Dorothy Day, who loved the poor to the point of sainthood, warned us do-gooders that the poor can wear you out. But a sorta Ponzi-scheme with nacatamales and the spirit of people who just keep going can reveal the joy.
So many of the missives that come from the small town of Las Vegas lately have seemed to be about death -- and indeed, another funeral Mass and novena feature in this month's stories. But people are also healing, and going to the circus and celebrating the Feast of the Holy Cross.
I’m sorry that these newsletters sound like a litany of 'bring out your dead.' It just seems there’s another serious illness every week. But vaccinating pets, building a new wall around the church and father's day celebrations brought community, all leading up to the most touching religious days.
A woman in her 50s, the wife of an alcoholic, dies of liver cancer. A young man,18, who had been part of the author's life when he first came to Honduras, is gunned down. An woman, 98, dies of illness, leaving her husband to mourn and pray.
Three deaths, with birthdays and reunions woven in, show how people are all interconnected. In this installment of his missives home, Dulick sees all of this as part of God's plan and hopes that, like Pi, readers might choose to ride with the tiger.
The day the world was supposed to end, Dulick was robbed. But in the season and in remembrance of his own prayers, he found a way to forgive. He also found ways to celebrate Chemo's grade school graduation, birthdays and a child's restoration to health at a center supported in part by students Charley Merriott brings each year.
It's time for Chemo's math test. The president of the soccer club collapsed and died of a heart attack at only 32. Man who tried to enter the U.S. illegally returns after an abusive jail stay. The priest announces that Santa Claus is “gringo” invention of Coca-Cola advertising.
The second funeral in four months for Michael Dulick -- his big brother John in July, his little brother Bob in October. The second was even harder, and while Michael was in St. Louis his mentor, Fr. John Kavanaugh, S.J., died. And back in Honduras, another funeral.
The Beacon regularly prints Michael Dulick's monthly reports from his life lived simply, but with triumphant and tragic personal stories, in Honduras. One constant in recent months has been his concern that his son Chemo needs further cardiac surgery. The doctor's report is in.
Chemo’s “majority” means I lose my parental role as his foster-father. I apparently did a little too much thinking out loud, since he kept asking me if he had to move out. I kept re-assuring him -- and myself -- that our relationship was the same as ever, even closer, best of friends.
Chemo · Miguel Dulick · Ray Pease · Dona Julia · Mike Baldwin
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Meeting in St. Louis next week, the Leadership Conference of Women Religious will have its first opportunity as an assembled group to consider what to do after the Vatican issued a mandate for change this spring. It calls on the conference to reorganize and more strictly observe church teachings.
When a family of four goes to the St. Louis Zoo, they can be forgiven for not knowing it will cost them $60, $72 if they park. If they can't pay, the alternative is to tell the kids they can't do what kids do at the zoo.
Missouri House Speaker Steve Tilley gave reporters less than a half-hour’s notice today when he announced that conservative commentator Rush Limbaugh’s sculptured bust will be formally installed in the Capitol at 1 p.m.
The suggestions come in the wake of Missouri Supreme Court ruling that upheld the law allowing students who live in unaccredited school districts to transfer to accredited ones.
The St. Louis County Council gave its final blessing to merge some duties of city and county economic development agencies, a move that ratifies the plan announced earlier this year. The partnership will focus on business retention, expansion and entrepreneurship.
Some in Missouri and Illinois were singled out for excellence; others were branded with a consumer alert, that would-be teachers should be wary. The national group that did the survey said it will be repeated annually, said the evaluating group's president Kate Walsh.
The Beacon's Mary Delach Leonard and Rob Koenig extensively covered flooding in 2011 in Missouri. Now this coverage is compiled in an iBook. Read the stories.
The Kranzberg Arts Center, the Ethical Society and the Tavern of Fine Arts have been added as venues this year, with the last location hosting a free concert. The programs, which feature established works and new composers, will also be at the Wool Theater at the Jewish Community Center.
Bryan Payne, a St. Louis native, and Kristin Cassidy, who is not, use their city dwelling as a continually evolving canvas to display their finds. Here, Payne says, people can readily find the tools for art so "it's just up to them if they want to make it."
Duff's, a mainstay of the Central West End since Karen Duffy opened it in 1972, is closing its doors this month. Over the years, Duff's developed a reputation for reasonably priced, imaginative menus and a good selection of wines. But what made Duff's invaluable were the poetry readings on Monday evenings.
Donna Korando is the Beacon's arts and features editor. You can contact her at dkorando@stlbeacon.org.
As St. Louis gears up to be a part of events for National Small Business Week in which local entrepreneurs Jack Dorsey and David Steward will play prominent roles, the area's SBA director feels that the Gateway City's climate for entrepreneurs and small businesses is improving.
Mark Lynas, a noted British author and environmentalist, spoke Thursday at the Donald Danforth Plant Science center about his conversion from an anti-genetically modified crop activist to a proponent of GM plants.
St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay said the initiative is about keeping start-up businesses “here when they become successful and grow jobs here as well, rather than just being some sort of training ground for Silicon Valley companies.”
Innovation and entrepreneurial activity are on the rise in St. Louis, especially in bioscience, technology and alternative energy. The Beacon's InnovationSTL section focuses on the people who are part of this wave, what they're doing and how this is shaping our future. To many St. Louisans, this wave is not yet visible. InnovationSTL aims to change that. We welcome you to share your knowledge, learn more about this vibrant trend and discuss its impact.
Tossing a high school graduation cap into the air typically signals the launch of a bigger life. But a new study shows that's often not the case for young people with autism.
Recent research out of Mizzou suggests that excessive use of Facebook can have negative effects on romantic relationships, including cheating, breaking up and divorce. The negative impact tends to be on newer relations, under three years duration. Doctoral student Russell Clayton advocates more moderate Facebook use to prevent its threats.
The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled against a company that had patents on genes linked to higher risks for breast and ovarian cancers. The ruling is disliked by a biotechnology industry group, but is praised by university researchers.
Sally Altman is the Beacon's Health and Science editor. You can contact her at saltman@stlbeacon.org.
The Chess Club and Scholastic Center of Saint Louis will bring in four of the world’s top-10 chess players for the strongest-ever tournament on U.S. soil. This September matchup will feature Hikaru Nakamura and Gata Kamsky -- America’s top-two players -- as well as Norway’s Magnus Carlsen and Armenia’s Levon Aronian – the world’s top-two.
When the mining company filed for bankruptcy, 22,000 workers and retirees lost their earned and negotiated benefits and joined the nearly 50 million Americans without health insurance. The cost of treating the uninsured adds to insurance and health costs for everyone.
Asking for contributions for a child’s college education is legal in Missouri. But not right. Because a parent should help his or her children in almost any way they can, such obligations must be kept far away from a politician’s public responsibilities — it is not hard to figure out which one would lose if they conflicted.
Donna Korando is the Beacon's Voices editor. You can contact her and submit opinion pieces for possible publication at dkorando@stlbeacon.org.