Finishing up in England

June 9, 2010

Peace and Good,

Well, just a couple more days in England, and then it is back to the States. I will only be there for a week, though, because then I fly out to Ghana, West Africa, to give a retreat to a group of seminarians.

These weeks in England have been great for writings projects. I finished 24 articles for the Messenger of St. Anthony in Padua, Italy. I have been writing for that magazine since 1982, an article a month. This puts me two years in advance.

I have also finished a children's book on St. Joseph. This coming year is the 100th anniversary of Catholic Book Publishing Company, and St. Joseph is their patron saint. This book will be the 100th book in the children's series that Fr. Lovasik started and I have carried through.

My courses are almost completed. I have one more class this afternoon, and then I have to correct a couple of papers before I leave.

I have finished a couple of books. The first is Infidels: A history of the Conflict between Christians and Islam. I'm trying to read more about Islam so that I might understand what is going on a little better. The first part of the book of Spain and the expulsion of the Moors and the Jews was excellent. The rest of the book was a bit of a disappointment. It was almost as if the author had tacked together a few articles and called it a book.

The other book was a Confessors Handbook by Kurt Stasiak, OSB. It is always good to read a spiritual reading book like that, especially when so much of my ministry involves confession.

My coming schedule is as follows:

until June 11: Canterbury, England - teaching

June 13 - 18, 2010: Provinicial Chapter, Buffalo, NY

June 19 - 30, 2010: St. Victor's Major Seminary, Tamale, Ghana - seminarian retreat

July 4 - 10, 2010: St. Francis Convent, Mishawaka, IN - Retreat for Sisters

July 11 - 18, 2010: Quellen Spiritual Center, Mendham, NJ - Retreat for Sisters

July 19 - 23, 2010: St. Francis of Assisi Friary, Mishawaka, IN - Novice Retreat

July 24 - 31, 2010: Chatauqua Community, Chatauqua, NY - Priest in Residence

August 5 - 15, 2010: Our Lady of Consolation Shrine, Carey, OH - Parish Novena

August 16 - 20, 2010: Maronite Seminary, Washington, D.C. - Seminarian Retreat

August 21 - 27, 2010: Ocean City, MD - vacation

August 28 - September 3, 2010: St. Francis of Assisi Friary, Mishawaka, IN - Novitiate Conferences

God bless and
Shalom

fr. Jude