#Nuns in Missouri

[divinum-pacis]

May 28, 2023: People pray over the body of Sister Wilhelmina Lancaster at the Benedictines of Mary, Queen of Apostles abbey near Gower, Missouri. Hundreds visited the small town this week to see the nun's body, which has barely decomposed since 2019 -- a sign of holiness in Catholicism, some say, while others are saying the lack of decomposition may not be as rare as people think.

(AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

[triviareads]

inspo for sierra simone's next book:

[housefullofnuns]

Upcoming pop punk nites, featuring House parties and more! Check the van full of nuns app or website for ticket info, link in my pinned post!

[boyhood]

I have TWO new episodes of my podcast All Miracles Are Strange, a project about grief and the bodies of saints and, often, contemporary art. The first episode is about the incorrupt nun in Missouri, Maggie Nelson, and my grandmother dying, and what it is like to spend time with a dead body. The second episode is about why talking about Jesus and living in America is an impossible combination and why Heaven doesn't make sense to my body.

You can listen to both on Spotify or on Apple Podcasts.

[thepastisalreadywritten]

SAINT OF THE DAY (November 18)

St. Rose Philippine Duchesne was born into a family with wealth and political connections on 29 August 1769 in Grenoble, France.

Her father, Pierre Francois Duchesne, was a lawyer, businessman and prominent civic leader in Grenoble, while her mother, Rose Perier, was a member of a leading family from the Dauphine region.

From the young age of eight, Rose had a desire to evangelize in the Americas, sparked by hearing a Jesuit missionary speak of his work there.

She received basic education at home from tutors and religious education from her mother.

Educated from age 12 at the convent of the Visitation nuns in Grenoble, Rose joined them in 1788 at age 19 without the permission or knowledge of her family.

Initially, they were violently opposed to her choice but finally gave in.  

In 1804, she joined the Society of the Sacred Heart, which sent her to the United States in 1818.

From the convent and school she founded at St. Charles, Mo. — later moved to Florissant, Mo. — she traveled over a wide area, founding schools for girls, doing charitable work, and finally ministering to Native Americans.

Rose was a valiant missionary and a well-known benefactress.

She spent her last ten years in retirement in a tiny shack at the convent in Saint Charles, Missouri, where she lived austerely and in constant prayer.

She died on 18 November 1852.

She was beatified by Pope Pius XII on 12 May 1940. She was canonized by Pope John Paul II on 3 July 1988.

She is often referred to as "The Lady of Mercy," or " Woman Who Prays Always."

[gentlelass]

Strange creatures, those of St. Louis

21st September 1927, US, Missouri, St. Louis.

Marjorie ‘Margo’ Ford sat and waited on a bench in the park, the imperceptible sound of her own and her companion’s breath sole company in the dreaded waiting that came before a hit.

Where Serafine Savoy would have found the hunt to be the best part of a hit, Marjorie Ford thought it to be the worst.

Ghost-like figure in her silence, just as ephemeral as the quickly ever-changing, ever-dancing lights and shadows of dusk. Her pale face was impassive, devoid of any emotion that might betray what was happening around her. Her eyes, daggers of gold which could pierce through steel, watching everything with dispassionate scrutiny. She wasn’t looking at the park and its sights, however. Rather, the crows reunited at her feet, almost as if the universe itself was mocking her, really - the crows, birds of ill-omen by definition… and the gunwoman feeding them. Oh, the irony! Marjorie thought bitterly. Feed them, feed the damned, and they would come back in her dreams with blood in their beaks! Or, more likely, it wasn’t the crows the problem but rather her own guilt tripping her… still, the birds had a way of irritating her.

The hit itself was… well, quick for a lack of a better term. As many killers have stated before, once you shot one bullet, you thrust a blade, you can’t exactly stop to think. It’s a daze, almost a fever dream, you don’t know when or how it starts, and neither when or how it stops. You just know that the moment before you’re clean, physically and mentally, and the moment after you’re sweaty, bloodied, panting and overall in dire need of a change of clothes, and quite possibly, soul.

But the hunt. Oh, the hunt. Prepare, check, search, ambush, wait. And when you wait, you think, and thinking always is a bad idea, for those who have a dirty conscience.

You know what they say, from where I come from? ‘Occhio non vede, cuore non duole’. Literally, ‘when the eye doesn’t see, the heart doesn’t ache’. Or, more metaphorically, ‘out of sight, out of mind’.

The morale of it? ‘Don’t think, just act’. That was the way Margo should have gone about her hits, if she wanted to come out of this half sane - if she ever did, come out of this American underworld she found herself stuck in, that is.

The only problem being, Marjorie Ford had always been an overthinker.

It was a cold night, too. Despite the fact that it had rained earlier in the day, the humidity remained heavy and damp, like a veil drawn over the city, obscuring any chance of sight, let alone breath. Marjorie could feel herself suffocating under the layers of it. And perhaps it was also the layers of her shawl draped over her shoulders, and her head as well, concealing her features almost like the veil of a nun. Except, the lady was far from it - her camouflage was more a need than a vow, and for all the wrong reasons at that. Not to avoid sin but rather to hide it, perhaps the suffocation that came with it was just karma.

Well, better smothered by a mantle than by the hands of a cop.

Margo threw yet another piece of bread at the ravens, and the vicious circle that were her thoughts began yet again.

There was another person lurking around the park tonight. His uniform, carrying the same emblem of Margo’s… and so was his mood.

In his own peculiar way, Mordecai Heller was interested in the crows too. Such… well, peculiar, creatures, indeed. Strange, creatures. Volatiles, animals, sacks of flesh, blood and instinct… and yet so intelligent, their eyes so shiny, their beaks so sharp, their claws so able. Not quite as dull as pigeons, and neither as… sickly, yet also not quite to his liking either.

And so was the veiled woman accompanying him on this subfusc crepuscle, much to his own dismay or not, he wasn’t sure about it.

Marjorie Ford, strange woman just as much as the crows were strange birds.

Strange creatures.

Mordecai sat on the edge of that same bench, in a park in St. Louis, trying to keep a certain distance between himself, that woman and those… ravenous ravens. They might not be as dull and sickly as pigeons, but you know what they say, ‘better safe than sorry’. And the same concept applied to… that strange woman, as well. Not quite as rowdy as the Savoy sibilings, Mordecai would have almost found her presence tolerable, if he could have found it at all that is. The truth is that she was tolerable because she almost wasn’t there, a refreshing change of pace from the insufferable Savoys, whose presence was as much unforgettable as it was unrequested. Refreshing, but not completely welcomed either, rather unnerving for a lack of a better term. The way she would go about their hits, wrapped in a stole like the Virgin Mary… or more like Bloody, Mary, in this case. Quite the clever choice actually, although he would never say it outright - the red colour, although it wasn’t the most surreptitious of all for a gunwoman who was meant to go unnoticed, it would also conceal traces of blood, as well as weapons and all manner of unGodly artillery in her not-so-Saintly hands, stained of blood indeed, but only metaphorically… thanks to that shawl of hers indeed. Garbed that way, she somewhat reminded him of his mother - and that only added to the unnerving vibe of it all.

The way she would clutch her purse as if it contained her soul - ‘soul’, read: Luger P08.

The way she would follow him like a shadow on a hit: she didn’t speak, barely breathed, and would practically mimic him in his movements, his methods of… hitting the hit. Was it out of inexperience? Or was it HIM, the one who was subconsciously copying HER? Mordecai didn’t know. Just like he didn’t know where Miss Ford lived. Only where she did not, live: that being the Maribel Hotel. As meticulous as he was, he had probed, checked, investigated, and turns out they had never heard of a Marjorie Ford at the reception; Mordecai had tried three different spells of the the name ‘Marjorie’, had tried going for Margo Ford, Margo-t, but nothing. Well, that was still in his favour, wasn’t it? The less he had to hang about the Maribel Hotel, the less time he had to spend around the Savoys. Or Mr Sweet and his dysfunctional jokes. Or that… invasive Miss of a certain Zulie. Mordecai shuddered, at the tought of her touch on him, and the touch of Seraphine’s blade that had came right after it. As much as stoic as he could be, as much as he could have the sensitivity of a table spoon in more ways than one, Mordecai Heller was just a man under the veneer of cold elegance, just as susceptible to Mr Sweet’s dubious sense of humor, Miss Zulie’s flirtations, just as susceptible to pain - both of the flesh and the mind, as well as the hunger of the former - as any other man.

But hey! Now there was Marjorie Ford in his life, and the more Miss Ford, the less Serafine, Nicodeme, and… Zulie.

Well, she wouldn’t be able to save him from Asa Sweet, but she wasn’t safe from his ire - more like feigned joy, in this case - either, and, well, a trouble shared is a trouble halved, isn’t it?

Strange woman, this Miss Ford… but one whose presence would play to his advantage, in the grand scheme of things. And Mordecai Heller always, thinks ahead.

… if only she could QUIT attracting this pesky, petty, PESTIFEROUS avifauna to their stalking spot though— didn’t she know how unhygienic that was?!

——————————————————

Hey there, sweet folk of Tumblr! Yes, I have already RETURNED with my feverish passion for Lackadaisy, this time burning in the form of writing! Have this little… uh… fanfic? Scenario? One-shot? Picturing lovely Margo and Mordecai on one of their first hits together. They don’t know each other quite well - and it shows. One barely notices the other, and the latter goes on a mental rant trying to figure out the former.

As you may have noticed I am very psychological in my writing, going for thoughts rather than actions, and I’ve tried to get inside the characters’ heads as much as possible. I frankly don’t know how much of a good job with Mordecai: he is a very nuanced character after all, plus an adult man, where I am just a lass - I’m not sure how realistically did I picture him, I don’t know how a grown man thinks, I can just hope it’s as close to canon as possible.

To a lighter note though! Thank you All for the support I’ve been receiving until now, the likes, the reblogs and the comments! Really, you’ve sent me into something dangerously close to a sugar-high… should I call it a love-high?❤️

I may or may not try to draw an illustration based on this later in the day and then post it.

[hisdhampir]

"I Want to Explore...History!"

PART I OF THE "I'm Bored" SERIES

Hello everyone! And welcome to part I of the "I'm Bored" series I made in collaboration with @alvaconsumesmedia!

Below you will find a list of different historical content I personally recommend you research and consume if you find yourself bored and wanting to explore the world of history!

If you have any questions about this list, want more information about a person or event than is listed, or wish to make a recommendation as to what should be added, send me a message to my ask box!!

HISTORY TOPICS TO RESEARCH:

[LIST] The Sumerians, Reading Recs.・located in the historical region of southern Mesopotamia, emerging during the Chalcolithic and early Bronze Ages between the sixth and fifth millennium BC were the Sumerians - the oldest recorded civilzation in the entire world....also they invented writing, literature, and beer, so you know they were fun.

The Sedlec Ossuary・also known as the Church of Bones, the Sedlec Ossuary, located in the Czech Republic, is one of the most unusual chapels you will ever see as it is decorated with the real bones of some 40,000 people.

The Great Molasses Flood of 1917・if an inescapable tsunami wave of molasses charging 35 miles per hour toward you seems impossible...you should have been there to see it in Boston in 1919.

The Mouse Utopia Experiments・if you ever wondered what the horrifying real story that inspired The Rats of NIMH was...well you've found it here.

Subtropolis・SubTropolis is a business complex located 150 feet underground in an artificial cave in the bluffs north of the Missouri River in Kansas City, Missouri made out of an old mine that was, at one time, supposed to be an amusement park.

The Dancing Plague of 1518・a plague that hit the town of Strasbourg in 1515 that caused as many as 400 people to dance until they died.

The Demonic Possessions of Loudun・The best-known case of possession in Western European history took place in the French town of Loudun at the Church of Saint Peter where no nun was safe from demon possession.

The Tower of Silence・A dakhma, also known as a Tower of Silence was a structure built by Zoroastrians made to store decomposing dead bodies to keep them away from the city as to avoid contamination of the soil.

The Game of Hounds and Jackals・a popular game played in 1805 by the Egyptians. A copy of the game can be found today in The Met.

The Bloody Bender Murders・in the 1870s the Bender family opened an Inn in Labette County in Kansas and began murdering people who came to visit.

ART HISTORY TOPICS TO RESEARCH:

The "Le génie du mal" and the "L’ange du mal"・the St. Paul Cathédrale de Liège in Belgium, once upon a time, hired two artists both to make statues of the Devil to place in their church and, unfortunately for the nuns of St. Paul Cathédrale de Liège they were done just a little too well.

Albert Kahn's Archive of The Planet・It was Kahn's dream to document the entire world via photography, from 1909 and 1931 his team dispatched to accomplish this goal. However, when the great depression hit his dreams were smashed.

HISTORICAL FIGURES TO RESEARCH:

Carvaggio・Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio, known mononymously as Caravaggio, was an Italian painter active in Rome, disliked by many during his time for his arrogance, his rebellious nature...oh yeah, and he was a murderer.

Violet Jessop・Violet Constance Jessop was an Irish-Argentine ocean liner stewardess and nurse in the early 20th century who managed to survive THREE shipwrecks in her time, including the titanic!

Kate Warne・Kate Warne was none other than the first female detective in the United States, who worked for the Pinkerton National Detective Agency - the same agency that inspired many of the original Sherlock novels.

Hatshepsut・Hatshepsut was the Great Royal Wife of Pharaoh Thutmose II and, after his passing, was made the first ever Queen of Egypt...so why has no one ever heard of her?

Ching Shih・Zheng Yi Sao, also known as Shi Xianggu, Shek Yeung and Ching Shih, was the leader of the largest recorded pirate fleat to ever exist from 1801 to 1810 in China...also the pirate queen in the Pirates of the Caribbean movies was based on her...not really important but I think that's pretty cool.

Marie Vigoreaux・Marie Vigoreaux, was a French fortune teller and an active part of the famous Poison Affair of the 1670s.

Olga of Kiev・Olga was a regent of Kievan Rus' for her son Sviatoslav from 945 until 957 who is famously known for taking revenge on entire city by mass murdering them and then, after the deed was done, converted to Catholicism and becoming a patreon saint afterward...and, yes, she is still honored as a saint in Ukraine to this day

Wu Zetian・Wu Zetian, personal name Wu Zhao, was the first and only Empress of China, who ruled from 660 to 705 and she would do anything to ensure that she stayed in charge.

Julie D'Aubigny・Julie d'Aubigny, better known as Mademoiselle Maupin or La Maupin, was a French opera singer....but what's more exciting is that she was a bisexual, cross-dressing, swords-woman, and murderer.

Alexander the Great・Alexander the Great was the king of Macedonia (336–323 bce), who overthrew the Persian empire, carried Macedonian arms to India, and laid the foundations for the Hellenistic world of territorial kingdoms.

HOLLYWOOD HISTORY TO RESEARCH:

The Ava Gardner, Barbara Payton, Lana Turner Love Affair・known as the most scandalous love affair in Hollywood, Gardner, Payton, and Turner were secretly sleeping together for years....and Frank Sinatra was not happy about it.

NONFICTION HISTORICAL BOOKS TO READ:

[LIST] Medieval Religion, Reading Recs.・my list of reading recommendations to help you learn more about religion during the medieval ages.

ARTICLES TO READ:

"What Does God Smell Like?" by John Last・Unusual smells have been a distinguishing mark of holiness since the earliest days of Christian worship, so what is the smell of God?

That's all for history exploration! I hope that this helped you in curing your boredom! if you have any questions regarding anything discussed here or if you'd like to make a request to be added to the list, please send an ask to my ask box! I appreciate all comments and questions!

[bandcampsnoop]

4/11/24.

New label alert. Inscrutable Records is a St. Louis, Missouri based label run by Martin Meyer (Soup Activists). Pleasant Mob (Chicago, Illinois) is one of four new releases on the label. Lead song "#3 Dream" reminds me of The Clean, and "Mob" has a Bats feel. And while the other songs do have a Flying Nun feel, the other songs on this release fit the indie pop genre, but bounce between styles throughout.

Pleasant Mob's frontman, Raidy Hodges (of Spread Joy) has a new surrounding band for this release. Mikey Young mastered this.

Inscrutable Records first four line-up is solid - Pleasant Mob, Famous Mammals, Soup Activists and Tia Rosa. Their bigcartel website also looks like the dabble in distribution too.

[nodynasty4us]

From the June 29, 2023 opinion piece:

Thomas enrolled at the College of the Holy Cross in 1968 as a second-year transfer. He got admitted thanks to his good grades and a recommendation from a nun—and maybe in part because the school was actively looking for Black students. Three years later, in 1971, he got accepted to multiple law schools. One of them was Harvard, which had just adopted a “race-conscious” admissions policy. Thomas had once fantasized about going to Harvard Law. But when it came time to choose, he decided on Yale because he thought it would be a better fit for his liberal politics. Thomas arrived at Yale at the exact moment it created its first explicit affirmative action program. It was designed to set minority enrollment at about 10 percent of the incoming class. ... When Thomas did finally get a job, however, it was at least in part because of his race. That’s what his political mentor John Danforth, who was then the attorney general of Missouri, told me. “My ambition was that the AG’s office was to be the best law office in the state. Did I also think that it was important to have a diverse office? Yes, I did,” said Danforth, who later became a U.S. senator. “And did I think that it was important, that it would be wonderful to hire Clarence Thomas for that reason? Yes.”

[cultofweirdthings]

An incorrupt nun in Missouri, the Bermuda Triangle of Yosemite, and a man who has reversed aging by 10 years while living at the bottom of the ocean. Read this week’s weirdest news headlines right here.

[siddysthings]

A Missouri nun's body seems intact 4 years after she was buried. Pilgrims are flocking to her remains and calling it a 'miracle.'

[yhwhrulz]

Worthy Brief - June 28, 2024

Faces reflect; reflect on faces, and behold His beauty!

Psalm 27:4 One thing I have desired of the Lord, That will I seek: That I may dwell in the house of the Lord All the days of my life, To behold the beauty of the Lord, And to inquire in His temple.

The Hebrew word for "face" is "panim", (the Hebrew letters, peh-nun-yud-mem), literally "faces", a plural word. Normally, when we think about God, we focus only upon one of His "faces” at a time. God is "love" – or He is "holy"-- or He is "just"--- or He's a God of "wrath". Yet, of course, ALL these "faces" are His at once; and so the word "panim" accurately reflects the truth of God's multifaceted being. As we get to know Him better we begin to appreciate the complexity of His nature and the fact that our focus on one "face" is a very limited view, since there's so much more going on in His amazing "Personality".

Now the same four Hebrew letters which form the word "face", (peh-nun-yud-mem), also form the Hebrew word for "inside" or "interior". * This would seem to contradict the first meaning, "face", since "face" is the external part of a person or thing, not the inside. Yet here, as with many Hebrew words and concepts lies a deep truth, a paradox which expresses two sides of reality. The "face" is intimately connected with the "interior", and may accurately reveal the true "interior" of someone. There's even a science (or perhaps you might call it an art) of reading peoples' true attitudes and character by looking carefully at their facial expressions. So while we don't "judge a book by it's cover", we may begin to know a person better by carefully looking at her face…because it is true that the face often says something real about the inside of a person. Yeshua (Jesus) said, "The eye is the lamp of the body; so then if your eye is clear, your whole body will be full of light." Inside and out, we're connected.

And this is something God wants us to do with Him; to meditate, or gaze upon His "panim", His "faces", and so to receive from His interior depths. Someday, we will see Him "face to face", and begin to know Him in ways which are unimaginable. Yet it is possible, by His Spirit within us, to begin now.

God desires us to look deeper into who He is, even as we only look or meditate on one of His "faces". King David expressed his own unique desire in these words: "One thing I have asked from YHVH, that I shall seek: That I may dwell in the house of YHVH all the days of my life, To behold the beauty of the YHVH and to meditate in His temple." God's faces and His "interior" are one continuous eternal wonder. Let us spend time simply beholding Him!

In Israel, the Ministry of the "Interior" is the first "face" you meet when interacting with the State on visa issues which determine your internal status in the Land. In Hebrew it's called the "Misrad HaPanim" (Office of the INTERIOR), literally, "Office of the Faces"!

Shabbat Shalom and have a great weekend!

Your family in the Lord with much agape love,

George, Baht Rivka, Obadiah and Elianna (Missouri) (Baltimore, Maryland)

Editor's Note: During this war, we have been live blogging throughout the day -- sometimes minute by minute on our Telegram channel. - https://t.me/worthywatch/ Be sure to check it out!

[alsfussballnochrocknrollwar]

Am 27. Juni 2024 folgt nun der epische 🄱🄾🄽🅄🅂🅃🅁🄰🄲🄺 #3 der #Podcast🎙️ #RetroShow „𝗔𝗹𝘀 𝗙𝘂ß𝗯𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗻𝗼𝗰𝗵 𝗥𝗼𝗰𝗸’𝗻’𝗥𝗼𝗹𝗹 𝘄𝗮𝗿“⚽🎸🕺.

Es geht auf eine #musikalischeReise durch die #USA 🇺🇸! Eine ganz besondere Tour durch die #Staaten und #Städte, die ich in über 40 Jahren in diesem faszinierenden Land bisher bereist habe.

Auf dieser musikalischen Reise🧳 begleiten uns Klänge, die die #Stimmung und die reiche #Kultur dieses faszinierenden Landes widerspiegeln. Von #Country🪕 und #Blues🎷 über #Jazz🎺 bis hin zu #Rock🎸 und #Pop🎹 – die Vielfalt der amerikanischen Musik ist genauso facettenreich wie das Land selbst.

Begonnen hat es #1981 für mich in #Massachusetts und in #Boston, und mit #NewYorkCity🗽 und #WashingtonDC.

Und hier geht es dann weiter in alphabetischer Reihenfolge von #Alabama und weiter über #AmerikSamoa, #Arizona, #Arkansas, #California, #Colorado, #Connecticut, #Delaware, #Florida, #Georgia, #Illinois, #Kansas, #Kentucky, #Louisiana, #Maine, #Maryland, #Mississippi, #Missouri, #Nevada, #NewHampshire, #NewJersey, #NewYorkState, #NorthCarolina, #Ohio, #Pennsylvania, #RhodeIsland, #SouthCarolina, #Tennessee, #Texas, #Vermont, #Virginia, #WestVirginia.

Es gibt ein paar Infos zu jedem dieser #Staaten und eine Auswahl von Klängen, die die Stimmung und die Vielfalt der Kultur widerspiegeln.

Genießt diese einzigartige Reise durch die USA, und lasst Euch von den Klängen und Geschichten inspirieren, die dieses Land zu bieten hat. Viel Spaß!

Die gesamte chronologische Zeitreise ist zu hören in den Staffeln 1 bis 4 der Podcast-Retro-Show „𝗔𝗹𝘀 𝗙𝘂ß𝗯𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗻𝗼𝗰𝗵 𝗥𝗼𝗰𝗸’𝗻’𝗥𝗼𝗹𝗹 𝘄𝗮𝗿“⚽🎸🕺

🄴🄿🄸🅂🄾🄳🄴🄽-🅅🄾🅁🅂🄲🄷🄰🅄:

🄴🄿🄸🅂🄾🄳🄴🄽:

[brookstonalmanac]

Events 6.13 (before 1950)

313 – The decisions of the Edict of Milan, signed by Constantine the Great and co-emperor Valerius Licinius, granting religious freedom throughout the Roman Empire, are published in Nicomedia. 1325 – Ibn Battuta begins his travels, leaving his home in Tangiers to travel to Mecca (gone 24 years). 1381 – In England, the Peasants' Revolt, led by Wat Tyler, comes to a head, as rebels set fire to the Savoy Palace. 1514 – Henry Grace à Dieu, at over 1,000 tons the largest warship in the world at this time, built at the new Woolwich Dockyard in England, is dedicated. 1525 – Martin Luther marries Katharina von Bora, against the celibacy rule decreed by the Roman Catholic Church for priests and nuns. 1625 – King Charles I of England marries Catholic princess Henrietta Maria of France and Navarre, at Canterbury. 1740 – Georgia provincial governor James Oglethorpe begins an unsuccessful attempt to take Spanish Florida during the Siege of St. Augustine. 1774 – Rhode Island becomes the first of Britain's North American colonies to ban the importation of slaves. 1777 – American Revolutionary War: Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette lands near Charleston, South Carolina, in order to help the Continental Congress to train its army. 1805 – Lewis and Clark Expedition: Scouting ahead of the expedition, Meriwether Lewis and four companions sight the Great Falls of the Missouri River. 1850 – The American League of Colored Laborers, the first African American labor union in the United States, is established in New York City. 1855 – Twentieth opera of Giuseppe Verdi, Les vêpres siciliennes ("The Sicilian Vespers"), is premiered in Paris. 1881 – The USS Jeannette is crushed in an Arctic Ocean ice pack. 1886 – A fire devastates much of Vancouver, British Columbia. 1893 – Grover Cleveland notices a rough spot in his mouth and on July 1 undergoes secret, successful surgery to remove a large, cancerous portion of his jaw; the operation was not revealed to the public until 1917, nine years after the president's death. 1895 – Émile Levassor wins the world's first real automobile race. Levassor completed the 732-mile course, from Paris to Bordeaux and back, in just under 49 hours, at a then-impressive speed of about fifteen miles per hour (24 km/h). 1898 – Yukon Territory is formed, with Dawson chosen as its capital. 1917 – World War I: The deadliest German air raid on London of the war is carried out by Gotha G.IV bombers and results in 162 deaths, including 46 children, and 432 injuries. 1927 – Aviator Charles Lindbergh receives a ticker tape parade up 5th Avenue in New York City. 1944 – World War II: The Battle of Villers-Bocage: German tank ace Michael Wittmann ambushes elements of the British 7th Armoured Division, destroying up to fourteen tanks, fifteen personnel carriers and two anti-tank guns in a Tiger I tank. 1944 – World War II: German combat elements, reinforced by the 17th SS Panzergrenadier Division, launch a counterattack on American forces near Carentan. 1944 – World War II: Germany launches the first V1 Flying Bomb attack on England. Only four of the eleven bombs strike their targets.

[lboogie1906]

Mary Antona Ebo, FSM, (born Elizabeth Louise “Betty Lou” Ebo; April 10, 1924 – November 11, 2017) was a nun, hospital administrator, and civil rights activist. She was the first African-American woman to head a Catholic hospital, and is known for marching with Martin Luther King Jr. in Selma, famously saying “I’m here because I’m a Negro, a nun, a Catholic, and because I want to bear witness.”

She was born in Bloomington, Illinois, the daughter of Daniel Ebo and Louise Teal Ebo.

She was the first African American to graduate from Holy Trinity High School. She converted to Catholicism and trained as a nurse at the St. Mary’s (Colored) Infirmary School of Nursing in St. Louis.

She earned a BA in Medical Record Library Science from Saint Louis University and two MAs, in hospital Executive Development from Saint Louis University and Theology of Healthcare from Aquinas Institute of Theology. She held a chaplain’s certificate from the National Association of Catholic Chaplains.

She was one of the first three African Americans to join the Sisters of St. Mary and became Sister Mary Antona when she took her final vows. She worked in medical records at Firmin Desloge Hospital and was director of medical records at St. Mary’s Infirmary. She was named executive director of St. Clare’s Hospital, the first African-American woman to be head of a Catholic hospital. She was named executive director of the Wisconsin Conference of Catholic Hospitals. She worked at Catholic hospitals in Madison, Wisconsin, and at the University of Mississippi Medical Center. She was a pastoral associate at St. Nicholas Church in St. Louis.

She was a founder of the National Black Sisters’ Conference and president of the conference. She received the conference’s Harriet Tubman Award. She served on the Human Rights Commission of the Archdiocese of St. Louis and was a member of the Missouri Catholic Conference on Social Concerns.

She received the Eucharist from Pope John Paul II. She attended a commemoration of the 1965 march and crossed the Edmund Pettus Bridge. She gave a message at a prayer service in Ferguson following the death of Michael Brown Jr. #africanhistory365 #africanexcellence

[triviareads]

Can you recommend any Romance novels set in Kansas City?

I know of only one author who writes books set even tangentially in Kansas City and that is Our Lord and Savior (yes I just made her yours too) Sierra Simone.

Priest is mostly set in a Missouri suburb but Sinner I think is pretty much set in Kansas City because that's where Sean and Zenny live/work/study, and it's where most of their sex lessons take place before Zenny becomes a nun. Super hot, super tender and slightly kinky (the full realization only comes in Sierra's epilogue short story, Gloria. It's free. I'd absolutely recommend).

Misadventures with a Professor has a part where Zandy runs back home from England except I forget if home is Kansas City, somewhere in Missouri, or just Kansas. Whoops. This is one of my favorite lesser-known books by Sierra; she's a wide-eyed midwestern wannabe-librarian, he's repressed, English, and a professor with a huge professorial kink that he's ashamed of. They meet in London without knowing who the other person is and they have sex, and a few days later he finds her in his house, and it turns out she's the assistant his professor friend sent over to help him.