Montreal - Toronto - Louisville - Ellicott City

May 14, 2022 Peace and Good, This has been another couple of weeks of extensive travelling. One of the friars from Montreal drove us to Toronto via a place called Kashube (which is a lakeside resort that the friars run in northern Ontario). In Toronto, we visited the various apostolates run by the friars. Last Saturday we flew to Louisville. Sunday I celebrated the Mass at Mount St. Francis. It is great to celebrate with lay people, because most of the time I am involved with itnernal ministry to the friars. fr. Carlos was driven to Gethsemane, the monastery where Thomas Merton lived, for a week of prayer. I flew to Ellicott City for some dental care (a root canal, some oral surgery). I also used this time to get my second booster shot. Today I fly back to Louisville for the opening of the provincial chapter of Our Lady of Consolation Province on Monday afternoon. I will be there with fr. Carlos until next Saturday when we fly back to Baltimore for the opening of the chapter of Our Lady of Angels Province. I finished some reading: The Republic of Finland by Charles River Editors This is an account of the development of Finland from being a province of Sweden and Russia to being an independent nation. It especially deals with the Winter War, a war provoked by the Soviet Union in which Finland, although the loser, managed to bloody the Soviet Union so much that Hitler saw them as an impotent opponent, leading to his invasion of the Soviet Union later that year. Mustafa Kemal Ataturk and the Republic of Turkey by Charles River Editors This is a short biography of the father of the modern Turkish nation. It covers his rise from a rather insignificant army officer to the president of the nation who led Turkey into modernity (even if he did so with an iron fist at times). 20 Great Military Disasters of the Middle Ages by Anthony Holland This is a short account of twenty of the worst defeats experienced by various nations and peoples during the Middle Ages. None of the accounts are that profound, either for the causes of the war or the conduct of the war or its consequences, but the accounts do give enough information to get a general sense of what happened. Burying the Dead in Ancient Egypt by Charles River Editors Unlike most of Charles River Editors’ books, this one is an extensive coverage of the burial customs (the mummification, the tombs, the gods worshipped who were associated with death and the afterlife, etc.) in ancient Egypt, from its earliest days to the Roman period. It has enormous amounts of information, almost too much if one is not interested in diving into the topic profoundly. Michelangelo by Hourly History This is a relatively short biography of the artist Michelangelo, part of a series of artists by Hourly History. It gives an overview of his career as a sculptor and painter (a role that he never really wanted). The book does not go all that deep into his person and psychology, but it is a good overview. 1942: the Year that Tried Men’s Souls by Winston Groom In the beginning of 1942, the allies were losing the war all over the place. By the end of the year, the allies had scored their first victories and the axis powers were beginning to retreat (e.g. the Battle of Midway, North Africa, etc.). Groom has a good way of telling a story, including many stories of individuals within the context of the larger narrative. St. Theresa of Avila by Hourly History This is quite a pleasant biography of St. Theresa. While mentioning the doubts concerning her ecstatic phenomena, the author admits that we cannot be sure and that one’s final judgment is often determined by one’s starting point. I found the book informative and respectful. Critical Mass by Sara Peretsky This is the story of a family that started out as Jewish inhabitants in pre-war Vienna, and how a great scholar escapes to the US after the war. Her secrets are stolen by a man who makes a fortune off her ideas which lead to an early computer. The detective, V.I Warshawsky, has to sort through layers of identities and lies. Have a good week. Shalom fr. Jude

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