Author: Daniel

Over the course of the year, I’m going to worship in a number of places outside the traditional parish setting. Last Friday’s Mass was one of those, though in this case it was unplanned.

I spent much of the day Thursday and Friday at Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis. My mother-in-law had been admitted to the hospital on Wednesday, and I ferried Kem down to the capital city to spend time with her mom.


While Kem and her dad visited Mary Lou in the two-person capacity ICU room, I took in Mass with Father Patrick Nwokeogu, who has spent the last three years as chaplain at the hospital. This won’t be the last time I’m worshiping in the healthcare setting. Later this year, I will profile Father Timothy Regan as he fulfills his duties with the University of Iowa hospital system.

In the meantime, please say a prayer for my mother-in-law, who has been a wonderful presence in my life these last 30 years.

CONTACT ME: I welcome any visitors to the site to reach out to me directly if you are interested in sharing any information with me, are looking for more information or are interested in learning when the book is published. Please email me at 52Masses@gmail.com if you’d like to reach me or be added to my mailing list.

Welcome to 52 Masses. Thanks for joining me.

My name is Daniel Markham. I’m a lifelong practicing Catholic who worships at St. Gerald in Oak Lawn, Illinois. I have also been writing professionally for almost 30 years. Now, these two biographical data points have collided.

Starting in June, I embarked on a mission to attend Sunday Mass in each of the 50 states, plus the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. At each parish or place I visit, I will write about something going on there, a short profile of the many interesting and inspiring people and endeavors in the Catholic Church in the United States. Upon completion of my year-long trip, the journey will be chronicled in the book, 52 Masses.

These won’t necessarily be groundbreaking types of stories – merely interesting ones. It’s my assertion that every parish has at least one story to tell, if not many. Every day, Catholics across the country are doing amazing things, putting their faith into action in innumerable ways. The hope is that through this collection of stories, I can paint a broader picture of life in the Catholic Church in 2021.

Here, I’ll update the progress of the book over the next two years, chronicling highlights of the trip as it takes place. I welcome any and all to join me, with thoughts, comments and suggestions. I hope to have many of you accompany me on this journey, at least in the digital sense.


God Bless

I made another foray beyond the 52 this past Saturday when I returned to Greensburg, where Kem and I lived for 15 years.

My Saturday afternoon roam around St. Mary’s did not take me to the church where all three of our kids were baptized. Rather, it’s the spectacular new church and school facility several years after we headed north.

I’ve been slipping into empty churches like this one for some quiet moments of prayerful reflection for the past few years. Though few have the personal connection we have with St. Mary’s, it’s always a nice way to slow down and spend some time.

The Mountaineer State rounded out a busy June for me, with a visit to Tri-Parish West Virginia, a trio of churches that sit astride the Kanawha River just west of Charleston.

As you’ll see, these are small parishes, not overflowing with jaw-dropping artwork or home to hundreds of parishioners. That’s what evident to the naked eye. But whatever the parishes lack in numbers or beauty, they more than made up for in warmth and spirit. Theirs was a welcoming Catholic community, and it was a privilege to spend my Sunday morning there.

We’re off next week, and for most of July it seems, though I’ll probably play a little catch-up with some photos and observations until my July 11th trip to Arkansas.

Thanks for joining me.

https://www.facebook.com/triparishwestvirginia

Sunday took me to St. Catherine of Siena on the campus of the University of Utah, but Saturday was reserved for touring Salt Lake City with oldest son Ian.

Despite the scorching heat (it hit 99), we walked around the downtown area, including a visit to the Cathedral of the Madeline, home of the Diocese of Salt Lake City. Though not as well known as the rather famous temple just down the road, the Cathedral stands up proudly in terms of beauty, as you’ll see below.

Also, unlike the Temple Salt Lake, spiritual home of the Mormon Church, we were able to check out the inside of the Cathedral. For the moment, no one is able to visit the Temple, as it’s under renovation until 2024. But beyond that, admission is forever reserved for members of the Mormon faith who receive a Temple Recommend. No such invitation is required to worship inside the Catholic’s Church’s home in the Beehive State.