Mark Saucier
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At 16, he joined a religious community.  He came from a rural area in the Philippines. He loved people, loved animals, and was looking for a simple way to help.  He had no … more
He always saw parishioners in the hospital and anyone else who wanted a priest or just a visitor. Once, it was a woman, pregnant and gravely ill, a stranger in town with neither friends nor … more
First, my older sister was admitted with a severe intestinal virus. Pneumonia set in. The stress of the two caused her heart to go into AFib. As all this was spiraling down, another sister … more
I will never forget where I first met my uncle, my mother’s brother Lester. It was Plot D, Row 9, Grave 110 at the Manilla American Cemetery in the Philippines. It was only a few … more
Like so many, my eyes were fixed on the curtained doorway behind the empty balcony. I, too, was curious, excited, hopeful. Finally, the door opened, a cardinal stepped out and proclaimed, … more
Meandering through the museum, we found funerary art from ancient Egypt. The wealthy deceased were mummified and often placed in a richly adorned wooden coffin. A stone sarcophagus would further … more
We were moving into a building we bought for our ministry to women looking for redemption, recovery and reentry. I was working with a man I’d never met, a volunteer from the church most of … more
Genesis is the first book of the Bible and contains the creation narratives. But, it is Exodus, the second book, that provides the origin story of the Israelite people. With Moses, the burning … more
On an early-morning walk, I ducked into a church for a few minutes of prayer. It was a typical old Mexican church, drab with age and neglect, but filled with statues and 17th-century paintings that … more
They were sitting in front of me. I happened to see when she grabbed her husband’s hand and held it between them. It could have been a fleeting pain, though she didn’t appear to … more
In Matthew, Jesus preaches the Beatitudes on the side of a mountain. In Luke, they’re preached on a plain. “He went down with them and stood on a level place.” In Matthew, … more
One of our granddaughters was involved in a horticulture project at school.  Eager to pass on her learning, she told her little brother some of the things he should be doing for the aloe … more
Jesus quotes Isaiah to define his mission: “He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free.” In this spirit of … more
We call the Sabbath the Lord’s Day, a day of rest. Most of us don’t work on Sundays, but that’s where the rest ends. We fill them with a flurry of activities, as if busyness is … more
We’ve all been there. The obligatory Christmas pageants: where our related little ones try to recapture the simple essence of Christmas in story and song. This one, like most, was … more
As the first Advent candle flickered, the reality suddenly dawned on me: it’s December! It’s not like I didn’t know it was coming. I had filled my calendar with December dates … more
It’s the month of saints and sinners. In church, we have a large scroll with the names of the parishioners who died in the past year. Saints and sinners all. Looking at the list, I … more
Coincidence or providence?  In the gospel reading on the Sunday before Election Day, Jesus is asked about the greatest commandment. “You shall love the Lord your God with all … more
I heard the disruption of the quiet fall afternoon from inside the house. It sounded as if everything was enveloped in a cloud of incessant clicks and whistles. Stepping outside, I found the … more
We gathered on the shores of Lake Norman. We were physicists, lawyers, engineers, business owners, and assorted others like me. What we all had in common was time. Long before we were … more
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