Raised in a strong Irish Catholic background where praying and partying were known, my parents embraced a life of helping others through the Saint Vincent de Paul Society at St. Jane de Chantal Church and welcoming any homeless in the neighborhood. Their motto was give a person a meal and a ride, as long as they knew where they were going. My mother prayed all day long in front of six children and fostered a love of God and church into every one of us. We never missed a mass unless we were dying-or at least truly sick!
As Mom prayed, she would squint and bow her head and you knew she had a true love of God in everything that she did. She always said she got that from her mother and daddy, both Irish, of course. The story of carrying a small ten beaded rosary in one’s pocket was a story I knew well. Wherever you were, you could pray and no one could tell you not to pray. This reminds me of a tale my mom told me about working in the fields of green grass and the beautiful countryside. The solitude lended itself to prayer. The lonesome carried a ten beaded rosary, hidden in pockets so as not to be persecuted for faith. The grass warrior was alone with God and had great company. At times, I was jealous to hear of this bond, but then I realized that if people could hear the words of Jesus, they would never be alone. That’s how I knew I loved the audio aspect of learning and growing in God’s grace. Back to the bio...
