The seeds planted in my heart by a professor whose passion for words was matched by the ardor with which he tended majestic gardens, blossomed into a…
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On the feast day of Ireland's patron saint, U2's Bono and The Edge look back and take stock while charting a way forward — and so do I.
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Happy Oscar Sunday, for those who celebrate: On the subtle, astonishing film "Living," the how-then-shall-we-live theme that pulses through this year's…
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A reluctant traveler heads to Finland, finds his inner sisu, and inspires the rest of us to discover our personal storehouses of fortitude, perseverance…
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February 2023

As Lent begins, an historic snowstorm slams Southern California while I hit the road with my cousin: On detours, dingers, staying open, serendipity…
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What happens when we look for miracles or mercy? Whether a paralyzed man lowered through the roof by his friends or the millions who flock to Lourdes…
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To paraphrase the director and screenwriter Richard Curtis: If you look for it, I’ve got a sneaky feeling you’ll find that kindness actually is all…
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January 2023

The first in a series of Monday stories based on Sunday television episodes that are too good to wait a week to write about, so I call an audible…
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"No faith is as pure as a wounded faith." Faith, doubt, suffering, injustice, and the presence of God. From my conversations with the late Nobel…
My friend Lin died today. Five words I hoped I’d never have to contemplate, nevermind type. Lin Brehmer, a musical icon in Chicago where he was the…
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The Irish film you should see but probably haven't: Colm Bairéad’s "An Cailín Ciúin" (aka "The Quiet Girl"), shortlisted for an Oscar, contains…
Your author has been severely under the weather this last week, but comforted in her convalescence by the always welcoming sisters, nurses, and midwives…
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