In Gratitude for Our Associates

On August 14 the Sisters of Notre Dame in northwest Ohio were privileged to receive twelve new Associates as they made their covenant during the vigil Mass for the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Associates are men and women, single or married, who feel called to the same mission as the…

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A Surprise Picnic

Today is a perfect day for a picnic—no humidity, a gentle breeze blowing, temperature in the high seventies. It’s been a long time since we had such a beautiful day. I just had to go on a picnic. While making a roast for a later meal, I also prepared picnic food.  The other sisters in…

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Mary, First on the Guest List

Having recently celebrated one of my favorite feasts, the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin, I was reflecting on stories about Mary, the Mother of God. While Luke’s gospel focuses on the call of Mary to be the Mother of God and the subsequent events related to Jesus’ birth, John’s gospel introduces Mary…

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Marvels from Long Ago

Fifteen hundred years ago some people living in the Four Corners region moved onto the Mesa Verde, where they lived and flourished for 700 years. I had the privilege of touring Mesa Verde National Park that preserves artifacts and architecture from these Ancestral Pueblo people.  The cliff dwellings show the skill these people had to…

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Now, How Did God Do That?

Colorado National Monument and Canyonlands National Park are just two of the national parks covering much of the West. Both are remarkable parks for their peaks, plateaus, and canyons. The diversity of the etched rock formed from volcanoes, erosion, and floods leave the viewer wondering, “How did God do that?” Boulders sit precariously on top…

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Oh, the Depths!

Our bus driver skillfully maneuvered the hairpin turns of the Trail Ridge Road, the highest paved continuous highway in North America. This was the first of several days that my sister Cathy and I toured in Colorado. Every day we marveled at majestic mountains and deep rugged canyons. We never tired of seeing mountains—we who…

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Higher Altitudes

My sister and I toured Rocky Mountain National Park and Estes Park in Colorado. My favorite adventure occurred when we trekked up a path to reach 12,000 feet above sea level from the place where the bus stopped at 11,000 feet. Less than half-way up my breathing became labored, but I got a second wind…

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