1968 was a tumultuous year in America, which affected us at St. John’s. I witnessed our seminary rector, Fr. Bill Coleman, being very distraught and wearing a black arm band following the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King. We would later deal with the killing of Robert F. Kennedy, the riotous Democratic convention in Chicago, […]
As was the practice, on Good Friday afternoon, we spent three hours on our knees in the chapel, reflecting on the crucified Christ. At St. John’s, there were no pads on the kneelers, and sitting down really wasn’t an option, so we got to share just a bit of discomfort ourselves. For me, I began […]
During my three years in Savannah (at St. John’s), I began to experience the beauty of the historic homes and culture. I recall one Thursday afternoon (that was our “Saturday” when we could go to town) my best friend Frank and I went to see The Graduate, which had just come out, and of course was […]
Dad was a member of the Knights of Columbus (KofC), a Catholic fraternal organization, focused on supporting the church and engaging men in various outreach projects, fundraising for worthy causes and helping the poor and disadvantaged. With the 1960’s came heightened awareness of civil rights, and barriers began to come down. Dad told the story […]
Eighth grade graduation has always been a big deal in Catholic schools, and I still have our 1965 class picture, where we all got dressed up, all ready to make the next move, which in Augusta was Aquinas High School. The year before, Bishop McDonough of Savannah had confirmed us at St. Joseph’s, and beyond […]
Being an altar boy was a big deal, starting from the first grade through the eighth. We were given Mass cards in Latin, and it took some time before I understood the English translation. At Sacred Heart School, as altar servers we were identified and pulled out of class on occasion to serve at funerals […]
With many military families, money was always tight, so the collective transportation solution (through St. Joseph’s Church) to get the kids to Sacred Heart School was in the form of a well-worn, early 1950’s faded yellow Chevrolet school bus. Mr. Atwood was the one bus driver I remember, an elderly fellow who picked us up […]
My parents, Cliff and Audrey, then in their early 30’s, moved from Pennsylvania to Georgia in 1953, pursuant to my Dad accepting an assignment at Camp Gordon, GA. Dad was a sergeant with the Signal Corps, working in World War II type wooden barracks at the fort, and settling his family, including my Mom, sister […]
Mental Health and Substance Abuse- A Major Impediment to Resolving HomelessnessApril 23, 2024 - 2:31 amMy work with The Salvation Army has brought me to a more thorough understanding of the issues and solutions in helping those struggling with housing instability, leading to homelessness. One key factor has stood out as an obstacle to stability, which is the vicious and unrelenting pain of having anxiety, depression, and severe types of psychosis, as well as alcohol or other forms of substance abuse. While challenging enough, when these problems involve children in families on the edge of instability, the work to resolve becomes even more intense, as I learned from a recent meeting with our local DFACS team in Augusta.