[A] certain German-speaking Trappist abbey in the last century was smothered with frescoes of the most alarming kind. Symbols of death and dissolution confronted the eye at every turn, and in the refectory the beckoning torso of a painted skeleton, equipped with an hour glass and a scythe, leant, with the terrifying archness of a […]
TRAVEL
BEYOND THE NOISE OF ANY POSSIBLE INTRUSION
I have had many months of “coping.” You know what I mean–day after day of administrative, car, computer, medical, and people snafus. Plus it is finally dawning on me, at my age many men and women have “retired!” That is not in the cards for me. I own no home. I have no spouse, no […]
“IF YOU CAN’T STAND YOUR PROBLEMS, TRY KNEELING”
Back from Pittsburgh–loved it, loved the people, loved the whole experiences. Just stellar. Possibly more later, after I get some sleep. While there, I put in a request to be an honorary Yinz. ***** The three best pieces I’ve read on the sexual abuse in the Church. “Here Comes Everybody: On prayer, the lessons of […]
COME VISIT WITH ME IN PITTSBURGH!!
I am off to Pittsburgh, PA for the weekend! That’s right. The good people of St. Louise de Marillac Parish and others are welcoming me. If you can’t read the flyer, the details are on my Events Page. I’m giving three talks, the first on Friday night, the second on Sat morn 10:30 and the third […]
THE DEAREST FRESHNESS DEEP DOWN THINGS
I have been traveling and am feeling just a teensy bit drained as in I am going to Logan six hours early Friday to try to get on stand-by for the three flights back to LA before mine. Yes! Eager to be back in my little sanctuary: my own bed, my own coffee-maker, my own […]
A SHORT TRIP TO NEW YORK
Life is speeding by so quickly that I’m not able to quite catch up. Last week at this time I was in NYC. I was in town to accept an award from the Association of Catholic Publishers: Holy Desperation (Loyola Press) won first place in the “Inspiration” category and Best Book of the Year. As […]
MORE ON OXFORD AND AN AWARD
My humble arts and culture column just won a Catholic Press Association First Place for the second year running: Catholic Press Association 2018: M05a: BEST REGULAR COLUMN: Spiritual Life First Place Angelus, “Crux” by Heather King Standout set of entries featuring well-written content regarding important issues of the day.” Here’s this week’s column: Every so often […]
SAFE HOME
I flew back to LA yesterday from Heathrow, my week in Oxford having been completed. In my mind, I divided the trip into segments, so as to mark progress along the way instead of pulsating with the ungodly thought that all told I was going to spend 18 hours or so in transit. There was […]
A FIELD TRIP TO THE UK
I jetted o’er the Atlantic Wednesday eve and since Thursday have been in the charming if tourist-infested (I of course am one of them) city of Oxford. It stays light till past 9 here. Last night before a late dinner I went for a constitutional across Port Meadow, an ancient stretch of uncultivated common land […]
THE WOMEN WHO SAVED THE CALIFORNIA DESERTS
The Mojave National Preserve boasts 1.6 million acres of desert scrub, mountains, mesas, canyons, abandoned homesteads, and sand dunes. You motor up the 15, jump off at Baker and, instead of heading west for Death Valley, turn east instead. It’s free. No permit is required. And you’re very much on your own. After leaving the […]
WAITING FOR THE SWALLOWS TO RETURN TO SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO
March 19 is the Feast of St. Joseph. Only many years after coming into the Church did I learn that it’s a day, for Italians at least, upon which Lenten fasting is (perhaps unofficially) lifted (except for meat). Such is the fate of converts, sweating tears of blood as we refrain from, say, sugar, while […]
NEW PHONE ADVENTURES
Well, I had an exciting week. Tuesday I had a colonoscopy, my first and perhaps only–I won’t go into the trauma except to say I don’t consider myself overly babyish or squeamish but I found the whole really two-day affair to be so seriously invasive that I marvel so many people undergo the procedure again […]
LMU’S CASA DE LA MATEADA
Casa de la Mateada is a study-abroad experience, offered by our own Loyola Marymount University, that takes place over the course of a semester in Córdoba, Argentina. The program is built on four “pillars”: Community, Accompaniment, Spirituality, and Academics. Its name derives from “the beloved Argentinian drink, mate, often shared among families, friends and communities […]