52 Masses

One of the sites I was most looking forward to visiting on my trip was St. Gianna’s Maternity Home, tucked away in the northeastern corner of North Dakota, not far from the Red River.

Opened in the early 2000s in a one-time school convent and school building, the home is designed to provide a safe, faith-filled home for at-risk mothers. Women of all ages can come to the home before childbirth and remain there with their child or children for up to two years afterward.

Mary Pat Jahner and her staff look to provide safe shelter, food, clothing, education and counseling, addressing the physical, emotional and spiritual needs of women in crisis pregnancies and beyond. Their dedication to their mission, “One Baby, One Mother, One Family” at a Time,” was truly inspiring.

Their work is aided by the Third Order Franciscans of the Mary Immaculate, Father Joseph Christensen and Brother Nicholas, who provide spiritual guidance, and much more, from their home in the friary just across the street.

I want to thank all for welcoming me to their home.

The second weekend of September my 52 Masses adventure took me to Western New York, where I attended Mass at St. Joseph University Parish, on the campus of the University of Buffalo. It was a beautiful old parish, right there on Main Street in the Queen City of the Lakes (a name I didn’t know until watching the news in the rectory with Father Jack).

It was a special weekend at the parish there (and elsewhere), as the parishioners of St. Joseph honored the 20th anniversary of the September 11th attacks. In addition to a few photos from the church, I’m linking to a video of a bagpiper brought in to commemorate the event.

https://www.facebook.com/dan.markham.37/

The gentleman led the procession in with Amazing Grace, then led it out with this powerful performance of Highland Cathedral. It was a fitting tribute, and we should all continue to pray for those lost in that senseless attack.

Over the first week of September, I drove east to spend the weekend in Bear, Delaware with the good folks of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish and Father Roger DiBuo. And the parish unnecessarily rolled out all the stops for my visit.

On Friday night, Father Roger and I went out to dinner in the spectacular colonial town of New Castle. And after the vigil Mass, Father and I enjoyed a wonderful meal with the parish’s digital specialist and his fiancée. I was even invited to speak at all of the Masses, though I don’t know if my appearance at the Vigil Mass really counted as such since I had the dual blunder of speaking both too fast and not close enough to the microphone, so virtually no one understood a word I said.

After two Sundays at home, I’ll be back on the road for a lengthy trip coming up, with a drive out west with multiple Mass visits along the way.

I’ll try to post an update from the road, but that will depend on my internet connection and my energy levels, not necessarily in that order. Have a blessed week.

I’m going to double back a few weeks now, to my final visit in my recent southern swing, a trip that reminded me that it isn’t just COVID that can derail one’s best laid plans.

It was a Friday afternoon and I was buzzing into Baton Rouge, La., for a full weekend of activities in one of the most Catholic areas of the country. I had a concert, an art show, a Magnificat breakfast all on tap before hitting the French Quarter for Mass at Our Lady of Guadalupe, International Shrine of St. Jude. Just then, I got a phone call from Father Tony, who informed me it wasn’t likely the church would be conducting Mass on Sunday due to the hurricane bearing down on New Orleans, a storm I knew nothing about.

Being a Northerner unfamiliar with these tropical storms, I hightailed it out of the Bayou for higher and drier ground. Not wanting to waste a perfectly good weekend in the south, I headed north to Mississippi, intent on pushing ahead my visit to Holy Child of Jesus in Canton and its sister parish, Sacred Heart in Camden. Holy Child is the home church of the late Sister Thea Bowman, for whom a canonization effort has already begun.

Despite my unannounced visit to the Parishes of Madison County, it was a wonderful weekend, kicked off by an afternoon with Sister Dorothy Kundlinger, who traveled with and cared for Sister Thea in the last years of the Sister Thea’s life, and was greeted warmly by the small but lively parishes of Sacred Heart and Holy Child, where the inspiring nun is still very present.

I have included a few photos from both parishes. As a bonus below you can find a link to part of Sister Thea’s remarks to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops in 1989, when she spurred those older gentleman to stand up, hold hands and sing We Shall Overcome, a testament to her courage and commitment in her pursuit of the faith.

https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=10155295083282285

The parishioners of Holy Child of Jesus.

During my recent visit to St. Joseph University Parish in Buffalo, I was invited to sit down with Claire Rung of the parish staff to talk about the book. The finished product is available at You Tube. I have to hand it to Claire. She did a remarkable job making me sound much more polished and confident than I felt.

A link to the video is here.