-07:00

After lunch and a break we went to Andre’s favorite place in the city, the botanical Gardens. I like it because of the waterfall and the fact it is across the street from my church. He likes it because for a young child it is like entering a fantasy-land.

The main hall has a display that is changed each season. Sometimes it is a butterfly farm, other times a story book theme. This season it is Santa’s Workshop. I‘m guessing that with all those elves working look hours to make all those presents Santa’s workshop never smelled at nice as this one!

Fort Wayne Botanical Gardens Christmas 2011: Santa's Workshop

I like the tropical habitat. When I take Tai Chi I often begin my warm-ups in this room. What a great place for medication in motion. The kids love the waterfall and the fish pond.

Fort Wayne Botanical Gardens Christmas 2010: The Tropics

Afer spending time in Arizona nobody is ever going to convince me deserts are not fascinating! I love them and I especially love the cacti and succulents.

Fort Wayne Botanical Gardens Christmas 2010: The Desert Country

After playing in the humid tropics and the dry heat of the desert the kids needed to cool off. So we went outsides to play! During the spring and summer the courtyard is a beautiful outdoor garden and café. It is a great place to eat, to be at for concerts and to view city fire works. Today it was an excuse for the kids to play in the snow.

Fort Wayne Botanical Gardens Christmas 2011: Outdoor Courtyard

The view of the skyscape is nice in the yard. The baseball field, the cathedral, and the Hilton all demand your attention.

Fort Wayne Botanical Gardens Christmas 2011: The Trojan Horse

So the kids played outside while Cathi and I tried to stay warm. They spent time going down a slide. Just the thought of it makes my backside cold!

Fort Wayne Botanical Gardens Christmas 2011: Andre and Trinity
So that was our Daycation. It was a nice way to get back in touch with the sights and sounds of the city. It was great to spend time with the kids and even better hearing Cathi laugh. The day also reminded me of just a few reason of why I like this city so much. It was good to be home.

A Christmas Daycation in the Fort

2011-04-21T14:27:00.000-07:00

When I got home there was so much to catch up on. However, there were also people to see. Two of those people were my great-great-niece Trinity and my great-great-nephew Andre. Cathi suggested we spend a day in the Fort just visiting a few of our museums. It sounded good to me.

So we gathered up the kids and off we went. Our first stop was to one of my favorite museums in the city, the African African-American Museum. They have wonderful displays, great collections, impressive archives and the friendliest staff.

African African-American Museum in Fort Wayne

I like the African Room and all the information on the crossing. The kids liked the hands-on aspect of the displays.

African African-American Museum: Inventors

I also like the room dedicated to African-American inventors. The profiles are all drawn by local talent and the list of inventions goes on and on. We spent time in each room. Our guide was this wonderful man full of facts and stories.

Next we went to the Fire Fighters Museum. It is across the street from the library and close to the baseball field. The museum is great. The kids loved all of the old fie trucks.

Fire Fighter Museum Fort Wayne

Trinity as a Fire Fighter

However, they particularly liked dressing up as fire fighters!

Andre as a Fire Fighter

The museum is next to the Allen County Public Library. This is one of the kids favorite plces to visit. Thelibrary shows movies, hosts concerts, has a world famous geneology department, a great Licokn collect and stuff for kids. Boy do they have stuff for kids. The have a huge play room, a computer lab, and lounging areas for young patrons. So when we saw the library from the window of the museum we knew we would be visiting soon.

View of the Allen County Public Library for 2nd Floor of Fire Fighter Museum

As we got ready to leave we took a last look at all of the old equipment, the trucks, communications systems, and the medical response equipment. This is one cool little museum.

Emergency Response Vehicles at Fire Fighter Museum

So we took a break from museum hoping. We spent some time playing at the library, we went out to eat. We rested and then it was on to the next stop!

Going Home, Yes, Going Home

2011-04-21T06:55:00.000-07:00

I completed my sabbatical at Emmaus Ministries on December 17. I found myself thinking often about military families. I was never in any danger. My time away from Cathi was only four months and I could talk to her daily. Still that was the longest we had been apart since 1974! I found myself really empathizing with all that military families go through. My separation was just an inconvenience and the result of a wonderful experience. Trusts me, I was packed and waiting anxiously in the office for Cathi to pick me up.

Now, for sure I was not looking forward to leaving my friends at Emmaus and Kaio. I was afraid my life in the Fort was going to be boring. I did not want to say good bye to Kodi. Never-the-less, I was ready to be back home.

We did not hit the road right away. First we did a little shopping. Cathi said she knew she was in Chicago when the grocery store had a parking garage! Next we drove to our niece’s house for a visit.

This was to be our Christmas time with Cathi’s side of the family. We started the sabbatical off visiting our nephew Josh. It seemed appropriate we end the sabbatical at his sister’s house. Originally the plan was to visit with Erica, Bert and their three daughters, Nora, Olivia and Emmie and spend the night. However, I was too anxious to get home. We had a great visit. We ate together and then we hit the road.

Part of what made the visit so nice was that it was clearly transitional for me. I was leaving street ministry to reentering my life. That became clear while sitting at Erica and Burt’s house and being entertained by their daughters. This was not he serious stuff of the last four months. This was the stuff that made life such a joy.

The Hade-Rodriquez Dance Company

We watched Nora, Olivia and Emmy dance, sing, fall over and argue with one another. It was a joy to see them take their performance so seriously.

Delicate Flowers Dancing

At the end the girls gave us each a “program” that they signed and kissed. Cathi still has hers. So tht was it. Shortly afterward we were on the road. Not much longer and we entered Indiana. It was a wonderful, rich four months. There will be so much to process while adjusting to “normal” life. There will be so much more to do related to the sabbatical. However, for now all I had to think about was going home to my family, my cats and my turtle Brother Leo.

The Troika Prepares

Yep, nothing helps you get back to reality more than family and kids.

Orientation and Faith

2011-04-18T05:47:00.000-07:00

I went to Chicago to integrate my training in psychology and pastoral counseling. I went to learn and to net work. I also had an additional goal of using my personal time as a pilgrimage. I was going to worship in a variety of ethnic churches that represented the diversity and scope of the Church, the Body of Christ. I worshiped at churches made up of Assyrians, Copts, Roma, Norwegians, Chinese, Native Americans and Africans. I also attend the houses of worship of other faiths. This included Vietnamese and Tibetan Buddhists, Moslems and Jews. Between my work at Emmaus, teaching at Adler and my pilgrimage my time was full. I was not looking for yet another focus. However life is not that simple and I was introduced to yet another journey, I was to visit GL BT churches and churches that welcomed GLBT Christians.

I taught “ Introduction to Adlerian Psychology” at the Adler School of Professional Psychology on Mondays. After class I would attend Mass at St. Peter’s in the Loop. One Monday I walked over to Daley Plaza. Across the street was the Chicago Temple. It is a church of the United Methodist Church. It is the tallest church above street level in the world. I walked over for a tour. I have already described the church and my experience there. However, on my way out of the church I was reading material about the UMC and discovered that it was a welcoming church. It had made the decision to be inclusive and accept homosexual members into its congregations.

The Chicago Temple: United Methodist Church

It made me think of our guys. Many of our guys were raised in the church and have strong religious convictions and yet feel unworthy of attending churches or unwelcome to attend. Some feel the invitation is conditional, the condition being they become straight. I wondered how their spiritual needs were being met. I decided to attend a GLBT church.

This was not an impulsive decision. When I first came to Emmaus Ministries I was afraid they would be homophobic. As usual, the clash between my training as a psychologist and my Catholic faith presented me with some challenges. APA is clear, it views conversion or reparative therapies as ineffective and possibly unethical. However, the APA acknowledges that some homosexuals with strong religious convictions may feel so strongly about their sexual identity that they cannot be happy as a self-accepting gay man or lesbian. In those situations being a non-practicing homosexual may be viewed as preferable to self-hate or participating in treatments that are viewed as ineffective and possibly heterosexists. Emmaus Ministries is clear that it is consistent with Catholic teaching on homosexuality. It believes marriage is between one man and one woman. It believes that homosexuality is inherently disordered. It also believes that homosexuals cannot be discriminated against and that gay men and women must be treated with respect.

For me, the way I was able to navigate this very real challenge in views was to watch the workers and volunteers at Emmaus in action. Their love was not conditional. The guys could change or not change, they could continue to hustle or they could stop. None of that stopped the workers and volunteers from caring about the guys. Additionally, there was a clear understanding that we are all disordered or in varying degrees of brokenness. That being the case we were called upon to care for the guys and take care of our brokenness. Still, I was curious to see how our guys who identified as gay men found places to practice their faith.

The first church I went to was in the Center on Halsted. The Center is the largest GLBT community center in the Midwest. It is huge and offers a variety of services. It also provides a home for the Metropolitan Community Church.

Center on Halsted Roof Top Garden

The MCC church is in the theater of the Center on Halsted. What most of the members have in common is being outside the mainstream of society. The members are mainly gay, lesbian, transgender and questioning folks. What they also have in common is a Christian background and faith. However, they come from various Christian faith traditions and the service reflected this. The service included elements of a Catholic Mass or at least high church Protestant, of Evangelical traditions, as well as charismatic.

People actively participated. They supported one another. They prayed and sang and laughed. The congregation appeared to welcome upper and middle class members as well as the poor and homeless. It was clearly a faith community and home to many people.

Metropolitan Community Church of Chicago: altar

After the service I met with a number of members. They readily welcomed visitors and allies. I then met with one of the pastors. Like the other ministers at the church the reverend had attended seminary. He was ordained and left a mainline church to meet the needs of “his people.” He was compassionate and very likable.

Interview with MCC Minister

One evening I got a call from some former Kaio folks who invited me to go with them to Roscoe’s. Roscoe is a big GLBT bar on Halsted. I walk past it all the time on outreach but had never been inside. I asked why they were going. They were going to hear Tony Compolo speak. It turns out that Roscoe participates monthly in a program called “Living in the Tension.” It is a program in which folks of differing viewpoints are brought together to find areas of common ground while not denying heir real differences.

On this particular night Andrew Marin was sponsoring the event. Andrew was a conservative Evangelical Christian who had three friends come out to him. He responded by praying and listening and then developing a ministry that brings conservative Christians and members of the GLBT community together to finds ways to listen to one another and respect one another.

Andrew Marin discusses his book, "Love is an Orientation"

I was impressed with the work Marin and the Marin Foundation were doing around the country and in Boystown. Then Tony spoke. He is a retired sociology professor and a Southern Baptist. His search for finding common ground has turned him into a lighting rod, people either respect him or they hate him. I was very impressed.

Campolo: Christians & Gay Rights

So I spent an evening at Roscoe. I was in a big gay bar with a disco ball over my head, a free beer in front of me and surrounded by gays and conservative Christians all talking about Jesus. Yep, it was clear I was not in Fort Wayne!

Next I decided to attend a church that was not exclusively or even predominately GLBT. Rather, I wanted to attend a church that was welcoming, to all members. I went to the Urban Church. The Urban Church is a United Methodist seed church. It is in the Spertus Museum of Judaica. The church includes straight and gay couples, families and definitely hippsters. The service was moving. The ministries the church is involved in is impressive. The church had two ministers, one straight and one gay.

United Methodist' Urban Village Church

I found the church to be very friendly. It was also focused on living your faith in community, or “faithing’ on the streets by caring for the poor. It would be a mistake to dismiss this church as simply trending, it was a church with substance. Clearly a Christian with a traditional reading of Scripture would have problems with this approach. However, hopefully they would also be aware that there is a need being filled here. After the service I met with one of the ministers. Again, I found him welcoming, authentic and open to dialog.

A Blessing from Urban Village Church

Emily, my adventure partner in Kaio and I then went to Lakeview Presbyterian Church. I had always wanted to go to this church. It was this massive wooden church that dominated a corner. We saw it whenever our outreach walks took us to Broadway. It was across the street from the Salvation Army Officer Training School. It was in the heart of Boystown.

The church was welcoming, to everybody. It was part of an association of churches that made a point of being welcoming. However it’s focus was on Jesus and on Jesus in action.

Lakeview Presbyterian Church

We watched a Skype interview with a member serving in Africa. We were told about the candle display in the front of the church. Every time a youth was killed in Chicago a candle was lit to remember him or her. Today another candle was lit. As we said our prayers and sang our songs a photo of the young man was projected onto the sanctuary wall, he became real.

Lake View Presbyterian Church II

After the service Emily and I lingered a little and spoke with a few of the members. However, it was a busy place and we also had busy schedules. Emily and I walked back to Uptown while discussing finally getting inside this beautiful church. We spoke of the balance of caring about and acting for social justice and of having time simply to worship. Seems to me both are important and the experience of worship would be empty if either were completely missing.

Lake View Presbyterian Church: outside

I also taught at Adler. One day a student approached me and invited me and the Kaio community to attend an event at the school during the evening. Two student groups, the Adler Jewish Union and Adler Pride was sponsoring the showing of “Paragraph 175.” It was a documentary of the Nazi attempt to rid itself of its homosexual citizens. It was a powerful movie and it showed the ultimate price of intolerance. Afterwards the Kaio community processed what it had watched. I thought of the film often as I continued my new pilgrimage.

I took a detour from the churches and visited Congregation Or Chadesh. I had been to other synagogues in the city and I attended a Jewish Drum Circle. However, this was different. This was a GLBT synagogue.

Congregation Or Chadesh II

I described my visit to Or Chadesh earlier in my blog. This was one of two Jewish congregations targeted by terrorists in Yemen. It was also a reminder of how powerful the need to belong is and how this need was met in this congregation. I was there during the International Transgender Day of Remembrance. That meant I learned even more about the price of intolerance. It also meant I got to see a supportive congregation in action. If my time was not running out I would have visited this congregation again. It was a powerful way to celebrate the Sabbath.

It Gets Better -- Adler School

So my journey continued. I was very aware that I lived in a conflicted world. I taught at a university that unequivocally supported Catholic teaching on homosexuality. However, that teaching also meant an unequivocal stand against discrimination and an emphasis on respect. That included not letting gay slurs pass in classrooms, that meant providing a forum for training for staff, students and faculty on issues related to gender, sexuality and respect.

I was doing my sabbatical at a place that also endorsed Catholic as well as other mainline denominational teachings about homosexuality. However, again, there was nothing black and white about the approach. This was not a place that “Loved the sinner and hated the sin.” Instead it was a place where the workers attended to their own brokenness, articulated their positions on homosexuality when asked and when appropriate and simply loved and served their brothers.

Finally, I was teaching as an adjunct instructor at the Adler School of Professional Psychology. This was a school that had experienced a transformation addressing this subject. Adler had described homosexuality as neurotic behavior. I spoke with Kurt Adler, Alfred’s son. He explained that during his father’s days in Austria homosexuality was a crime and Adler’s position actually was more humane. Today the president of the school is openly gay, there is an active Pride Group. It is also a school that consistently attracts clergy because it is a value-laden school.

I was reminded of Andrew Marin who did not call for Christians or members of the GLBT community to abandon their positions but rather to actively listen, to stop yelling and to search for areas of common ground. That seems very reasonable to me.

As my time was running out in Chicago I found a twofer. I went to an Arabic-speaking Lutheran church in Edgewater. It was a great experience. However, I also learned that the church was using the space of Immanuel Lutheran Evangelical Church. This was a welcoming church. So I went back for a Lutheran service and to tour the church.

Immanuel Lutheran Evangelical Church

I know my friends in the Missouri Synod would have problems with this church. I suspect they would also acknowledge that a need for belonging, for having a place at the tale is being met. The church is not neutral on its position toward its GLBT members. It states “Grace is for everyone or it isn’t Grace.” That is a pretty bold statement.

Immanuel Lutheran Evangelical Church: Chapel

The service seemed very familiar. Much of it reminded me of the liturgy I participate in. Again, the focus was on the Good News and not hugging a rainbow or emphasizing a social issue over theology. What that meant in action however is that faith that says we are to love one another is lived in doing just that. There was no talk of abomination just of loving fellow children of God.

I spent my free time going to ethnic churches and GLBT churches. However that did not mean that I stopped attending Mass. So occasionally I would find myself on Sunday evening looking for a Catholic Church to attend. The University of De Paul was my default church. However I found out that Our Lady of Mount Carmel had services on Sunday evening at 7 PM. I had always wanted to attend this huge Catholic Church in Lakeview.

Our Lady of Mount Carmel: Chicago

Imagine my surprise when I walked in and there were about 450 gay and lesbian Catholics participating in Mass. The service was beautiful, the music grand and people were happy, often moved to tears. During the Lord’s Prayer everyone came together and held hand as they recited the prayer. There was an a real sense of enthusiasm and belonging.

More of Our Lady of Mount Carmel: Chicago

After the service we all met for coffer and snacks. I had so many questions. The group was not part of the local church but rather used it, for the past 20 years. This was AGLO or “Archdiocese Gay and Lesbian Outreach.” AGLO has been meting for 22 years. There was been over 200 Masses celebrated. Members participate in the choir, as Eucharistic Ministers, as lectors and they lead retreats. The archdiocese provides ten priests who rotate throughout the year. Both Cardinal Bernardin and Cardinal George have celebrated mass with AGLO.

I was confused as to why this group was acceptable when Dignity was not. It turns out the group started as a Dignity group. Following the position articulated by Pope John Paul II the church stopped recognizing the group and stopped allowing Mass to be said. After a long negotiation, in which the members resigned from Dignity AGLO was formed. It is recognized as a ministry to the Catholic GLBT community.

Finally the last church I attended was St. Peter’s Episcopal Church for World AIDS Day. By then I was no longer surprised at all of the mainline churches that had struggled to find a way to meet the needs of its gay and lesbian Christians. I did find myself thinking of Andrew Marin and Tony Campolo often. I agree that real respect cannot come in the form of people denying the teachings of their faith to accommodate others. There must be an effort to then look beyond this for common ground. If we are called upon to love one another than surely this must be worth the effort. So that was my additional, unanticipated pilgrimage.

Santa Lucia Day 2010 in Andersonville

2011-04-17T13:10:00.000-07:00

During my last week at Emmaus I was tired and really ready to go home. During the previous couple of weeks I had spent a 10 hour day being in extra on a movie set. I attended a fantastic Christmas party. I finished teaching at Adler. I was saying good bye to the guys, finishing my work at the Ministry Center and with outreach.

So I was more than ready to go home. I missed Cathi and I missed Kerri, my colleagues and the Fort. Still, I kept feeling like I should have one more adventure, see one more sight. The problem was I had no energy so it looked like I was not going to doing anything special with my last week in Chicago. Thanks to Laura Eppler I was wrong.

I was walking around the offices on Tuesday when Laura looked up and simply asked if I would want to join her and Joel after work and go to Andersonville to watch the Santa Lucia Day Parade. Laura’s voice was like music. I love Andersonville, a neighborhood that I often walked to. I loved it’s Swedish history and traditions. I loved all of its varied ethnic foods, its yuppy bars and I loved watching Muslims, Assyrians, LGBT folks and hipsters all share the same neighborhood. Most of all, as a good Norwegian-American who had been to Italy I loved the idea of a holiday that is celebrated in all of Scandinavia but honors the patron saint of Sicily.
This was great. I didn’t have to walk there, I didn’t have to drive. I didn’t even have to think, all I had to do was show up at Joel’s car. I said I was tired! Best of all Emily my adventure partner was joining us.

So we arrived shortly after our staff meeting. We all met at the Swedish Museum. The young girls came out with their white dresses and candles in their hair. Actually for the outdoor portion they had candles with light bulbs, a good, safe choice! I have seen huge, elaborate parades in Chicago. This was not one of them. This was a small, village parade. It consisted of girls walking down the street sings and neighbors following. It was simple and beautiful.

Santa Lucia Day Parade in Andersonville 2010

While the evening was just beginning it was winter and already dark. There was enough snow on the ground and chill in the air to imagine the parade taking place in Sweden, or, better yet, Norway.

Santa Lucia Day Parade in Andersonville 2010 II

It was a simple parade. We walked two blocks south on Clark Street, crossed the street and then walked north. Midway the girls stopped and sang “Silent Night.” They then proceeded to Foster Avenue, crossed the street and head back south to the museums. The parade was simple but for me very moving. It reminded me of my father and of Norwegian parades in Humboldt Park. It reminded me of foods, aromas, Yogi Yorgessen , and straw ornaments. I had always wanted to attend this parade and now thanks to Laura, here I was.

Santa Lucia Day Parade in Andersonville 2010 "Silent Night"

After the parade we all went inside the Swedish Museum. This is a fine small museum that spans the Swedish immigrant experience. It has the clean straight wooden lines and white walls that remind me of my family’s homes in Norway. As we waited for the concert to begin I spotted the most content child I had seen in a long time. Clearly this child could be a poster child for Christmas gatherings!

Santa Lucia Day in Andersonville 2010 : The Christmas Child!

The main room was dark and then all of the Lucias walked in singing. Te official Lucia had a wreath of lit candles in her hair. It was magical. I felt like I was meant to be exactly where I was at.

Santa Lucia Day in Andersonville 2010: Concert

The girls sang and I gawked at the room. People walked up stairs to the second floor of the museum. Cider and gingerbread was being placed on the table for us. This was a major Swedish signing group. Having spent time at the Norwegian memorial church I appreciated how important choral societies were. However, tonight was special. This was their last concert. There would be other Santa Lucia Day Parades and celebrations but this group would cases to exist. I was glad I got to hear them.

Santa Lucia Day in Andersonville 2010: The Last Concert

When the concert was over the young children gathered for an informal concert of their own. There parents supported them and it was a a special moment.

Santa Lucia Day in Andersonville 2010: Children Singing

After the concert, the tour and our cookies it was time to call it a night. My time in Chicago was running out. However, I no longer felt guilty for wasting time. I had one last experience, one last adventure and it was a good one. I was ready to begin to pack up my clothes, artifacts and notes. Thanks to a wonderful evening in Andersonville I was now ready to go home. Thank you Laura and Joel.

Never Ending Training Story at Emmaus Ministries

2011-04-17T08:11:00.000-07:00

One of my concerns about returning to Emmaus after having completed my field study there was that I would not learn anything new. Boy was that off target. My sabbatical, thanks to the commitment of Emmaus Ministries to their staff, was one of constant training. The subject matter changed, the location changed but the commitment to service and to learning never diminished.

The training started as soon as I got to Chicago. The entire staff, ministry, administrative and the Kaio Community all drove up to Lake Geneva Wisconsin for a three day retreat. We were the guests of two volunteers and they provided us with two houses to stay at and they feed us fantastic food.

The retreat was multi-faceted. It included team building exercises. For some of the exercises we broke into small groups to get to know a few members more intimately. These exercises were important because they fostered a sense of shared identity to the administrative, ministry and Kaio members. It would have been easy for Emmaus Ministries to foster a silo mentality with the three groups, plus volunteers, board members and the guys all focusing on tier own needs. These exercises made sure that did not happen.

The retreat also provided a time for the sharing of the story, the history of Emmaus Ministries. This was perhaps one of the more important functions and yet at times one of the more tedious tasks of the retreat. I love history and I want to hear the narratives that make individuals and organizations unique. However, that requires a degree of organization and editing. At times I felt we were going to hear about where Emmaus bought their first roll of scotch tape or book of stamps. Still, even without editing I found myself putting today’s Emmaus Ministries into a co next, it helped me understand where I fit in.

This is a minister and prayer and worship was a big part of the retreat. That included learning contemplative prayer at the local Catholic Church and worshiping at t local Protestant church. The shared worship, the food, the learning, the self-disclosures and the beautiful location contributed to a perfect way for Emmaus Minsitres to team build and begin a new year.

Welcome to Lake Geneva, Wisconsin!

Once we got back to Chicago our training continued. Some of it was training in the Ministry Center. That included learning how to log a guy in, write goals and journal,. It also included learning about the weekly schedule and the many exceptions to that schedule. We learned how to run the clothing closet, stock the pang try, follow health codes when cooking. We learned how to clean the Center from doing laundry to washing floors, dishes and bathrooms. We learned about prayer and worship in the Ministry center. This included the use of the chapel, prayers before meals, readings, group and Bible study time. We learned what occurs in the administrative offices and how we could support the staff.

Finally we had a weekend of training at Emmaus. The training was also for new volunteers. We learned about boundaries, unconditional acceptance while remaining true to our faith. We learned about all of the different ministries that make up Emmaus Ministries. The training included folks from Wheaton College, Moody Bible Institute, Trinity Seminary, local churches and the director of Emmaus Ministries in Houston.

Emmaus Ministries volunteer spotlight: Rex Slagel

During all of the training the significant contributions of the volunteer pool was emphasized. It would be difficult for E.M. to accomplish all that it does without the volunteers.

Center on Halsted: Roof Top Garden

The Kaio Community attended a lecture at the Center on Halsted. The lecture was the public sharing of research on HIV/AIDS in the community. While this might have been an unlikely place for members of Emmaus Ministries’ to find themselves, it in fact provided useful information on the rising rates of the infection among MSM population. It was also a very nice night out. After the lectures we all had a light meal and spent time talking to peers on the roof top garden over looking Halsted Street.

Center on Halsted

Center on Halsted

The first Monday of each month is The Day of Prayer. During that time the Ministry Center is closed. All the staff meet in the Ministry Center. They pray. They pray for one another, the men, the ministries, the volunteers and supporters. They share a meal together. They are reminded why they are doing what they are doing. Occasionally it also becomes a time for additional training. Joshua Kent lead us in relaxation and contemplative prayer. Bethany Wilson taught a number of different styles of prayer. Whitney Merrill and I gave talks on substance abuse and addictions.

Lennette at Emmaus Ministries

I also sought out additional training. I contacted the Night Ministry. This is a ministry that in fact provides services all day long. They provide food, medical screening and case management to homeless throughout the city. They go out to the neighborhoods in their distinctive ministry truck. They also work with Alternative Families and Youth programs and the Howard Brown Youth Center to assist homeless youth. I attended their orientation training for new volunteers. It was very organized and actually had a modular program for introducing the many ministries. This was an inter-faith ministry that was also a welcoming ministry. I was impressed with the scope of their services and their commitment.

Night Ministry (Chicago)

I also signed up for training with Inspiration Café. This is an agency was started by a woman who saw a need. She started by giving food to the homeless. Eventually she developed a food service training program. In 13 weeks the workers become eligible to obtain a license in food services. Besides the training center on Wilson and Broadway they have two beautiful cafes in the city that serves wonderful meals to the public. The training was very professional and again highlighted a variety of services to the homeless.

TrueNorth - Inspiration Cafe :60

I think what I liked most about Inspiration Café is that it reminded me of Emmaus Ministries. In both cases it was a services that was developed by one person who saw a need and decided that somebody should do something and so they did!

Inspiration Café (Uptown, Chicago)

A number of the Kaio Community and one of our guys also attended the Midwest Regional Conference on HIV and STDs in Springfield Illinois. This was a major conference with attendees from around the state. We learned so much while there.

I attended a workshop on “House Culture.” This referred to the “families” in New York that consisted of you gay men rejected by their own families. They then joined “Houses” that participated in “Vogue” competitions. This was a combination of martial arts, runway modeling and break dance. It was sometimes in drag and it required discipline. What was important here was that the “Houses” were meeting a social need that the larger community was not meeting.

Paris is Burning edit - A W.NINJA TRIBUTE

We learned about programs for people coming out of prison. We learned about the needs of migrant workers. We learned about new medical regimes. However, we were constantly reminded that HIV is not just one more STD, it is not simply a chronic disease that can be managed. It is still a disease that kills.

While I was there I made sure I attended Mass at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception. The last time I was there was when I was visiting my mother-in-law for the last time. The Cathedrals was about to be closed for renovation. I wanted to see the renovated Church and I wanted to say a prayer for Margaret. The church was beautiful.

Cathedral of Immaculate Conception Springfield: upper windows

Finally, on our way out of the city we stopped and toured the State Capitol. That was a nice way to end a special time in the city of Lincoln and Obama.

Illinois Capitol: Senate Chambers

Finally, while I was on sabbatical I traveled to Wabash Indiana to attend the Day of Healing conference sponsored by the Wabash Friends Counseling Center. It was a great conference consisting of 1000 Christian counselors and clergy. I gave a talk on needs assessment modeled after Emmaus Ministries.

So, while I was concerned that I might only be doing “more of the same” in fact the training was extensive. I feel I have a better appreciation of street ministry, counseling the homeless and providing a holistic-based service by networking with others. I receive far more raining than I ever could have hoped for!

My Kaio Community

2011-04-12T08:28:00.001-07:00

My time at Emmaus Ministries was highlighted by living with the members of the Kaio Co0mmunity. Kaio consists of interns who have completed their undergraduate degrees. The members are people who have responded to a call to serve the men of Emmaus. The interns receive room and board, a bus pass, health insurance and $20.00 a week spending money. In return the interns give a year of their lives. They work in the Ministry Center, outreach, the prison ministry and they do office work. They do the exotic such as meeting men on the streets in the early hours of the morning or attending unusual training. They do the mundane, cooking, washing floors, delivering food. However, they also live in community.

The Kaio Community is in the same building as Emmaus Ministries. This year the community consisted of five members not counting myself. Bethany Wilson was a strong-willed, goal directed young woman from Wisconsin. She was an anthropology major. Bethany did a mission trip to Africa. Emily Manting was a psychology major from Michigan. She was considering graduate school in social work. She was in love. She was a phenomenal outreach worker. Emily was also in charge of the prison ministry. Bethany was my worship partner. If I was going to Taize or to an ethnic church and Bethany had the time she was right next to me. Emily was my partner in exploring the city. Emily was a quiet adventurer but an adventurer never-the-less.

Baha'i Temple of Chicago : Bethany and Emily

Whitney Merrill was a chemical dependency counselor from Indiana. She had spent two years in Mexico. She was my outreach partner. Whit was smart, funny and street smart. We did a training session together. I really enjoyed working with her. She called me “Carlos” and I liked it.

Nik Burkhart was a second year kaio Arts intern. The Art interns did everything everyone else did. However, they also had 40% of their time set aside to create urban art. Our apartment was full of Nik’s art. One night all of Kaio went to “Sacred Space” a local gallery to view Nik’s art. Many of the Kaio members also attended “Buy Art Not People” a fund raiser and consciousness raiser related to human trafficking. Nik was one of the main planners of the event. Nik was also from Michigan and had also served in a mission trip to Mexico.

Kaio Night at Sacred Space to View Nik’s Art

Joshua Kent was the other Kaio Art member. He graduated in performance art from the Art Institute of Chicago. Josh was my roommate and my friend. He was also a workhorse. Josh performed in a play while I was there. The Kaio community was part of the audience. Josh submitted a play he wrote to a number of sites for possible production. At the time of this writing his play has been accepted and will be produced. Josh also worked with unusual materials. This included flowers from cemeteries. These were flowers that were about to be thrown away. Josh created a full-room piece that included thousands of flowers and foliage. It took the material of mourning and transformed it into life, celebration and rebirth. His installation of this peace was scheduled for the spring of 2011. Finally, Josh was the class act of the group. He could go to a resale shop and come out dressed fashionably; he was the gourmet cook and the decorator.

Kaio at Lincoln Square to View Nik’s Art

As an intentional faith community we prayed together. We trained together. We ate together. We hardly ever had the same schedules. At times our jobs required us to leave the city. So it was not unusual for only three of us to be at Kaio at a time. However, no matter how often we were together as an entire group we made time to do things together, to share meals and we celebrated whenever we were reunited.

Bethany and Joshua at Kaio

Kaio was a talented group. Besides the two artists many of them were musicians. Bethany played the keyboard and the violin. Whit played guitar as did Nik. Josh and Emily sang. I listened!

Kaio Jamming

The community was ecumenical. Josh and I were Catholics. Nik had Mennonite roots. Bethany came from an Episcopal background. Whit and Emily were also Protestants. Each week we had “Kaio Night.” During that time one person would make a meal, another lead us in prayer and another lead us in a group activity. We also had a “Prayer Closet” This was a utility room that seconded as a place for prayer and meditation and not infrequently naps.

Nik Talking About Buy Art Not People

Near the end of my stay at Kaio they had planned a Christmas party. I found out that is was to also serve as a good bye party for me. I did not want that and tried to get the party canceled. They ignored me. That was good because they pulled off one of the best parties I have ever seen. Emily made these wonderful hand-made invitations. Bethany, Whitney and I deconstructed the tree so it could then be decorated. It was a long tedious project. The tree was beautiful and decorated with ornaments from Bethany’s childhood. Josh planned the meals. Bethany planned side projects such as a site for making small gingerbread houses. I thought that was the dumbest idea I have ever heard of, however, people really liked it. Everyone decorated the house. That included handmade paper chains hung from the ceiling, tin punctured candle luminaries, and ornaments. The place was turned into a holiday wonderland.

I was awake most of the night before the party. By 4 AM I was up and ready to be an extra in the movie “Contagion 2011.” I worked all day. By the time I got home I was exhausted. The party started, the party was packed with people. I however was exhausted so I went down to the M.C. and took a nap. That was a good idea because I was able to return refreshed and appreciate what a wonderful party the Kaio community had pulled off. The food was unique and fantastic. The guests were happy, the sights and sounds almost too perfect to be believed. And then in walked Luke Larson, I finally met Jim and Judy Larson’s son. Because of Jim I was at Emmaus. So we called Jim and Judy in Thailand and talked to them for a while. Who could have predicted that?

The members of the Kaio community were my friends and family for four months. They were a diverse group of young adults, dedicated people of faith who choose to give a year of their lives to serving the men of Emmaus Ministries. I had many wonderful and life changing experiences during my sabbatical in Chicago. None however equaled the blessing of living, working, praying and playing with the members of the Kaio Community.

Kaio Community, E.M. and the 2010 World AIDS Day Service

2011-04-08T07:03:00.000-07:00

World AIDS Day is an important day for anyone who does outreach, works with the homeless, youth or works with folks who participate in survival sex. So when I was on sabbatical I made plans to attend a city-wide, ecumenical service at St. Joseph Parish Catholic Church. I was also looking forward to seeing one more magnificent church. St. Joe’s is the 2nd oldest church in the city. I was looking forward to commemorating this important day and be a religious tourist all at the same time. Well, that was not to be.

Turns out one of our guys was to be a key speaker at a World Aids Day service at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church. I had always wanted to visit that church. We all referred to it as the “Red Door Church’ for obvious reasons. Well, the wait was worthwhile. It was truly a magnificent church. However, first we had to calm the nerves of our special speaker!

The speaker came to talk to me the morning of the service. His navigator or assigned Emmaus Ministry Center staff was not available, she was home sick. The speaker, we will call him “Martin" was a nervous wreck. He had never spoke before an audience before, much less such a large audience. He was afraid that he would be judged or worse, not interesting. As he had a cathartic moment I apologized that Lennette, his navigator was not here. Well, he gave me a reality test. He point out that E.M. was a ministry and therefore I was an urban minister. If that is true he asked, than why did I not have faith that God meant for Lennette to be home today and that I was supposed to be available to him? That made perfect sense. He was falling apart I was responding be being a dispassionate, stoic Norwegian. Instead of joining his emotional stew I remained calm and we problem-solved. Lennette is great at nurturing, letting people know how much she cares. I was good at being an analytical problem-solver. He pulled “Martin” together, gave him a game plan and sent him on his way.

That evening the Kaio community arrived for the World AIDS Day Service at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church. The church was beautiful. The service was unique. I had never heard of speech choirs. The service consisted of an oratorical service with liturgy in which we all participated. It moved us from fear, to despair to hope. It was wonderful. The service was entitled, The Number of our Days: an Oratorio for Speech Choir. In the middle of the service Martin spoke. He shared his story of fear and despair and than of finding himself and a caring community. It was a unifying speech and many people were clearly moved.

The service was also co-sponsored by Bonaventure House. Bonaventure House is an Alexian program for people living with HIV. It is a program that is providing vital service to the Lakeview area of Chicago.

The program was wonderful. Afterward the Kaio community joined the rest of the congregation for drinks and conversation in the study. It was a great way of re-energizing our batteries to continue working with folks living with HIV. I am glad I finally walked inside the “Church with the Red Doors”!

Au revoir, mes amis

2011-03-27T19:30:00.000-07:00

I am a lector at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Fort Wayne Indiana. On the occasions when I read I always arrive early and go the sacristy to review the additional announcements and the General Intercession prayers. My goal is to make sure I can pronounce any unusual words. I especially want to pronounce a congregant’s name correctly if we are praying for him or her. Tonight was unusual. I was reading the names of the newly departed whose souls we would be praying for. For the first time I read the name of someone I knew. I knew that Dr. Carl Nadeau had been in hospice. I knew his remaining time with us was brief. Still, I never thought this would be how I would find out he was no longer with us.

After an initial startle my goal was simple. To read his name as neutrally as the name of the other congregant who had just died. Both were loses for many people and both deserved to be prayed for with dignity.

Still, that meant the remainder of the evening I kept returning to memories of Carl Nadeau. He taught French at the University of Saint Francis for what seemed an eternity. I had heard of him before I ever met him. He was a character. I remember my surprise when students told me of the student internet fan club they had made for him. People are never neutral in the presence of a character!

Carl gave me my first tour of the Cathedral. He walked me through the sacristy and showed me the vestments, oils, paintings and he told me of the history of real people. He told me about the reredo, the altar, the stain glass windows, the pillars and vaulted ceiling. And oh, he told me about the unique Stations of the Cross.

Then Dr. Nadeau brought me down to the Crypt. Now the crypt might be a solemn place, a resting place for former bishops and rectors. It may be a place for special services and a connection to the past. However, for Carl it was a place of joy. He knew one of the occupants personally. He enjoyed being in the Crypt spending time with an old friend.

Carl made the history of the Cathedral come alive. With Carl the early French, German and Miami influences were alive today. Father Benoit, Bishop Dwenger and Chief Little Turtle still walked the Cathedral Square when Carl was giving you a tour! Nobody could give a tour like Carl.

So today I am a tour guide at the Cathedral. I have a file with a multiple typed pages of notes from Dr. Nadeau. I have watched his video tour of the Cathedral five times. In the video a younger Dr. Nadeau acts like Alistair Cooke inviting people for a casual tour of a stately home. His pride in the Cathedral permeates the video.

Carl had an impact on people around him. We shared the same pharmacy. One day we were both at the pharmacy to pick up our medications. The pharmacist paged that “the prescription for Dr. Carl is ready for pick-up.” The pharmacist then saw me, the other Dr. Carl from USF and picked up the intercom a second time. Over head we could hear the pharmacist state, “excuse me, Le prescription is ready for le good Doctor Carl, bon, bon, Oui?” Carl could even turn people around him into characters!

The last time I saw Carl he was telling me about his transition from being a full-time professor to retirement and full-time care. He said it could not have happened had it not been from three colleagues from USF who went over his retirement benefits with him. They showed him how he could afford the care he needed. It must have been tedious to go over something so crucial but requiring such detail with an ailing man. I know these guys. I always thought of them as smart, funny guys who added a lot to the school. They are not even all from his department. Now when I see them walk down the halls I just smile and think how lucky we are to have so many caring people on our campus.

Carl was a man with an enormous appetite for life. Beauty, food, music, art and French and French-Canadian history were just a few of his passions. He took pride in the concerts he gave at his residential facility. Nothing made him smile more than the promise of a good meal.

My last conversation I had about Carl was at our Employee Banquet. People were talking about their visits with Carl. They were visiting even though he was not responsive. Staff, administrative workers and faculty all made their visits. This unusual French Canadian professor touched so many lives. Tonight as I was giving the readings at Mass I was aware of all the different areas of the Cathedral Carl had introduced me to. I was aware of how my tours are so full of his words. Thank you Dr. Carl Nadeau for sharing some of your passions with me. Au revoir, mes amis

Matt Damon, Contagion 2011 and Me!

2011-03-22T19:53:00.000-07:00

I did so many things while on sabbatical. I of course did outreach and worked at the Ministry Center of Emmaus Ministries. I also taught a course at the Adler School of Professional Psychology. I went to a boat load of ethnic churches. However, one of the coolest things by far was being an extra in a movie.

Cathi called me in September and told me they were having a casting/audition for a movie called “Contagion.” She wondered if I was interested in trying to get a part. Was I? I hate lines and I have no training in drama. That did not stop me. I went to Lincoln Park and stood in a line that went on and on and on. We were all given a form to fill out. It had our height and weight for costume fitting. It had a work history and a place for special skills. I had none, I did not juggle, fire dance or train animals. We were brought into a building in large batches. Then we were told about the movie, roles available and where and when the shootings would take place.

There were a number of films being made during my stay in Chicago. They had just finished up Transformers III and were getting ready for another sequel of Batman. Many of the folks I waited with had been in the films. They all had great stories to tell. It was actually a great deal of fun just waiting in line.

Hearing about the movie was exciting all by itself. The film is directed by Steven Soderbergh . It is loaded with stars including Matt Damon, Kate Winslet, Jude Law, Marion Cotillard, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Lawrence Fishburne. None of the actors were at the casting, they were in Hong Kong at another set for the movie. The movie is about a virus that kills one fifth of the world population. It takes place in Asia but the disease spreads. While much of the movie is filmed in Chicago many of the sceneces are of other parts of the country. It is a movie about the CDC, scientists, the military trying to keep order amidst chaos and it is about survival. Since I specialize in disaster mental health the idea of possibly being in this film, even for a second, was just too cool.

So I had my interview, handed in my paperwork and head shot and was told they would call me in early October. Well, October and November came and went and no phone call. I wasn’t upset because I thought it was pretty exciting and unusual just to have tried out in the first place.

I was at the Emmaus Ministries office when I got a phone call. The casting agency wanted to know if I would be interested in being an extra the first Friday of December. It was two weeks before I went home, time was running out, but what a cool way to end my sabbatical. I immediately said “yes!”

The filming took place in Evanston. I arrived at 6 AM. We gathered at a parking garage in the downtown area and then were bused to a gymnasium of Northwestern University. We were divided into groups. Many folks were National Guard extras. Some were police and sheriffs. Some were Hazmat folks. I was a townsie. A number of folks were identified as folks who were going to have been contaminated. The makeup artists painted their faces right in front of us. It was amazing how they used only a few light colors and were able to make the people look like they were really ill.

After breakfast and orientation we all walked over to a park. The scene was supposed to be a town in Minnesota. Since it was already very cold and snow was everywhere it looked the part. We were part of “The Great Food Drop.” There were military hummers, FEMA tents and crane holding a pallet of food. This was to be the helicopter food drop. There were 600 extras. We all had hats and masks or hazmat suits on, we would not be easily recognized on the big screen!

The scenario was of a town I Minnesota that had been quarantined. FEMA and the law decided they needed to get food to us. As the crane lowered the pallet two huge helicopter fans blew snow and white sand so that it looked like a helicopter drop. It was freezing and the casting company was handing out hand and foot warmers.

The first scene I was in was of the town people waiting in line to get food. I ended up right behind the camera. I thought, “great, I will never be in the movie this way.” Then I looked next to me and there was Matt Damon. For the next hour I was either next to him or a few feet away. We never interacted but it was fascinating to watch him work. It was also incredible to watch the director continually change the scene and each variation looked better than the time before.

It was interesting to see the set moved about. The big FEMA tent was carried to different locations by two men. Military vehicles and soldiers were moved and the crowd was filmed from different angles. In between the filming they brought us hot soup just to help keep us warm.

We then started the second scene. We, the town folks, are waiting at a table for our MREs when we are told they ran out of food. There is then a panic as people turn and run toward one of the army trucks hoping there is food. On three different occasions I was running alongside of Matt Damon. A woman falls down. I continue to run as Matt stops and helps her up. At that moment I know I will be on the big screen for a moment alongside Matt Damon. I imagine teaching a course on disaster mental health and showing the 20 second scene where I have my mask on and I am running next to Matt. I am so excited, then we break for lunch.

Lunch is served outside. There are long tables and we sit and eat pasta, chicken, beef, potatoes, vegetables and strawberry shortcake. It feels like a scene from Hollywood. I loved it but it was time to get back to work.

We continued filming the same scene over and over. By now tracks were laid for the camera cart, trucks were moved. More importantly for me, I was no longer part of the group that ran alongside Matt, I now walked way in the opposite direction. So, if you see s guy with no face but blue gloves walking away, that’s me!

There was a scene in which just Matt talked. At that time blue screens were put behind him. We all circled Matt and watched. I know when I watch “Contagion” I will see Matt talking in a chaotic crowd scene. I will no however that 600 of us quietly stood around watching him do his stuff!

I was impressed with Matt. He stayed outside with us the entire day. He did not have to. We all respected his space but we all liked having him around. The only way you could tell he was the star was that he drank coffee from a coffee shop and he was allowed to have his cell phone. Otherwise, he was outside struggling to keep his feet and hands warm all day just like the rest of us.

So that was it. 600 extras, military vehicles, helicopter fans, film crews, breakfast and lunch, and we all got paid. It took one day for set up, one day of filming and one day to tear the set down. All of this for one minute of film time. For me however, it was my touch with Hollywood. I kept my mask, I watch for when the trailer comes out. I smile whenever I think about the virus that attempts to wipe out humanity. And I thank Cathi for calling me in September to tell me about “Contagion.” Now that is the way to wrap up a sabbatical!

Ah, Discovering Coffee in Chicago

2011-03-21T06:04:00.001-07:00

I was never a connoisseur of coffee. In fact I was pretty judgmental of coffee snobs. I remember listening to a student from Seattle bragging about how they had great coffee in the Northwest and Fort Wayne was a coffee wasteland. I thought she was simply spouting her civic pride. I remember having an espresso in New York and hating the jolt of caffeine. However, there were hints of a future conversion.

I remember having tea in England. I was impressed with the respect the process of brewing was given. I liked how everything stopped for a “cupa.” I liked watching the workers in antique shops in London stop working to have their tea. I liked drinking tea served in real cups and saucers at the Channel beach.

I liked drinking coffee from real porcelain cups in Italy. I loved my morning cup of Americano while sitting in the piazza of Assisi. I was learning coffee did not have to be bitter, it did not have to be served in Styrofoam and it did not have to be consumed while on the go.

Practical Assisi #6: COFFEE SHOPS

I enjoyed a cup of coffee with chicory at Café Du Monde in New Orleans. However, to be honest I was there for the beignets with powdered sugar and to listen to the street musicians.

Nola Shines | Cafe du Monde

The nearest I came to appreciating coffee that was not just a cup of Joe was on vacations. I would stop at a Starbuck’s and order a low fat latte with cinnamon and a hint of nutmeg. Oh, and during the fall I would order a pumpkin latté. Hardly the makings of a follower of he bean.

During my first stay at Emmaus Ministries world famous author Nicole Foster introduced me to Dollop. Dollop was a local coffee shop a short walk from Emmaus Ministries. It was also a short walk from Boystown where we did outreach and a short walk from the lakefront. Dollop was great. It consisted of two levels going in opposite direction. The lower level kind of ‘crossed the T’ with the street level. The shop was full of small tales, couches, and coffee tables. There was local art on the walls and artsy literature all over the place. Dollop sold coffee, made tea bags and had a nice pastry selection. However, I just liked the atmosphere. People came in to red, to look at their iPad, to talk with one another and to sip coffee.

When I came back to Chicago for my sabbatical I visited Dollop a lot. It was where I went to grade school papers. It was where I went to read books on Francis. I brought Whitney to Dollops on our way to the lakefront. Emily and I went there to sit, talk and then continue on your journeys. Emily was my partner in adventure. Bethany and I tried to go to Dollop for a quiet coffee. Instead we walked into a well attended folk music concert. It seemed like a stereotype of a coffee house and it was cool.

If it had not been for Doug Van Ramshorst I would have been content with going to Dollop and never exploring all the other bean possibilities in Chicago. Doug is the outreach coordinator for Emmaus. He is also a coffee savant. I am not exaggerating. I do not have a tattoo of a cup of coffee on my arm, Doug does!

Doug knows where and how coffee beans are grown and harvested. He knows all the various ways coffee is brewed. He knows the people and the history of many of the coffee houses in the city. However, for me, most importantly, Doug does not like coffee that tastes bitter or burnt. Not only would Doug recommend places I should visit, he would tell me what coffees to try and which ones to avoid. I appreciated Doug’s delicate palate (NOT a slogan for a T-shirt!)

Doug introduced me to Intelligentsia Coffee. This place was incredible. They had the world champion baristas for the last two years. Now prior to Doug I did not know there were World Barista Championships but then, prior to Doug I did not know what a barista was. I certainly did appreciate the magic the person behind the counter was capable conjure up.

Interview with Barista World Champions at Intelligentsia Coffee

Each cup of coffee at Intelligentsia is individually brewed. This is a place to savor your coffee. People linger here, unless your Sill our Ministry Center Director, then it is coffee to go. The shop is between Lincoln Park and Boystown and walking distance to the lake or Lincoln Park Zoo. It is near theaters, shops, social service agencies, gyms and residential neighborhoods. What a great location to just sit and sip a smooth cup of Guatemalan made just for you. Thanks Doug!

INTELLIGENTSIA COFFEE BAR.

There were so many coffee shops to go to while on outreach. They were places to warm up, to observe and to just talk with folks. Some were good, convenient but limited in their usefulness to us. Caribou on Halsted was great. The location allowed us to sit and do our jobs. However, they closed early in our outreach tours. Dunkin Donuts at Clark and Belmont was always a happening place. The price was right, the coffee was always at least adequate and there were always folks to talk to. The problem was once it got late the tables and chairs were stacked up and there was no place to sit.

Luckily Doug was a resourceful guy. He introduced me to Kickstand. This was a great little shop on Belmont. The motif was or course old bikes. Sometimes it appeared you had to be an intellectual just to enter. Folks would sit around drinking coffee and reading War and Peace. The coffee was always good, the service friendly and the art interesting. The problem was it also closed by 11 PM which is not a lot of help on outreach.

However, our most useful place by far as a chain coffee shop, Starbucks at Clark and Belmont. The service was great. The location was perfect for watching outside activities. Best of all, it was open 2r4 hours a day. The place never slowed down. It was a meting spot for so many sub groups of the Night Community. This included club hoppers, locals, trannies, our guys and the CPD. It was here that I began to develop a relationship with the Chicago police. It was here that I realized how over worked and stretched thin the police were. I loved to sit at the window and watch the city at night. Bethany would meet here with members of the deaf community. Doug would meet community contacts here. Emily would drink tea and plan her next outreach journey while Whitney rested before moving on to Halsted. It held an important spot in the life of our outreach mission. Plus, I liked their coffee.

My favorite coffee house was Metropolis. It was north of Uptown and near the lake. It filled three separate rooms. Each room had shelves of comics and art books to look at. The coffee was great but it was the atmosphere I loved. You could loss yourself in this place.

Metropolis Coffee

I taught at the Adler School of Professional Psychology on Mondays. At the corner was an Argo Tea House. This was a great spot to meet up with faculty and students. It would never have been a destination shop but it was a convenient watering hold.

Across the street from Emmaus, in the Friendly Towers building was the Citizen Skate Café. This was a skate board/coffee shop. It was party of Jesus People USA (JPUSA.) The music was often loud, pounding. The walls were covered with skateboards and posters. Al Tauber described place as beautiful. If beautiful means effective, ale to reach out to a special population then it was beautiful. It reminded me of a 12 year old boys basement getaway. Still, the workers were great. The coffee was very good. And I loved hanging with JPUSA folks.

Citizen Skate Café: JPUSA

Finally, Al also told me about Café Two. Café Two is part of Inspiration Café. This is a non-for-profit organization that trains homeless folks in the food industry. The café is beautiful in a traditional, non-Al way! The food is great. However, I went there for the coffee. The service was always friendly and personal and the coffee was Intelligentsia coffee. It always felt good to know you were getting good coffee will supporting a great organization and helping in the training of folks whose lives were changing.

TrueNorth - Inspiration Cafe :60

So I learned I liked mellow, Central American coffees. I learned to appreciate service and the special skills of well-trained baristas. I learned to find places of respite in a busy city. Most importantly, I learned to appreciate the experiences of Doug, Nicole and Al. Coffee, I like it!

Visiting Congregation Or Chadash in Chicago

2011-03-20T13:09:00.000-07:00

My sabbatical in Chicago also served as a unique pilgrimage. While I was in Chicago I had been attending GLBT and welcoming churches along with ethnic churches. I started by visiting ethnic churches and then almost bumped into welcoming churches. Before long they were part of my journey. I was getting an in idea of the needs that were being filled in these churches, often because they were unmet needs in traditional churches. People wanted to be recognized, welcomed, and they wanted a place at the table. They wanted to worship and having GLBT as part of your identity did not mean that you were handing in your faith identity. I had a growing awareness that this was not an issue just for Christians, this was part of the human condition. There were posters at the Center on Halstead for GLBT welcoming Buddhist meditation groups. There were articles in the papers about the struggles of gay Muslims. Then while discovering A Jewish Drum Circle I also bumped into information on a GLBT synagogue. I decided to visit a Sabbath service.

The congregation was in a large building that served as the home of two distinct congregations located in different parts of the same building. It was a great night for Shabbat. It was a nice fall evening. I walked through the historic Bryn Muar neighborhood. Any excuse to walk on Sheridan Road by the lake at night is always a good excuse. So I arrived in a good mood. Imagine my surprise when I was greeted at the door by security officers. They checked my identification and then escorted me to Congregation Or Chadesh. What I did not know was that these two congregations had been targets of al Qaeda in Yemen just two weeks prior to my visit. It was the F.B.I. who had informed the rabbis and board members that the two congregations had been targeted for postal bombs. Suddenly the world seemed very small. Yet again a people I was visiting was the target of intolerance. Since I had been in Chicago this had been a reoccurring theme. Assyrians, Muslims, Copts, faith communities in China had all described being the target of intolerance for being different.

Luckily, once I entered the sanctuary I briefly left the outside world and entered a welcoming faith community focused on thanking a generous G-d for all He had given humanity. I don’t know what I was expecting, perhaps rainbows and dreidels but what I saw was a typical, if somewhat small synagogue! Men had their heads covered, people greeted one another. The rabbi led the service. I had walked in on a special evening. It was the “Transgender Day of Remembrance” service. Initially I did not take it seriously and then I listened to Rabbi Edwards. He recounted the stories of people around the world who had been beaten and killed for being different. Only a couple of week prior I watched film on the Nazi treatment of their GLBT citizens. It was a sobering and compassionate service.

Congregation Or Chadash profile

After the service I met the Rabbi and members of the congregation. I learned a lot that evening. I learned about their work in the GLBT community and their work in the larger Chicago Jewish community. I also learned something about the larger Jewish community. I did not know that members of the Israeli Defense Force could serve while being openly gay and out. I did not know GLBT citizens in Israel had equal rights with their straight sisters and brothers, this includes the right to marry.

Congregation Or Chadesh II

The congregants gave me plenty of reading material before I left. The rabbi and I tried to find time when I could meet him for an interview. Since I was getting ready to move back to the Fort the timing for an additional meeting was not promising. I also learned that while there was a clear need for the Congregation at the time of its founding the larger Jewish community in America has been significant change. Members acknowledged that many traditional congregations are welcoming and safe places for them to worship in. They also point out that they, the congregation, are members of a larger GLBT Jewish community, including the World Congress of Gays, Lesbians, Bisexual, Transgender Jews: Keshet Ga’avah.

This was the second synagogue I had visited while in Chicago. It was the third Jewish activity I participated in during my sabbatical. I was glad I had the opportunity to spend the Sabbath with the members of Congregation Or Chadash. I liked how they reached out to others. I like how involved the congregation was in the community. I hope to visit them again someday.

Lutheran, Welcoming, Arabic-Speaking Christians in Chicago!

2011-03-20T06:36:00.000-07:00

There seemed to be no end to my pilgrimage to ethnic churches in Chicago. I was like a kid in a candy store! I was use to being one of the few white people or only English-speaker at a service. One Sunday I went to a truly unique church, St. Elias Christian Church. The church was an Arabic speaking Lutheran church. The members were from all over the Middle East and North Africa. The shared a regional geography, a language and a Reformation.

When I think of Lutherans I tend to think of blue-eyed, blond hair folks. Not here! The service was familiar, this was a formal liturgy. The music and language was not familiar. By now I had come to expect people to greet me, to make me feel welcome and to tell me about their faith and their life journeys. This was no exception.

tarneem tarneem ترنيم ترنيم ترنيم
Arabic Christian song, not from Chicago, just a sample of the sound)

After service I was invited downstairs for traditional Middle East foods and conversation. I again heard about the struggle to love your enemy but these folks had so many of them. In the church sanctuary were markers of the great walls of the world that divided people. This included the Berlin Wall, the Great Wall of China and the wall that separated Israel from Palestine. The members of the congregation, especially the Palestinians, spoke of what it was like to be judged by so many different peoples. They felt discriminated by Jews, Arabic Muslims and by Western Christians and yet still they were called upon by their faith to love their enemies. That was a tall order.

Immanuel Lutheran Evangelical Church: “The Walls”

This was a much more diverse group than the Coptic Church. The Coptic Church may have spoken three languages but they were all Egyptians, these folks were from many different countries and cultures. I met an author who proudly showed me his books on Islam and Christian relationships. The books were in Arabic but he told me their main themes and gave me copies of them! I loved being in this unusual and welcoming place of worship.

I asked the minister for permission to take video of the church. He was reluctant to give permission because his congregation rented space from Immanuel Lutheran Evangelical Church. He recommended that I attend one of their services and then ask their minister for permission to video record the building. It sounded like an excellent plan to me!

Immanuel Lutheran Evangelical Church

So I attended a service at Immanuel Lutheran Evangelical Church. This is a church in Edgewater not far from Andersonville. The church had been a Scandinavian church. As the neighborhood changed so did the congregation. At the time I visited the church is it appeared to be a middle class congregation that was as ethnically diverse as the surrounding neighborhood. Additionally, this was a welcoming church. Andersonville has a significant GLBT population and the church recognizes this and welcomes them. In fact, its motto is, “If Grace is not for everyone it is not Grace.”

Immanuel Lutheran Evangelical Church: Back Altar

The church had a German or northern European look about it. However, it also respected diversity. This was evident in the statues of religious leaders from other denominations and religions. There were also a number of places to pray. While the altar was the focal point the back altar are provided a place to communion with God.

The church was the home of three different congregations. The Immanuel Lutheran Evangelical Church was the host congregation. St. Elias was the more unique congregation. However, there was also a Baptist congregation that utilized the space. This church building truly served as a space were Christians worked toward Christian Unity.

Immanuel Lutheran Evangelical Church: Chapel

The church also had a side chapel. The chapel was magnificent. It served as a place for more intimate worship. It was also a respite site for the individual Christian. The space demanded quite, focus and humility.

Outside of the sanctuary was a hallway. Beyond the hall was an auditorium/social room. The basement also served as a social room. This church was a hub of Chrisman activity in the middle of a residential neighborhood. I was so glad I attended two of the three congregational services at this church.

A Day at Loyola University

2011-03-13T09:47:00.000-07:00

Clearly a great deal of time has passed since I have returned from my sabbatical in Chicago. Still, due to a number of projects I have not yet completed my blogging about my experience. Hopefully I will complete this happy task before my next adventure! Today I would like to reminisce about trekking across the campus of Loyola University on a cool Saturday. I had only planned on video recording the Chapel, however to my delight I arrived for a campus visit day. I went in every building that was open!

My first apartment as an adult was only blocks away from Loyola University. Still, I had never wandering onto the campus. I watched Bob Newhart every weekend and he as a huge Loyola fan. I think part of the problem is that from Sheridan Road or Devon Avenue the school looks dull. Now to be sure the landscape has changed dramatically since I lived there. Still, you have to enter the campus, go beyond the main streets to find this enclave that is a gem next to Lake Michigan!

Loyola University: Quad

The Quad at this time whispers of the beauty of the past and of what is to come. At this time however, the Quad is a busy place full of new construction. I will have to visit the campus in another two years to see the new vistas.
As I said, I originally arrived on campus to video the chapel. This is where I along with member of the Kaio community attended Taize services. I loved the simple structure with the rich gold Stations of the Cross and the powerful icons. I liked the straight lines, the art deco and Spanish influence and I loved how it all opened up to the lake.

Madonna del Strada Chapel Loyola University

The chapel dominated the south east corner of the Quad. “Chapel” sounds like a simple, modest place of worship, that is deceiving! The chapel was used by students and faculty but also by neighborhood Catholics and in fact people throughout the city. I would love to attend Midnight Mass at the Madonna del Strada Chapel.

Madonna del Strada Chapel Loyola University : altar

The chapel is a very “clean” space with minimal distractions. The lines all directed the congregants eyes forward to the windows and the altar. The altar is likewise simple in design. This made for a particularly beautiful focal point for the Taize services.

Madonna del Strada Chapel Loyola University Shrine

The Shrines were stunning and they were used. This was a very Catholic place and yet it was a campus that was inclusive and welcoming. I visited the offices for Jewish, Hindu and Muslim students. This was a place that celebrated diversity.

Outside the Madonna del Strada Chapel: Lake Michigan

The first time I walked through the large heavy doors I was stunned. You open the doors and before you is Lake Michigan. It is a lake with a personality. Some days the sky and the lake are a beautiful blue, sometimes the lake is still, and sometimes it is violent. On this day the lake reflected the cool autumn day and spoke of the promise of a winter that was on its way. On my last visit to the campus the lake was frozen with sheets of ice crashing into one another and slowly bobbing up and down. The entrance and the small plaza offers an incredible view of my city from a unique perspective.

Loyola University flowers and residential building

I walked around the campus. While it was cool the remains of summer were still evident. There were stubborn flowers that refused to fade or blow away. There were skaters and joggers who ignored the dropping temperature. All around there were beautiful buildings full of interesting labs, maps, books and views.

Mundelein Center Loyola University

The Mundelein Center was one of those entrances from Devon Avenue that gave no hint to what awaited the explorer on the other side of the building. While the statue columns were impressive no one would confuse the entrance or the street for anything special and yet walk through the doors and you leave an unremarkable cityscape and enter a world of knowledge and a n exciting campus life. Now those are magic doors!

St. Ignatius at Library: Loyola University

Next to the chapel is the library. Now, to be honest the library consists of multiple buildings are that connected. They are of different architectural styles but they work together. One view is of the Quad and the opposite, the lake. If you get tired from reading in a tranquil setting just walk down the hall to the coffee shop. This is a wonderful library and when I was there is was active. Students were everywhere studying.

I spent time at DePaul University which is great and in a great part of the city. I spent time at Northwestern University which just goes on and one forever. However, Loyola, with its hidden enclave was unique. It was a great way to spend a Saturday.

In Search of the Gypsy Church in Chicago: Part II

2011-01-22T07:08:00.000-08:00

I arrived in Chicago with an elaborate list of churches, communities and neighborhoods I wanted to visit. I only had four months and I had to accomplish most of this during my free time. At the top of my list was attending a Gypsy church service. I had watched numerous video clips of Gypsy churches in Chicago. The congregations were big, the music was loud and the energy was fantastic.

The Chicago Gypsy Church 8-8-10

When I finally had the time to go to one of the Gypsy churches I was excited. Imagine my disappointment when I arrived at the address and there was no church. I couldn’t believe it. I went home frustrated. Luckily that evening was salvaged for me when Nik, one of the Kaio members, asked me if I was interested in seeing some fire dancers at the lakefront. There were no gypsies that night but it was still a great evening.

GYPSY CHICAGO CHURCH REVIVAL 2010

Over the course of the remaining two and one half months I called churches only to find out the numbers were no longer active. I watched video of churches downtown hoping to glimpse an address. I read blogs and comments on video clips. I contacted a church in Los Angeles hoping for a lead, all to no avail. I talked to clergy hoping they could help me and they tried. They told me about Eastern European churches, about drum circles and about individual Roma that they knew but none of this resulted in finding a gypsy church. I was having no luck and yet I could not give up. I was a man on a mission.

Every time I attended an ethnic church I was also aware of what church I was not attending. That did not mean of course that I didn’t’ love the churches I did attend. They were great. I attended an Ethiopian Pentecostal church. The members prayed for 20-45 minutes on their knees with their faces in the chairs, this was before the service even began. I attended a Coptic Church and found myself thinking about the early church and about the holy family. I attended an Assyrian church and felt connected to a persecuted people whose culture is threatened and I attended an Arabic-speaking Lutheran church where the members came from North Africa, the Middle East and the Gulf States. I attended Mass in Chinatown. I was at a Polish wedding and a Ukrainian wedding. I was at shrines, outdoor services and large and small Taize services. There was no shortage of new and wonderful experiences for me. But still, no gypsies’.

I was about to concede defeat and acknowledge that while I was having an incredible experience in Chicago I was not going to attend a Roma service. I was reading the comments on one last video clip and found a phone number I had not called. Without any hope of success I called the number. Imagine my surprise when Rev. Skip Christo answered the phone! His first question was to ask how I had found him. I didn’t even know how to answer that question. We talked and he invited me to his church. As soon as I hung up I texted the Kaio members who had witnessed and supported me in my search. My text message was brief, “I found Gypsies!”

Even getting to the church was not easy. Bethany from Kaio dropped me off where I thought the church would be. After walking and walking I called Bethany and she began a MapQuest search for me. While I talked to Bethany on the phone I continued to walk. I looked up and there was the church! The church was in Andersonville, a neighborhood I had walked to numerous times.

The night was bitterly cold. I was told the service would begin at 7:30; it was already 8 PM when I arrived. It would end up being 9 PM before the service would actually begin! Only few people were in the church. Rev. Skip was out picking up members and jumping batteries. This was a small but caring community.

As soon as I arrived, Joseph, the minister’s son and the drummer greeted me. He was a friendly young man. I then met Millie, the minister’s wife. She was clearly a person in charge and the person to go to when it appeared things were falling apart. She apologized that her husband was not here. All I kept thinking was how this truly felt like a caring, supportive faith community. Then I met Anna. Anna was Millie and Rev. Skip’s daughter and she played the keyboards.

While I waited for others to show up the brother and sister rehearsed. They were good. They also bickered like brother and sister; it was like being invited to someone’s home. I liked it. Finally congregants arrived. There only a few this evening, a little over 20. You won’t see them I the video because they sat behind me and because I was reluctant to film them in prayer.

Rev. Skip was a big, welcoming man. He told me about Gypsy history and culture. He talked about the Roma culture of Chicago and about the other churches. This was not the big church I had wanted to attend. It was the right church that I was meant to attend!

When the service began Anna eased us into worship. Her voice was powerful, her leadership qualities evident. Across the sanctuary her brother was on percussion. They were a powerful duo.

Gypsy Church: Anna, “I’m Calling”

If Anna was the intense one who wanted to make sure everything was just right then Joseph was the counter-measure. He was easy going, he went with the flow and together they lead us in worship. Anna sung in Roma and in English, Joseph closed his eyes and played and smiled.

Gypsy Church: Joseph on Percussion

Finally Rev. Skip spoke. I only have a small clip of his sermon, I wanted to attend and be part of the service and not just a person behind a camera. Rev. Skip spoke of the challenges of being a Gypsy in Chicago. He told of being pulled over by the CPD, for driving while being Gypsy. He spoke of a culture that was stressed and how only Jesus could heal their brokenness. The congregants raised their hands, prayed, witnessed and were a supportive Christian family.

This was not the big, slick Gypsy church I was looking for. However, I had been to so many cathedrals, so many historic churches with elaborate musical programs. I loved this church,

"The Master’s Touch” church is a member of the United Pentecostal Church. They are far more dramatic and demonstrative then I am comfortable with and yet I cannot wait to attend again. I found my Gypsy Church right in the heart of Andersonville.

Gypsy Church: Rev. Skip Christo Preparing to Preach

I was grateful for the heart felt welcome by Millie, Joseph, Anna and the Rev. Skip. I was impressed by how this small congregation of adults, children, laborers and immigrants cared for one another. It really was as if I had saved the best for last!

Gypsy Church: Rev. Skip Christo

In Search of the Gypsy Church in Chicago: Part I

2011-01-22T04:12:00.000-08:00

I have been interested in Gypsies or Roma for as long as I can remember. Everything about them seemed to tell me that however you live, everything could be different. I find myself interested in lots of different cultures; the further removed from Western culture the better. I went to Coptic, Ethiopian, West African, Assyrian, Chinese and Arabic speaking churches. I spent time in Chinatown, Pilsen, and Devon Avenue. I went to Powwows, Mosques, Islamic bookstores and every kind of ethnic restaurant I could find. Still, I had to find the Roma!

I loved their music/s, dance, dress and use of color. Even the stereotypes are etched in my mind. I remember as a kid watching Mighty Mouse on WGN. My favorite episode was “The Gypsy Life.” Was this episode a blatant characterization of a people? Of course but it still demanded my attention. I remember growing up loving paprika, scarves, tambourines and violins. Perhaps it was just the antidote for a stoic Norwegian-American life!

Treasures of the ASIFA-Hollywood Animation Archive 07

I remember my surprise when I found out that some of my favorite dance forms were all connected by the thread of Roma culture. What a tapestry! The fact that folk dance in India, belly dancing in the Middle East, flamenco in Spain and Cossack dance in Russia all shared a common ancestry fascinated me. It is impossible to watch any of these dance forms and to not begin to tap your foot, keep beat with your shoulder, or begin to move your hips. There is nothing cerebral about this art form it is just life flowing to music.

Gypsy Dancing Evolution

Roma music is one form of World Music. Listen to Loyko a Russian trio, the music is haunting. It calls up images of centuries of struggle and of persistence in the face of challenging circumstances. The music enters your ears and then flows into your blood.

Loyko - Loyko (live in Vitebsk)

I grew up in Chicago. I have visited New Orleans, St. Louis and Memphis Tennessee. These are centers of jazz. I have a growing appreciation of jazz, partially due to a colleague, Lon Bhonke, who is a jazz music evangelical! Well Gypsy music is not stuck in medieval Europe or only influenced by the music of the Volga or of Islam. Gypsy music is alive, current and influencing contemporary music forms, including jazz.

Minor Swing (Django Reinhardt) - Gypsy jazz manouche guitar - Latchés

I love Klezmer music, and not just because I like Woody Allen! Well Roma music and Klezmer have mutually influenced one another. Watch a Chasidic bottle dance to Klezmer and you could almost picture gypsies in the corner keeping time to the music.

Open show Big Klezmer band Chasidic dance. Very quick unique

However, if my interest in Gypsies was only about music and dance that would be pretty one dimensional. I am fascinated by peoples who are considered outsiders and have to find a niche for themselves. Roma are not alone in this. East Indians in Africa, the Chinese in Southeast Asia, and Jews in Europe have all had similar struggles. Each of these groups have been influenced by their adopted countries but have also left their mark on their new homes. This is also true for the Gypsy. They have also all suffered persecution.

According to the United Nations, the Roma are the single most persecuted peoples in Europe today. In Rumania, the Balkans and Hungary reports of human rights violations persist. Surveys consistently reflect anti-Roma perspectives. Gypsy tent cities have been demolished in Rome and gypsies have been expelled from Ireland and France. It is difficult to stop being an outsider when the dominate culture persecutes you, it is difficult to be accepted by the dominate culture if you are not willing to give up our identity as an outsider.

These are a people who left northern India. Who migrated through Afghanistan, Persia and who split into various groups. Some went north into Ukraine and Russia, other the Middle East and North Africa and Spain and other still central Europe. There are 14 million Roma in the world today, most are in Central Europe. However, the migration to the United States starting in the mid 1880s was not insignificant.
Imagine my excitement when prior to my sabbatical I discovered there were Gypsy Churches in Chicago. I watched the videos of the church services, I listened to the music and read whatever I could get my hands on. I could not wait to attend a Gypsy service. I would soon discover that it was not that easy. I would discover that actually finding church was a challenge. I would ultimately discover that it was worth the challenge, I was not disappointed.

The Shiviti Jewish Drum Circle

2011-01-09T18:04:00.000-08:00

While I was in Chicago I was always open to new experiences. I attended concerts, trainings, and cultural events. I felt like a kid in a candy store. It was amazing. One day I came across an invitation to a Jewish Drum Circle. This was too much. It was religious, cultural, musical and it was affordable. I immediately called to get information.

I began to find out about the Shiviti Jewish Drum Circle. There are drum circles all over Chicago. When I went to see the Fire Dancers a drum circle was a huge part of the experience. Chicago has all different kinds of drum circles.There are ethnic drum circles, drum circles predominately for musicians, drum circles for youth and drum circles for the elderly. When I went to see the fire dancers at the lakefront it was the drummers that night that kept the group dancing long after the fire dancers left. I loved watching those drummers and I was excited to find out what made this drum circle Jewish.

Drummers at the Fire Dance II

The drum circle was based on teachings of Kabbalah. These teachings served as the guide or blueprint for each meeting. It was a multimodal approach. There was the drumming, there was chanting and there were icons.

Three principles guided the meetings. “Nefesh” refers to the spirit or soul. One becomes in touch with this through gazing at the Shivitis or icon. The next concept is “Olam” which refers to space. We become aware of Olam by being part of the circle. Being part of the circle means not just being individuals who make up the circle but letting go of self and becoming the circle, the ‘us.” Finally there is”Shanah” which refers to time. When we are in the drumming circle we keep time. When we enter the drum circle it is for a set period of time. However, we also give ourselves up to the time of the drum. How long a song or chant will be will depends on the time, the spirit of the song. We become part of time and not-time; we are ‘in the zone.”

The drum circle become a time of letting go of dualities. As we drum we are “I” and “us.” We are “on the clock” and we are timeless. We come in contact with the Infinite G-d and are part of the G-d within us. This is not just beating some drums!

The group met at Mitzuit Jewish Community Center. The particular day I met with them we were at the North Lakeside Cultural Center at Sheridan Road and Granville. It looks out at Lake Michigan. The building is a large, empty residential home. Every variety of drum is available to the members. We meet and greeted one another. The icons and chants were explained. We were told the group fluctuates in size from a small group of perhaps 4 members to a much larger group of over 70 participants. The day I was there there were seven us of us. Sometimes it sounds like all of the drummers are musicians and other times it sounds like happy noise. This was not a concert and our performance was not important. What was important was that we recognized that we were participating in a group prayer.

Participants could be of any denomination of Judaism. They could be secular Jews. They could be first-timers or gifted musicians. They could be members of other faiths or no faith. This was a welcoming drum circle

So we began the chant and to drum. I tried a variety of drums. I did not expect to fully participant, I went wanting to be an observer. What I found was that the icons pulled me to them. The chanting grounded me and once I closed my eyes I could drum. It was a wonderful experience. I felt connected to this diverse group of strangers. I did lose track of time and self. I hope to one day return. I like drum circles, I love the Shivti Jewish Drum Circle.

Shiviti Jewish Drum Circle

JPUSA, Skateboards, Coffee and Rich

2011-01-08T08:22:00.000-08:00

I loved living across the streets from the Friendly Towers, home of Jesus People USA (JPUSA.) The place was exotic. It was also a slice of Chicago history. The towers had originally been Al Capone’s Chelsea Hotel. On our side of Wilson Avenue had been Capone’s brothel. The man was a businessman! Just as the building Emmaus Ministries was in had once been a coke house, it was uplifting to see Capone’s old hotel was now an intentional faith community.

When one says “intentional faith community” the mind goes in many directions. Visions of convents, monasteries, simple structures and walled-off large estates come to mind. The Friendly Towers does not fit any of those stereotypes. It is a two towered hotel with blue awnings. “Friendly Towers” is printed on the awnings. It is impossible to miss them. There is a walled courtyard. Behind the walls is a flower garden and a playground. The entrance hall to the lobby has been restored and is a beautiful introduction to the building. Once inside it is clear there is so much work to be done.

However, this is a community rich in talent so evidence of remodeling is everywhere. The one area that has been completed is the chapel/auditorium. That is where it is clear you are among artists. The stain glass windows are beautiful. Look closer and you discover they are not stained glass. They are windows decorated with color tapes.

Jesus People USA Chapel

On the same floor are the refurbished offices. They are very nice. There is also a massive kitchen and dining room. Both are necessary, this is a community of 500 members. The floors above are the apartments of families. Many have lived their entire adult life as members of JPUSA. Some have college age children. Others are new.

This is an artsy-type community. What everyone has in common is their faith in Jesus Christ. However, whatever your stereotype may be of what a Christian looks like, chances are JPUSA folks are not it! Walking down the halls you will see a woman with green hair on top of her head and no hair on the sides. Many members are walking tapestries of ink and/or body piercing. The dress various from resale shop bargains to gypsy-type clothing, Goth, skateboarders to just unique and noticeable threads. Even the bicycles are unique here. They are often taller than the riders. The bikes may sport one huge wheel and one tiny wheel. The bodies of the bikes may be curved and resembling a pretzel or race track. The bikes look like something from the Dr. Sues book. One of my favorite members to bump into was an adult woman. She had white vampire-like makeup and dark hair. She wore dresses that revealed her back. Her back had to full-size tats of angel wings. She was unforgettable. She was also friendly and intelligent. I would have liked to have gotten to know her. There were also plenty of members without primary color hair, ink or piercings.

When I say the place was artsy I am not referring to the appearance of the members but rather their talents and interests. Across the street are the art studios. Many of the members are serious painters, sculptors and graphic artists. Others are musicians and there are a number of JPUSA bands that tour the world. The music varies from Celtic to Christian rock, jazz, or alternative. There are many businesses for members who are not artsy. All of the money the members make is pooled. This is a collectivistic culture not an individualistic culture.

People who are creative appreciate the creativity of others. That is why the chapel is also an auditorium. While I was at Emmaus Ministries the Kaio Community attended a concert at JPUSA. The musicians were from Kirgizstan. The musicians were in traditional dress. The instruments were Central Asian and it was a wonderful evening.

Kyrgyzstani Very Fancy Playing

On another evening Kaio again attended a very different concert at the Friendly Towers. The organization “Restoring Eden” was presenting “Go Tell It on the Mountain’ which was a concert/lecture on mountain top removal in Appalachia. The music and multi-media presentation was very powerful.

Go Tell It On the Mountain II

However, for all of the entertainment at the Towers what was clear was the Friendly Towers was first and foremost a faith community. One of our Kaio members, Whitney, attended church there weekly. She found it to be a warm and welcoming community. You knew they were Christians by their love and their works. JPUSA managed multiple emergency shelters for the homeless. They had programs for the elderly and for adults with special needs. They had a yearly music festival which was also a huge worship service. Perhaps a ministry I found most unique, they ministered to skateboarders.

You would often hear the skaters before you saw them. In front of JPUSA was a constant flow of young folks in distinctive garb showing off their skills. Just a few blocks away at the lake was a large skateboard park. So JPUSA created a skateboard coffee shop, ‘Citizen Skate Café.”

Citizen Skate/JPUSA Coffee House

Now I loved their coffee. However, frankly, I am more the pastel paint or wall paper, art on the walls, over-stuffed chairs, table in the corner, world-music playing softly type coffee house guy. This was not that kind of café! The music was loud, the “motif” was young boy’s basement and it was a big success, it met a need. Skaters were in all the time. They were not just having coffee and talking with their friends, they were interacting with the staff. They may not have known it but they were being witnessed to, in the form of authentic lives being lived, by Fools for God, Christians living a Gospel Life. I kept thinking there was so much here that Francis would have loved! While I never felt as if I were a part of JPUSA I always felt I was among family. These were my brothers and sisters.

One of the guys I got to know at Citizen Skate was Rich. He had long hair, ink on his face and large ear gauges. He was funny, inviting and grounded.

Rich: JPUSA

Rich was a manager at JPUSA. He had a grasp of the movement’s history and identity. He appeared to be a natural leader. He also was accepting. I never felt any pressure to join his denomination. In fact, while they were clear who they were they also seemed to truly enjoy the gifts of diversity. This seemed especially true with Rich.

Rich: JPUSA II

I know that I am not “done” with Emmaus Ministries. I will find reasons to go back and when I do I will stop at Citizen Skate Café for some Columbian coffee and to hang with Rich.

Rich, JPUSA and a Blessing

Kodi and Christa and Laura Oh My

2011-01-03T07:12:00.000-08:00

I made a number of friends while in Chicago. For sure the Kaio community was an anchor for me, they were simply fantastic. The M.C. Staff, the office staff and outreach were great. I made new colleagues at Adler and I came into contact with fascinating people all over the city. However, I had one very special friend, Kodi.

Kodi Talking

Kodi was Christa’s old dog and he was old. He was also loving, smelly, smart, smelly, and had personality to spare. I would visit Kodi every chance I had. He came to work with his companion, Christa and usually sat beside her as she worked. He also roamed the offices and attended staff meetings.

Kodi at a Staff meeting

Now for sure visiting Kodi was an excuse to spend time with Christa and her fellow office worker Laura. Christa Clumper is the Operations Manager and she has a fun name to say. Go ahead, try it! Laura Eppler is the Database Coordinator. These were two bright, well-traveled, attractive and interesting women. They also made my life in Chicago far more interesting. Christa invited Kaio to her house for dinner. It was a great Middle Eastern meal while listening to world music. I also attended an Anglican home vespers service with Christa. Laura invited Kaio over to her house. Again, there was great food and drinks and world music. Laura and Joel also took me to a Taize service in Oak Park and to the Santa Lucia Day Parade in Andersonville.

Now to be honest I would not have needed Kodi around to spend time with these two ladies. However, I am an animal lover and dogs are at the top of that list. Kodi and I became friends during my field study at Emmaus two years ago. Kodi and I had a mutual admiration for one another. We were both always happy to see one another.

Yep, that is clearly the coolest office in Emmaus Ministries!

A Time of Violence and a Prayer for Peace

2011-01-02T08:12:00.000-08:00

The past year has been a violent one for the Chicago neighborhood of Uptown. To be sure there are more violent areas of the city. I am not sure that is a comfort to the victims of Uptown. While I was in Uptown there were 12 shootings and 3 deaths. The total for the year was 31 shootings and 4 deaths. This is for one neighborhood. There was an attempted rape, mid-day at a beach only a few blocks from us.

120 drug dealers were arrested over a four day period. Gang violence dramatically increased. I personally witnessed a man assaulting a young teenage girl, luckily the police arrived as the violence was occurring. I had just walked out of a building when I heard other young girls screaming that the man was strangling their peer. He was calm and angry and acted as if we did not even exist. I witnessed a man hit a woman and take her child. He left before I could get down the stairs but I did call the police. I have no idea how that situation was resolved. For two days I walked past the blood stained sidewalk of a multiple shooting that occurred around the corner from our house.

During an evening at outreach there was an attempted bombing of a concert at Wrigley Field. Thanks to the assistance of the Arab community and the diligence of the FBI the plot was foiled. I attended a Synagogue that had been a bomb target by Al Queda in Yemen. Our local L stop had the bomb squad called out twice while I was in Uptown.

The violence has been aimed at gang members but everyone knew they could be victims. In September a man opened up with a gun at our Jewel parking lot, customers hit the ground to avoid being shot. On Halloween at Wilson and Malden man was shot inside his home from an outside shooter, two blocks away at Kenmore a shooter shot 3 teenagers, an hour later a man was killed at Sunnydale. Much of the violence was within a one to four block radius from our house. It was not unusual to hear gun fire. In fact, beyond the statistics mentioned there were an additional 32 reports of people hearing gun fire but no one being shot.

So I was not surprised when the pastor of Rogers Park Community Church and members of his congregation were seen on Wilson Avenue. They had arrived to pray with members of the Uptown Baptist Church for peace in Uptown. Because they do believe in the transformative power of grace they also prayed for the gang members. I was happy to see them and spend some time with them. The day was cold and windy but the group was uplifting and stood in solidarity with the citizens of Uptown.

Jesus Loves Gang Members

I have a 30 year history with Uptown. It has always been a rough neighborhood but it has never been like this. The hope is that this is a temporary period of increased violence. That what we are witnessing is increased gang violence at a time when police are overwhelmed and in fact called to protect other parts of the city. It is a time when the south part of Uptown has experienced dramatic gentrification and the poor find themselves moving north. It is a time of tension, hopefully this violence it will be the exception as citizens come together to make the streets safer.

Nik Burkhart: Buy Art Not People

2010-12-12T13:11:00.000-08:00

Nik Burkhart is one of two artists living in the Kaio community. This is his second year at Kaio. Nik takes his art very seriously. His abstract paintings may be found throughout our apartment and the Ministry Center. I am beginning to have an appreciation for abstract art that I simply did not have prior to my sabbatical.

Nik is not simply interested in his own art. He regularly attends the opening of art shows, he visits galleries and he reads about current events in the art world. Nik is increasingly involved in the larger Chicago art world. He is also passionate about helping people who are being sexually exploited. So it should not come as a surprise that he was one of the central organizers for a local Chicago happening known as “Buy Art Not People.”

Buy Art Not People set up

Nik and former Kaio member Josh McFarland were two of six organizers of an event focused on increasing public awareness about human trafficking. Along with 20 other artists their goal was to have an art show that highlighted the need for action related to human trafficking, They also wanted to make money that would be used to not only increase public awareness of the issue but also to help those who needed help. Well, Nik did a great job.

Nik worked on this project for a long period of time. It required working with sponsors, folks to lend out the space, coordinating artists, and film recorders. It required a focus on increasing public awareness of the event. The event required procuring food, a band and a movie about human trafficking. This was not the art world’s equivalent of a lemonade stand, this was an impressive event to help people who were hurting. I have to be honest, I had doubts about how well BANP would turn out. I am so glad I was so wrong!

Interviewing Nik Burkhart for BANP

I was not able to attend the event. I did however visit the site and interview Nik the night before the show. The space was huge, the art impressive. However, I thought there was too much space and too many chairs. I though it would dwarf the small turnout. In fact over 150 people showed up. They had to get more chairs. Each event was popluar. The auction made money. Nik is not just a dedicated artist. He is man who can turn ideas into action, who can see a need and find a solution. I am proud to have lived with Nik in Kaio for the last four months. I look forward to seeing where his journey takes him.

Buy Art Not People from thePROP on Vimeo.

Buy Art Not People by Marianne Bach on Viemo

Chicago in the Snow

2010-12-12T12:38:00.000-08:00

Well, the first big winter storm has hit and it is not officially winter yet. It rained ye3sterday, froze last night and it began to snow. Today the snow continues to fall and the wind is picking up. However, it is not the first snowfall of the season. That occurred last week and it was beautiful.

First Snowfall in Chicago

So I took my trusty video cam and walked over to Montrose Harbor. There was activity everywhere I looked. Families were sliding down the hill at Wilson Avenue. The Fire Department’s SCUBA team was performing drills in the harbor. There had just been a foot race and park officials were putting up tape to mark the trails for a bike race the following day. All of this was happening as the heavy, wet rain continued to fall.

Snow, Montrose Park and Football

One of the activities was a Chicago land-wide touch football championship. The snow began to fall more as the players continued to struggle to become this years champions. They told me that it seems to snow every year for the championship tournament.

Snow and Still More Football

I walked to the lake and could not see where the horizon ended and the lake began. The sky was heavy with grayness and new snow. When I finally found the waves rolling to the shore I noticed over 25 dogs playing on the snow-covered beaches. They all looked happy.

Snow Near Lake Shore Drive

As I walked home the snow became heavier and wetter. It was great packing and children were making snowmen and snowballs. It was a winter wonderland. So, I am enjoying today’s winter storm but it certainly is not the first!

A Slice of Mexico in Chicago

2010-12-09T21:53:00.000-08:00

Pilsen Chicago

I had plans to go to St. Xavier University and support Saint Francis in the NAIA football play-offs. I was so excited I awoke at 5 AM. So I figured I might as well see some more of Chicago before the game. I first drove to Pilsen. I lived in Chicago 36 years and had never been there. It is great. It is a Hispanic, gentrified, hipster neighborhood. It has plenty of churches, huge churches, to visit. It has murals all over the place. It is an area of wonderful urban landscapes. The “el” cuts across the horizon. To the east is Sears Tower (I know Willis Tower) and everywhere there are colorful restaurants.

Pilsen Murals

When I say there were murals all over the neighborhood I am not exaggerating. These are large, proud pieces of community art. They celebrate family, tradition and identity. They come out of a tradition of mural painting in Mexico. In fact, they influenced the public work projects of FDR during the Great Depression. When you go into a bank and view the murals from the 30’s know that they were influenced by the public murals south of the border.

Hector Duarte Paints As You Watch

The churches were all closed and it was too early for lunch. However, the National Museum of Mexican Art was open. The museum is in the hart of the neighborhood. It is a large, open museum. It is free! I found myself getting lost in t he history exhibits. They did an excellent job of tying together the history of Mexico with the history of Chicago. I appreciated their collection of rt objects, over 6,000 though I am sure I only saw a fraction of them. There was ancient, pre-Columbian art, Spanish art, Mexican modern art, murals and crafts.

By far my favorite was the exhibit on the Day of the Dead. It made the holiday stand out. It placed it in context, of the family and community. I found myself deeply touched by the exhibit on Haiti and the Day of the Dead.

Out of the Loop-Little Village

After the visit to the museum it was time to visit one more neighborhood before the big game. I was going south and west to Little Village. It was a somber ride because past Blue Island you drive right past Cook County Jail. This is a large, run down fortress with secutiry towers and high walls. It just looks like a world of sadness and pain. However, the drive gets better as you proceed west. You know you have entered Little Villge when you driveunder a large banner welcoming you.

Chicago Mexican Independence Day Parade 2007

There is no doubt you are in a Mexican neighborhood. This is not the arty, gentrified neighborhood of Pilsen. Still, it is a colorful neighborhood full of wonderful smells and great music. Like Pilsen it is an area of large public murals. However, this does not feel like a destination neighborhood tht one visits to see historic churches or participate in art gallery openings. This is a well-lived in neighborhood. I am familiar with the Hispanic neighborhoods on the north side of the city. However, this neighborhood felt like a slice of Mexico. I would like to visit it again someday.

And what about the game? Well, I ended up having to miss the game. That was OK. I would have liked to support our guys but I was OK not seeing us lose. I am in Chicago so I might as well say it, “there is always next year!”

Faithing in Chicago: Taize Services

2010-12-08T21:13:00.000-08:00

Taizé - Nada te turbe

Our community has participated in a variety of forms of prayer. We have attended retreats where we were taught contemplative prayer. We have a monthly Day of Prayer in which we close down the office and ministry center and pray together. We are ecumenical and therefore bring to our working culture a rich tradition of individual and corporate prayer. We attended the World AIDS Day service which was a structured liturgy with speech choir. I have attended Pentecostal churches in which prayer is a full body experience. At the Chicago Islamic Center I observed men pray individually while among many and also pray as one corporate body. However, by far my favorite new form of prayer is attending Taize Worship services.

Madonna del Strada Chapel Loyola University

I have been attending Taize services at Loyola University. These are abbreviated services. They last a half hour. Still, the setting is wonderful, a white art deco church with gold Stations of the Cross. The sanctuary pulls your eyes forward toward the altar. However, should you walk out the back door you finding yourself looking down at Lake Michigan. It is a wonderful setting for prayer and contemplation.

I love the simple chants of Taize, the repetition, and the use of sound and light. I love that it is an ecumenical service. At Loyola I find that while the setting with its stain glass windows, Stations of the Cross and candles are breath-taking, I have a difficult time keeping my eyes open. I am not sleepy at all, it is just, as soon as the music begins to play I close my eyes and focus on the chants and the feeling of unity. I must appear as conditioned as a Pavlovian dog!

After attending four services at Loyola Bethany and I went with Laura from Emmaus and her friend Joel to Oak Park to attend a much larger Taize Service. The service was at the Ascension Catholic Church. The church was full. It was incredible to realize that there were so many different Christian traditions represented in the room. When the alleluias were song for the Gospel reading and the candles were all lit the room glowed. So many people, so many voices and so many points of light. I loved when everyone proceeded to the front of the church and placed their candles in the clay pots. I appreciate experiencing something in a concrete manner and this night the Body of Christ was visibly present.

Taize at Ascension Catholic Church in Oak Park Illinois

This has been a sabbatical focused on working with homeless men who participate in prostitution. I have learned a great deal of risk factors, typologies, medical considerations and exploitation. I have become familiar with a large body of literature on various forms of prostitution.

However, this has also been a time of personal growth, of pilgrimage and contemplation. I have loved being exposed to a variety of prayer forms, even if I would not choose to use them. The experience that integrates all of my experiences and that nourishes me is Taize worship. I view human behavior holistically and I am learning that being grounded spiritually has a strong impact on my ability to serve others. Now the challenge will be to find Taize services in my little part of the world.

Faithing in Chicago: a Visit to a Croatian-Franciscan Church

2010-12-08T19:20:00.000-08:00

Blessed Alojzije Stepinac Croatian Church Chicago Outside II

When Cathi and I were undergrads at Northeastern Illinois University Cathi took a photography class. This required that she take outdoor photos. I still remember a heavy snow covered cemetery and church, the old St. Henry’s next to Guardian Angel Orphanage. The church looked spectacular with its tall steeple and guardian gargoyles. I hoped to one day see the inside of the church. I never guessed that would happen 30 years later. Nor would I have guessed it would be a Croatian, Franciscan Church. Last week I attended Mass at Blessed Alojzije Stepinac Croatian Church, same church building, different congregation.

I had also been interested in Croats for a long time. I use to drive by the Croatian cultural Center and wonder what it would be like to ago inside. Our superintendent of our building in Chicago was a Croat. He along with some other men took over the German Consultant General’s office and it required the active negotiations of Mayor Bilandic, ano0ther Croatian to end the crisis.

So I attended Mass. This was the beginning of the English Mass, a new initiative of the church. I was glad to be at the English-speaking service. I understood I was missing out on some great music and probably a much larger group of attendees. Still, I had been to so many services in other languages that I opted out for simple. I am glad I did.

I had time to look at the beauty of the church.I had time to appreciate the Franciscan stain glass windows. Afterward I met with the priest. He had noticed my Tau and identified me as a fellow Franciscan before I ever introduced myself to him. He told me the church had been built by Germans but was always meant to be Franciscan, again, the evidence was the windows. The congregation than became part of Guardian Angle Orphanage. In the middle of the last century it then became a Croatian church and in the last transformation, a Franciscan Croatian church. The priest said this was the center for Croatian Franciscans and that there were 30 friars.

There are a number of Croatian Catholic churches in Chicago. At one time Chicago was referred to as “the second capital of Croatia.” I have been to many ethnic churches since the beginning of my sabbatical. However, this is the first church had direct ties to. I was glad to finally step inside this beautiful building. I was grateful for the warm welcome. If I had time I was visit Blessed Alojzije Stepinac Croatian Church again.