Hello, Coffee Talkers!
Well, I spent the last few days sans internet access, and somehow I survived. Whew! I'm sure this was good preparation for World Youth Day, where I am most certainly not lugging around my laptop and where any public internet access will be shared with a couple million of my friends from around the world.
What a lovely and enriching weekend! I took a small group from our parish to the Steubenville San Diego Catholic Youth Conference, sponsored by All for God Catholic and Franciscan University of Steubenville. It was a great conference, and an unexpected blessing was that I got to see a number of friends who I knew from my time working and studying in Steubenville. What fun!
Also, we made a trip to John Paul the Great Catholic University before going to the conference, and it was a great experience! We attended our first Chaldean Rite liturgy at the campus, which was beautiful. We also took a tour of the university, which is small but filled with excellent programs, and we drove by their campus housing. We all agreed (adults included) that we'd love to live in those beautiful San Diego apartments and go to JP Catholic!
Time for sleep, my friends. Thanks so much to all who prayed for the safety and success of our weekend. Thanks also for stopping by Coffee Talk, and be assured of my prayers!
Peace and all good,
Leslie
Showing posts with label Franciscan University of Steubenville. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Franciscan University of Steubenville. Show all posts
Sunday, July 31, 2011
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Steubenville San Diego!
The conference is tomorrow, everybody! Steubenville San Diego! It's a rockin' conference for high school youth, and I'm going for the first time as a chaperone (since my days of youth have come and gone, my friends, as one knows when people start referring to you as 'Ma'am' or 'lady'). Woo-hoo! And we're leaving tomorrow morning so we can stop by John Paul the Great Catholic University, where my friends have graciously set our little group up for campus Mass, tour, and lunch, Oh, yeah!
In traditional Leslie fashion, I am still not ready to leave in the morning, so gotta go!
Pray for us, por favor!
Peace and all good,
Leslie
In traditional Leslie fashion, I am still not ready to leave in the morning, so gotta go!
Pray for us, por favor!
Peace and all good,
Leslie
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
The Answer to the Trivia That No One Cares About Anymore!
Hello, Coffee Talkers!
A few of you might actually remember the Ultimate Coffee Talk Trivia post from over a week ago. I actually forgot myself, which is why I'm finally giving the final answer tonight! My friend and Coffee Talk reader, AE, correctly translated "Steubenvincensis, Ave!" -- it does, in fact, mean "Hail, Steubenville." And she was correct to say that the English translation comes from the first two words of the Alma Mater of Franciscan University of Steubenville. For this amazing feat, she will get an amazing prize (which I still have not chosen, muchless sent, because I am busy and forgetful)!
But the Latin phrase itself represents the final words of the Alma Mater, which has a little known final verse IN LATIN! Seriously, what school has an alma mater that ends with a Latin verse? Franciscan University of Steubenville, that's who.
I only know this because one year, the Student Life Office decided they wanted to have a recording made of the Alma Mater with it's 4-part harmony. For some strange reason, I was asked to sing soprano (which stretched into the range of sound that only dogs can hear), and four of us were asked to go to a recording studio in downtown Steubenville to lay down the tracks for this amazing recording. It was then that I saw the final Latin verse, but I could not convince anyone else that it should be included in our rendition. The only part of this story that can be any stranger than my having sung soprano or my discovery of the long-lost Latin verse was the fact that the University (which is known for its Franciscan poverty!) actually paid us to sing and make the recording. Like, they paid us money, not free snacks or something. So I guess that means that I've been a professional vocal recording artist. Huh. I'll have to add that to the old resume sometime!
Here's a somewhat painful rendition of the two English verses, with a bunch of pictures of people I know! (Sadly, that Latin verse is still nowhere to be found.)
Steubenvincensis, Ave!
Peace and all good,
Leslie
A few of you might actually remember the Ultimate Coffee Talk Trivia post from over a week ago. I actually forgot myself, which is why I'm finally giving the final answer tonight! My friend and Coffee Talk reader, AE, correctly translated "Steubenvincensis, Ave!" -- it does, in fact, mean "Hail, Steubenville." And she was correct to say that the English translation comes from the first two words of the Alma Mater of Franciscan University of Steubenville. For this amazing feat, she will get an amazing prize (which I still have not chosen, muchless sent, because I am busy and forgetful)!
But the Latin phrase itself represents the final words of the Alma Mater, which has a little known final verse IN LATIN! Seriously, what school has an alma mater that ends with a Latin verse? Franciscan University of Steubenville, that's who.
I only know this because one year, the Student Life Office decided they wanted to have a recording made of the Alma Mater with it's 4-part harmony. For some strange reason, I was asked to sing soprano (which stretched into the range of sound that only dogs can hear), and four of us were asked to go to a recording studio in downtown Steubenville to lay down the tracks for this amazing recording. It was then that I saw the final Latin verse, but I could not convince anyone else that it should be included in our rendition. The only part of this story that can be any stranger than my having sung soprano or my discovery of the long-lost Latin verse was the fact that the University (which is known for its Franciscan poverty!) actually paid us to sing and make the recording. Like, they paid us money, not free snacks or something. So I guess that means that I've been a professional vocal recording artist. Huh. I'll have to add that to the old resume sometime!
Here's a somewhat painful rendition of the two English verses, with a bunch of pictures of people I know! (Sadly, that Latin verse is still nowhere to be found.)
Steubenvincensis, Ave!
Peace and all good,
Leslie
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Contest Still Rockin', and GUESS WHO I SAW TONIGHT?!?!
Alright, Coffee Talkers!
Y'all are good! An initial congrats goes out to my friend AE, who scored about one million and two points in last night's Coffee Talk contest. But I'm still looking for a little more. There's gotta be someone out there who knows where the Latin words themselves come from. Come on, lovers of useless Catholic trivia (And Franciscan University of Steubenville staff and alumni, in particular) -- don't fail me now!
And tonight, I attended a Mass in honor of St. Gianna Molla, celebrated by Fr. Frank Pavone of the Priests for Life, and featuring guest speaker GIANNA EMMANUELLA MOLLA!!!! Ahhhhh!!!! She is the youngest daughter of St. Gianna, and St. Gianna died shortly after her birth.
There are so many stories to tell you all! Maybe I'll have to do a series on it! But for now, sleep. And MORE CONTEST! Please, don't forget the contest. We're just getting warmed up here.
Peace and all good,
Leslie
Y'all are good! An initial congrats goes out to my friend AE, who scored about one million and two points in last night's Coffee Talk contest. But I'm still looking for a little more. There's gotta be someone out there who knows where the Latin words themselves come from. Come on, lovers of useless Catholic trivia (And Franciscan University of Steubenville staff and alumni, in particular) -- don't fail me now!
And tonight, I attended a Mass in honor of St. Gianna Molla, celebrated by Fr. Frank Pavone of the Priests for Life, and featuring guest speaker GIANNA EMMANUELLA MOLLA!!!! Ahhhhh!!!! She is the youngest daughter of St. Gianna, and St. Gianna died shortly after her birth.
There are so many stories to tell you all! Maybe I'll have to do a series on it! But for now, sleep. And MORE CONTEST! Please, don't forget the contest. We're just getting warmed up here.
Peace and all good,
Leslie
Thursday, June 23, 2011
Transforming Grief into Love -- Rachel Muha Wins National Award
Hello, Coffee Talkers!
This week, Rachel Muha of Westerville, Ohio was selected as a Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Award recipients and designated as an "Unsung Hero" recognized for her extraordinary and selfless volunteer work in the community. I could think of no one more deserving of this honor, and I would like to share a bit more of her story here.
It's now been over a decade since I first met Rachel Muha. I was traveling around the USA with NET Ministries, and my team was going to be hosted by the Muha family for Thanksgiving. One of my teammates was a close friend of Ms. Muha's elder son Chris, and our entire team (11 hungry people!) were graciously hosted by the Muhas for our Thanksgiving holiday and break. We stayed many places with many different people during that year, but this visit is one that I will never forget.
Not only was I moved by the generosity of the Muhas to take their friend and his ten never-before-introduced teammates into their home and family, but I was especially amazed at Rachel and Chris Muha's extraordinary example of mercy and compassion. Just a year before our visit, Ms. Muha's younger son, Brian (along with one of his roommates) was brutally murdered; it was only their second Thanksgiving without Brian when they hosted our team.
It was obvious during our stay that Rachel, Chris, and their extended family (with whom we enjoyed a lovely Thanksgiving meal) were still grieving, and they spoke about Brian during our visit. But somehow they transformed that pain and loss into a living witness of mercy unlike anything I've witnessed before.
I remember one story in particular that Ms. Muha shared with us. She said that, two summers before, her son Brian and his friend Aaron were going to be living off campus while they took summer classes at Franciscan University of Steubenville. Brian knew that his mom was concerned for him, as it was his first time living both away from home and not in the campus dorms. So Brian sent his mom some flowers with a little note.
Even through my brief encounter with her, I have been profoundly moved by Rachel Muha's example, especially as a merciful mother and person committed to bettering the lives of others, especially young people and children. Read more about Rachel Muha, the good work she has done, and the award she received here, and learn about the Brian Muha Memorial Foundation here.
Peace and all good,
Leslie
This week, Rachel Muha of Westerville, Ohio was selected as a Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Award recipients and designated as an "Unsung Hero" recognized for her extraordinary and selfless volunteer work in the community. I could think of no one more deserving of this honor, and I would like to share a bit more of her story here.
It's now been over a decade since I first met Rachel Muha. I was traveling around the USA with NET Ministries, and my team was going to be hosted by the Muha family for Thanksgiving. One of my teammates was a close friend of Ms. Muha's elder son Chris, and our entire team (11 hungry people!) were graciously hosted by the Muhas for our Thanksgiving holiday and break. We stayed many places with many different people during that year, but this visit is one that I will never forget.
Not only was I moved by the generosity of the Muhas to take their friend and his ten never-before-introduced teammates into their home and family, but I was especially amazed at Rachel and Chris Muha's extraordinary example of mercy and compassion. Just a year before our visit, Ms. Muha's younger son, Brian (along with one of his roommates) was brutally murdered; it was only their second Thanksgiving without Brian when they hosted our team.
It was obvious during our stay that Rachel, Chris, and their extended family (with whom we enjoyed a lovely Thanksgiving meal) were still grieving, and they spoke about Brian during our visit. But somehow they transformed that pain and loss into a living witness of mercy unlike anything I've witnessed before.
I remember one story in particular that Ms. Muha shared with us. She said that, two summers before, her son Brian and his friend Aaron were going to be living off campus while they took summer classes at Franciscan University of Steubenville. Brian knew that his mom was concerned for him, as it was his first time living both away from home and not in the campus dorms. So Brian sent his mom some flowers with a little note.
Something wonderful happened on the morning of Brian's death, before we knew that he was even missing. A beautiful bouquet of white roses touched with a hint of pink arrived for Brian's mother, bearing a note from her son in his own handwriting: "Just wanted to say hello even though I'm away. Love, Bri."Later, when Brian and Aaron's bodies were found on a Pennsylvania hill, their heads were resting on thorns, but covered by a canopy of roses -- the same color that Brian had sent. One of the roses from that hill took root outside of the Muha's home, where they grow to this day.
Even through my brief encounter with her, I have been profoundly moved by Rachel Muha's example, especially as a merciful mother and person committed to bettering the lives of others, especially young people and children. Read more about Rachel Muha, the good work she has done, and the award she received here, and learn about the Brian Muha Memorial Foundation here.
Peace and all good,
Leslie
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
Does It Matter Who Said What?
Hello, Coffee Talkers!
By now, many of you have probably seen this article about the quote that was partially misattributed to Martin Luther King, Jr. and spread like wildfire through the lands of Facebook and Twitter. The quote was being spread in response to the death of Osama bin Laden, and went a little something like this:
Some took this as a real "you can't believe everything you see on the internet" kind of moment, while others ask, "What's the big deal, anyway? It was a good quote, no matter who said it."
So what do you think? As always, I have thoughts of my own, but for now in the true spirit of Coffee Talk, I open up the comment box for you all to 'talk amongst yourselves.'
Naturally, the internet did not introduce the dawn of misattributing of quotes. You've probably all heard the 'Peace Prayer' of St. Francis of Assisi, which I learned (while studying at Franciscan University of Steubenville) was not written by St. Francis at all. But still, it's a lovely prayer.
So what's your opinion? Does it matter who said something, and if so, why? Or does the significance of a statement rest entirely on its content, and not its author or speaker?
Don't be shy. Talk amongst yourselves!
In the meantime, I'm going to bed. Sick kiddos are sleeping, and so must I, lest the sleep be interrupted many times during the night. Prayers are appreciated!
Peace and all good,
Leslie
By now, many of you have probably seen this article about the quote that was partially misattributed to Martin Luther King, Jr. and spread like wildfire through the lands of Facebook and Twitter. The quote was being spread in response to the death of Osama bin Laden, and went a little something like this:
"I mourn the loss of thousands of precious lives, but I will not rejoice in the death of one, not even an enemy." -- Martin Luther King, Jr.So apparently, this is the real scoop:
Megan McArdle, a blogger at the Atlantic, tracked the original quote down to Jessica Dovey, a recent Penn State grad living in Kobe, Japan, who posted this as her Facebook status:I will mourn the loss of thousands of precious lives, but I will not rejoice in the death of one, not even an enemy. "Returning hate for hate multiplies hate, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars. Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate, only love can do that." MLK Jr.The first sentence is Ms. Dovey's own, followed by a quotation from King's 1963 book, "Strength to Love." At some point along the way, the quote marks vanished, and Dovey's words got mixed up with King's. Subsequently, the quote was shortened, leaving only Dovey's line, now attributed to the civil rights leader.
Some took this as a real "you can't believe everything you see on the internet" kind of moment, while others ask, "What's the big deal, anyway? It was a good quote, no matter who said it."
So what do you think? As always, I have thoughts of my own, but for now in the true spirit of Coffee Talk, I open up the comment box for you all to 'talk amongst yourselves.'
Naturally, the internet did not introduce the dawn of misattributing of quotes. You've probably all heard the 'Peace Prayer' of St. Francis of Assisi, which I learned (while studying at Franciscan University of Steubenville) was not written by St. Francis at all. But still, it's a lovely prayer.
So what's your opinion? Does it matter who said something, and if so, why? Or does the significance of a statement rest entirely on its content, and not its author or speaker?
Don't be shy. Talk amongst yourselves!
In the meantime, I'm going to bed. Sick kiddos are sleeping, and so must I, lest the sleep be interrupted many times during the night. Prayers are appreciated!
Peace and all good,
Leslie
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Thank you, Fr. Michael Scanlan!
Hello, Coffee Talkers!
I want to share a beautiful video tribute to Fr. Michael Scanlan, TOR.
Fr. Mike is the former president and chancellor of Franciscan University of Steubenville (where I completed graduate school and worked for several years) who is now retiring after 50 years of faithful service. There is so much that I could say about his wonderful man and priest, but for now I'll let the video speak for itself. It is a very worthwhile investment of 12 minutes of your time. Enjoy, and Fr. Mike, thank you!
Peace and all good,
Leslie
I want to share a beautiful video tribute to Fr. Michael Scanlan, TOR.
Fr. Mike is the former president and chancellor of Franciscan University of Steubenville (where I completed graduate school and worked for several years) who is now retiring after 50 years of faithful service. There is so much that I could say about his wonderful man and priest, but for now I'll let the video speak for itself. It is a very worthwhile investment of 12 minutes of your time. Enjoy, and Fr. Mike, thank you!
Peace and all good,
Leslie
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