A Visit with Bishop Taylor

Stopping at the Diocesan offices in Little Rock, Arkansas.


For those of you who do not know, the priest most instrumental in our move to Oklahoma was just named Bishop of the Diocese of Little Rock, Arkansas. How could we pass up a chance to visit with him on our way to San Antonio?

Here we are around his table for the first official sit-down dinner in his new home.

For those of you who stop for a visit, the new Bishop might invite you for a walk across the nearby "Big Dam Bridge" (actual name, no sin in saying it out loud)

Along with the gift of his kind support over the years, the new Bishop gave our children mementos of the Arkansas Razorbacks. Here John Paul poses with his gift. I'll let you imagine the sound effects he learned on his own.

Join us in praying for our newest Bishop. We are very happy for the people of the Diocese of Little Rock, Arkansas and we know that the people of Oklahoma who knew him as Fr Tony will miss him dearly.

Next Post: "Our Time in Texas" for now I must sign off to read another few bedtime chapters of Hardy Boys for Joseph and John Paul.

Beaver, Pennsylvania

About 20 miles after leaving Franciscan University Soccer Camp, the "Check Engine" Light went on and then the "Turn Off Engine Now" light! Who ever heard of a light like that? So we pulled over and shut off the engine. The engine has under 10,000 miles on it and we had just had the oil changed. When warning lights went on before it was due to a faulty sensor in the exhaust system. Imagining this was more of the same thing, we turned the engine back on and neither light came on - so we kept driving. Thankfully we made it to our next stop: a home in Beaver for an outdoor mass, dinner, and a living room concert. We were overwhelmed by the hospitality of the people we met in Beaver, Pennsylvania.




Home mass photo and the migration from the front yard mass to dinner



After dinner, as the 40 or so children played outside in the pool, the grownups had a time of music and prayer inside. The question was asked while everyone was there - if we needed anything and my first thought was - we need a babysitter so Mary and I can go on a date! Three families helped make it happen. While the boys and Therese were driven to a nearby home for popcorn and movies Mary and I were treated to a first rate date at a restaurant called "The Wooden Angel". Of course we recommend this place to anyone traveling through Beaver, PA.





We got to laughing while driving to a nearby farm for a horse ride - because in a little over an hour I was to begin a concert at Ss Peter and Paul Parish! Everything seemed to go so fast. This was a QUICK horse ride but fun all the same. The boys got to try a little ride on their own while Therese felt safer with one of her brothers holding her.



... and a they all got to pet a "Bunny" bigger than our dog...

About 300 people gathered for the parish concert and once again we were honored to witness God at work in the lives of those who attended. As I've said before: We witness miracles -not because we are good at what we do - but because God is good at what he does and he is faithful!

We thank God for all of you who help us keep going town to town. We are also thankful for those who encourage us along the way. We are thankful for the strangers who feel like old friends by the time we leave a town - even if we are there for only a short time.

Next stop - Little Rock, Arkansas along the way to San Antonio, Texas... check concert schedule for info. Angels please line the highway.

Catholic Soccer Camp!

Worn out but happy!

Yesterday was the end of Catholic Soccer Camp offered at Franciscan University of Steubenville in Ohio.
Being part of organized sports was one of the drawbacks to being on the road - so the boys were very thankful to make new friends and learn new techniques in this week long soccer camp here in Ohio.

We pan to return next year - God willing. To find out more info about this camp click here.


John Paul with the former president of Franciscan University Fr Michael Scanlon

Happy Birthday America

We didn't know about the canons set to go off just behind us as we watched the sky light up behind the Washington Monument. At the bottom of this picture you can see a flag someone began waving toward the end of the display. The crowd was cheering, and afterward a group of about ten men and women, arms draped over shoulders, spontaneously began singing the national anthem. We are glad to have been a part of the evening - glad the boys were able to understand what was being celebrated - Therese said the "big booms (canons) scared me"

In the media we read and hear stories of great unrest and complaints about the state of our country. As we travel we see and hear a different story. Thankful people outnumber the bitter.

Yes, there will always be room for our country to grow in mercy and justice. Our nation is not perfect. I am not perfect. Our family wants the rights of the unborn to be respected and honored. So we see the need for improvement - but we are also grateful that we belong to a nation where we are free to disagree, dream, whine, hope, complain, laugh, work, sing, believe, serve, help, improve, or travel in an RV if we want to... We really DO have so much to celebrate even as we work to make it better.

Happy Birthday America.
For those who have never heard the second half
of the second verse to "America the Beautiful"

America! America!
God mend thine every flaw,
Confirm thy soul in self-control,
Thy liberty in law!

A Capital Fourth of July

After three blessed evenings concluding with Eucharistic Adoration, we decided to stay in the D.C. area an extra day (today!) to take in the fireworks display over the U.S. Capital. The photos in this posting were taken by the boys on a cell phone as we rode through the streets of Washington D.C. atop an open-air double decker bus. If you ever take this tour be sure and watch out for tree branches!

Here's an observation to ponder for those of you involved in ministry - be it on a diocesan level, a parish level, or a neighborhood level - even within a marriage. In the five years I sang in bars I observed two different sorts of people: Those who give and those who take; those who build others up and those who tear others down.

In the places we serve the Roman Catholic Church I notice the same and more in the two different sorts of people who work in ministry. Those who are building A kingdom and those who are building THE Kingdom.

Every instance of gossip, indifference, control, rage, etc. occurs because someone is frantically trying to create a place where they rule. Every example of humility, generosity, selflessness, and inspiration flows out of the hearts and minds and lives of those who work to create a place where God rules.

Don't know which of these groups YOU fit into? You will. As you read this you are making your way toward one or the other. There is no middle ground here.

THANKFULLY our experience here in the D.C. area was a time of refreshment for us as well as the communities we visited. Anytime we visit an area where those building THE kingdom outnumber those building their own kingdoms, we are renewed. Thank you Arlington, Alexandria, and Fairfax, Virginia. We hope to return next year.

Tornado Watch in New Milford, CT

There was a tornado watch the evening of my concert at St. Francis Xavier parish in New Milford, CT. Thankfully, people came anyway! What a great welcome - St. Francis would approve of the hospitality we received from the kind community there. The friars, Fr. Mike and Fr. Tom were constantly wanting to feed us, make us comfortable, have us move into the guest rooms (a couple BIG downpours) and basically spoil us in a very Franciscan way. God bless them! At times this blog can make it look like we are on the world's greatest vacation - what with all the sightseeing and new places... but any of you who have been on vacations know how tired you can get always being on the go... add to that mix, meeting new pastors, communities, music directors, etc. and you will better understand how much it means to us to simply be welcomed and given a quiet place to park the RV. St. Francis Xavier was one of those restful stops for us.



Friar Mike (pastor) and Friar Tom with the "Boston Red Sox" themed Monopoly game they planned to give to Joseph and John Paul. The boys love the game and we've already spent a few hours playing - Note: 'A few hours' is short for a game of monopoly!


This parish was also very Franciscan in the sheer beauty of the nature surrounding it. Here is a picture of the kiddos with our new dog "Lucy". (named after St. Lucy)



Yep! You read right.. we got a dog!

"Lucy" is our newest passenger on the RV. This was taken when she was a few weeks old. So far she does NOT seem to be a "yip-yip" dog or what I would otherwise call a 'mosquito'. It really makes us feel like we are 'settling down' on the road to bring this puppy onboard!

We took a vote and - God willing - all of us want to be sure and stop in New Milford again.