St. Ambrose Academy Chronicle

SAA Student National Vocabulary Champion

2007-03-05T20:57:00.000-06:00

Here's some breaking news. Bobby Marsland, St. Ambrose Academy senior, became National Vocabulary Champion today after winning the First Annual National Vocabulary Competition, to be aired nationally on the Game Show Network. Held today at the New York Public Library, Bobby beat 49 other finalists, and 30,000 competitors total, to become champion. The competition will be shown on April 15.

Giving his spelling and vocabulary background, this doesn't come as a huge surprise to us Ambrosians. Nevertheless, Bobby's achievement is very impressive. Congratulations!

[Link to press release].

Blizzard!!

2007-02-25T09:57:00.000-06:00

With a foot of snow already on the ground, and more on the way, Madison has been hit with a veritable blizzard. Your Chronicle staff has been outside shoveling all morning long, and a glance out the window shows that the wintry stuff is pouring down.

Here's hoping that a snow day is in order. Let's keep in mind all on the streets. St. Raphael, patron of travelers, pray for us!

SAA Student Places Seventh in Spelling Bee

2007-02-17T13:23:00.000-06:00

Melissa Emmel placed seventh in the Madison All-City Spelling Bee, held today at Monona Grove High School. Spelling challenging words such as "baronet," "nexus," and "interdisciplinary," Melissa was eventually eliminated in the eighth round on "mycology," defined as the study of fungi.

55 students from public, private, and home schools participated in this year's bee, sponsored by the Wisconsin State Journal. The winner of today's bee, Isabel Jacobsen from O'Keefe Middle School, will advance to the Badger State Bee on March 17. Congratulations Melissa!

Upcoming Event: Mardi Gras Party

2007-02-15T08:48:00.000-06:00

For the first year, St. Ambrose Academy will hold a Mardi Gras Party on Tuesday, February 20, 2007 to celebrate the coming of Lent. The party will include music, games, contests, costumes, and more. Invitations have been sent out to all who participated in the Bring a Friend to School Day. The Chronicle will be there to report on any Shrove Tuesday happenings.

Recent St. Ambrose Academy News

2007-02-03T23:57:00.000-06:00

Update:

After a grueling competition, Melissa Emmel emerged as the St. Ambrose Academy Spelling Bee Champion. Melissa now advances to the City Bee, taking place next Saturday, Feb. 17
The Annual Catholic Schools Week went well again, with the school giving an open house. It was considered a success, and later celebrated by the first "dress-down day" in school history. Hilarity ensued.
SAA high school students attended the 34th annual March for Life, bringing back some amazing stories and experiences in the fight for the unborn. You can read more about this trip in this article (scroll down) from the Madison Catholic Herald, written by yours truly
The school now appears on one of the world's most famous websites. Wikipedia, the 12th most visited website and the largest encyclopedia in world history, now sports an article on St. Ambrose Academy. As with all Wikipedia articles, feel free to edit and improve it.
And also, the St. Ambrose Academy Chronicle sincerely promises to provide regular updates from now on. We deeply apologize for our lack of coverage and attention.

Wow, we've been away

2007-01-06T23:47:00.000-06:00

Many apologies to our readers. The Chronicle has been away from the business for almost a month now, and we're ready to make it up to you. In the works is the revival of the Chronicle Podshow, interviews with SAA graduates, and tasty tidbits of information about the school, city, and community. If you have any suggestions, comments, complaints, or jokes, send them our way at saachronicle@gmail.com

Christmas Joy

2006-12-18T10:32:00.000-06:00

Advent's almost over, school's winding down, and there's only *gasp* six shopping days left until Christmas, eh?

Around this time of year, we tend to hear a lot about how Christmas is over-commercialized, how parties and gifts distract from the real meaning of Christmas (the incarnation of the Son of God!). There's some merit to such warnings--there's little doubt that parents getting out their brass knuckles over PS3s and Tickle-me-Elmo Xs isn't desirable. Nor is running your family's budget into the ground to get one of the aforementioned items on the black-Ebay-market. And, for those of you past the golden age of 21, Christmas isn't just another opportunity to get plastered.

But Jimmy Akin just posted some incredible thoughts about Christmas celebrations, inspired by a couple homilies from Benedict XVI. Read it for yourself, but, basically, he points out that B16's view of Christmas celebrations seems to be much less gloomy than you might expect, and offers a nice discussion of the topic. I highly recommend it as we approach this Feast.

Merry Christmas, y'all!

Congratulations Mr. Hendrickson!

2006-11-11T14:00:00.000-06:00

The Chronicle and the entire St. Ambrose Academy community would like to offer their sincere congratulations and prayers for Anders Hendrickson, SAA Latin Teacher and his wife Marie on the occasion of their marriage today.

Almighty and eternal God,
you have so exalted the unbreakable bond of marriage
that it has become the sacramental sign
of your Son's union with the Church as his spouse.

Look with favor on Anders and Marie,
whom you have united in marriage
as they ask for your help
and the protection of the Virgin Mary.

Lord, in their struggles let them rejoice
that you are near to help them;
in their needs let them know
that you are there to rescue them;
in their joys let them see
that you are the source and completion of every happiness.

We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Prayer adapted from Catholic Household Blessings & Prayers, National Conference of Catholic Bishops. pp. 246-47.

Weigel: Pope Leads Church With Prayer, Intellect into Third Millenium

2006-11-10T21:20:00.000-06:00

Dr. George Weigel, Senior Fellow of the Ethics and Public Policy Center, speaking as part of the St. Thérèse of Lisieux Lecture Series in the Diocese of Madison illustrated the challenges, focuses, and ideals of the latest pontificate in the Catholic Church, that of Benedict XVI.

The talk, entitled The Benedict Project: the Catholic Church in the 21st Century, focused on three main points of Benedict XVI: personal qualities of Benedict, both before his election, and now during his reign, the problems he faces in the secular world, and then his focus within the Church. Speaking to a full crowd with gusto, occasionally taking hits at the political establishment both in the United States and in Madison, Weigel clearly delineated the path he expects the pope to take.

Weigel is no stranger to reporting on papal matters, being the papal biographer of the late Pope John Paul II with his publication of Witness to Hope. The connection between John Paul and Benedict was quite strong, Weigel noted, and the election of the latter was both a rubber stamp on the work of the former, and also a sign that his pontificate was not an anomaly.

With the focus of love, truth, freedom, and humanity, Pope Benedict faces the enormous challenge of a European culture that has had a "souring of the soul", leading to population vacuum created by unprecedented low birth rates. This vacuum, Weigel stated, is filled by the growing Muslim population: for example, in Rotterdam, 50% of youth are Islamic.

Also challenging the pope is the violence and threat of a radical Islamic state, one that Benedict has attempted meet and bring into dialogue--most strikingly at his recent comments at the University of Regensburg, which brought 38 Islamic leaders writing to Benedict in order to begin a theologically oriented conversation.Internally, Weigel noted that the Pope is a "reformer of reformer" in regards to the liturgy, especially with a focus of the Church as "eucharistically centered," for in this, "we meet the God of Truth."

Indeed, the transition between John Paul and Benedict occurred in the Year of the Eucharist. This is the heart of the pontificate, and of the entire Church: the worship of God within the Liturgy, Weigel concluded. "In his Holy Face, we see the Face of the Father."

Information on Bishop Morlino and Marriage Amendment

2006-11-02T21:31:00.000-06:00

UPDATE: I've decided to keep this updated through the election. New links are posted at the bottom.

Recently, Bishop Robert Morlino has been the target of much criticism and misinformation regarding his words supporting the Marriage Amendment on Tuesday's ballot. We have attempted to collect links to the entire debate, in order to clearly show the truth in the matter. Links marked with a dagger (†) indicate it is primarily or fully from the Bishop or the Diocese of Madison. A asterisk (*) means it is a positive article, and a minus (-) one negative.

These links are provided not as an endorsement of the attacks on the Bishop, whom the Chronicle fully supports and prays for, but rather as a service to the readers so the rhetoric of the opposing viewpoints can be seen, and the truth exposed.

Mar. 5: Fighting a Battle: To protect marriage, family life (†)
Oct. 18: Church Accused of Illegal Lobbying (-)
Oct. 19: Morlino Defends Flyer on Marriage Vote (†/-)
Oct. 19: Bishop Says Diocese Did Nothing Wrong (†/-)
Oct. 19: Diocese Gives Facts Regarding Marriage Amendment Activities (†)
Oct. 30: Open Letter from Bishop Morlino (†) (PDF)
Oct. 30: Morlino: Amendment Stance 'Universal Truth' (-)
Oct. 30: Bishop Morlino's 'Personal and Confidential' Letter (-) (PDF)
Oct. 30: Bishop Morlino's Letter to Priests (†) (PDF)
Oct. 30: Morlino Rips Media 'Baloney'
Oct. 20: Nov. 5 Recorded Homily (†) (WMA)
Oct. 31: Bishop Defends His Vocal Views On Marriages , Death Penalty, Stem Cells
Nov. 1: Morlino Has Been Consistent (*)
Nov. 2: Morlino's Hard Line Draws Criticism (-)
Nov. 2: Open Letter to Bishop Morlino (-)
Nov. 2: A Bishop's Role is To Teach on Moral Subjects (*)
Nov. 2: Bishop: All Priests Must Play Recorded Homily on Life and Family or Suffer "Serious Consequences" (*)
Nov. 6: Some Walk, Most Stay for Mass Message

Also, the following was posted on the Diocese of Madison web page today:

A message from Bishop Morlino
The 11-2-06 issue of the Wisconsin State Journal contained, on page A5, an ad placed by several Catholic families, seemingly rejecting the teaching of our Church about the whole truth of marriage. Their recommendation of a No Vote on the marriage referendum would leave only the word marriage protected and not the institution of marriage itself. Such an approach does not fulfill the Catholic responsibility to protect marriage.

I know some of the signers of the document and I respect and love all of them in the Lord, as women and men of good will. I pray that God will heal their consciences. I must indicate that their criticisms of my position reflect, at least, a misunderstanding of an address which I gave last March. A reading of the whole text, especially its concluding portion, is necessary for a correct understanding. I would urge all interested parties to a more careful reflection on the whole text.

Let us pray together that the bitterness, which this whole matter has stirred in the hearts of some, will be healed soon by the power of the Holy Spirit. Thank you very much and God bless you.

It's a Holiday! (random fun)

2006-11-01T13:56:00.000-06:00

Happy Solemnity of All Saints! Let us pray for the intercession of all those who have attained the beatific vision.

But also, to celebrate our day off from school, here's something a little bit different.

You might know that the Chronicle has a mission to keep you informed about going-ons at St. Ambrose Academy. However, we also like to keep you entertained too, hence the podcast, music reviews, del.icio.us links in the sidebar. So, in that vein, here's a video of what is probably my favorite music video of all time. No, no, it's not weird. Just entertaining and fun. Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you OK Go, with their single "Here It Goes Again". Enjoy.

Special Report: "Habemus Episcopum!"

2006-10-26T23:22:00.000-05:00

It's true. The Universal Church rejoices today, for Paul J. Swain has been elevated to the episcopate, to the fullness of the priesthood. Sioux Falls rejoices also, for once again, after 20 months of waiting, they now once more have a spiritual leader of the local Church.

The Ordination Mass was one of the most beautiful liturgies that I have ever experienced. It also was packed with symbolism: Bishop Robert Morlino told me yesterday that he underwent a five-day retreat upon his appointment as a bishop, and the retreat master spent the entire period on the one Prayer of Ordination.

Our seats were near the middle of St. Joseph's Cathedral, but near the middle aisle, so I had a very good view of the entrance procession. It seemed as if a large majority of the presbyterate of Madison, and the entire of Sioux Falls, was present at this joyous occasion. Alongside the priests, deacons, and seminarians were about 20 bishops, who all participated in the ordination.

The principal ordaining bishop was the Metropolitan Bishop, Archbishop Harry Flynn of the Archdiocese of Minneapolis-St. Paul. Co-ordaining were Bishop Robert Carlson, formerly of Sioux Falls and now of Saginaw, Michigan, and also Bishop Emeritus William Bullock of Madison. Bishop Samuel Aquila, the Apostolic Administrator of Sioux Falls during the interregnum was present, as was Bishop Robert Morlino. Archbishop Pietro Sambi, the Apostolic Nuncio to the United States, read the mandate and letter from the Holy Father creating Bishop Swain in his new position.

The liturgy itself was a masterpiece. From the solemn hymn of "Veni, Sancti Spiritus", to the incense wafting above the altar, from the reverent recitation of the Litany of the Saints, to the Prayer and Rite of Ordination, everything brought so much prayer and honor to God, who has given this great privilege and task to Bishop Swain.

The actual Rite was quite interesting, as each of the Bishops present laid hands on Bishop Swain silently, who was then placed underneath the Book of the Gospels for the recitation of the Prayer. Bishop Swain was then anointed with a full cruet of the Sacred Chrism, and then given the episcopal regalia as he took his seat in the cathedra.

The people of Sioux Falls must be overjoyed to see this holy and loving man as their new shepherd, and this joy was surely reinforced by Bishop Swain's remarks before the close of Mass. As many of you know, South Dakota is leading the nation in the cause of life, passing a law that would bad all abortions except in the case of dire necessity and health and life of the mother. This law is now being tested, as it is now a referendum question, number six on the ballot.

Bishop Swain clearly stated "The first vote I make as a South Dakotan will be Yes for Referred Question 6". Not even a few minutes a bishop, and already he educates and leads his flock on the quest for Truth.

I was able to talk to Bishop Swain very briefly after Mass during a reception, and assured him of our prayers. Please continue to pray for Bishop Paul Swain, and the Diocese of Sioux Falls, as he takes on his new charge as a successor to the Apostles, appointed by the Vicar of Christ on Earth, His Holiness Benedict XVI.

Your prayers also would be greatly appreciated tomorrow for all travelers, including myself, who will be on the road departing from Sioux Falls.

As the motto of the Bishop says, Confitemini Domino: Give Praise to the Lord!

Special Report: Almost There

2006-10-26T22:58:00.000-05:00

Today started at 11:00, where a luncheon was presented for all those present for the ordination. There was easily 900 people present, and most likely 1000, ready to welcome Bishop Swain into South Dakota. Madison was nicely represented, with about 100 faithful making the trip. Former SAA teacher Karen Doerhing (née Stoddard) and current teacher Kay Schachte were spotted, along with many priests of the Diocese.

During lunch, several remarks were made on Bishop Swain. Dr. Patrick Gorman, Director of the Office of Worship, and also director of the Diocesan and Cathedral Choirs, gave a very moving speech on the qualities of Bishop Swain, expressing his devotion to the people of his parish, his bishop, and to the Lord in the Eucharist. Msgr. Daniel Ganshert, President of the Presbyteral Council and pastor of St. Patrick Parish, Lodi, and St. Michael, Dane, also gave a presentation of Bishop Swain on behalf of the priests of the diocese.

Off to the cathedral...

Special Report: Pontifical Vespers Superb

2006-10-25T21:00:00.000-05:00

"Claim me once more as your own, Lord. And have mercy on me."

That was one of the antiphons repeated tonight at the Pontifical Vespers on the eve of Bishop Paul J. Swain's episcopal ordination and installation of Eight Bishop of Sioux Falls.

It truly was an inspiring liturgy, with the solemn chanting of the Divine Office. These evening prayers, done by priests and religious in every part of the world, really show the universality of the Church. Bishop Swain looked elegant in his purple choir dress.

Bishop Samuel Aquila, Apostolic Administrator of Sioux Falls and Bishop of Fargo gave an inspiring homily directed towards Bishop Swain instructing on Saints Joseph, Paul, and Peter.

Tomorrow looks to be a fantastic day. Praised be Jesus Christ!

Special Report: On the Way to Vespers

2006-10-25T15:53:00.000-05:00

The Celebration of the Mass, celebrated by Msgr. Delbert Schmelzer, was just completed. He spoke on the relevance and importance of the last things. "You know not the day nor the hour," he said, urging us all to prepare our soul for judgment at any time. Mass was concelebrated by Fr. Jim Bartylla, Fr. Randy Timmerman, Fr. Mick Moon, Msgr. O. Charles. Schluter, Msgr. George Hastrich, and Fr. Philip Fox.

Several other diocesan faces were spotted, including seminarian Chad Droessler.

We're now off to boarding for Vespers. The bus boards in 5 minutes, so I must sign off.

Special Report: On Location in Sioux Falls

2006-10-25T14:33:00.000-05:00

This post is being written "on location" in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, where I am part of the Diocese of Madison delegation to the Episcopal Ordination of Bishop Paul J. Swain, formerly Vicar General and Rector of the Cathedral, Madison, Wisconsin

My day started at 4:00AM this morning, as we departed from the Bishop O'Connor Pastoral Center at 5:00. The eighteen delegation members of diocesan staff, priests, and faithful left Madison in five vans.

With me in the comfy van (it had a DVD player!) was my father and Vice-Chancellor, Grant Emmel, Director of Vocations Fr. Jim Bartylla, and Fr. Mick Moon, pastor of St. Patrick Parish, Albany, and St. Rose of Lima, Brodhead.

The ride here was uneventful, as it is basically a straight shot into South Dakota. SH History student may remember that Paul Johnson describes the Sioux as those who rode on the plains. He wasn't kidding: it's extremely flat here.

We checked in and got acquainted with our rooms, and while there is a water park here, I must admit it's not nearly up to Wisconsin Dells standards. Just before, I met briefly with Bishop Swain in the lobby. He was his usual composed self, though he must be experiencing some incredible emotions right now. The yoke of a bishop is not light by anyone's standards, and God asks much of his apostles, both of the first century and of today.

In a half hour, we will attend Mass in the Amphitheater, and then head to the Pontifical Vespers, where it is reported that Bishop Swain will officially and canonically take possession of the Diocese of Sioux Falls.

I'll try to update after dinner, but in the meanwhile, please keep Bishop Swain and the Dioceses of Madison and Sioux Falls in your prayers.

Holy Mary, Our Hope, Seat of Wisdom, Pray for Us.

Four SAA Students Selected in Art Contest

2006-10-22T22:45:00.000-05:00

St. Ambrose Academy is becoming known around Madison for its solid Catholic instruction, rigorous academics, and close-knit community. Now, artistic achievement is added to the list.

Four students were honored Friday evening in the Pictures of Hope competition, presented by the Catholic Multicultural Center. Judged in a blind competition, the artwork completed under the tutelage of SAA Art Instructor Beth Ptak were among the 13 selected out of more than 5,000 entries for the first annual Center calendar. The winners from SAA are:

Bria Polacek, Ninth Grade: Seeking Refuge in God's House (March)
Paul Ptak, Ninth Grade: Mother Mary (May)
Melissa Emmel, Eighth Grade: Morning Star (July)
Marie Ptak, Seventh Grade: Someone's Always Praying For You (September)

At the reception honoring the winning artists, Bishop Robert Morlino expressed his gratitude for the service the Multicultural Center does for the needy in the diocese, and remarked how the talent of the young people gathered and honored gives him great hope for the future. He also noted how SAA was well-represented with the most number of individual art selections, and repeated his full support for the school and its mission.

The 2007 calendar is available for purchase at the Catholic Multicultural Center, 1862 Beld St, Madison, for $10. The artwork will also be available for viewing both at the Center, and at St. Mary's Hospital.

Update: Bishop Swain Ordination

2006-10-15T20:04:00.000-05:00

The episcopal ordination of Bishop Paul Swain, late of the Diocese of Madison (Vicar General), appointed Bishop of Sioux Falls, SD, by Pope Benedict XVI, will take place on October 26, 2006 in Sioux Falls, St. Joseph's Cathedral.

The Chronicle will be on location to report this great event.
Photo Credit: Diocese of Sioux Falls, SD.

Welcome to Midterms

2006-10-14T21:38:00.000-05:00

The end of the quarter is upon us! While this does mean we get a day off of school (this year it's in the confines of to a service day--more on that coming later), it also brings a crunch of tests, papers, and midterm exams. I'm sure Thomas Aquinas gets a few more intercession requests during this time, being the patron saint of students and schos.

But now the studying and work is to be done. With this in mind, we've made up a little test-related mix for you all, which should more than make up for our lack of posts and "songs of the week". You'll notice that the titles move through the stages of midterm exams: the first three deal with the actual taking of the test, while the final three deal with the aftermath and celebration. Enjoy.

Like Eating Glass - Bloc Party
Lost in the Mess - Futuro
Oh Well - Fiona Apple
Float On - Modest Mouse
Singing in the Rain (Radio Edit) - Mint Royale
Sleeping In - The Postal Service

News Linkery

2006-10-09T15:51:00.000-05:00

Today was a pretty big day as far as national and international news go. Here are some links for you:

Google buys YouTube for $1.6bn
American Edmund Phelps wins Nobel Economics prize (he's the sixth US Nobel laureate this year.)
North Korea claims to sucessfully test nuclear weapon
Vatican release 'clarified' Pope speech (with footnotes explaining Islamic quote)
Unveiled necropolis at Vatican opens

Insults

2006-10-08T14:54:00.000-05:00

I think the post needs a little bit of explanation. I mean, I can't just throw a link with no text attached to it, right?

Well, I found this on digg.com. For those people who know what sites I usually go to (Ben), I'm sure this is pretty predictable. For those who don't know, digg.com just has links that people seem to like. My explanation is incredibly pathetic and completely inadequate, so I guess I'll just slack off and direct you to the wikipedia article-- I'm horrible, aren't I?

But that's not the point-- I didn't write the post to insult myself. Speaking of insulting, that was a pretty pathetic insult, eh? If you want some very clever and some very funny insults by some very famous people, click here.

Now, I doubt that posting this link on this blog will lead to some of the huge hit spikes he's been blogging about recently (as a direct result of getting 'digged'), but at least we can add a ripple of our own.

That's it for now, I'll just add with a very personal message to my good friend and colleague Sean...

"Thank you for sending me a copy of your book; I'll waste no time reading it."

Update: First Friday Trip

2006-10-08T09:57:00.000-05:00

On Friday, a group of about 12 students, faculty, and parents attended the first monthly prayer vigil at the Planned Parenthood Madison facility (see previous post). For those of you that weren't able to attend, the rosary and prayers went well. Very few people were actually seen, and the clinic seemed devoid of life (no pun intended). However, it was excellent to be able to take a stand against abortion, and simply add some prayers to the soil where many have died. The sun, falling leaves, and cool breeze made it a very picturesque scene indeed.

The next trip will be on Friday, November 3. All are welcome to join.

Celebrate Our Lady of Victory!

2006-10-07T10:03:00.000-05:00

Today marks 435 years since the Christian victory over the Ottoman empire at the famed Battle of Lepanto. This naval victory gave the Christians under the leadership of the Holy League and Pope Pius V hope that the Islamic empire and their invasion of Europe could be turned back.

G.K. Chesterton wrote a poem about the battle, immortalizing the leader of the Christians, Don Juan of Austria. Read Lepanto here.

It is an amazing fact that the Christians sailed in the formation of a cross, and the fleet of the (Islamic) empire sailed in a crescent formation.

Crosses - José González - Crosses EP

Belated SotW

2006-10-05T21:39:00.000-05:00

Here's a song from one of my favorite arists, Wilco. And of course, the song is somewhat related to St. Ambrose. This week is all about our favorite class: Religion

Theologians - Wilco - A Ghost is Born

Let me know what you think: saachronicle [at ] gmail [dot] com

Amish Paradise

2006-10-04T18:15:00.000-05:00

I thought the first few paragraphs of this article were quite inspiring. Here's the quotation:

For all the horror of what happened in that one-room schoolhouse - the death toll has now risen to five girls as well as the killer Charles Roberts - the town of Nickel Mines has shown more forgiveness than anger in the 48 hours since the shooting.

"It's just not the way we think. There is no sense in getting angry," said Henry Fisher, 62, a retired farmer with five grown children and 33 grandchildren who has lived in the town all his life. Such have been the efforts of the community to show their forgiveness that an Amish neighbour even went round to the home of Roberts's father to comfort the family.

I just have to say: "God bless the Amish, and may He grant us so much charity!" I'd encourage you to pray for this community, the murderer's family, the victims, and in particular the soul of the man himself.

Flinteye hat tip to Mark Shea for the link.

(Note: The article I linked to launches into a detailed description of the crime about halfway through, and it's not pleasant reading. Reader discretion advised.)

What Are You Doing Friday Afternoon?

2006-09-25T19:42:00.000-05:00

As we all know too well, hundreds of helpless preborn infants lose their lives right here in our fair city of Madison. It may sometimes seem that there's not much way for us to make a difference in this.

But I think that prayer is one way, however small, that everyone can participate in. Beginning on October 7th, and continuing on every first Friday of the month, I invite you to the Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin Clinic to pray against abortion for one hour. It will take place directly after school, and will consist primarily of prayer and silent witness, although other aspects might be added in the future.

Please note that this is not a school-sponsored event. Consider it a personal invitation. :-) For more information, please email me at saachronicle@gmail.com.

(Photo Credit: M. Radwin via Flickr. Used under Creative Commons license)

SotW: Trains through Emotion

2006-09-24T19:49:00.000-05:00

Here's yet another update in the "Song of the Week". This one is perhaps my favorite song of 2006:
Trains to Brazil - Guillemots - Through the Windowpane

I think the lyrics of this song are appropriate, especially as both the lyrics and the week's event involved both love (Archbishop Cordes' talk) and hate (Reactions to the Pope's comments on Islam).

In other news, the Chronicle promises some sort of story on the Deus Caritas est presentation (see previous story).

John's Book List

2006-09-18T21:09:00.000-05:00

Okay, let's get a few things off my chest first.

I have only made a few posts at this blog-- and they were pretty terrible posts at that.

I have to admit it-- I'm not the most productive member of the staff. In fact you could say that I'm downright lazy and unhelpful. Which is true.

But I really can't let Sean make a 5 Best Book list and not include some of my favorite books. I consider that an insult to other awesome books, but primarily a challenge.

And who am I to pass up on a challenge?

Well, I guess it's time for MY best 5 books list. In no particular order... (and as a reminder, these books are really intended for teenage audiences. I wouldn't suggest handing these out to younger sibs or anything.)

The King of Attolia by Megan Whalen Turner

I have to say this is really unlike any book I have ever read. Its bizarre mix of politics and religion with a few awesome twists and VERY interesting characters makes it a great book at the end of an excellent trilogy. If you haven't read any of these books (The Thief, The Queen of Attolia, and the King of Attolia), I highly suggest you do so as soon as possible.

Young Miles by Loic McMaster Bujold:

What can I say? I read this book in a day, and I was completely and totally captivated for every instant of it. I have to say it's probably my favorite book. This book is actually two novels (The Warrior's Apprentice, The Vor Game) and one novella (The Mountains of Mourning). The novella isn't as good as the novels, but the novels are top notch. The books are incredibly fast-paced with a large dose of humor and wild plot twists, along with wonderful characters. I would recommend this to pretty much everyone-- but be warned, some of the humor and some of the places Miles goes to are less-than-savory, and I wouldn't let anyone under the age of 13 read this.

Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card:

I can't believe Sean didn't mention this book, given that I knows he loves it. Oh well. Some people may not like it because they think it's unrealistic, or stupid, or has a unbelievable plot, but I disagree with them. You have to have an open mind when you read this, because the main characters are all kids. Sometimes they do things which aren't very kid-like. But that doesn't really matter, because the book is great. It's sort of hard to explain I guess, but just trust me and read it. Be warned-- it has some graphic violence and some crude humor.

Mote in God's Eye by Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle:

This is another book that's really hard to explain. It's sort of a science mystery story after they discover the 'Moties', and alien race whose biology and life structure is totally different. They find out about it. If this is sounding really weird, that's because it is. But this is still a very interesting book to read-- if you like that sort of thing. If not, it's a snorer. So it's really up to your tastes. I really like this one.

The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien:

Yeah, I know what you're thinking. Fact is, too many people have recently put this on their 'Top 10 Book' or 'Top 10 Movie' list. Well you know what? They really shouldn't be doing that. Let me explain the situation with regards to LOTR as it was before the movies came out... LOTR was only for die-hard geeks and fans only. And then the movies came out. And LOTR became mainstream, and every person knew about it, and loved it... I bet only a twentieth of them had actually read the book -- probably less. The let's be honest -- as good as the movies are, they are nothing compared to the book. But I am putting this on my list because I had this read to me when I was 6, read it myself as soon as I could understand it, and all this before the great hype. I am, of course, a fan -- those other people are not. But what can I really say about the book? If you haven't read it, you're uncultured and there is something wrong with you. How's that for motivation?

Well, there's my top 5 list. And look at that! I actually spent time writing a post! That's amazing, a first for me I gotta say.

And for my closing, I can only echo what Sean said... "Go forth and obtain these books by whatever means possible and legal."

Have fun. :)

Sean’s Five Awesome Books

2006-09-18T17:56:00.000-05:00

This list isn’t meant to be authoritative or the “best” books–just five of my favorites, all highly recommended (although not necessarily for all ages–I’ve included my notes on suggested audience).

So, without further ado...The BOOKS!

The King of Attolia by Megan Whalen Turner:

Awesome, awesome fantasy book. Incredible characters, mystery, politics, deep insights, top-notch writing...read it. Advisory: Pretty much an all ages book

Speaker for the Dead by Orson Scott Card:

On a Portugese Catholic colony in the far future, settlers come into contact with mysterious–and occasionally murderous–aliens. Andrew Wiggin, Speaker for the Dead, arrives at the colony to try and unravel matters. This is an incredible science fiction novel with a pretty good portrayal of Catholics in the far future, mind-blowing ideas, and great characters. Advisory: High-schoolers and up–some disturbing ideas and mature themes (in the best sense of the phrase)

Declare by Tim Powers:

Djinn, secret agents, the real reason why the Soviet Union collapsed, romance, espionage, and the triumph of good over hellish evil...what more do you want? This is an awesome fantasy novel which portrays Catholicism as true. Advisory: Some sexual bits, not too hard to skip over and generally viewed in a moral context, and some very disturbing depictions of supernatural evil. There’s also a lot of profanity/obscenity, particularly from one character. Highschoolers, discretion suggested. I also highly recommend anything else by Powers.

The Rhyme of the Ancient Mariner by Samuel Taylor Coleridge:

Surprising, no? Sean recommends a poem! I had to put something non-fantasy/sci-fi on here. And this is my favorite poem. I’ve re-read it many times over and can recite chunks of it. It’s an incredible work with some awesome spiritual significance. Advisory: Uh...it’s kinda creepy, but anyone with the reading skillz to get through it.

Beauty by Robin McKinley:

This one is pretty surprising too, coming from me. Mary didn’t actually think I’d like it. It’s a retelling of Beauty and the Beast, and...it’s just a beautiful book in a whole lot of ways. What really drew me in is how graceful the author’s writing and imagery are. Advisory: All ages, but...you dudes out there might not like it. Be warned.

Get ye to a library!

Pope's Speech Arouses Muslim Anger

2006-09-17T19:48:00.000-05:00

As many of you have probably heard, the Holy Father recently made an Apostolic Visitation to Germany, where he grew up, taught, and worked. Part of this trip was a meeting with the 'representatives of science' at the University of Regensburg. There he gave a message (full text here), which addressed in part the issue of holy war. He quoted the Byzantine Emperor Manuel II Paleologus, saying

In the seventh conversation...the emperor touches on the theme of the holy war. Without descending to details, such as the difference in treatment accorded to those who have the "Book" and the "infidels", he addresses his interlocutor with a startling brusqueness on the central question about the relationship between religion and violence in general, saying: "Show me just what Muhammad brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached."

The emperor, after having expressed himself so forcefully, goes on to explain in detail the reasons why spreading the faith through violence is something unreasonable. Violence is incompatible with the nature of God and the nature of the soul. "God," he says, "is not pleased by blood - and not acting reasonably is contrary to God's nature. Faith is born of the soul, not the body. Whoever would lead someone to faith needs the ability to speak well and to reason properly, without violence and threats."

These words, although brief and comprising only a small portion of his message, sparked a huge amount of unrest across the Muslim world, with churches being firebombed, effigies of the Pope burnt, and leaders worldwide condemning the Pope's words as hateful, akin to "Hitler and Mussolini."

Now, the BBC reports that a nun in Somalia has been martryred in retaliation, even as the Pope apologizes through his Secretary of State and in person.

In some ways, this is an indicator of the growing Islamic threat to society throughout the world. With the false facade of their "peaceful religion" stripped away by their own actions, Muslims increasingly show their own inability and intolerance to accept criticism and beliefs different from their own, as the cartoon riots have shown. The tip of the iceburg is before us.

Archbishop Cordes to Speak in Madison Tuesday

2006-09-17T17:11:00.000-05:00

Archbishop Paul Josef Cordes, President of the Vatican agency, Cor Unum, will speak in Madison on Tuesday, Sept. 19.

Archbishop Cordes was a close collaborator of Pope Benedict XVI in the preparation of his first papal encyclical Deus Caritas Est ("God is Love"). As Cor Unum oversees the papal works of charity, the Archbishop's speech will center on the Pope's encyclical and the "authentic motivation behind charitable works to promote human solidarity". Bishop Morlino said the talk will "provide a very useful summary" of Deus Caritas Est.

Archbishop Cordes has previously visited the United States in the wake of Hurricaine Katrina, where he visited refugees and delivered prayers and support from the Holy Father. Cordes also visited Afghan refugees in Pakistan, troops in Iraq, and tsunami surivors in Africa and Southeast Asia.

Madison is the first of three stops on the archbishop's US tour, the others being in Detroit and Washington, D.C. Tickets either are or very close to sold out for the event at the Overture Center, so if interested, contact Catholic Charities at 608-821-3100. The Chronicle will be there to report.

New Song!

2006-09-15T22:55:00.000-05:00

Shout - De Novo Dahl (Cats & Kittens)

Ok, so, here's another song for you guys. I realize that classes are hard, work is tough, and life in general is a bit difficult after the start of school. But sometimes, you just want to let it all out. Enjoy this song, and shout!

New Feature: Song of the Week

2006-09-06T20:40:00.000-05:00

Two More Years - Bloc Party - Silent Alarm

Well, in an effort to keep a somewhat regular posting schedule here on the Chronicle, your editor decided that he would slowly but surely unveil a series of weekly or semi-weekly features. The first one on the list is the Song of the Week.

Being that this is indeed an unofficial student blog, I thought it would be appropriate to dedicate the first song to a segment of the student population. This one's for the juniors. Yes, you have two more years left of high school. Enjoy-there's a light at the end of this tunnel, however long. :-).

Here's to a Fantastic Start!

2006-09-04T22:21:00.000-05:00

Ok, maybe it's not totally legit, but I think he prays for us anyways. Welcome to everyone new to the school, and it's great to see all you veterans back at St. Ambrose. Here's to another year!!

Pretty Picture

2006-07-18T20:24:00.000-05:00






Because nothing else on this blog is being posted.

Breaking report from Japan

2006-06-06T10:29:00.000-05:00

As most of you probably know, my brother David is currently in Japan, having fun, drinking sake (drinking age is only 20 in Japan), touring a bizarre foreign country, and reading manga. Manga are Japanese comics, published in two-hundred page paperbacks as well as massive weekly magazines, and they sell VERY well. The top manga are Japan's equivalent of The Da Vinci Code (in terms of sales, I mean).

What are the top selling manga?

One Piece: A manga about pirates

Naruto: A manga about ninja

The battle continues...

(One Piece is pretty good, btw. Lots of over-the-top pirate action. I haven't read any Naruto.)

Get Those Auction Paddles Ready...

2006-05-28T21:23:00.000-05:00

This really has nothing to do with St. Ambrose news or whatnot, but Bishop Robert Morlino is up for auction. No, no, not like that. Wisconsin Public Television's annual Auction has an interesting item: dinner for six prepared by our dear Bishop (scroll to bottom of link for description).

Bidding starts at $2000. Any of you going to place a phone call perchance?

I know, I know

2006-05-25T23:24:00.000-05:00

We've been gone from this blog for a looooong time. But look, we've been having fun!

From merry-go-rounds to downtown scavenger hunts to the end (finally!) of the school year, all the SAA kids have been having a blast. Seriously. If you're going into grades 6-12 next year, you can be joyously happy like us too. Get in touch. We'll help you out. Cheers!

The Broth

2006-05-10T23:44:00.000-05:00

The Broth is a really cool website where you can collaborate with different people from all over the world to make a mosaic, a "broth" of colors and shapes. I made a room for the school, at this link which you can make a special one with. It currently looks like this, but some spectacular pictures have been made. Try it out!

Remembering Pope John Paul II

2006-03-31T22:28:00.000-06:00

April 2 marks the first anniversary of the death of Pope John Paul II. I though an appropriate way to recognize this date was by putting together a little podcast. About 13 min long, it's hopefully a fitting tribute and remembrance.

Chronicle Podshow #6 - Special Edition.

Music provided by the Monastic Choir of the Abbey of Notre Dame de Fontgombault, with the exception of Ave Maria, which is from the Monastery of St. Benedict in Brazil. Their music is accessible here.

Well, this has taken long enough!

2006-03-23T21:34:00.000-06:00

Yeah, it's the fifth podcast. I'm afraid to admit that it's a bit short, but the show must go on. We've got a bit of music, a bit of chatting, and a bit of rambling on about the Internet. Cool, huh? Without further stalling, I present:

Chronicle Podshow #5

You should be able to click on the triangle, and hear it streaming.

We've got music by the Hotrod Cadets today, with the music provided by the Podshow Music Network. Please leave a comment.

Novel complete! Ya-hoo!

2006-03-06T20:27:00.000-06:00

I've just finished the rough draft of my fourth novel, tentatively entitled Harpy Slayer (blunt, eh?). I've done high fantasy stories before, but this is the first novel I've done in that particular sub-genre. This is the same novel I was working on back in November, when I got through the first 50,000 words during NaNoWriMo. The finished draft is about 82,000 words or 280 double spaced pages. Actually, what I'm most proud of is that it only took me about two and a half months of actual work....

It's probably the my most religious story, and it also has more "quiet time" than anything else I've written. I tried to focus more on character conflicts this time around than I have in the past, and I think I learned a lot as a result. The story originally started as an idea for a short story, too, so I got some practice at expanding the grain of an idea into a novel length work.

Of course, it's also got a tough-as-nails hero, a diabolical villain, and a 10,000 word battle, along with several smaller fights. I think some of them need work, but it's certainly got exciting moments.

So...what remains now is to let it sit for a few days, then start proof-reading, making minor changes as a I go. Then I'll send it out to my test-readers, hopefully gaining much useful advice, and I'll start revising once my Flinteye novel is complete and off to publishers.

Now, I've got a couple short stories around that need revising, and more to write...a writer's work is never finished. Still...I've got to find some way to celebrate....

Enjoy - It's a SNOW DAY!

2006-02-16T07:46:00.000-06:00

I think the title says it all. Have fun, everyone, and enjoy the day.

Random Fact O' the...Blog?

2006-01-31T16:30:00.000-06:00

So, recently, some people on the web have been thinking about those "diss songs." You know, the ones on the radio by boring old hip-hop and rapper that completely tear apart their latest "musical" (and I use that word lightly) rival. Turns out, these date back all the way to Africa, and even to the Inuit. Matt from awholelottanothing created this little ditty which I find sort of hilarious. And since I post the most on this blog, I'm going to make you suffer though a bit of rhyming:

It's a must that I bust any norwhal tusk you're handing me
dropping beats, dropping whales, it runs in my family
not like that kook, nanook, and his silly northern crew
his harpoons can't hit the broadside of an igloo.

Awesome...

Roundup - In Memoriam

2006-01-27T19:25:00.000-06:00

First off, as we continue to remember our Pilgrimage for Life experiences, let us remember our dear friend the Cow Flag. Beloved by us, landmark to some, and awesome to all, it was lost upon the Metro in a blink of the eye. We'll miss you.

Anyways, I wanted to get a quick roundup of the buzz that the March created in the blogosphere. First off is the extremely cool pictures that Jewel of ~Jewel~of~the~Jungle~ was right there in the heart of it all, and also armed with a fancy camera. Her gallery gives a very good picture of the rally.

Speaking of which, she also got a pic of "Jesus," presumably the same one that we spotted at the MCI Center. So he did exist. A warning-the following link contains pictures of the graphic abortions photos seen along the March. Scroll down to the fouth photo. Link.

If you are a glutton for even more photos, see the Flickr tag "marchforlife".

Cardinal William Keeler's homily from the Basilica is available here, and an article from the USCCB is a nice synopsis of what SAA students experienced.

All in all, what a journey. That's all I can say. Keep your eyes peeled for a Catholic Herald article coming out soon, penned by yours truly

The Pilgrimage for Life

2006-01-25T11:32:00.000-06:00

Well, we all made it back home in one piece, and mostly safe and sound. The journey probably took a wee toll on our sleep and sanity, but I think that everyone enjoyed the amazing experience.

In regards of photos, CD's will be given out, as I can't put them all online because of the sheer amount of stuff.

Thanks especially to Patrick Delaney, Grant Emmel, and Jennifer Wagner for guiding us around the Nation's capitol. Excellent!

D.C., Here We Come!

2006-01-18T21:51:00.000-06:00

As many of you probably know, a group of St. Ambrose Senior High students are taking a pilgrimage to Washington D.C. to participate in the 33rd March for Life. This is a pretty important moment for all of us in the school, as we venture out into the "real world" in order to demonstrate and show our support for the unborn. As we don't know the Internet access situation, we can't promise you updates from the Mall, but do expect a full rundown when we return, as all three student staff members are attending.

A few thoughts: we must always remember that, along with the children placed in danger from the acts of abortion, there are at least two other souls and human persons hurt: the mother and the father of these children. Often, the lives and thoughts of the parents involved are forgotten in the rush to save the child's life. We must remember that these women especially are often faced with a terrifyingly difficult situation. Poor, young, unwed, with an abusive spouse or boyfriend, or even all of the above, they are shown a "choice" which seems to end their troubles.

This is where those who hate abortion should step in, and support these women. Remember the old adage: "Hate the sin, not the sinner." If we give our support, our prayers, financial gifts, time and talents, we can prevent even the sin from occuring, and lead the mother onto a postition where they can . Organizations such as CareNet do a great service to people in precarious situations. Demonstations of encouragement and the sanctity of life such as the March for Life can show that people do indeed care, and are willing to help them out.

Christ himself told us that "Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied. (Mt 5:6). In our pilgrimage, let us hunger for the right to life, and then pray for the intercession of the saints for the children, and their mothers.

That Guy Can Move

2006-01-18T21:46:00.000-06:00

We haven't posted anything on our beloved John Paul II lately. I am under the impression that we should keep him always in our thoughts, being such a great man that he was. Here's a link that relates not to his outstanding personal holiness, but to his also-great coolness. Yes, that's right. I said cool. (via gvod)

Are We Really That Weird?

2006-01-11T19:52:00.000-06:00

So, you might wonder why certain citizens of our dear school continually reference things like "that awesome Israeli hip-hop song". Well, now thanks to the wonders of Google Videos, you can see for yourself. Enjoy!

Comment Policy

2006-01-01T15:20:00.000-06:00

I never put this down in writing, but now that we are gaining a bit of attention, a clear directive on the comments is needed. So, without further ado...

The St. Ambrose Academy Chronicle Commenting Policy

Spam, profanity, trolling, and generally nastiness will not be tolerated.
All comments shall be moderated, to search and destroy the above
Anything else will be published.
English-only, please. We can't speak much else (unless you count Latin!).
All comments shall remain the copyrighted words of the original author. In otherwords, no Creative Commons licensing. Just plain old "All Rights Reserved."

Falling Sand Java Game

2005-12-29T22:22:00.000-06:00

A highly addictive Zen-Garden-like game where you control flow of sand, water, salt, and oil by drawing walls, plants, sprouts, cera (wax). Normally, this post would go into the sidebar linkblog, but it is so extremely cool and mind-wasting that it deserves this mainblog post.

A couple of hints: "cera" is acutally wax, and burns slowly. Plants need water to grow, which spouts provide. The bouncing thing grows by water, and shrinks by salt. If you find more combos, or cool things, post them in the comments.

Link | digg story

Merry Christmas!

2005-12-24T22:36:00.000-06:00

From the entire Chronicle staff wishes you and yours a very blessed Christmas as we celebrate the Birth of the Christ Child.

(Painting: The Birth of Christ by Domenico Ghirlandaio [Link])

Movie Monster Monkey Mayhem (A Brief Review of King Kong, 2005 edition)

2005-12-24T14:28:00.000-06:00

(Yeah, I know, I'm on a roll today. Must be the caffeine.)

So...I saw King Kong yesterday. Overall, I enjoyed it a lot.

The story was both exciting and, in parts, very moving. Carl Denham, a somewhat crazed movie director, sails off into the south pacific, heading for an unexplored island to shoot his next big movie. Along with him are Jack Driscoll, screenwriter turned hero, and Ann Darrow, down on her luck Vaudeville who got involved with Denham’s project only by a fortune (or unfortunate, as may be) coincidence. However, when they reach the island, they are beset by savage natives who kidnap Ann and offer her as a sacrifice to Kong, the twenty-five foot gorilla lord of the island’s jungles, which are also infested by dinosaurs and giant bugs. A rescue mission is mounted by Driscoll and the crew of the ship, even as Denham struggles to continue filming beyond all reason.

The most noteworthy thing about Kong is the special effects and action sequences. Particularly noteworthy is an awesome scene where Kong battles no less than three T. Rexes, all while keeping Ann unharmed. There’s also a battle with giant bats, some intense confrontations between the big ape and the humans coming after him, a brontosaur stampede, and bucketloads of giant insects, not to mention a monster rampage through downtown New York (yep, Kong travels far in the course of the film). Some moments were silly, but overall these sequences were exciting and well-crafted.

Kong is also a film with plenty of heart. There is, of course, and obligatory romance between the human characters, but Kong is the character at the heart of the film, and he develops a surprisingly poignant relationship with Ann. Kong becomes fascinated by her, and ends up fighting against overwhelming odds to save her life (see the T. Rex battle mentioned above). The way I see it, Kong is bored with his life on the island, and Ann touches him as nothing ever has before. Here is someone who, seeing him as her protector on an island full of dangers, doesn’t recoil from him, and even shows him affection once she sees it in him. Kong is given something to live for.

The movie has some problems–I noticed some lapses in logic, there are a couple unnecessary gross-out scenes involving giant bugs, and a couple subplots take up much screen time for little discernable purpose. At three hours in length, King Kong drags a bit, but even then the film is well-crafted enough to make it fine viewing. There are also some jarring shifts in mood.

I wouldn’t recommend it for young children–in addition to the horrific bug scenes, it has plenty of intense violence and menace, plus some objectionable language. But for teenagers and up, I highly recommend King Kong. In addition to being an exciting and well-crafted film, it has a solid emotional center and plenty of humor along the way.

For another, and much better, review, see DecentFilms.com .

Gift Receiving, or, “We Aren’t Islands!”

2005-12-24T13:58:00.000-06:00

To help celebrate Christmas here at the Chronicle, I thought I’d post a few thoughts on the other aspect of gift-exchanging: Gift receiving. There is room for both virtue and vice in both halves of the process, both giving and receiving.

A couple vices occur to me as far as receiving goes. Greed, obviously, is first, in which one demands gifts (usually specific ones) and then becomes upset if one doesn’t receive the right gifts, or enough gifts, or gifts of a certain size, etc.

Then there’s something a little less easy to root out: A hatred of receiving gifts in the first place. I was recently reading a column in the Wall Street Journal’s Friday “Taste” page, in which the columnist waxed eloquent about how much stress and misery receiving gifts brought him. He talked about how books make an unwelcome “imposition” on his precious reading time, movies on his viewing time, and made other such complaints. He also lamented that, when he receives a gift, he feels as if the giver is just trying to guilt him into getting something for them. He wrote that he much prefers gifts of money.

Both vices can be counteracted by an appreciation of the nature of gift-giving. The gift of God the Son was completely gratuitous–God was under no obligation to give us anything. He could have simply abandoned us to our sin. But, from his mercy and generosity, he chose not only to become incarnate (in fairly miserable circumstances–a stable can’t be a great place to have a baby, and Nazareth wasn’t a wealthy town), but to endure unimaginable suffering in body, mind, and soul for our sake (this is a tangent, but...it’s worth keeping in mind that Christ not only endured the physical torture of scourging and crucifixion, but also the pain and sorrow of every sin mankind had committed or ever would commit).

Christmas gift-giving is gratuitous and, in a profound way, humbling. Receiving charity is an insult to our pride, which demands that we pay everyone back for every kindness. True gratitude is found in accepting charity and generosity with humility, accepting gifts as expressions of love from others. Gifts also wound our pride by reminding us that we are not self-sufficient islands and that we rely on the generosity and love of others. Individualism is a great American value, so it can be hard for us to accept that we aren’t gods, self-sufficient unto ourselves, and that we must rely on the generosity of others. Without God’s gratuity, we would have nothing, and without the support of our fellow humans, life would be very difficult indeed. Gifts remind us of all this.

It shouldn’t matter particularly what the gift is (well...maybe unless it’s something really tasteless ;) ). What matters is the generosity involved, and that generosity should be accepted not with pride or greed, but with humility. Being able to receive gifts well seems to me to be a great virtue insofar as it is humble.

Have a Merry (and humble!) Christmas!

(I hope I’m not boring you with my prattle :). Feel free to post your thoughts in the comments box! )

Presentation Pictures

2005-12-23T15:43:00.000-06:00

Presentations-Choir
Originally uploaded by bratsche1.

A few pictures from the Christmas Presentations are up. If you have anymore, please send a message to saachronicle[at]gmail[dot]com so we can put them up. Thanks.

Chronicle Staff

2005-12-20T22:06:00.000-06:00

Chronicle Staff
Originally uploaded by bratsche1.

I've created a flickr account so all you guys can view the photos that we can randomly take around school. Click here for more!

One Billion Internet Users

2005-12-20T18:03:00.000-06:00

"Some time in 2005, we quietly passed a dramatic milestone in Internet history: the one-billionth user went online. Statistically, we're likely talking about a 24-year-old woman in Shanghai."

This is a very important milestone. In just a few years, the Internet has gone from a specialized, little-known computer extension to a indispensable item in our daily lives. Can you imagine not having the Internet to use? I sure can't; almost everything has been made easier.

Many criticize the Internet for its many unsavory parts and websites. But we must remember that anything can be used for good or evil. The good, then, is just there for us to use, while the evil can easily be avoided.

Cheers and a toast!

read more | digg story

Consumerism or Generosity?

2005-12-20T14:08:00.000-06:00

These are the times that try men’s wallets (women’s too)...and, in some cases, their patience. We’ve all heard tales of Black Friday, when hordes of shoppers crowd into Best Buy and other retailers seeking bargains on TVs, DVD players, computers, game systems, and more. Spend! Buy! Tackle that guy and take the last X-box 360 for yourself! Indeed, a common topic for homilies during Advent is the excessive commercialism many businesses push on shoppers. After seeing such displays of rampant greed, many Catholics question whether Christmas should involve shopping in the first place–isn’t it, after all, a Holy Day, celebrating the Incarnation of God the Son? Should we really be distracted by gift-buying and parties?

Christmas is indeed a holy day, and we should certainly celebrate it as one. However, although commercialism often gets out of hand, I think the key word there is “celebrate”. After all, who has more to celebrate than Catholics? We have Christ, the fullness of the Truth, and the Church with all its glory and history. Catholicism should always be a religion of joy.

Christmas is fundamentally about a gift–God’s gift of Himself. I always think of the song “Hark, the Herald Angels Sing!”, with the words “Mild He lays His glory by/Born that we might no more die”. God was in no way obligated to give us His Son, but He did so freely and out of love. Therein lies the heart of it.

True love is manifested in actions. We show others that we love them but by how we treat them. If you tell your brother that you love him, then punch him, your actions are what communicates the truth.

Thus, the practice of giving gifts seems praiseworthy to me, especially when it is undertaken with love. In buying someone a gift, you’re making a sacrifice of time and money for their sake–and a great sign of love is making a sacrifice for another person.

Also, when I shop, I try to find a gift which the person will genuinely appreciate–not the latest must-have widget, or a canned “gift item”, but something hand-picked for them from my knowledge of what they enjoy. I always try to put some of myself into the gifts I give and make it a gift from me, not from my wallet. One should be careful not to make gifts a requirement by saying, “If my brother doesn’t get me a gift, he doesn’t love me”, but gift-giving can indeed be an expression of love. Even the stress of shopping can, to a certain extent, be a sacrifice for the sake of another person.

Of course, one should be careful not to slip into “gift-giving pride”, where a person says, “By gosh, I AM going to get my son an X-box 360, because that’s the sort of loving parent I am, and nothing in Heaven or Hell is going to stand in my way!” In such cases, where one obsesses over getting the perfect gift and pays thousands on E-bay for their X-box, the gift comes more from pride than from genuine generosity. This is where a lot of unbridled commercialism comes into play, I think.

Have a generous, holy, and merry Christmas! (And let me know what you think in the comments box...this something I've been thinking about a lot, and I'd be glad to hear your input.)

Money, money

2005-12-15T21:53:00.000-06:00

I wasn't originally going to comment any more on this issue outside of the linkblog that we've started over there --> in the sidebar, but it deserves a closer look. The government of Switzerland recently commissioned a design contest, in order to find a new design for their banknotes. The selection unanimously picked by the jury features a sort of scientific theme. Prominently featured on the different notes are such symbols such as a human embyro, a skull, a hunk of metal or some other thing, and a model of the HIV virus, which, as we all know, causes AIDS.

Does anyone else find this a little odd? Yeah, the pictures are really cool, but handing the cashier at the store an embryo seems eerie. However, now that I think about it, pretty much anything would be better than the boring old green dollars that we have today.If you have traveled outside the country, you will know how "cool" them money looks. It's actually amazing that, given how advanced America is, we produce the worst-looking money. Take Vietnam: the higher level currency is plastic and has little see-through parts.

If you could redesign the American money, what would be on it?

Deadlines and Work

2005-12-15T19:29:00.000-06:00

(Yeah, I know. The title sounds miserable.)

So...as y’all know, I finished NaNoWriMo a couple weeks ago by writing 50,000 words of novel during November. So, in this here post I begin my discussion of things I learned during the process which might be of interest to the general populace.

I realized two things about my work habits: First, it really helps to have a deadline. That’s probably obvious, but...I experienced it in a way that I hadn’t before, since I was using a long-term deadline rather than something short term like “This homework is due on Monday.” 50k words is too much to put off for the last minute, and then do in one stint–it probably takes me about an hour for every thousand words of composition, more if the story is flowing slowly for some reason. That means 50 hours of work, at least. Thus, the deadline and the amount of work forced discipline on me–I aimed at 2,000 words a day. Sometimes I got 3-4k, sometimes a sentence or two (I missed a few days for World Fantasy Convention), for an average about 1,700 words a day–just enough to make the minimum wordcount.

Second, I discovered that, when I sat down to work at my writing, I could write for about half a page (approx. 150-200 words) before I would get the powerful urge to get up and do something else. It was only after I resisted that urge that my writing began to flow and I got much of anything done. The temptation to quit was still there, but...once I’ve muscled through some critical point, it becomes much easier for me to keep working.

So, a couple thoughts there. Posterity will show if they’re of any interest to anyone but me....

(Flinteye! )

The Immaculate Conception and a plenary indulgence

2005-12-07T23:10:00.003-06:00

Tommorow is the Feast of the Immaculate Conception. (okay, for all intents and purposes, it's today, but as I'm writing this as 11:11, it's still tommorow). This feast, for those who do not know, is in honor of the Virgin Mary's conception with her parents, Sts. Ann and Joachim. This dogma was declared doctrine by Pius IX in 1854, speaking out ex cathedra with the gift of papal infallibility.

In other news, relating to religion...

The Pope, in honor with the 40th Anniversary of Vatican II, is offering a plenary indulgence. The idea of indulgences is often misunderstood, but in Catholic theology, it is understood to be the remission of the temporal punishment due to sin. They are bestowed by the Church by virtue of its authority given to it by Christ (c.f. Matt. 9:8 and John 20:21-23). More information on indulgences in general can be found at this Catholic Answers site.

The particular requirement is for one to "participate in a sacred function in honor of the Virgin, or at least least offer open testimony of Marian devotion before an image of Mary Immaculate exposed for public veneration, adding the recitation of the Our Father and of the Creed, and some invocation to the Virgin." The other, standard conditions also apply, namely, to recieve Communion, attend Confession, and pray for the intentions of the Holy Father, all within a "reasonable period".

(edited by Ben E. :-)

Welcome!

2005-12-06T17:53:00.000-06:00

I occasionally like to make an introductory post in order to welcome any new students (of which we have a few) to the school, and to this site, the best place for SAA students. So here's a short synopsis of the Chronicle.

The Chronicle is a web-based student newspaper that is orchestrated in a web-log ( a word that is commonly shortened to "blog") format. You'll notice that blogs use inline links to other websites quite frequently. Each of the "articles" that you may see here are in fact posts made by the Chronicle staff to the site. The blog was first started in December 2004 by myself (Ben E.). The site then gained the expertise of Sean Stiennon, and Miss N., a former teacher at St. Ambrose who left to finish her studies. The most recent addition to the staff is John C.

Usually, we comment on any major events that happen in St. Ambrose. Since most of the audience of the Chronicle (you!) already know these things, we usually supplement the "news" reports with interesting things found on the web, book and movie reviews, and pretty much anything we can come up with. The posting can be sporadic, as one can look into the archives over there --->. However, we find it interesting and entertaining, and hope you do too.

A new, major feature is the Chronicle Podshow, a short series of audio programs known as "podcasts." These are made about weekly, and feature an ever changing mix of free music (depressing and happy), chat, exclusive features, and whatever the producers and hosts can think up that week. Currently, we have made four podcasts, which also can be found, again, thataway --->.

The most important part of this adventure is the interaction between students. You see, each post allows "comments" to be made by blog readers, which can then evolve not only into feedback for us, but sometimes interesting discussions and conversations between posters. So, go ahead: Post a comment! I will warn you, though, your comment may not appear right away, as they have to be approved in order to combat those nasty spammers and their comment-junk. So I ask that you be a bit patient. After all, we're all volunteering. :-)

And of course, thanks for reading. We'll have more stuff for you in the near future. Enjoy!

Chronicle Podshow #4 - A Mixed Bag of Nuts

2005-12-03T14:03:00.000-06:00

Once again, we come at you with another podcast. Today's episode includes an appeal for the AIDS orphans in Swaziland, the second installment of Bishop Morlino's speech from Holy Hill, and a bit of chat from me, all nicely bundled up in one electronic package.

Download.

As always, music provided by the Podsafe Music Network. Today's featured tune was Symmetrical Angels, (Part 2) by 2-R.D.

SAA In the News

2005-12-01T20:17:00.000-06:00

We always like to round up any press coverage that the school gets, and so here comes another report. Students from St. Ambrose Academy are featured in this week's Catholic Herald, the diocesan newspaper as part of a centerfold spread describing the recent High School Youth Rally held at St. Thomas Aquinas Parish. A large picture of the "choir," mostly made up of senior high students, is prominently featured on the page. One can also spot yours truly serving at the Mass, albeit in a blurry view. A web version without photos can be accessed here.

On a related note, a short blurb on the new Dead Theologians Society chapters springing up around the Madison area was also in place in this week's issue. Although not mentioned, a majority of the senior high students attend the Pine Bluff Chapter at St. Mary's there. More info on DTS can be found in Chronicle Podshow #3.

Update: Sorry, the correct podshow is Chronicle Podshow #2. Thanks, John!

Success!

2005-11-29T13:49:00.000-06:00

50,026/50,000 (100.1%)

National Novel Writing Month for 2005 is almost over, and I've successfully written 50,000 words of a new novel since Nov. 1. Success! The book isn't quite complete yet--I might need another couple weeks for that--but I think it'll turn out to be a fairly solid manuscript.

So...over the next few days, I'll try and make a couple posts ruminating on my experiences. For now, I'll just say that it's been a great experience and has really rejuvenated my writing. I'd recommend it...whether you're looking for a career in fiction writing or not. There's nothing like sitting down and doing a minimum of 1,700 words a day for a month, watching an entire novel sprawl out beneath your fingertips.

Once I've finished with this novel, it'll be time for some editing...I've got a 90k word Flinteye novel (Flinteye?) that needs proofreading before being sent out to readers, and I'd like to finish editing that before I work too much on revising the new book. Then there's also short stories to be written, outlining and worldbuilding to be done...meh. I'll probably try to be one schedule to write another novel during the summer. NaNoWriMo might not be possible for me next year, once I'm in college.

So...deep philosophical thoughts later! Stay tuned!

The Reach of the Chronicle

2005-11-27T13:47:00.000-06:00

So the map to the left indicates all the locations of people who have viewed this little blog in the past week. (Click on the picture to expand). Using the brand spankin' new Google Analytics, we can see the far reaches of the world that the Chronicle is heading towards. Thanks everyone for your readership! Speaking of new technology, a technology primer will be heading out soon, in order to show the world some of the cool features that are available free on the web. There's a lot of advancements in blogs, podcasts, and websites that make life a lot easier, and we'll be discussing these things in the weeks to come. So, keep on reading (and commenting:-) !

Chronicle Podshow #3

2005-11-23T08:00:00.000-06:00

Yep, another one! Today we have a podcast exclusive: Bishop Robert Morlino's talk given at St. John Bosco Youth Day , Holy Hill. Since it is pretty long, the speech will be divided into three sections. This podcast contains the first section. Of course, we can't forget our music from the Podsafe Music Network. Today's background music was created by Incidental Fusion, so thanks to them for putting their music up for the podcasters around the world.

Listen to it either by:

Downloading
or
Streaming

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.5 License.

Please leave a comment, and tell us how we're doing! Thanks.

New Look

2005-11-22T20:44:00.000-06:00

So I've just spent the last hour tinkering with the look of the blog. I decided that we had the same old look for a while now, and it was time for a fresh new theme. Not much changed except a couple of colors (gray -> yellow, gray -> dark gray, light blue -> bright blue) and a few textual things, but I think it looks nice. And in case you were wondering why the podcast sound quality is a bit odd, here's a pic of our microphone setup. Advanced and professional, eh? That's the Podsafe Music Network on the computer screen, one of the rare moments when it was working.

Update: After a few comments from outside sources, I changed the colors again, so they actually matched to one another. Apparently, light yellow looks worse a day after you've changed everything. 10:25 PM, Nov. 27 2005

Chronicle Podshow #2 is here!

2005-11-21T15:27:00.000-06:00

Yes, it has arrived. Podshow number 2 is here for your listening enjoyment. Hosted by those two favorite Ambrosians, those mavericks of the airwaves, Sean and Ben, it includes such topics as the possible St. Ambrose cult, the recent high school events, and some hip popular music from genres ranging from low-key techno to some hi-fi acoustic pop-rock.

Music provided by the Podsafe Music Network.
Artists:

Art Hodge - Ship to Shore
Amplifico - Combing Your Soul for More

Right-click and download this link, or listen it streaming on the Ourmedia site. I'll post some pictures of our super-advanced microphone setup soon. Thanks for listening!

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.5 License.

We've Got Snow!

2005-11-16T15:45:00.000-06:00

In celebration, I've got some linkety for all y'all:

Art from the Air (pretty cool pictures derived from commercial air traffic)
The Impossible Done! (Girl folds paper in half twelve times)
How many flowers does it take to screw in a lightbulb? (Plant-technology mashups)
Who Knew? (Spaghetti breaks interestingly)
I need this table (With a conveyor belt!)
This Week's Sign of the Apocalypse (Rome extends protection of goldfish)

Well, We Still Exist

2005-11-08T22:42:00.000-06:00

I know, we haven't posted anything for a long while. Maybe that's because we're so enthralled with our classes, or that we're excited that St. Ambrose Academy is growing. We have had the addition of two new students, after all. Or maybe the reason is that there is no news.

Whatever it is, expect the second podcast coming up soon. And if you leave any comments on the blog, they won't show up right away. Due to an excessive amount of comment spam (actual content: mortage mortage loans mortage blog), all comments are now moderated. Don't worry, we won't reject anything that denies our system of beliefs. That wouldn't be free speech, would it?? Thanks for reading.

Public Service Announcement

2005-09-01T08:27:00.000-05:00

During the past few days, we have all watched the events in the Gulf Coast unfold. With apprehension and terror, we view the terrible destruction found in Louisiana and Mississippi. We have prayed for those affect, that they may be safe now, and then one day able to rebuild their lives. I ask our readers to go one step forward today. Please consider contributing whatever means you can to the American Red Cross or Catholic Relief Services. Thousands have lost every thing in their lives: homes, jobs, clothing, and dear family members, and are dependent on other to continue living. Thank you.

First Ever "Chronicle on the Air" Broadcast

2005-08-30T09:39:00.000-05:00

You know that secret feature that I was talking about. Well, it's all recorded, mixed, produced, and ready for your listening pleasure. That's right: the Chronicle on the Air podcast is ready for liftoff!
A podcast is a short little radio-style program that is recorded on the computer, and posted online for an Internet audience. Since the feedback that we received over the previous Audioblogger post was great, so the decision was made to create a show of a greater variety and content.

Download it now.

Warning: it is a 10.2 MB download (11 min.), so you might be better off listening it streaming at this website.

Licensing:

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.5 License.

Music provided by Podsafe Music. Sorry for any noise or breathing; the microphone setup is kind of crappy.
Enjoy!

Stay tuned...

2005-08-28T22:06:00.000-05:00

I'm excited about a new feature that's about to debut here. The year is very promising for the Chronicle, and I encourage you to stay tuned. Until the secret feature is ready, here's a few links to keep you busy:

For Those Who Like Science

For Those Who Like Computers

For Those Who Like Art

For Those Who Like Houses (or cardboard)

For Those Who Like Animals

Enjoy!

Back in the Swing of Thing

2005-08-21T10:36:00.000-05:00

A note from the Editor:

Ahh, the time of falling leaves, crisp apples, and screams of joy by children. That's right folks, it's that time of year again: time for the start of the 2005/06 school year. We here at the Chronicle know we promised some extra features during the past summer months, but hey, we were relaxing too. Sorry about falling back on our word, but now we're back, ready with a whole bunch of ideas for the upcoming year.

Everyone should be excited, with new teachers, students, classes, and whatnot. St. Ambrose Academy is entering a new era, one where the total number of students has exceeded 20. To celebrate that, we should start by preparing for our homework. After all, we have a name to uphold...

So let's start by reviewing all the information at the National Punctuation Day site. Communication is very important, and those little dots and dashes all contribute to make a wonderful combination of words, enabling our ideas to be put across. One could also look at the Society for the Protection of the Apostrophe, or read Eats, Shoots, and Leaves: The Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation.

Welcome back, and I look forward to seeing everyone soon.

To All Bloggers:

2005-06-27T16:32:00.000-05:00

Take the MIT Weblog survey, and help bloggers everywhere! I did, and became a statistic. Go ahead, click the button:

Ding Ding Ding! IE Strikes Again!

2005-05-31T21:29:00.000-05:00

For all you Improv Everywhere fans: A huge new mission, ripping off everyone's favorite band, U2. Check it out here.

Late News and a Summer Greetings

2005-05-31T21:22:00.001-05:00

Did you know that school has been finished for five days now? Yes, we're a little late with this news. Congratulations to Sean Bayer and Mary Stiennon, who both graduated from the eighth grade at St. Ambrose Academy. We wish you both good luck and a great future.

The entire Chronicle team bids everyone a good summer, and don't worry! We'll still post during the break, with a whole bunch of summer news. Maybe we shall bring in some guest bloggers, to spice things up a bit, hmm? Thanks for your continued reading and patronage.

Follow-Up to Previous Post

2005-05-26T15:30:00.000-05:00

Sources now tell the Chronicle that three students will be leaving the school, leaving a total of 19 for the upcoming year. This represents a 26% increase over the just finished school session, a smaller increase than that of last year. More to come as events unfold

Academy set for increase in student body

2005-05-24T15:20:00.000-05:00

Some news for you on the last day of instruction: According to various rumors and truths floating about the school today, St. Ambrose Academy is set for a 50% increase in it's student body. According to Chronicle sources, seven potential students took the placement test for entrance into SAA. Given all these students attend, no students leave (which is always a possibility) and disregarding the possibility of additional interests in the school, the enrollment for the 2005/06 school year will increase to 22. This also represent 220% of the students in the first year of classes. More to come as the information is finalized.

Forum Update

2005-05-22T11:39:00.000-05:00

Well, as you have probably noticed, the posts here at the blog have waned quite a bit. One would think that we don't have anything to talk about. But that's not really true; we've just moved the discussions on over the the St. Ambrose Forums. Right now, we have a whole truckload of posts, and even more exciting things planned. So if you haven't registered yet (ahem, Miss N.), get on over. Click on the link to your right, and have fun!

2005-05-19T08:08:00.000-05:00

SAA Forums

2005-05-16T18:28:00.000-05:00

Well, it happened.

Enough people wanted a forums site, so I made one.

I'm not very good at HTML and all that, so I'd appreciate any assistance.

But enough of that, here it is!

Subito Santo p. III

2005-05-13T08:27:00.000-05:00

Pope Benedict dispenses the five year waiting period for John Paul II.
Speakers of Latin the first to know!
Click here

Chronicles of Narnia

2005-05-10T22:29:00.000-05:00

Fear not Lord of the Rings fans! For now Weta Workshop is making the Chronicles of Narnia...

Wrong tense. "Has been making" is more like it. Here are a bunch of clips for the Christmas film!

Wow. Super wow. Donsn't it look just plain awesome?

(Edited: 7:27, 5/11/05. Ben E.)

Link de Week: 10x10

2005-05-09T21:55:00.000-05:00

Wow, I just discovered this sight. It presents one hundred pictures from around the world, in news, and links each one to a keyword. Every hour, it changes and saves the previous arrangement. Then it makes itself anew according to the phase of the world. It's pretty cool not only to look what is happening now, but to see what was important on a particular day, month, hour. Check it out: 10x10.

"Six with Flinteye" available for preorder!

2005-05-02T17:58:00.000-05:00

[shamelessness]
My science fiction short story collection, Six with Flinteye, is up for preorder from Silver Lake Publishing . It contains six tales of Jalazar Flinteye, interstellar bounty hunter, mercenary, and body guard. The price is $13.95 , and the book can be preordered via credit card, Paypal, or check--read the Customer FAQ for details on making a purchase. There's an excerpt up on the site, along with more info. It'll be released on July 1.

In the interests of full disclosure, the book contains quite a few relatively intense fight scenes involving bullets, plasma, poison darts, explosives, knives, swords, and fists, along with several references to drugs--no on-screen usage, though, and they're portrayed as a great evil. I'd probably recommend reading it yourself before passing it on to siblings younger than St. Ambrose age.

Also, a cheaper e-book version will be avalible once it gets released, so if you'd like a copy but would prefer that, I don't have a problem with it--I actually get about the same amount of money either way ;).
[/shamelessness]

Linkmania (Hee Hee)

2005-04-29T22:23:00.000-05:00

A tongue-in-cheek collection of links:

Lemon-Aid!

2005-04-29T21:34:00.000-05:00

So, here are some links that I found in the search for the True Lemon:

Spooky, depressing, cool books

Band: Lemon Jelly

I've got one of their Cd's; pretty good...

Recipe: Fluffy Lemon Fruit Pie

Ok, so you get the idea. Experts say that the lemon is a fruit, and lends its name to a large amount of stuff. Good deal.

Stories avalible online

2005-04-28T12:45:00.000-05:00

[shamelessness] I thought I'd post a little shameless self-promotion/updates on the status of my writing career, to those whom it may concern:

First, I've got a couple stories avalible for free reading online with naught but the click of a link--no .pdf download or magazine purchase. The first is Asp , an urban fantasy/superhero tale which won second place in the 2004 SFReader.com Short Story contest. I got paid a very nice sum for it, and I've got the framed certificate hanging upon my wall. I think it might be my biggest accomplishment thus far, in terms of prestige and cash. Also, On the Road is up on The Sword Review, a new Christian themed e-zine run by a writer I know online, Bill Snodgrass. That's the same one which was originally printed in Amazing Journeys Magazine, so now's your chance to read it! I got paid for that one, too, which was great--I'm actually starting to make money.

I might have forgotten to mention this, but I've also joined the staff of Deep Magic as a book reviewer, and I'm also getting to read submissions for the 'zine. On that same note, "Flinteye's Duel" has been accepted by DM (yes, editors are allowed to submit). Finally, Six with Flinteye (my book) is pretty much complete--all corrections and polishings have been made, the cover art is finished, and my acknowledgements, dedication, and bio have been turned in. All that remains is for the publisher to finalize the back cover blurb and have an ISBN assigned. Right now, a July release looks most likely.

[/shamelessness]

Final Pope Links

2005-04-25T21:54:00.000-05:00

Here are a few, final links about the new Holy Father:

Benedict didn't want the job
Email the Pope!
The Wikipedia Bio of Pope B1 -Help edit it!

and finally, the best of them all:

Pope Toast

Benedict Party Gains Popularity

2005-04-25T19:52:00.000-05:00

Yes, that's right. Did you think it couldn't? With around 76 people?

You thought wrong. :)

From what I've heard, this week's Catholic Herald is featuring the picture.

And, a friend of my Mom's showed it to Archbishop Chapeut (sic), who said:

"Thanks for sending along the picture. I'm happy to see people partying forsuch a good thing. May the Lord give you peace .+cjc"

HUZZAH!

Editor's Note: First off, the title of this post was not only spelled wrong, but is a misnomer. We're really talking about how our pope party has gained recognition througout the U.S. The "Chapeut" John is talking about Archbishop Charles J. Chaput of the Archdiocese of Denver. Finally, underhand techniques to artificially increase one's post totals are neither recognized nor condoned by the Chronicle. I deleted the extra post, ha ha. -Ben E. 9:52 PM, Apr 25, 2005

2005-04-24T18:33:00.000-05:00

Pope Party Pic

O fish, are you constant to the old covenant?

2005-04-24T09:36:00.000-05:00

Return, and we return, keep faith, and so will we...

Now, y'all (well, some of y'all) might be a little befuddled about what that means...but I'm not going to tell you. Let's just say that's it's a pair of sentences of some importance in an excellent fantasy novel: Declare, by Tim Powers.

The book opens with Andrew Hale--a middle-aged ex-secret agent--being called back into service by the British SOE. When he left the service in 1948, he left an operation unfinished. This operation, codenamed Declare, was one of the most critical ever embarked on by the British, and sorcery was an essential element. A dark power dwells on the summit of Mount Ararat in Turkey, and after being thwarted in 1948, the Soviets are making a new expedition in 1963, led by a British traitor named Kim Philby. They hope to harness the evil of Ararat and use it for their own evil purposes. Hale sets off to thwart them and, hopefully, destroy the power of Ararat for all time.

All this is intercut by flashbacks to Hale's past--his upbringing as a Catholic, his recruitment first by the Soviets and then by the British as a double-agent, his first meetings with Elena, a Spanish spy working for the Russians who would become the love of Hale's life, and his gradual induction into the world of assassinations, espianoge, and sorcery that lies beneath the world's wars and external conflicts.

You might be getting the impression that this is an immensely complex novel that's difficult to summarize...and you're right. It's hard for me to even capture the general idea of the book without giving away too much of the plot. It is, however, incredibly good. Declare never ceases to entertain, interest, and challenge. The writing is fantastic, as are the characters, the plot, the ideas, the fantasy, and just about everything.

The book also has strong religious themes: I recently got a chance to meet Tim Powers at a science fiction convention, and I heard it from his own mouth that he wrote the book in a world where Catholicism is true--which makes sense, because Powers is a Catholic. He actually signed one of my books "Fellow Papist!" when he discovered that I was as well. Hale was raised Catholic, as was Elena, and both have fallen away into sin--but their old faith continues to haunt them, especially as they come face-to-face with the world's darkest evils, and their struggles of faith are a critical part of the novel.

Declare is highly recommended. I know for a fact that the Alicia Ashman library, located near St. Ambrose, has a copy, and it's also avalible in paperback at amazon.com . So far as content goes, there's some non-graphic sexual matter which is pretty easy skipped over, and there's some fairly disturbing violence and supernatural encounters of an evil type. A couple characters also do a lot of cussin', including the f-word.

I'll be reviewing a couple other Tim Powers novels in the near future, so keep watch!

Benedict XVI Party

2005-04-23T17:17:00.000-05:00

During Thursday, white smoke came up from the Vatican chimney.
Shortly after, Cardinal Ratzinger was announced as the new pope, benedict XVI.

Three days later, a huge party, which involved almost all the St. Ambrose kids, was thrown.

It was awesome. The party featured a huge photo of everyone holding a sign saying:
WE LOVE YOU BENEDICT XVI (which will be e-mailed to the Pope). This was really fun.

And I mean fun. Other highlights included a massive ping-pong game, which involved at least 8 of the kids at one time, and individual games, such as Thomas vs. Mr. Ptak. Both Ben and Thomas challenged Theresa to Stratego games, and she lost both times.
Oh well. While this was happening, the junior high was having a lazer tag game, involving vicious tactics and relentless fighting. Wow.

And the poker game! Stretching across two differend tables, Fr. Rick taught some of us how to play Texas Hold 'em, and played a huge game with us. We battled for a monk cup, two tables, and the winner of each one would face off.

The first table was epic, and after several people put all their chips in one hand, the rest followed.

Essentially, the winner won the entire case, and Ben's glasses.
Theresa one.

I don't know much about the second table, only that Fr. Rick won, and then went on to beat Theresa. Monk cup goes to him. ('cept he forgot it at the house.)

Anyway, I think I can speak for everyone when I say it was an awesome party.
(and I'm tied with Sean! Yes!!!)

--John_Drazi

New LOTW-Special Edition

2005-04-20T15:25:00.000-05:00

A special Link of the Week, in honor of the papal election:

Cardinal Ratzinger Fan Club

Blessing Imparted to the City and to the World

2005-04-19T11:48:00.000-05:00

Pope Benedict XVI has just given us his first apostolic blessing as the successort of St. Peter.

Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger Elected Pope

2005-04-19T11:45:00.000-05:00

Breaking News- Cardinal Ratzinger has been elected the Supreme Pontiff, and has chosen the papal name Pope Benedict XVI. This information was just announced by the senior Cardinal. In just a few moments, Pope Benedict is to come out to the balcony of the apostolic palace, and impart his blessing Urbi et Orbi. More news to come as it arrives.

Habemus Papam!!

2005-04-19T11:13:00.000-05:00

We have a pope. Major news outlets are reporting white smoke from the Sistine Chapel chimney. The name of the pope is yet to be revealed Reporting directly from the SAA facilities, we will keep you updated througout the day.

Collection of Pope Links

2005-04-15T15:49:00.000-05:00

The chimney is up: Here
What Pope would you choose?: Here
General Conclave Information: Here
The Pope Blog-all the latest news: Here
What were those Patriarchs singing?: Here

Do you have any more links? E-mail us and we'll post them up!