- July 14th is the memorial of St Kateri Tekakwitha, a woman of the Algonquin tribe who became a Catholic. She suffered huge discrimination from whites and natives alike. I thought of her as we literally unearth hundreds of graves of native children who were removed from their parents and placed in govt/religious institutions (many Catholic) for reeducation. Many died of tuberculosis far from family and were forgotten. As we discover the extent of that system in more investigations, we will be shocked and rightly disgusted. But the best response would be more support for Na...

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July 11 - Now that we can sing in church, the joy is obvious. You raised your voices beautifully last week. While many of our musicians are on vacation, we can "pray twice" as we lift our voices in song. The second step is to remind neighbors and friends that we miss them. This is the time to return to the Lord. Mass on a screen doesn't equal what we have in person. The happiness was palpable especially as people received the Body of Christ and paused in silent gratitude. We are back!

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July 4 - During a tourist trip to Russia, I had a bad experience with two "policemen" who tried to roust me for money. Fellow tourists intervened and they scampered off. But that incident just fed the paranoia that I had regarding the former Soviet Union and everything connected with it. When our flight landed at JFK, I almost imitated Pope John Paul and kissed the tarmac. Despite all our warts, we are blessed. Happy Fourth of July. May our behavior justify this gift of freedom.

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