Society's child

When I spoke in Spring Hill, Fla., two weeks ago, I finally had the pleasure of meeting John Brown S.J., whose CompanionofJesus.com is a great repository of knowledge on the spirituality of the Society of Jesus, including the fascinating 1673 work depicting the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius in pictures. (There was another camera pointed at us as well, hence my sideward gaze.)

John first contacted me before I made the decision to become Catholic; he wrote to express support for my blog. I wrote back to him with a question or two, and I now count him as one of those who led me to full communion with the Church.

At my talk at Spring Hill's St. Frances Xavier Cabrini Parish, John, a scholastic (the Jesuit term for seminarian), met a staff member of a local Catholic radio station who was impressed with his New Orleans drawl. The story I heard was that she was eager to have him on the show because a large part of the station's listenership were curious Evangelicals, and, with his twang, she said, "he sounds like a Protestant!"

Would write about Michigan, but must ... get ... sleep. The past two weeks were long, touring and working Le Day Job without a break.