SETTING GOALS ~ FINDING COURAGE TO OBTAIN THEM

Fr Augustine Tolton was the first black priest in the United States. He and his family were slaves. His father escaped, then went off to fight in the Civil War. Later his mother and the other children escaped, traveling a very long journey to get to the river to cross to freedom. It is a story about Augustine's faith in God, working in a factory much of the year, then for three months going to school. It was a time where blacks were oppressed, even in our churches, but Augustine maintain his faith in God. He wanted to be a priest. Several parish priests saw his goodness and started teaching him about God. Augustine wanted more. He started to clean the churches and help in any way that he could. The more he loved God, the more he wanted to become a priest to help his people. The parish priest and other priests started to help him more with his education. They too saw his potential of becoming a priest. They wrote to seminaries and religious communities to accept him but none would allow a negro to enter their communities or their seminaries.. but the priest would not give up his efforts to help Augustine back in the 1800. It was the church in Rome who accepted Augustine to come and join the seminary. Augustine left for Rome, traveling all alone, by trains, ships, horse and wagon to get to where he would study the priesthood. Knowing how hurtful people were to those of his color, he had great courage to follow his dream no matter what he would experience along the way. Augustine's life is a testimony to no matter how difficult our lives have been, we need courage to continue on no matter hard it will be to reach our goals and our potential in life... as Augustine did from going from being a slave to becoming a priest who was educated in Rome.

FR AUGUSTINE TOLTON CLICK HERE

A BOOK ABOUT FR AUGUSTINE TOLTON CLICK HERE

VIDEO ABOUT THE TOLTON STRUGGLES CLICK HERE

ARE YOU A GOOD SAMARITAN?

Small part of an article by fr. Timothy Radcliffe, o.p. the former master of the Dominican order.

An experiment was carried out in New York. A group of seminarians were asked to prepare a homily on the parable of the Good Samaritan, as part of learning how to preach. They prepared their texts in one building and then had to walk down the street to a studio, where it was recorded on video. An actor was dressed up as a wounded man lying on the pavement covered with blood, begging for help. 80% of them walked passed him and did not even see him. They studied the parable and even composed beautiful words about it, but they could walk by the wounded man and ignore him.

HOW CAN WE BE THE GOOD SAMARITAN TO HELP OTHERS THAT WE DON'T KNOW?

CLICK HERE FOR THE WHOLE ARTICLE

LITTLE BOOK OF HOPE

ARE YOU DEPRESSED? CLICK HERE

Life is tough. It is filled with injustices. It might seem that people don't care. I care. Look for places where you can find hope. Enclosed are a few articles that might encourage you. All things are passing. Have courage.

My little book of Hope has no pages. It is waiting to be written. Are there people out there wanting to write about Hope? There are people waiting to read about it. If we can save one person from killing themselves because they have lost Hope, then that is one person spared.

Click on the articles about Hope if you are in despair.

TAKE A MOMENT TO PRAY

Along my journey, I met many people who were suffering from long term abuse. I met people separated by war, some were able to escapee while others were unable to leave. There is over two million people in prisons, families who have been displaced, victims who were traumatized. There are children who are unwanted in all parts of this world with no one who wants them, especially the handicapped children. We who have so much choose to spend our money on things rather to make us feel better, but find no heart to help a poor child. Why are we so pulled away from helping others? By reaching out to others, we help ourselves. Take time and pray about your journey... where are you going with your life?

I felt so hopeless many years ago because I never felt I could recover from what happened to me. All those years being traumatized and what helped me through was my faith in God and to keep going on the journey even though I didn't think I could make it. So, I encourage you to keep going no matter how difficult it is to do so...

PATRON OF THE UNWANTED ~ Blessed Margaret

Blessed Margaret of Castello, was born blind, hunchback and one leg shorter than the other. Her noble parents were ashamed of her, locked her up for years in a cell in the forest, then abandoned her in the city of Castello, Italy where she became a beggar in order to survive. Later she was taken in by a family, became a Dominican then went out to help people in prison, and the unwanted. Click here to find more about Blessed Margaret. Pray for all those who are unwanted in this world that they might find hope.

THE BEGGAR SAINT Benedict Labre

Saint Benedict Joseph Labre had an unusal and difficult life. He was very poor and homeless but he became a saint which is God's way of showing that the ordinary who have nothing of their own can still focus their life on God and find hope for their life, NO MATTER WHAT RELIGION YOU ARE. click here for the life of St Benedict Labre.

ST CATHERINE'S HERMITAGE

St Catherine of Siena was torn between going out into the world to help the poor and living a contemplative life that was focused on the Lord. My St Catherine's Hermitage is a small retreat in the middle of town where I can be in prayer in a house of peace. It has a chapel where I go to pray.. where I can regroup again to go out into the world and help people. St Catherine of Siena was a person who was bold in her ways.. unafraid of standing up to Bishops who have lost their way, doing evil or hurting people by abusing their power. Even though I never thought I would become a Dominican and especially looking up to the life of St Catherine and Blessed Margaret of Castello the patron on the unwanted, I found that both their lives have encouraged my own vocation to continue on.

St Catherine of Siena

Blessed Margaret of Castello

~THE JOURNEY~ welcome

Everyone has their own journey that they are on and perhaps you would like to share your journey, too.

We might be on the same train which is taking us through this life as unique souls that we are.

Sr Paulina Quinn op