Louisville, KY - Prior Lake, MN - Ellicott City, MD

February 28, 2022 Peace and Good, I have finished the first stage of my visitation to the province of Our Lady of Consolation. We had originally hoped that this would be it, but weather and other situations meant that we could not finish the entire visitation in one setting. I will return to Rome this Wednesday, and then come back to the Midwest on the 13th of March. Our (fr. Wayne and myself) visit to Minnesota was quite cold and snowy, what you would expect in February. Everyone the friars have been very welcoming to us. This has been a good experience, but tiring because each friar with whom you speak must be listened to with the greatest attention. My home province has elected a new provincial who will take office in May, fr. Michael Heine. He is one of my former students, and a very good man. Please keep him in your prayers. I am just passing through Ellicott City for a few appointments at doctors' offices (the usual) and a few meetings with various friars. I have finished some reading: The History of the Sunni and Shia Split by Charles River Editors This is an overview of the division between the two major sects of Islam. The Sunni are the majority, while the Shia are the majority in Iran and some of the Gulf States. It speaks of the early division, eventual battles, and the modern state of the issue. The Shia tends toward a more demonstrative faith including shrines and “saints”, while the Sunni tend toward a more Puritanical version of the faith. Atomic Accidents: A History of Nuclear Meltdowns by James Mahaffey This is a long account of various nuclear accidents (whether involving a small number of people, or being tremendous disasters such as Chernobyl). The author gives a good picture of the science behind the whole process (a warning for those who are not interested in a technical presentation which this book certainly has). It also deals with the development of different types of nuclear reactors for power production, submarine propulsion and even to power airplanes. The Face of Battle by John Keegan This is a classic account of some major English battles. The author deals with the literary treatment of war, and of what those in the battle would have experienced. Keegan is an author who has written some excellent books on battle and war. I don’t think that this was his best effort. Shocking Psychological Studies and the Lessons They Teach by Thad Polk This is a teaching company course offered for free by Audible. It deals with psychological and medical studies which broke the rules of good conduct (e.g. not informing the subjects about the study, risking the harm of those involved, not having a good purpose for the study). It includes such studies as the Tuskegee Syphilis Study in which a group of African Americans were allowed to slowly die of the disease even though there were treatments available. There were also studies on children, on soldiers who were given hallucinogenic drugs without their knowledge, etc. Gaius Marius by Charles River Editors This is the story of a general in the Roman army who helped change the way that the army was organized. Previously, most of the soldiers had been drawn from the middle class citizens of the republic. He hired armies from the poorer citizens, and he arranged for their pay and their retirement, thus obtaining their loyalty. These soldiers were no longer attached to the state as much to their general which would mean that they became a major source of power. This was the first step toward the fall of the republic and the civil wars that plagued Rome during the 1st century BC.. Medieval Myths and Mysteries by Dorsey Armstrong This is one of the free courses for Audible Plus. I had listened to another course offered by this professor, one that dealt with the life and legend of King Arthur. This one deal with a series of lectures on topics of medieval things such as dragons or the search for the holy grail. The lecturer has a pleasant way of presenting the topic. The Glorious Revolution by Charles River Editors This is the story of the fall of James II (a Stuart king) who was Catholic and favored an end to anti-Catholic persecution in England. In a non-bloody revolution, William and Mary (Mary being James II’s Daughter) brought an army from the low countries and conquered England, exiling James to the continent. Postwar: A History of Europe since 1945 by Tony Judt This is an outline of the various movements and events from the time of the end of World War II to the present. It deals with individual countries, communism vs. anti-communism movements, the European Community, what it means to be European, what the future of Europe in a globalized society, etc. The book is long and at times technical, but it is a great treatment of the topic. Have a good week. May your Lent be a true time of conversion and compassion. Shalom fr. Jude

Chicago - Los Angeles

July 23, 2021 Peace and Good, I spent about five days in Chicago visiting the friars and also participating in a friars' day (for the celebration of the patronal saint of the province, St. Bonaventure) and the simple profession of one of the friars. On Saturday I flew out to Los Angeles. I am staying in our parish in Hermosa Beach, about a half of a mile from the sea. It is a beautiful area, and the weather has been very nice. From Monday til yesterday I was with the friars of the province for their extraordinary chapter in Malibu. We staying at the retreat house run by the OFM Franciscan Friars. It has a beautiful view of the ocean, and is right next door to the home of Dick Van Dyke. The meeting went extremely well. There was a great spirit among the friars. The most important thing approved was the raising of the mission in Vietnam from the category of a delegation to that of a custody. It is now just below the level of a province. The mission has been going for about 18 years, and they have made incredible progress. We are very happy that they are now in this higher category which gives them quite a bit more autonomy. The only down side of my visit here is that LA county has reinstituted the requirement for masks when indoors. The covid rate is rising rapidly here. I will be here until Tuesday when I fly out to Baltimore for a couple more celebrations. Then a week from today I will heading over to London for a couple of weeks. I have finished some reading: Coney Island by Charles River Editors This is the story of the resort island which served the people of New York for so many decades. It deals with its low life origin, and then its transformation into a center of hotels and amusement parks. It was there that the hot dog was invented and named. This was also the location of the first Nathan’s red hots. The island suffered in the era in which travel became so much easier with the family car (and therefore freedom from the trains that would carry people to Coney Island. Washington’s Immortals: the Untold Story of an Elite Regiment that Changed the Course of the Revolution by Patrick O’Donnell This is the story of an elite group of soldiers from Maryland who accompanied the revolutionary forces from the early days of the revolution to the end of the war. They arrived in time for the battles in the New York area. They were always dependable forces for Washington throughout the war. The history is well done. LBJ in 1968 by Kyle Longley This is an account of the last hellish year for the presidency of Lyndon Johnson. Among the difficulties he faced were the Tet Offensive in Vietnam, the capture of the ship Pueblo by North Korea, the invasion of Czechoslovakia by the Soviets and their allies, the assassinations of Martin Luther King Jr and Robert Kennedy, etc. The book presents the story in a sympathetic but not fawning manner. The author admits Johnson’s flaws, e.g. this stubbornness and refusal to admit having made mistakes, but he also presents him as a good leader who was most of all dedicated to the poor and downtrodden of society. A Different Drummer by Michael Deaver This is a fawning account of Ronald Reagan and his political career. Deaver was an advisor to Reagan beginning with his time as governor of California. There were ups and downs in the relationship. After Deaver’s last resignation, he formed a lobbying group that got him into trouble with the law. But his overall view of the Reagans, both Ronald and Nancy, is highly favorable. How Winston Churchill Changed the World by Michael Shelden This is a series of twelve lectures on the career of Winston Churchill from his early days in the military and politics up to his death at a very advanced age. The professor presenting these lectures sees Churchill as the right man at the right time. He recognizes his shortfalls, but also sees him as a prophetic figure in his ability to foresee the danger of the rise of the Nazis in Germany. The presentation is very favorable to Churchill. The Mahdist War by Hourly History This is the story of an Islamist rebellion in the Sudan that was fought against the forces of Egypt (and behind them Great Britain) and which was also a reform movement to purify the practices of Islam. The leader of the movement called himself a Mahdi, a messianic figure in Islam. When he died, much of what he did fell apart. Geronimo by Charles River Editors This is a short biography of the famous Native American chief from the US Southwest (as well as Mexico). It especially deals with his capture and the way he was treated after that. Have a good week. Shalom fr. Jude

Ellicott City, Maryland

April 14, 2021 Peace and Good, I hope you are all well. My period of isolation has been completed, and I am able to interact with the local community here in Ellicott City. This time through I am staying in the old Novitiate building at the top of the hill and not in the Provincialate. I had my first vaccination. I was given Pfizer, and I have my second shot on the 28th. I only had a bit of a sore arm for a couple of days. No other reactions. I have been using my time here for some classes on zoom. I have met with a local group twice and I have one more session next Monday. I will be meeting with the novices in California through zoom next week. I am also taping a series of talks with the Companions for broadcast upon their website over the next few months. I finished editing a book. Over the course of the various quarantines that I have gone through in this year, I have written two books and edited another two. I have also had a series of meeting on zoom with friars from all over. I find that an hour and a half on zoom is about as much as I can take without a break. There is something in the zoom meetings that really takes a lot of energy. I finished some reading: Midnight Riot by Ben Aaronovitch I have listened to this book a number of years ago, and had enjoyed it tremendously. Reading it this time was even more fun. The story is of a special unit (only two policemen) in the London police force that deals with magic and other unusual phenomena in the city of London. The older, Nightingale, is hinted to be incredibly old, even if he does not look it. The younger, Peter Grant, is learning the trade. There are murders by mysterious characters, shape shifters, time travel, etc. Yet, in spite of all the unusual happenings, there is a verisimilitude in the story. I highly recommend it as an enjoyable read. The Triumph of Christianity by Bart Ehrman I have always been fascinated on how a handful of apostles and disciples managed to spread the faith to the point that most of the Roman Empire was Christian by the end of the fifth century. How did it happen? What difficulties did Christians face? Did Christianity answer a particular need in the pagan population? Were there pagan groups similar to Christianity in those days? How many Christians were there in the various eras? How quickly did the Church grow? All of these topics are treated in an objective and respectful manner. The History of the Medieval World by Susan Wise Bauer This is a masterful account of the Medieval World from the days of Constantine the Emperor to the days of the crusades. The author is not terribly Eurocentric, for she speaks of Korea, China, India, the Muslim caliphate, etc. There is so, so much information, but it is presented in an interesting manner. I would highly recommend this book. Harun al-Rashid by Charles River Editors This is the story of an Islamic leader of the Abbasid Empire who was both the greatest of its leaders but also the one who set it on the course to ruin. He is often mentioned in the Tales of One Thousand and One Nights, and is a symbol in literature both of a powerful leader but one who tended toward decadence. A Personal Problem by H. Bedford-Jones A man who is a loyal district manager must host his boss, who framed him for a theft many years before and who stole the woman he was to marry. He gets his revenge by having him sleep in a bed which is surrounded by huge cockroaches and centipedes and hunting spiders, things that the boss hates for he has a pathological fear of insects. Robert Harris by Audible Interviews This is an interview with one of my favorite authors. He has written the Cicero trilogy, a book on Dreyfus, the Ghost Author roughly about Tony Blair, and Munich, an account of the four days that led to the compromise that destroyed Czechoslovakia. In the Ruins of Empire: the Japanese Surrender and the Battle for Postwar Asia by Ronald Spector This is a very well done book that speaks about the role of Britain, France, Netherlands and the US in countries formerly occupied by Japan. Many of the countries involved did not want to return to their former colonial status, such as Korea, Indonesia and Vietnam. Then there is the role the US and Russia played in China right after the war. We see many of the tensions in these countries and the stated and implicit intentions of the parties involved. Keep safe. fr. Jude