A Beacon of Light

I graduated from high school in June 1972. In late August, I moved into the student dormitory at Bellarmine College Prep in San José. No, I didn’t have to repeat my senior year of high school, although that might not have been a bad idea. About a dozen college students, mostly juniors and seniors, were…

It was the summer of 1958. I was four years old at the time. My brother, Tom, was eight, my sister, Cathy, was seven, and my younger sister, Peggy, would celebrate her first birthday a few months later. Our parents took us on a family vacation to Monte Rio, California, along the Russian River. We…

Having completed my Master’s degree in June 1984, I began what turned out to be a 31-year stint in pastoral ministry and education at St. Lawrence Parish and Academy in Santa Clara. I began that work in August with a fair amount of experience for a 30-year old. Previously, I’d worked as a prefect in…

I enjoyed a nice visit with my longtime friend, Dan Pasini, yesterday morning. We shared our thoughts on a variety of topics, but one particular thing he said was on my mind when I woke up this morning. He mentioned that of all the people he and I know in common, he is the only…

I’ve never been much of a gambler — on sporting events, in card games with friends, in popular casinos, or in life itself. I’ve been to Reno. I’ve been to Tahoe. I’ve even been to Vegas. Those gaming venues pale in comparison to the world-class casino I experienced on Paradise Island in the Bahamas in…

I think it’s true that the more people speak, the less others listen. Unless we are particularly focused on what a person has to say, our attention span can be alarmingly limited. As a writer, I am constantly challenged to make my writing interesting without getting too wordy. When Fr. Michael Mitchell was appointed pastor…

We all have those little things that rub us the wrong way. Some call them “pet peeves.” One of my colleagues during my teaching days got incredibly annoyed whenever her students would click their pens repeatedly during class time. My oldest son, Tom, could not tolerate the sound of me rubbing my hands together in…

Today’s blog post was written by Ann Scapini Giluso, a graduate of St. Christopher School and Presentation High School in San José. While some may bristle at what she wrote, I can absolutely relate. We grew up in a different time, a different generation, a different world. Were we better off then than now? That’s…

“Wow! Ski boots are really comfortable.”~ No One Ever I don’t ski. I don’t snowboard. In fact, I’ve never driven my car in snow and I have no desire to do so. Ever. As beautiful as it is in snow country, I am not at all inclined (pun intended) to visit the Sierras in the…

As I peruse the myriad posts on my Facebook feed each day, I’m constantly amazed by the plethora of pure garbage I find there. I guess that’s to be expected from social media today. Fortunately, however, when I’m patient and persistent enough, I eventually come across valuable gems worthy of serious consideration — things I…