Spring comes

66. The coming of spring

67. Seeing grass again - even if it is all brown and dried.

68. Going for a walk with Matthias down to the river.

69. The surprise of rediscovering countless little seashells on the island in the middle.

70. The jar of shells, stones, and river-glass sitting on my window sill.

I thought we all agreed to hate Trojans?

Last night I dropped by the store to pick up shampoo and stuff. As I stood there wondering what brand to get, I turned my head and saw a tall, clean cut guy with a Notre Dame ball cap - clearly a student - surveying the condom display.

I almost said something. I could I have dropped any number of one-liners crafted to make him think for half a second about his situation - or at least embarrass the heck out of him. The top of the list was "You know, there's a reason they sell pregnancy tests next to condoms."

But, I held my tongue and walked away in disgust.

A few minutes later I returned to the scene. The Domer was gone, and in his place was a young teenage couple standing close together picking out - you guessed it - pregnancy tests.


Case in point.

Viewing & Funeral Details for Gail Walton

For those of you in the area who would like to pay your respects here are the viewing and funeral details for Gail Walton:

Viewing:
Monday, March 1, 2010
4:00-8:00pm
Kaniewski Funeral Home
3545 North Bendix Drive
South Bend

Funeral:
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
9:30am
Basilica of the Sacred Heart at Notre Dame

The Notre Dame Liturgical Choir will sing the Mass.

Please continue to keep Gail's family in your prayers.

Eternal rest grant unto her, O Lord.

RIP Gail Walton

RIP Gail Walton

Yesterday, around 5:00p.m. Gail Walton, beloved director of the Notre Dame Liturgical Choir, coordinator of the Basilica Choirs, wife and mother passed from this vale of tears after a battle with leukemia at the age of 55.

It's difficult to begin to write about Gail. She was an amazing and wonderful woman, so selfless and tireless.

As Director of Music at the Basilica of the Sacred Heart at the University of Notre Dame, a position she held since 1988, Gail was extremely influential in liturgical music. She was an excellent musician, married to another wonderful musician, ND organ professor Craig Cramer. They were "the cutest couple" in everyone's eyes - especially when they played dual organ recitals.

Gail was everyone's second mom. She was always looking out for you, but she never looked out for her self. Last year she hurt her foot - falling off a stool if I remember correctly. The doctors told her the foot had to rest and be in its boot until it healed. But how do you play organ with a boot on your foot? So she took it off. I scolded her after one of our rehearsals (she was not only director of the Liturgical Choir, but assistant director of the Women's Liturgical Choir to which I belong) and told her she had to take care herself. She laughed and said she'd be ok. That was Gail. Our head director visited her just before Christmas. The doctors had allowed her to return home for a period, so long as she was strictly on bedrest. Was Gail following the doctors' orders? Of course not. She was baking, trimming the tree and doing all manner of things around the house. That was Gail. She was a such a wonderful woman...Absolutely unstoppable.

She was a perfectionist too and always drove us to be the best we could be. Everyone loved Gail. She will be missed so much - she already is. It's hard to believe she's gone.

Please take a moment to pray for Gail and her family, especially her husband. This has been so difficult for him.


Requiescat in pace.
In Paradisum deducant angeli...Chorus angelorum te suscipiat...Aeternam habeas requiem.


Gail conducts the Liturgical Choir in a 2008 concert:

(The Mawby Ave Verum (at the 5:20 mark) is one of my favorites)

Update: I've expanded this post over the Pious Sodality of Church Ladies. Funeral details are posted here. Thank you for your continued prayers for Gail and her family. Please remember the Notre Dame community, particularly the Choirs as well.

Earthquake?

One of our volunteers came in today and I asked if I felt the earthquake.

Earthquake? What earthquake?

Turns out there was one outside of Chicago, and it work up our volunteer (but not her husband). She thought she was crazy at first, and then she turned on the news: yup, there was an earthquake.

Did anyone else in the area feel it? Or did you all sleep through it like I did?

Mondays, Mondays

61. A Saturday with nowhere to be

62. My new toy - a cell phone with music playing capabilites! (It's been 11 months since my technology died)Since we got new cell phones recently I've been using old cell phones until they die completely or just going without. Still no internet at home though...but you know what, that's ok. Technology is overrated and takes you away from the people around you.

63. An updated blog layout. It's been the first time I can think of that my blog is not black. I think I like it. What do you think?

64. 3 consecutive days of sun in South Bend!

65. A Monday that's not half as bad as I expected

Movie Review: The Good Shepherd

Last night we decided to rent "The Good Shepherd." The movie, made in 2006, is a loose interpretation of the founding and early operations of the CIA.

It can neatly be summed up in one word: Depressing.

If you want to laugh, or even just smile, don't bother watching. Matt Damon's character, Edward Wilson, fails in every way.

The movie's website advertises the film as follows:

Matt Damon, Angelina Jolie and Robert De Niro star in this powerful thriller about the birth of the CIA. Edward Wilson (Damon) believes in America, and will sacrifice everything he loves to protect it. But as one of the covert founders of the CIA, Edward's youthful idealism is slowly eroded by his growing suspicion of the people around him. Everybody has secrets...but will Edward's destroy him? With an all-star cast including Alec Baldwin, Billy Crudup, William Hurt, Timothy Hutton and John Turturro, it's the gripping story David Ansen of Newsweek hails as "spellbinding."

It sounds gripping, but I didn't find the movie nearly as compelling as the synopsis.

Wilson, the main character, did not appear idealist, enthusiastic, or willing to sacrifice anything. Rather, he seemed to be a robotic yes-man, constantly seeking approval (just as his son later does in the movie) - not so much a dreamer as a droid.

The movie goes like this:
[SPOILER WARNING!]

"Hey, we want to you be in Skull and Bones"
"Uh. Sure"
"Hey tell us your darkest secret"
"Uh. Sure"
Girlfriend 1: "Sleep with me!"
"Uh. Sure"
Random Girl at Party: "Make a baby with me: NOW!"
"Uh. Sure"
Girl's Brother: "She's pregnant, marry her."
"Uh. Sure"
CIA Founder: "Be a CIA Agent"
"Uh. Sure"
CIA Founder: "Go to Europe now"
"Uh. Sure"
Random European Woman: "Sleep with me!"
"Uh. Sure"
"Do this!"
"Uh. Sure"
"Do that!"
"Uh. Sure"

I will note that Damon's character supposed to be known for his cold, stone-faced, emotionless nature. Damon did a good job playing the role. But none of Wilson's actions ever were his own. He always moved, spoke, acted in response to someone else. I think the only free action he ever does is ask his wife to name their son after him. (And how uncreative is that?)

The movie is an interesting one to watch if you're into psychology and want to analyze father-son relationships. There's certainly a lot of good material there.

It's also a great movie to watch if you need a guide to: 1) Why you should not randomly hook up at parties, 2) How to be a bad husband, and 3) How to be a really bad father.

The movie reminded me of one of those depressing "classic" novels you read in high school just to pull apart literary themes, devices, allusions and the like. If you would like an exercise that, then watch the movie. From that standpoint it's well done and certainly has far more substance than your average flick; but be warned: this ranks as one of the most depressing, soul-killing movies I have ever seen.

RIP - Ralph McInerny

Prof. Ralph McInerny past into eternal life at 7:45 this morning.

To be honest, while I can't stop crying right now, I also can't help smiling just a little at how fitting it is that Prof. McInerny leaves this Earth the day after the feast his beloved Thomas Aquinas. Prof. McInerny was one of my most favorite professors. He was always so sweet and always had some witty remark.

I think the last time I saw him was at a lecture a bit over a year ago. He was lecturing on Baron Corvo for the Center for Ethics and Culture. While the lecture series was to encourage the audience to read the works of the featured authors, dear Ralph had nothing good to say about Corvo. It was a wonderful, hilarious lecture.

Other memories of Ralph:
My Dante & Aquinas class enjoying an end-of-the-semester dinner with our professor:



Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon him.
May his soul and the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.


Other links:
First Things
Francis Beckwith

Helping your PRC: Prayer

Today marks the 37th anniversary of the Roe vs. Wade decision.

Over 50,600,000 children have been killed through legal, surgical abortion since that day.

Above all else: pray

Eternal Father, You are the Creator and Source of all life. Bless and protect all children threatened by abortion. Open the hearts of their parents and those who would seek to destroy their lives.

Strengthen all fathers. Make them mirrors of Your boundless love and protection so that they may defend and provide for their children.

Comfort all mothers. Reveal Your unmeasurable goodness to them so that they may place their trust in You and nourish the lives which You have entrusted to them.

Enlighten all lawmakers, doctors, and healthcare providers so that they may come to a deeper understanding and reverence for all human life, from the very moment of conception until natural death.

We ask these things in the name of Our Lord, Jesus Christ, Your beloved and only Son, Whom You sent to deliver us from the bonds of sin, and Who reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, One God forever and ever. Amen.

March for Life 2010

The folks at AUL (Americans United for Life) have created something that deserves a prize. I'm just not sure which prize it deserves.

Now you have the opportunity to march online, alongside your fellow pro-lifers - even if you can't be in Washington. AUL Action is proud to host the first Virtual March for Life.

It will only take seconds, sign up, select your own "avatar" and then invite your pro-life friends and family to participate as well. It's the best way to "be there" even if you can't be there.

You can also check out the avatars of Leaders Marching for Life.

I think my favorite is Joe the Plumber:



I'm not sure what they were going for, but last time I checked, Our Man Joe didn't have yellow eyebrows:




For whatever it's worth, though, feel free to head on over there and join the throngs. When you're done you can find yourself on the Mall.



It's nice, and all that, but in a couple hours, I'm going to be boarding a bus along with many, many other Domers and making the 12 hour trek down there so I can be at the March in person!

By the way, in case you were wondering, Notre Dame is sponsoring 8 buses with a total of over 370 students (a record breaking year!) In addition, over 30 faculty and staff members will join them in D.C. along with numerous alumni and friends.

Go Irish, Save Babies!

Please keep us, and all marchers, mothers, fathers, babies, and lawmakers in your prayers.

Thank you.