Author: Daniel

During daily Mass at St. Catherine Thursday, the lector began to experience difficulty seeing, struggling to get through the first reading from the Book of Esther. Without saying anything, the presiding priest walked over and took over, finishing the reading and leading the Responsorial Psalm, “Lord, on the day I called for help, you answered me.”

As Father Woodke moved onto his homily, one focused on Christ’s final words in the Gospel reading, “Do to others whatever you would have them do to you,” a parishioner walked over to the lector and sat beside him, a quiet offering of comfort.

Finally, another parishioner stepped forward and assumed the role leading the Communion Antiphon, “Everyone who asks, receives; and the one who seeks, finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will open.”

I couldn’t help but notice how this was the Word playing out right in front of me. One of us needed help and several stepped forward to answer his silent call.

We all appreciate the art and architecture in so many of our churches and shrines. But the ever-present Beauty of All Catholic Churches is found in every single place we worship, in the Word and Eucharist.

I pushed my cathedral Mass count to an even dozen on Monday thanks to a work trip to the Tampa Bay area. I experienced the liturgy at St. Jude the Apostle, the seat of the Diocese of St. Petersburg.

St. Jude the Apostle was unlike any of my previous cathedral visits. It is not a hundred-plus-year-old worship space like so many diocesan seats. Rather, it dates only to 1963, and that modern aesthetic is quite noticeable, for better or worse. Ornate adornments and dark wood were replaced by a more open concept and ample natural light.

Perhaps its most notable feature are a pair of crosses. The striking Baptismal font is in the form of a cross. So too is the building itself, the design “derived from the Byzantine period of the Eastern Roman Empire and the plan was based on a Latin Cross,” the church’s website says.

That cross is far more obvious from the aerial view. Alas, I was unable to provide that shot with my Iphone.

For Ash Wednesday Mass, I visited Our Lady of Good Hope in Miamisburg, Ohio. It was a school Mass, which always makes the Daily Mass experience a little bit richer.

I woke to learn the Diocese of Jackson has completed the proceedings and advanced its cause for canonization for Sister Thea Bowman, FSPA. My trip to Mississippi took me to Holy Child of Jesus in Canton, Sister Thea’s home parish, and nearby Sacred Heart in Camden.

Sister Thea remains a significant presence at both Holy Child of Jesus and the nearby Sacred Heart, the two historically black churches in Madison County.

During my trip, I was also blessed to visit with Sister Dorothy Ann Kundinger, another Franciscan Sister of Perpetual Adoration, who served alongside Sister Thea during the final years of the Servant of God’s life. Sister Dorothy Ann, who has since passed away, shared with me her reflections on Sister Thea’s incredible gifts, which inspired Sister Dorothy Ann to leave teaching and become a caregiver for those facing their final days.

It was an incredible experience. And I’m so excited to hear the news of her canonization cause moving forward, which seems particularly fitting news this month.

The first two photos are from Holy Child of Jesus, the second from Sacred Heart. And the last is a gift from Sister Dorothy Ann, a photo of Sister Thea and her parents Mary Esther, who followed Sister Thea’s lead and converted to Catholicism.

Back in December, while manning my booth at a holiday craft market, I was blessed to meet Virginia Koch, CEO/Founder of Knots Untied Coaching, LLC. We became fast friends.

Last month, she invited me to appear on her podcast, Catholics on Campus, the students she works with to help grow their faith on campus.

Thanks again to Virginia for having me on her show, which can be found below.

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/one-writers-journey-to-52-masses/id1677764186?i=1000748253799