I do not know what is going to unfold here as I write, but I am doing so only because the Holy Spirit is urging me to do so. From the very beginnings of the Franciscan spiritual movement, Mary has been the pivot or hinge of the spiritual makeup of all the communities calling themselves…
“Near this spot Are deposited the Remains Of one Who possessed Beauty Without Vanity, Strength without Insolence, Courage without Ferocity, And all the Virtues of Man Without his Vices.” (Lord George Gordon Byron, 1788 – 1824) 2018 is the Chinese Year of the Brown Earth Dog and begins on February 16th, 2018 and ends February…
**Warning, there may be some graphic language used in this piece. This article is modified from an upcoming book by Fr. Nelan that deals with growing through adversity. The language used conveys a particular style of writing and emotion. My father was born on the 22nd of December in 1930 and was every bit the…
On thinking about new beginnings, the historian in me came out and I was immediately drawn to the story of my own parish. In 2009, I began formation in the United Independent Catholic Church. I was appointed lay administrator for our ministry, SS Cyril and Methodius UICC was created. We began celebrating with simple prayer…
Several weeks ago (in mid-October) the hashtag: #MeToo was posted by actress Alyssa Milano, inviting anyone who had been sexually assaulted or harassed to post this hashtag in their Twitter or Facebook accounts. Within just a few hours it was trending and within 48 hours #MeToo had blown up social media and was the lead-in…
Off the beaten path in Lukova, north central Czech Republic, barely stands Saint Georges Church. Built in 1352, this church had been abandoned since the roof collapsed during a 1968 funeral mass. Some townspeople considered this a bad omen, but most of the townspeople however sought to keep the church from being demolished. It played…
When I put forth the idea for this edition of Convergent Streams I could not have imagined the great articles it would inspire. New beginnings seem to be a topic that many people have been considering for a while now. Some of the articles are a bit deep. They will make you think. They may…
