Saturday, January 2, 2021
Friday, January 1, 2021
NEW YEAR'S DAY WITH THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR
This photo was taken in August of 2019 when Mother Provincial
was visiting along with seven additional Little Sisters. Local "Mother Paul" is on the far left.
The United States "Mother Provincial" is standing behind the wheelchair on the right.
“Feast of Mary the Mother of God”
Rev. Ronald Knott
January 1, 2021
The shepherds saw the infant in the manger,
they made known what had been told them about this child;
and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds told them.
All my life, I have read Luke’s version of the Christmas story, but this year I realized that I had not paid much attention to what the story says after the shepherds are confronted by angels with an amazing message. It says that after the angels had delivered their message to the shepherds, they “left the shepherds and went back to heaven.”
Standing there scared to death at what they had just witnessed and heard, and after the angels had left them, the shepherds obviously discussed among themselves what had just happened and decided to “go see this thing that has taken place.” Without delay, they “went with haste” and “found Mary and Joseph and the child lying in the manger.” It goes on to say that they “made known what had been told them (by the angels) about this child.” In other words, they had a pressing need to go and tell others about it. When people heard what the shepherds told them, it says they were “amazed” at what they were hearing.
At the end of this same gospel, Luke’s gospel, we have another story similar to the one about the shepherds that I just read. This one takes place, not at his birth, but at the end of Jesus’ life, after his crucified body was placed in the tomb. Instead of shepherds, this time angels appear to some women with an important message. Yes, it was a “flock” of women – Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James and other women who had come with them.” Just like the shepherds, the women were “terrified” by the angels message “He is not here! He has risen!
Just like the shepherds, after the angels left, the women went back to town and “told all this to the eleven and the rest 9of the disciples.” Unlike the “amazement” of the people who heard what the shepherds had told them, the women’s story was dismissed as “an idle tale” that did not deserve belief. Only Peter. who got up and ran to the empty tomb to see for himself, came back “amazed” at what had happened.
What is so typical of Luke’s telling of the gospel, is the fact that the first people to carry the good news of Jesus birth are shepherds and the first people to carry the news of Jesus’ resurrection are women! The fist to hear these stories would have been “amazed” themselves! Both groups, shepherds and women, were “looked down on” and “passed over as not worthy of trust” in civil society of their times. Luke does that throughout his gospel. It is the “little guys,” the “left out,” “the passed over,” “the foreigner,” “the despised” who become the heroes of his stories.
Notice what words are used when we are told of various people’s responses to both stories. There are lots of “feeling words” sprinkled throughout these stories. Angels with messages, leave the shepherds and the women “terrified.” Both the shepherds and the women were left “curious.” The shepherds go to the scene of the birth to take a look, and saw Mary, Joseph and the baby Jesus. The women go into the tomb to take a look, but they did not find the body of Jesus. Both the shepherds and the women felt the need to tell others about what they had heard and seen. The response to the shepherds’ story was “amazement.” The response the women’s story was “amazement,” but the amazement of an “idle tale.” Mary’s response to what the shepherds had told her was to “treasure these words” and “ponder them in her heart.” Peter’s response was to go see for himself, coming home “amazed at what had happened.”
What
is your response to Luke’s story of Christmas? As for me, I sat for a while and
tried to “feel what I feel.” As I “pondered” the story and “treasured their
words,” the feeling that I felt most of all was that of “amazement.” It is sort
of like the title the Church gives Mary today – “Mother of God!” Really? That
is an “amazing title, if you really think about it! I don’t understand it! How
can that be? Mary is God’s “mother?” Well, I believe it because the Church teaches
it, but I cannot really explain it other than this: Jesus is God and Mary is
the mother of Jesus, therefore Mary is the mother of God! Like the whole
Christmas story, I am just simply “amazed” by all of it!
Thursday, December 31, 2020
GOOD-BYE 2020 - HELLO 2021
2020
So I'll Never Forget, I Wrote It Down
Order your copy from MY BOOKSTORE link on the right of this page.
GOODBYE 2020
Good riddance! I am happy to see an end to the political and the health nightmares we have been through, especially since the end of last February! I am looking forward to hopefully getting back to a "normal" political climate and I am looking forward to getting both of my Covid-19 vaccination shots so that I can hopefully get back to leading a somewhat "normal" life! I don't want to go through either of those nightmares ever again!
I will always remember 2020 as the "Year of the Face Mask and Other Personal Protective Equipment." the "Year of the Respirator," the "Year of Toilet Paper," the "Year of Live-Streamed Masses," the "Year of the Essential Worker," the "Year of the Morgue Truck" and "the Year of the So-Called Rigged Election." How could a year with such a perfect sounding number, 2020, turn out so badly?
Tomorrow, letting by-gones be by-gones, I look forward to a new political climate, getting my vaccines shots (as many as I can get), eating out more and having people in more and maybe even traveling again. I will try to never complain about "normal" again! Today, at least, "normal" sounds "heavenly" to me!
Of course, in hindsight, I hope to see that there may have been several "good things" about 2020. My list may be short now, but I hope that by looking back on 2020 I will be able to add more and more "good things" to my list. Right now, I realize that I learned in 2020 just how fragile life can be, just how convenient "normal" is and just how lucky I am just to have survived. Right now, I realize that I learned in 2020 just how grateful I am to have health care, how grateful I am to have food and an income, how grateful I am to have a safe and comfortable place to live and how grateful I am for scientists who are able create a vaccine against this pandemic.
HELLO, 2021
Welcome! Come on in! So glad to see you!
Now tell me where I can get those vaccinations!!!!
What a wonderful thought it is that some of the best days of our lives
haven’t even happened yet.”
Anne Frank
Wednesday, December 30, 2020
WHAT NEXT?
PLEASE PRAY FOR THE SAFETY OF THE PEOPLE OF
SAINT VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES
Vincentians Urged to Stay Away As La Soufriere Volcano Oozes Magma
The Seismic Research Centre at the University of the West Indies, St. Augustine is monitoring the La Soufriere volcano in St. Vincent after reports of some volcanic activity on December 29.
The alert level associated with the volcano, was on Tuesday, raised from yellow to orange, the third-highest on the four-color scheme, as the volcano entered an effusive eruption stage.
This means that magma is oozing from the volcano and is distinct from the explosive eruption, such as that of 1979, although one could follow the other.
With the orange alert, residents of the northern third of St. Vincent – from Georgetown to Fancy, in the east, and north of Belle Isle, in the west — have been told to prepare to evacuate at short notice, should such an order be given.
“What is happening now is a serious thing. The volcano is erupting,” Professor Richard Robertson of the University of the West Indies Seismic Research Centre, in Trinidad and Tobago, told reporters by video link.
He said that scientists would try their best to give at least 48 hours warning in the case of an explosive volcano.
“We are trying to make sure you have whatever the time you need to move people out of harm’s way — whether it is 48 hours, 24 hours, whatever time that is. We want to be in a position to give you that and we will try as hard as we can to that,” said Robertson, whose team could be in St. Vincent, bringing additional equipment as soon as Wednesday evening.
“I think you have to prepare for a rocky road for the next couple of months, unfortunately. Prime Minister, I think St. Vincent dodge COVID, but I am not sure you are dodging the volcano, unfortunately,” Robertson said.
Speaking at the same press conference, Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves, urged residents in the red zone to be ready to evacuate at short notice but emphasized that the alert was not an order to evacuate.
Robertson said that increased activity had been noted at La Soufriere since November 16.
He said that while notifying the public – this is a decision for Kingstown, as there had been similar levels of activity at the volcano, in the past, which were not followed by an eruption.
However, there were eight activities on December 23, followed by a quiet period during which no activity was recorded.
Then on Sunday, the center’s staff was made aware that a NASA satellite had detected a hotspot in the crater of the volcano.
Therefore, the center arranged with Kingstown’s, National Emergency Management Organisation (NEMO) to visually investigate what was happening.
When the La Soufriere Monitoring Unit, in Kingstown, visited the 4048-feet high volcano on Tuesday, they discovered that there is a diffusive emission of magma extruding out of the volcano.
“What is happening now is similar to what was happening in 1971-1972,” he said, adding that unlike then, there is no lake in the volcano.
“But you have the same kind of mass growing on the side. The mass is currently confined in the crater of the volcano. Because of the configuration of the crater, a lot of the hazards, as it presently stands, are in the crater itself and on the immediate rim of the crater. So the hazard would be from the rock itself, which is simply coming out and the rock is going to be hot, so you don’t want to be close to when it’s growing.”
He said that the other threat is the possibility of something else happening and warned against unofficial persons visiting the doom of the volcano, saying that in addition to the dangerous emissions, rapid change at the crater is a serious threat.
“Don’t do it. It’s a bad idea… I’ll say this about volcanoes, no matter what people think, and La Soufriere is one of them: whatever you think – the volcano, when it does what it does, you take action, otherwise it is too late for you. So those who go on the mountain and want to look in and get overcome by gasses – I hope they are just sensible enough not to put themselves in harm’s way.”
He said the volcano either erupts effusively as is happening now or explosively, as in 1979.
He said that in the coming weeks or months, scientists will evaluate whether the volcano is moving from one stage to the next and try to give enough warning so that residents could take the necessary actions. Robertson, however, said that the eruption could remain just effusive.
According to Prime Minister Gonsalves, the center is expected to deploy a team to St. Vincent and the personnel could arrive as soon as Wednesday.
With the orange alert, residents of the northern third of St. Vincent – from Georgetown to Fancy, in the east, and north of Belle Isle, in the west — have been told to prepare to evacuate at short notice, should such an order be given.
“What is happening now is a serious thing. The volcano is erupting,” Professor Richard Robertson of the University of the West Indies Seismic Research Centre, in Trinidad and Tobago, told reporters by video link.
He said that scientists would try their best to give at least 48 hours warning in the case of an explosive volcano.
“We are trying to make sure you have whatever the time you need to move people out of harm’s way — whether it is 48 hours, 24 hours, whatever time that is. We want to be in a position to give you that and we will try as hard as we can to that,” said Robertson, whose team could be in St. Vincent, bringing additional equipment as soon as Wednesday evening.
“I think you have to prepare for a rocky road for the next couple of months, unfortunately. Prime Minister, I think St. Vincent dodge COVID, but I am not sure you are dodging the volcano, unfortunately,” Robertson said.
Speaking at the same press conference, Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves, urged residents in the red zone to be ready to evacuate at short notice but emphasized that the alert was not an order to evacuate.
Robertson said that increased activity had been noted at La Soufriere since November 16.
He said that while notifying the public – this is a decision for Kingstown, as there had been similar levels of activity at the volcano, in the past, which were not followed by an eruption.
However, there were eight activities on December 23, followed by a quiet period during which no activity was recorded.
Then on Sunday, the center’s staff was made aware that a NASA satellite had detected a hotspot in the crater of the volcano.
Therefore, the center arranged with Kingstown’s, National Emergency Management Organisation (NEMO) to visually investigate what was happening.
When the La Soufriere Monitoring Unit, in Kingstown, visited the 4048-feet high volcano on Tuesday, they discovered that there is a diffusive emission of magma extruding out of the volcano.
“What is happening now is similar to what was happening in 1971-1972,” he said, adding that unlike then, there is no lake in the volcano.
“But you have the same kind of mass growing on the side. The mass is currently confined in the crater of the volcano. Because of the configuration of the crater, a lot of the hazards, as it presently stands, are in the crater itself and on the immediate rim of the crater. So the hazard would be from the rock itself, which is simply coming out and the rock is going to be hot, so you don’t want to be close to when it’s growing.”
He said that the other threat is the possibility of something else happening and warned against unofficial persons visiting the doom of the volcano, saying that in addition to the dangerous emissions, rapid change at the crater is a serious threat.
“Don’t do it. It’s a bad idea… I’ll say this about volcanoes, no matter what people think, and La Soufriere is one of them: whatever you think – the volcano, when it does what it does, you take action, otherwise it is too late for you. So those who go on the mountain and want to look in and get overcome by gasses – I hope they are just sensible enough not to put themselves in harm’s way.”
He said the volcano either erupts effusively as is happening now or explosively, as in 1979.
He said that in the coming weeks or months, scientists will evaluate whether the volcano is moving from one stage to the next and try to give enough warning so that residents could take the necessary actions. Robertson, however, said that the eruption could remain just effusive.
According to Prime Minister Gonsalves, the center is expected to deploy a team to St. Vincent and the personnel could arrive as soon as Wednesday.
A GREAT PLACE FOR YOUR OLD CHRISTMAS TREE
'CHRISTMAS FOR FISHES' PROGRAM A POPULAR ALTERNATIVE TO THROWING OUT YOUR TREE
Posted on Dec 16, 2020There’s nothing cozier than the warm glow of a Christmas tree filling a room. Add the scent of live evergreen, and you’re practically living in a Hallmark movie.
But once the holidays pass and January creeps in, the task of removing your beloved tree awaits. For many, this may seem a solemn duty, signaling the end of a joyous season and the beginning of several holiday-less months ahead. But there is some good news: Instead of throwing your live Christmas tree out with the trash, you can give it new life… as a fish habitat!
You read that right. The tree that’s currently twinkling in your living room could soon be home to native Kentucky species like Smallmouth Bass, Bluegill, and Crappie. Through a program called “Christmas for the Fishes,” the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife (KDFW) collects discarded Christmas trees and sinks them in bodies of water around the state to create fish habitats.
This is needed due to the depleted woody habitat in many of Kentucky’s lakes and reservoirs, especially those in excess of 50 years old, explained Joseph Zimmerman, a fisheries biologist for KDFW.
“The vast majority of lakes in Kentucky have some age on them,” Zimmerman said. “Fish need structure in order for them to feed. They need structure for cover and refuge. Because of the lake age in Kentucky, a lot of that woody debris is broken down or might be covered up in sediment. A lot of our lakes have big winter drawdown – if you go visit some of the lakes in Kentucky during winter, they look like a moonscape. It’s those areas where there is no woody debris on the bottom where we go in and build sites for fisheries.”
Staff at KDFW have been running this program since the 1970s, but volumes have significantly picked up as of late. Zimmerman said tree donations have skyrocketed from a couple thousand to upwards of 6,000 in recent years.
Depending on a site’s specific needs, KDFW may place up to 100 trees in one location.
“We’ll place these Christmas trees in areas based on the specific lake management goals,” Zimmerman said. “So, for instance, if we build a habitat site on a large flat in a lake, we may cluster it up real tall to create a ‘reef of Christmas trees’ by placing 50 to 100 trees in one location.”
Once the habitat is placed, KDFW staff can evaluate its success using electrofishing equipment. (At one point, they tried scuba diving, but visibility was too low in Kentucky’s murky lake waters.) Electrofishing is a technique used by fisheries biologists to sample and study fish populations in bodies of freshwater.
“We tend to find out the sites where we cluster these habitat sites in 75-80 Christmas trees, the more fish they’re going to hold,” he said.
Habitat building is necessary regardless of the “Christmas for the Fishes” program, so having access to already-cut trees is a big advantage from both an environmental and feasibility standpoint.
“This program is an easy way to get a lot of woody material to put in our lakes,” Zimmerman said. “We use Christmas trees because they’re already cut. Otherwise, we would spend a lot of time throughout the year going to areas and collecting trees for fish habitat. It’s a lot for work having to cut your own trees and haul them to the lake.”
The goal? To create a gratifying environment for anglers across the state. KDFW publishes GPS coordinates of these habitats online so that fisherman can easily access them.
“The angler catch is the end goal,” Zimmerman said. “When you get a phone call or an email from an angler that says they found one of our sites and that they caught a lot of crappie, that’s the rewarding side of the job. A lot of these sites really attract a lot of gamefish. If you create that kind of predator-prey interaction, those will be areas where our anglers can improve their catch.”
Interested in recycling your Christmas tree into a fish habitat?
First, remove any lights, ornaments, or other artificial decorations from your live tree. Then, drop it off at one of the more than 30 sites across the state designated by the KDFW. This year, collection will begin immediately following the holidays and run through Jan. 15. Sites are open during daylight hours only (8 a.m. to 5 p.m.) and will be unstaffed but clearly marked using signage. To find a drop off location near you, visit fw.ky.gov.
By Kelsey Thomas
Tuesday, December 29, 2020
THE SILVER LINING
During this pandemic, it has been hard to stay positive and see anything good in it. After I got home from my latest of three funerals (Eddie Hardesty), I went to my computer to look at the live-stream recording to see how it went. As I was watching the funeral in beautiful color, I started to think about how much more unbearable it would be if we had to go through this pandemic without computers!
We have been able to stay connected, even while maintaining "social distance." We have been able to grocery shop and Christmas shop from home and have it all delivered wherever it needed to go. We can talk to friends, family and grandchildren as if they were right in front of us. I can talk to my friends, as I see them "live" on the screen, as far away as Ireland, Germany and the Caribbean. We can do it as often as we like and mostly for free!
Maybe one of the greatest advantages of the computer is the ability to stay connected to our churches without having to be there. We can watch Sunday Masses live-streamed from our parishes in living color! We can even attend funerals of loved ones even if we are too old, too busy, too scared or too far away to attend. I noticed as I watched Eddie Hardesty's funeral a couple of days following, over 500 people had already viewed the video, even though no more than 50 people were there in person!
Yes, even with "clouds" there seems to be a "silver lining." During this pandemic, one of the biggest "silver linings" has to be the computer.
Sunday, December 27, 2020
A GOOD TIME WAS HAD BY ALL
A KENTUCKY FRIED CHRISTMAS PARTY
"Extra Chrispy" George Hamilton
This year each child in Saint Benedict Home for Children (an orphanage) received $25.00 USD. Out of that, each child will make a donation to the parish Christmas collection where they go to church. (I like to add a teaching element to everything we do down there.) We want to teach them to be givers, not just takers. Out of what's left, they went shopping for their own Christmas present in Kingstown and bought lunch at the Kentucky Fried Chicken and took it home for safety concerns. Sister taught them something about Kentucky and where their gifts came from in the USA. (I have provided a world map, a United States map and a Kentucky map along with some pictures of famous Kentuckians and places.) (Again, I like to add a teaching element to everything we do down there.) If they had any change left over, it went into their personal savings accounts that we set up for each child. I believe that the knowledge each child will have that they actually have a little growing "nest egg" will have a profound affect on their self-esteem and morale.
The savings accounts are a new idea, but a very important one. In the past, when and if it was time to leave the Home they had nothing to begin a new life outside. We will continue to put small amounts into their savings accounts as we go along.
BELOW ARE SOME VIDEOS AND PHOTOS OF THEIR SPECIAL DAY
Can you hear "My Old Kentucky Home" on the steel drum?
The excited kids all saying "thank you!" Notice
the photo of "Father Ronald" high up on the wall surrounded by garlands.
Waiting for their bus ride to town to shop for their Christmas
presents, they are waving their money around. For most, it might
be their first time to have their own money.
More excitement and anticipation
Nothing like a Kentucky Fried Chicken box after a hard
day of shopping. Sister Nyra Anne said they were "starving" by the time they
got home from their shopping trip to town.
(I may have to give Sister Nyra Anne photography lessons!)
are severely handicapped.
Below are some of the reports from the kids themselves about their shopping trip.
Dear Fr. Ron
Please find quotes of the children thanking you and other donors for your Christmas blessings.
“I bought a kitchen set, a doctor set, a toy phone, and a water toy with rubber bands inside” – Kelsie Cato
“I bought a water balloon, three slimes, a doctor set, a new play toy phone, and a hand sanitizer and I want to thank Father Ronald for the money” – Kashaniah Patterson
“With my money, I bought a magic wand, five slimes, a beauty set and a dolly and I would thank Ronald Knott for the money because he is a donor and I’m happy for that” – Skye Roberts
“I thank Father Ron and other donors for giving us the money to buy gifts and KFC. I bought a glass, a birthday glasses and a birthday ribbon” – Reecia Sutherland (Her birthday was the day after shopping day).
“I bought a toy car and water balloon” – Edmond Medford
“I thank Father Ron for the money and gift. I got a new car, working things, phone and pictures” – Daniel Alexander
“I thank you for going to town and for the gifts” – LeeTanya Davis
“I thank Father Ron and I enjoy myself a lot in town” – Aneisha Sutherland
“I am thankful for the Christmas tree, light, and camera” – Zimran Gage
Thank you. God bless you. Yours truly,
Sr Nyra Anne Pajotte O. Carm.
PHOTOS FROM SOME OF THE ISLAND PARISHES
Some of the appreciative children of Corpus Christi Parish
Another thankful child with her Dollar Tree elf doll and candy.
Did you notice the young child in the bucket on the right? Is it a bath or a
swimming pool? Cute!
KIDS' CHRISTMAS PARTY AT THE LOAVES AND FISHES SOUP KITCHEN SHELTER
Our "goody bags" filled and ready to be given out.
Snack plates ready to be served.
BE SURE TO WATCH THIS
JOY TO THE WORLD by Father Peter and the kids of our Lady of Lourdes Church
when they got their "goody bags" and Christmas snacks. 
CATHEDRAL OF THE ASSUMPTION PARISH
A committee member helps prepare some of the "goody bags."
A few of the "dressed for a party" kids with their "goody bag" gifts at the Cathedral.
THE ISLAND OF MAYREAU
Open the box!
Come and get yours!
Everyone got theirs?
Looks like a lot of happy kids!
THE ISLAND OF UNION
Father Boniface calls them up one at a time.
One happy young boy!
Everyone got theirs?
SAINT THERESA IN GOMEA
Thank you, donors!
You made a lot of kids happy this Christmas!
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