What we did on our summer vacation

This summer four of us made a 'grand tour' of Europe and the UK. I had a couple of invitations to visit friends across the Atlantic, and at a colleague's suggestion, Hannah and I took along two members of the Peters family and split hotel costs. It was a remarkably congenial arrangement. Robert Peters has spent several previous summers in European countries learning various languages, and this summer he was brushing up his Italian in Rome while looking into lodging accommodations for doctoral studies at the Augustinianum Institute next year; so, being sufficiently fluent in Italian, he served as our 'Cicerone,' or guide, while in Rome, ordering our meals in restaurants, etc. His sister, Theresa has studied Arabic and noticed when we arrived in Malta she understood many of the words in Maltese, since the language is largely a combination of Italian and Arabic. All-in-all, it was a terrific arrangement, and we couldn't have asked for better traveling companions. (Pictures of all of us are linked in the descriptions of our time in Rome and at Harlaxton Manor in the UK below.)

Thanks from Tonya for your fund raiser contributions

I just received a card from Tonya for whom we had a fund raiser beginning back in November and ending the first week in December. Many of you contributed generously, enabling us to raise well over $3,000.00. After weeks of looking for a reliable used car in her range, after passing over a 2011 Toyota Yaris which she loved but couldn't afford, she finally settled on a 2005 Mercury Sable. On the upside, it's beautiful, with new tires, a flawless interior and exterior and looks reasonably well-maintained. On the downside, it had a recent transmission replacement and has a few repairs that will be necessary to keep it in running order: the right-front axle, a ball joint, new brakes and rotors, a wheel bearing, a transmission flush, and transmission mounts. Still, she was able to get the car at a reasonable price and has some reserves from your generous contributions that will allow her to make most of these repairs.

Many thanks go to all of you. And now it's Tonya's turn to thank you in her own words. Transcribed below are her own words, originally written in a beautiful hand in a Thank You card:

To all my Guardian Angels near and far!

I want to take this time and thank you all for the blessings and prayers bestowed upon me! You have made my life so much easier.

God bless & Merry Christmas,
From your babe wrapped in swaddling clothes of love.
Dec. 2016

And my personal thanks to all of you, as well, for your selfless generosity in helping this sister in Christ. It all becomes the more poignant as we find ourselves in the season of Advent approaching the birth of our Savior. Thank you, and God bless you!

Fund raiser now closed! $3,650.93!!

How about some unambiguously GOOD news on this otherwise politically tumultuous day? Here it is:

First of all, the solicitations are now ended!!!!! Donations are now officially closed!

But secondly, check this out: YOU have now raised in three weeks a total of $3,650.93 for our friend, Tonya!!!

Today I visited Tonya and presented her with THE certified cashier's check we've been waiting to give her. She couldn't bring herself to open it right then because she was weeping. I told her that I would be in touch if she wished for help in the actual purchase of a car.

I included in the envelope with her check a letter telling her how I went about raising the funds -- by means of this blog, direct emails, and Facebook posts -- all without disclosing her identity, as she wished. I also told her the number of contributions she received. And from where -- one from Mexico, two from Ireland, three from Canada, five from Plymouth, MI, one from Utah, another from Seattle, NC, TN, NY, etc. -- again, without disclosing any names.

I told her how touched I was by your exceeding generosity -- how gifts kept coming in through online donations and checks in denominations mostly in the $50.00 - $100.00 range, a few a bit less, a few much more. And the amazing thing was that MANY of these gifts were from people I've never met! And even more amazing was the fact that all of you were donating to someone unknown to you!

While donations are officially closed, there have been a few additional contributions that have come in, and I will see to it that these are forwarded as soon as possible to Tonya as well. For their most recent contributions, my thanks to Philip Lynch in Ireland (our second contributor from Ireland!), to Peter Paolini, and to Nathaniel Maas Blosser currently assigned to the USS Nimitz in the Pacific.

My hearty thanks to each of you, once again, for your thoughtfulness, kindness, and generosity in contributing to our fund-raiser to help Tonya buy her new (used) car! She told me that she was planning to write a thank you letter to all of you, which I will be posting in the near future. In the meantime, she asks me to convey to each of you her heart-felt gratitude. Not in a long time have I felt so keenly the significance of the metaphor, the 'Body of Christ,' with Christ as our Head and we as His members. I have been profoundly touched by your largesse, and I know Tonya has been too.

Thank you!

One more day! Fund raiser at $3,427.65!!

Hello folks. No we haven't forgotten. Here we are on the penultimate eve of the presidential election and the eve of our fund raiser's concluding day: Monday, Nov. 7th.

We just want you to know how GENEROUS you have all been! We have now reached $3,427.65!!! This is impressive! Thank you!!

At the end of the day tomorrow, I will tally up any more donations that have come in and go to the bank and have a certified check cut for the total amount. The following day I will give the check to the lady we've all been praying for and desiring to help. I can't wait!

For anyone still wishing to donate. There's still time. Even checks can be processed after-the-fact as long as you tell me in advance how much you're pledging by emailing me at blosser.philip@shms.edu. I will in turn let you know where to send your check.

Please note that when you click on the 'Donate' button, you will be re-directed to a page that says "Donate to Academy Press" (either by Paypal or credit card). 'Academy Press' is the name of the account which we're using to process donations for Tonya, the single-mother who needs a reliable automobile to get to work.

Thank you for your generosity!!

Thank you! Fundraiser tops goal at $3,015.54

My friends,

How can I thank you! You've exceeded our expectations with a spate of generous donations today! Thank you, Dr. Janet Smith! Thank you Mr. Henry Kuhlman! And a hearty thank you also to our friends with fellow-children at Spiritus Sanctus Academy: Mr. Philip Pucillo, Mr. Guy Winter, Mrs. Maisa Haddad, and from a bit earlier, Tim and Karla Dorweiler, Mrs. Teresa Grindlay, James and Beth Ann Putlock!! And thanks also to our college-era friend Dan Clark from Iowa, who may disagree with our politics but has a heart of gold!

We set out two weeks ago with a goal of $3000.00 not knowing what to expect, but trusting that we were doing the right thing. We knew someone in need, and I was convinced we had the means and willing hearts to do so. Again, I am humbled by your willingness to help a complete stranger based on your trust in me and my report about our friend, Tonya, the woman and sister-in-Christ we're trying to help. I am awed by your generosity in a time when a lot of us are tightening our belts with tuition costs and mortgages, and when our nation is consumed with daily unsettling news from the political and ecclesiastical fronts.

We've also received several leads on places to possibly look for a reasonably priced yet reliable used car for Tonya. Thank you for those leads, Monica Miller, Teresa Grindlay, and Heidi Bratton!

Thank you all sincerely for your willingness to reach out and help this lady. I will keep you posted on developments: when we present our cashier's check to Tonya, when she gets her car, etc.

In the meantime, we will gladly continue accepting donations up through Monday of next week, the day before our national election! Just five more days. We will also gladly accept prayers for Tonya and her family (and her prospective car purchase!!), as well as any further leads or suggestions about possible places to look for automobiles (we want to consider all options)!

Thanks again!! You are all wonderful!! In a time full of depressing and disturbing news, it's wonderful to be reminded of the existence of so many good people in our lives -- people such as yourselves. May the Lord bless you abundantly!

If you would still like to donate, it's not too late; and you can be sure your donation will be put to good use getting Tonya a yet more dependable car to drive to work. You may send a check by emailing me at blosser.philip@shms.edu for instructions. Alternately, you may use the online 'Donate' button below to contribute with a credit card or by means of Paypal online.

Also, please note that when you click on the 'Donate' button, you will be re-directed to a page that says "Donate to Academy Press" (either by Paypal or credit card). 'Academy Press' is the name of the account which we're using to process donations for Tonya.

Thank you for your generosity!!

Wow!!! Announcement: Fundraiser at $2,566.67!!

Dear friends, I want to thank you profoundly for your generosity towards the African-American single-mom we are trying to help purchase a reliable used car to get to work. You have been most thoughtful. You know who you are.

I want to especially thank the anonymous donation today from a kind soul who just came forward with a gift of $1000.00 toward the cause. This has put us well over the $2,000.00 mark toward the $3,000 we initially set as our fundraiser goal. THANK YOU ... ALL of you!!! You have also been eminently patient with these constant reminders I have been posting, incessantly banging on your doors, so to speak, asking for help for this lady. I know. I know. It's a drag. I hate fund raisers on my classical music station. I rarely donate to causes online or on the air unless they're causes I truly believe in. I just did make a donation today to an unrelated worthy cause online; but that's rare. I make a point of giving a tenth to my parish, which I don't consider charity but a joyful obligation; and anything beyond that is charity.

How about you? What do you consider a cause sufficiently worthy of your generous charity? Evidently one anonymous and very generous soul thought our cause (helping out Tonya) was sufficiently worthy to send in $1,000.00. Do I think this person was rich? I don't know, but I wouldn't be surprised at all if the answer was no. As a Knight of Columbus, I've had the chance to watch who gives and who doesn't as I stand outside Walmarts handing out Tootsie Rolls in exchange for donations to help the mentally retarded or the otherwise disabled. Those who give most often are are not the ones who are parking expensive SUVs and coming in and out. Typical is the Mexican family that walks by and sends one of their little sons up with a dollar bill as they all stand smiling and waving from a distance. Those coming and going from their shiny new SUVs hardly notice I'm there. So it wouldn't surprise me if those of you who have given did so at some expense, some sacrifice. It's in the nature of things. God sees that, and He's honored by it. He says as much in 'The Good Book.'

In just SEVEN MORE DAYS this fund-raiser will be closing down and saying thank you, and goodbye. Now is your opportunity to give to THIS lady. In seven more days that opportunity will be gone. There will be other opportunities for charity, doubtless; but not for this lady. Ask the Lord what He thinks you should do. I'm not the one asking for myself here. I'm asking on behalf of this lady that you consider what the Lord would have you do. No pressure from me. None. If I know you, I'll continue to like you just as much whether you give anything or not. This is between you and the Lord. Seriously.

If you can, consider making a generous gift for this lady. Does she not need reliable transportation to work? Isn't she already working at the only job she has managed to find? Do we not have SOME means of helping her out? How much money do we easily part with at a shopping center, at a coffee shop, at a restaurant, without batting an eyelash? Do we miss that money when it's gone? Is this lady's need less important than the things on which we daily spend money? Think about it.

About every three months I end up hauling bagfuls of STUFF to Goodwill or Salvation Army to get rid of things, things, and more things that have been given to us a gifts or which we've acquired one way or other -- clothes we no longer wear, stuffed animals, the kind of STUFF that ends up in Goodwill or Salvation Army! Where does all this STUFF come from? Do we need it? No. And even when it comes to the things we need, do we really need the most expensive and fashionable name BRAND^[TM]? You hear what I'm saying? I'm sure you do.

"Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." (Matthew 6:19-21)

If you can't give money, please pray for Tonya and her two boys, and pray for the success of our fund-raiser, so that we can help her get a reliable car in November. She wouldn't admit it, but I know she depends on our success.

Also, if any of you know of someone who might have a used car in decent condition which they would be willing to sell at a discount, please let us know.

If you can give money, you may send a check by emailing me at blosser.philip@shms.edu for instructions. Alternately, you may use the online 'Donate' button below to contribute with a credit card or by means of Paypal online.

Also, please note that when you click on the 'Donate' button, you will be re-directed to a page that says "Donate to Academy Press" (either by Paypal or credit card). 'Academy Press' is the name of the account which we're using to process donations for Tonya.

Thank you for your generosity!!

Eleven more days! Fundraiser at $1313.00 and counting ...

A few more donations have come in over the last couple of days: one online donation from a generous lady in Chatham, Ontario, and two checks from families in Canton, Michigan, and Hickory, North Carolina. THANK YOU to all of our generous benefactors! (For those of you who don't know, we're raising money to help an African-American single mother who needs to get a car within a matter of weeks in order to keep her job.)

If you haven't recently enjoyed the gift of giving, here's a marvellous opportunity coming your way for only a little longer. Eleven more days and your opportunity to give will have come and gone.

The way I see it, the Lord gives us opportunities to respond with generous hearts. In and around Detroit, we see many individuals holding signs asking for help at traffic interchanges. It's often inconvenient to try to give under those circumstances. And sometimes we may not trust those soliciting. Like yesterday when I gave $20 to a man in a shopping center parking lot who claimed he was a hurricane victim from Florida. I wasn't sure he was trustworthy, but I gave anyway. We need to be prudent, but we also know the Lord wants us to be charitable. Proverbs 21:13 says: "Those who shut their ears to the cries of the poor will be ignored in their own time of need."

If you can't give financially, please pray for the success of this fund-raiser. At least a Hail Mary. That's not hard and takes less than a minute. Pray, too, for this hard-working lady, this single mother of two. She's done many things for others in her turn that has gone unnoticed by those around her. She's a sister-in-Christ. If you are able to give something financially and believe the Lord is calling you to give, please give generously. Every donation helps. It all adds up.

A recent donor, concerned that our collective contribution won't be enough to help this woman buy reliable transportion, posted this colorful comment:

As a contributor and as someone who has had experience with $3000 cars and the scumbags who exploit the poorest among us by selling them crap cleaned up just well enough to get past the lemon law limit, let me say one thing we all know but maybe don't want to face: $3000 just isn't going to cut it. Not even close. Let's face facts, folks: that amount of money hasn't got anyone a quality motor vehicle since Richard Nixon was president.... C'mon folks, dig a little deeper!"

Think of it this way: when you give, you receive. You know this is true. We receive a profound spiritual blessing when we help others. So be 'greedy' for blessings and give generously! Seriously!

If you wish to send a check instead of giving online, please email me atblosser.philip@shms.edu for instructions.

Also, please note that when you click on the 'Donate' button, you will be re-directed to a page that says "Donate to Academy Press" (either by Paypal or credit card). 'Academy Press' is the name of the account which we're using to process donations for Tonya.

Thank you for your generosity!!

Thirteen more days of priceless opportunity!

Another generous donation today -- this one from a gentleman from a lovely corner of Quebec just south of Montreal just down a tree-lined road from a scenic lake. THANK YOU to all of our benefactors!

If you haven't recently enjoyed the gift of giving, here's a marvellous opportunity coming your way only a little less than two weeks longer. Such opportunities come and go. There's no compulsion involved. Purely voluntary. It's the way our Lord works, isn't it? He presents the opportunities; and then it's up to us how we respond.

Please pray for the success of this fund-raiser. At least a Hail Mary. That's not hard and takes less than a minute. Pray, too, for this hard-working lady, this single mother of two. She's done a lot for others in her turn and in her own way, even though she hasn't had it exactly easy. And, if you can and feel led, please give something. Even a little helps. It all adds up.

Think of it this way: when you give, you receive. You receive a profound spiritual blessing that comes from helping others. So be 'greedy' for blessings and give generously! Seriously!

Also, please note that when you click on the 'Donate' button, you will be re-directed to a page that says "Donate to Academy Press" (either by Paypal or credit card). 'Academy Press' is the name of the account which we're using to process donations for Tonya.

Thank you for your generosity. Sincerely!!

$1,097.07 and counting! Fund raiser update!

Just 14 more days! And, as promised, I'm reporting on our progress after the first week. Due to the exceptional generosity of a donation from someone in the environs of Buffalo, NY, we have, as of the end of Week One, broken through the $1,000.00 level in donations! Wow! I'm seriously impressed with all you folks! Thanks to all of you -- our many benefactors -- for their kindness and generosity in contributing to this worthy cause.

In two more weeks, we will present the lady we're calling 'Tonya' with a cashier's check for the total amount of our fund drive, to help her buy a reliable pre-owned vehicle to provide her with transportation to and from work. See HERE for details. At this point, my goal is to raise $3,000 for her. I can't wait to see her face!

$3,000. Is that realistic? First of all, is it realistic to think of raising that much money just from the charity of our readers? I'm not sure, but I'm inclined to think so. Catholics, especially faithful ones, tend to be a generous lot. They know their true treasure is not laid up here on earth where "moths and rust consume and thieves break in and steal" (Matthew 6:19). So they're generous in the categories of corporal and spiritual works of mercy. They lay up treasure in heaven, where its value will be eternal. And there are lots of non-Catholics who know all about being generous too.

Second, is it realistic, even assuming we can raise $3,000, to think that Tonya could buy a reliable pre-owned vehicle for that amount? I suppose that depends. If you wanted to buy a reliable car for, say, your daughter, would you consider it reasonable to shop for one in the $3,000 range? Hmmmmm ..... Dunno. But I'm also thinking that there may be individuals out there who may be willing, or know someone who is willing, to sell one of their existing vehicles -- perhaps one they've begun thinking about trading in -- for a generously discounted price. To Tonya.

There are different ways to be generous. If one can't share monetarily, it may be possible to discount a car you've been thinking about selling. If you can't do either of those, you can certainly pray for Tonya and for the success of this fund-raiser.

If you haven't given anything yet, please give generously.

Also, please note that when you click on the 'Donate' button, you will be re-directed to a page that says "Donate to Academy Press" (either by Paypal or credit card). 'Academy Press' is the name of the account which we're using to process donations for Tonya.

Thank you for your generosity. Sincerely!!

Donate. If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.

Today we received no donations. 16 more days! Perhaps as our friend Ann Marie suggests, I need to keep on sharing without interruption! For what are we soliciting funds? To help a single mom buy a reliable used car to get to and from work. See HERE for details.

Please give generously.

If you cannot give money, please pray for the success of this fund-raiser; and pray for Tonya and her family.
Thank you!!

Donate here (to help a single-mom in need) - 17 more days

Thanks to our most recent doners, who include my sister in Seattle, a former seminary student, a seminary colleague, and a friend from Franciscan University of Steubenville. Your generous gifts toward helping someone in need get reliable transportation to and from her job are most appreciated.

Again, I am humbled by the willingness of people (sometimes complete strangers to me) to reach out to help another complete stranger, especially as I am unable to provide photos, personal information, or tax write-offs. I continue to be in awe of people's large-hearted generosity and trust. Thank you.

The financial need is both genuine and great. If others among our readers are willing to step up, the 'Donate' button below should link directly do the 'Academy Press' account where you may use either Paypal or a credit card to make your donation.

Please give generously.

If you cannot give money, please pray for the success of this fund-raiser; and pray for Tonya and her family.
Thank you!!

Manfred Frings (1925-2008) R.I.P.

See the post "Manfred S. Frings (1925-2008) -- Requiescat in pace" (Philosophia Perennis, December 17, 2008).

Theodore Plantinga -- 1947-2008

I take note of the passing of the philosopher, Theodore Plantinga (not to be confused with Notre Dame's Reformed philosopher, Alvin Plantinga), not only because of his particular contributions to the field of Dilthey studies and historical philosophy from his perspective as a Reformed Christian, but because of his personal assistance to me in my days as a doctoral student in helping me formulate my dissertation topic in such a way that it brought together my interest then in the Dutch Reformed phenomenologist, Herman Dooyeweerd, with parallel strands in the German phenomenological tradition adjacent to that of Dietrich von Hildebrand and Karol Wojtyla (Pope John Paul II) in Max Scheler and the critique he leveled against the classical ethical formalism of Immanuel Kant. The yield of this line of advice, years later, was my publication of Scheler's Critique Of Kant's Ethics, Continental Thought Series, V. 22 (Athens, OH: Ohio University Press, 1995).

I never got to know Plantinga well, although I did read several of his books and articles, through which I gained considerable appreciation for his perspective and depth of analysis.

Here, in part, is how his university memorial reads under News and Events, "In Memoriam Professor Theodore Plantinga" (Redeemer University, Ancaster, Ontario, July 5, 2008):

It is with deep sadness that Redeemer University College announces the death of Dr. Theodore Plantinga, Professor and Chair of the Philosophy Department. Dr. Plantinga died peacefully at his home in Dundas on the evening of July 4, 2008 . Visitation will be held in St. James Anglican Church from 6:30 – 8:30 Tuesday evening (137 Melville, Dundas), and a memorial service will be held there on Wednesday at 1 pm.

Theo Plantinga was born in 1947 in Ee, Friesland , the Netherlands . His family emigrated to Canada when he was four, settling in Winnipeg , where he attended elementary and secondary schools. He went to university at Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Michigan , where he received a B.A. in philosophy in 1969. He subsequently completed a Masters degree, and a Ph.D. in philosophy at the University of Toronto (1975). His doctoral dissertation, published by the University of Toronto Press in 1980, was Historical Understanding in the Thought of Wilhelm Dilthey.

During the next two years, Dr. Plantinga held a full-time position as lecturer in philosophy at Bishops University in Lennoxville, Quebec. Subsequently, he was a translator and managing editor for Paideia Press in St. Catharines, Ontario. He was appointed Executive Director of College Development for the Ontario Christian College Association, founded to explore the possibility of starting a Reformed Christian liberal arts and science college in Ontario.

Plantinga spent the next quarter century as the chair of Redeemer's philosophy department during the institution's founding years. He also translated numerous books by Dutch authors into English, including volumes by the philosopher Herman Dooyeweerd. He also became managing editor of the Dooyeweerd Centre at Redeemer in 2005.

The memorial concludes with these words: "He had a lively wit, a vibrant faith, a ready laugh, a listening ear and a particular fondness for the eccentric. He will be greatly missed as a friend, colleague, teacher and mentor. 'Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints.'"

[Hat tip to C.B.]

Thank you Gary Broyhill!

Thank you Gary Broyhill, this works! Yes, this is my friend who is a technical genius at Lenoir Rhyne who performs exorcisms on the side. I couldn't quite understand the cryptic ancient incantations he uttered over my computer or whether the language was Latin, Greek or Ugaritic, but the machine was instantly exorcized.

By the way, this means that we are safely returned from the happy nether regions of the United States as well. Good trip.

Concern for Dale Price's health

I just learned about the prayer request for Dale Price offered by his wife Heather because of some concerns apparently related to possible heart problems. After a brief hospitalization, however, he's now back home with another appointment in late May and probably surgery sometime beyond that. Keep our friend Dale in your prayers.

Passing of a friend

Alexander Nikolaevich Shalfeieff died of a massive heart attack sustained while driving on the expressway, Sunday March 25, 2007, in Sapporo, Japan. No other cars or people were injured. Alex, or Sasha, was a childhood friend of mine. I remember his parents being called "White Russians," distinguishing them from the "Reds." They had escaped Communist Russia through China and come to Japan where they started over even though they were never able to establish citizenship. Their three sons, however, did acquire Japanese citizenship, which yielded some remarkable ironies, as when, speaking impeccable Japanese, they would try to pick fights with their fellow Japanese classmates in school by telling them that they were actually Koreans!

Alex was in my 8th and 9th grade classes at the Hokkaido International School in Sapporo several 'lifetimes' ago. He was a little older than the rest of us, much taller, and won many basketball games for us. Back in those days, most of the students attending the school were missionary kids, although there were some with parents in business and the diplomatic corps. Our home room teacher was a wonderful Missouri-Synod Lutheran gentleman (now deceased) by the name of Mr. Kempf. I remember Alex and I getting into trouble a couple of times with poor Mr. Kempf. Now the school has many more native Japanese students enrolled in order to improve their English proficiency for later study abroad.

My memories of the Shalfeieff family are both happy and sad. The happy memories include visits to their Sapporo home where Mrs. Ariadna Shalfeieff would fix us wonderful Russian meals, complete with piping hot hand-made peroshiki, which were about as good as anything you could imagine eating. They had a wonderful house with big cats dozing on the mantle and big hunting dogs they occasionally let into the living quarters. I also remember their home being open to all. On one occasion at dinner we had, as I recall, a Russian Orthodox family (the Shalfeieff's) hosting several Protestants, a Muslim, and, I think, a Jew. (Any Japanese visitor might have been simultaneously a Buddhist, Shintoist, and, in some sense, a Confucianist as well.) They were large-hearted folk who lived generously. To this day, Mrs. Shalfeieff sends my father an exquisite fruitcake every Christmas.

The sad memories include the progressive deaths of members of the Shalfeieff family. The father, Nikolai, died of a heart attack many years ago. Then, when the boys were in college, Andrei, the youngest of the three, suddenly and unexpectedly committed suicide, gassing himself to death in his Tokyo apartment. And now Alex, the eldest son, has died of a heart attack, leaving Peter, the middle son, to tend to his grieving mother. My friend, John Bell, whose daughter was received into the Church in Atlanta this Easter, also knew Alex. In fact, his family roomed and boarded the Shalfeieff boys during their high school years in Tokyo. He is still in shock over Alex's passing, as am I.

Over the years I have received many beautiful Christmas cards from Mrs. Shalfeieff, written in a magnificent hand, catching me up on family news and always asking for prayer for Andrei, the youngest son. I have prayed, in my poor fashion, as I have remembered to do so. Here I ask any of you willing to join us in remembering in your prayers the entire Shalfeieff family, the deceased (Nikolai, the father; Alex, the eldest son; Andrei, the youngest son), and those who survive them, the living (Ariadna, the mother; Peter, the middle son; and Alex's wife, Kay, and their children). May God be with them and be gracious to them, look kindly upon them, and give them peace.

Emily Bell presented as candidate for Easter Sacraments to Archbhishop Gregory

Over two years ago I posted something on the Bell family in Atlanta (Visiting friends in Atlanta, Monday, August 15, 2005). John Bell and I were friends from elementary school days in Japan. Like myself, he is a Catholic convert. Some of you may remember that his daughter recently resolved to become a Catholic. Last December I posted something about her (Wednesday, December 13, 2006), and I'm glad to report that she is now happily progressing through the RCIA program at St. Philip Benizi Catholic Church in a suburb of Atlanta and appears to be in good hands.

In the Archdiocese of Atlanta it is customary for the Archbishop to meet with all those being received into the Church through the RCIA process. The first meeting occurs at the Rite of Election. The Archdiocese is divided into four quadrants, and all members of RCIA programs gather in a church assigned to their quadrant where the Archbishop presides at the presentation of catechumens and candidates for Confirmation. The godparents of the catechumens and sponsors of the candidates are asked to stand with them.

As it was my privilege to stand as sponsor for John's lovely daughter, Emily, I drove to Atlanta this past weekend for the "Rite of Election and Call to Continuing Conversion" service on Saturday evening. Archbishop Wilton Gregory presided. Books containing the names of the enrolled Elect were presented parish-by-parish to the Archbishop, who received them ceremoniously. I was impressed by the ethnic diversity -- not only by the large number of Africans (in addition to African-Americans), and Hispanics, but also Asians. There was a particularly large representation of Vietnamese catechumens and candidates, including one entire Vietnamese parish, Our Lady of Viet Nam, Riverdale, GA. After the service, we saw a large group of some forty or fifty Vietnamese catechumens, candidates and their sponsors having their picture taken in the foyer of the church -- including a group of Vietnamese nuns.

John indulged our nostalgia for Japanese culinary fare and lavished us with dinners of sushi and elegant udon over the weekend. Emily also drove me out to the Monastery of the Holy Spirit in Conyers, GA, for a visit while we were there. Thank you John and Emily and family!

Please keep Emily in your prayers as she continues her way through the remaining weeks of Lent, makes her first Confession, and prepares for her reception into the Church at the Easter Vigil on Holy Saturday, April 7, just a little over a month hence.