Fr. Benedict used to tell the novice CFRs stories about Fr. Solanus - he shared with us that after he died, they found a letter from Rome in his files that gave him permission for full priestly ministry and it seemed that someone failed to pass on the news to Fr. Solanus.
Fr. Casey is just one example of the many porters who later became saints (Ss. Andre Bessette and Meinrad are additional examples). There's something about manning the door, offering hospitality to all who come, that seems to breed holiness. I think there's a lesson in that. Fr. Casey, pray for us!
Regarding the safety of the Pontiff, can someone please explain how the suicide bombers in Algeria the day the Pope landed in the city received almost no media attention?
Furthermore, when I ask for prayers for the witnesses and the injured as well as for conversion of hearts, people look at me like I'm mad. Zenit reported on it as well as a few other smaller reputable media but nothing widespread. Maybe some of The Pillar readers will join me in praying for these individuals.
Even with super shoes, breaking two hours in the marathon is incredible. That is 4:33/mile pace. That means he could beat 99.9% of people in a mile race, then finish the remaining 25.2 miles at the same pace. Even the fastest person you know more than likely couldn't keep up for even just that mile. It's just mind-blowing how fast that is.
Back in my 40's I ran a lot of distance races. This was in the early 2000's and the best shoe I could find at the time was lightweight with a good amount of cushion but had little in the way of energy conservation. My personal goal was to look up at the finish line and see 2 in the hour indicator, but, alas, the best I could do was 3:08 in the Austin Marathon. A few years ago I was preparing for a 5 miler in Brooklyn and my wife bought me the first of the carbon plated shoes, the Nike VaporFly (which were the shoes Nike developed to get someone under 2 hours in a marathon). Immediately my times got better by about 5%. Too late for my goal: my speed is gone...fast twitch muscle gives way to slow twitch muscle as the years go by. But I am pretty sure they would have gotten me to a tick under 3 hours had they been invented at the time. In any case, they give a spring to your stride that makes you feel like a kid again. Awesome technology.
Nike was in front for years...but now both Adidas and ASICS seem to have passed them by. Their shoes are both under four ounces (Nike is around 6-7 oz). Apparently that little weight feels like holding an empty shoe box.
"And I suspect that a man like Leo knows he could be safer if he chose, in countries around the world and at home, to be just a little bit more removed from the thronging crowds wanting a piece of him."
-I'd be happy if we could AT THE VERY LEAST get people to stop throwing things like plushes and jerseys/ball caps at him. I'd hate to be the person who threw an autographed Cubs baseball at the pope and clocked him in the head when he wasn't looking.
"... I'd hate to be the person who threw an autographed Cubs baseball at the pope and clocked him in the head when he wasn't looking. ..." Especially since His Holiness is a White Sox fan (which is a hair shirt in itself these days)
I was going to say Dodgers, since they platform evil groups like the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, but I thought it would be more fun to chose the second-most terrible National league Chicago team (go Rockies).
JD’s observation that the Pope needs protection not only from those who might wish him harm, but from those who simply want to get close, unintentionally exposes a deeper contradiction within Catholic culture—one that should trouble us more than it does.
A Church that proclaims Jesus Christ in the poor and the overlooked still generates a powerful pull toward the papacy, as if proximity to the man were a proxy for proximity to Christ.
That instinct is understandable, but it is not harmless. When spiritual gravity bends toward proximity to the Pope, it risks reinforcing the very clericalism the Church claims to resist. The logic is subtle but powerful: if closeness to the hierarchy signals closeness to Christ, then the ordinary, the unseen, and the marginalized become spiritually secondary. Yet the Gospel reverses that equation. Jesus Christ does not locate Himself in proximity to power, but in the hungry, the stranger, and the forgotten. The danger is not admiration for the papacy—it is the quiet assumption that grace flows more readily upward than outward.
Over time, that assumption reshapes the culture of the Church in ways that are easy to miss but hard to undo. Access begins to matter—who was in the room, who shook a hand, who can claim a moment of proximity. It subtly creates tiers of spiritual credibility, where association with the hierarchy carries weight that ordinary fidelity does not. The layperson caring for a sick parent, the volunteer showing up quietly each week, the person no one notices at all—these lives risk being seen as less “close” to the center. And yet, by the Church’s own standard, they may stand nearer to Jesus Christ than anyone pressing forward for a glimpse of the Pope.
I am flabbergasted about feeding the Eucharist to dogs. While the dog's owners' actions are shockingly sacrilegious, I am gobsmacked at the bishop's lackadaisical attitude toward this outrage. People have died to protect the Eucharist, including at least one canonized saint. Also, children are taught the sacred nature of the Eucharist, leading up to their First Communion. Or they used to be.
Fr. Benedict used to tell the novice CFRs stories about Fr. Solanus - he shared with us that after he died, they found a letter from Rome in his files that gave him permission for full priestly ministry and it seemed that someone failed to pass on the news to Fr. Solanus.
My son’s confirmation name is also Solanus- definitely check out his shrine in Detroit- it’s awesome!
I have had the privilege of visiting Solanus' shrine in Detroit. You are correct, it is indeed awesome.
Congratulations, Sebastian and Yomif - really really impressive!
I saw a funny comment on the marathon- imagine you ran a sub-2 marathon and didn't even win!
Right?!? Both guys literally SPRINTED the last (couple of?) miles.
Shoe enhancement or not, can you even FATHOM having RUN. Without STOPPING. Under 5 min miles for 23/24 miles and then SPRINTING a couple more?
That’s some God given talent and masterful design of your human person, not to mention dedication and perseverance right there. 💛💛
Exactly!!
The third place finish still broke the previous world record.
Thank you, it seems we do thank God for what he is making happen, when at our best.
Fr. Casey is just one example of the many porters who later became saints (Ss. Andre Bessette and Meinrad are additional examples). There's something about manning the door, offering hospitality to all who come, that seems to breed holiness. I think there's a lesson in that. Fr. Casey, pray for us!
Regarding the safety of the Pontiff, can someone please explain how the suicide bombers in Algeria the day the Pope landed in the city received almost no media attention?
Furthermore, when I ask for prayers for the witnesses and the injured as well as for conversion of hearts, people look at me like I'm mad. Zenit reported on it as well as a few other smaller reputable media but nothing widespread. Maybe some of The Pillar readers will join me in praying for these individuals.
Even with super shoes, breaking two hours in the marathon is incredible. That is 4:33/mile pace. That means he could beat 99.9% of people in a mile race, then finish the remaining 25.2 miles at the same pace. Even the fastest person you know more than likely couldn't keep up for even just that mile. It's just mind-blowing how fast that is.
Yes!! This is so unbelievably major!
Back in my 40's I ran a lot of distance races. This was in the early 2000's and the best shoe I could find at the time was lightweight with a good amount of cushion but had little in the way of energy conservation. My personal goal was to look up at the finish line and see 2 in the hour indicator, but, alas, the best I could do was 3:08 in the Austin Marathon. A few years ago I was preparing for a 5 miler in Brooklyn and my wife bought me the first of the carbon plated shoes, the Nike VaporFly (which were the shoes Nike developed to get someone under 2 hours in a marathon). Immediately my times got better by about 5%. Too late for my goal: my speed is gone...fast twitch muscle gives way to slow twitch muscle as the years go by. But I am pretty sure they would have gotten me to a tick under 3 hours had they been invented at the time. In any case, they give a spring to your stride that makes you feel like a kid again. Awesome technology.
I was surprised it was the Adidas super shoe and not the Nike!
Nike was in front for years...but now both Adidas and ASICS seem to have passed them by. Their shoes are both under four ounces (Nike is around 6-7 oz). Apparently that little weight feels like holding an empty shoe box.
"your views actually are relevant to our deliberations"
-I pity the person in the room/phone call who brings up one of my comments.
"And I suspect that a man like Leo knows he could be safer if he chose, in countries around the world and at home, to be just a little bit more removed from the thronging crowds wanting a piece of him."
-I'd be happy if we could AT THE VERY LEAST get people to stop throwing things like plushes and jerseys/ball caps at him. I'd hate to be the person who threw an autographed Cubs baseball at the pope and clocked him in the head when he wasn't looking.
"... I'd hate to be the person who threw an autographed Cubs baseball at the pope and clocked him in the head when he wasn't looking. ..." Especially since His Holiness is a White Sox fan (which is a hair shirt in itself these days)
I was going to say Dodgers, since they platform evil groups like the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, but I thought it would be more fun to chose the second-most terrible National league Chicago team (go Rockies).
JD’s observation that the Pope needs protection not only from those who might wish him harm, but from those who simply want to get close, unintentionally exposes a deeper contradiction within Catholic culture—one that should trouble us more than it does.
A Church that proclaims Jesus Christ in the poor and the overlooked still generates a powerful pull toward the papacy, as if proximity to the man were a proxy for proximity to Christ.
That instinct is understandable, but it is not harmless. When spiritual gravity bends toward proximity to the Pope, it risks reinforcing the very clericalism the Church claims to resist. The logic is subtle but powerful: if closeness to the hierarchy signals closeness to Christ, then the ordinary, the unseen, and the marginalized become spiritually secondary. Yet the Gospel reverses that equation. Jesus Christ does not locate Himself in proximity to power, but in the hungry, the stranger, and the forgotten. The danger is not admiration for the papacy—it is the quiet assumption that grace flows more readily upward than outward.
Over time, that assumption reshapes the culture of the Church in ways that are easy to miss but hard to undo. Access begins to matter—who was in the room, who shook a hand, who can claim a moment of proximity. It subtly creates tiers of spiritual credibility, where association with the hierarchy carries weight that ordinary fidelity does not. The layperson caring for a sick parent, the volunteer showing up quietly each week, the person no one notices at all—these lives risk being seen as less “close” to the center. And yet, by the Church’s own standard, they may stand nearer to Jesus Christ than anyone pressing forward for a glimpse of the Pope.
I am flabbergasted about feeding the Eucharist to dogs. While the dog's owners' actions are shockingly sacrilegious, I am gobsmacked at the bishop's lackadaisical attitude toward this outrage. People have died to protect the Eucharist, including at least one canonized saint. Also, children are taught the sacred nature of the Eucharist, leading up to their First Communion. Or they used to be.
My personal favourite Beethoven moment:
https://youtu.be/xpcUxwpOQ_A?si=8tKWY-q504Or0kOt