Blessed Alice Kotowska, by Evelyn Wagner

Blessed Alice Kotowska was born on November 20, 1899. Her birth name was Maria. She had 8 siblings and was born in Warsaw, Poland. Her father was an organist at her church and his holiness affected her throughout her life. The two most important things in her life were God and Country because she was born in a time when Poland was trying to free itself from the captivity of other nations.

Alice studied medicine at the University of Warsaw and after the war started, she joined the Organized Polish Army to care for the injured. Alice was a member of the Red Cross and cared for wounded soldiers during the Bolshevik Invasion of 1920. She was awarded a medal because of her service to the soldiers. The medal was the “Poland Restored.”

When she finished her studies in 1922, she entered the Congregation of the Sisters of the Resurrection. The acceptance letter she wrote stated, “Having become acquainted with the spirit and rule, I kindly request to be received into the Congregation of the Sisters of the Resurrection. I desire to live and die for Christ, loving Him above all, since He is the Highest Love, Lord, God and my All.”

After she professed her vows, she received her religious name, Alice. Alice went to complete her philosophical studies and worked in the educational seminary. Blessed Alice Kotowska strove to remain faithful to God and fulfill the apostolic goals of the Congregation. She taught in Warsaw and eventually became the directress of the grammar school.

Sister Alice asked the school janitor, Francis, to bury a chest of liturgical articles. Sadly, he was a spy and traitor. He told the Gestapo and showed them where he buried the chest. Alice’s name was then on the death list. The mother of one of her students urged Alice to go, but she wouldn’t. Alice would not abandon her community because she was the superior. The next day while she was praying in the chapel, she was interrupted by banging on the door. Alice calmly got up, bowed to the altar and walked to the door. She turned around saying, “I forgive Francis for everything.” Blessed Alice was imprisoned, and the guards tormented her. Blessed Alice was murdered by the guards on November 11, 1939. She was beatified by Pope John Paul II in 1999. We can pray to Blessed Alice Kotowska for the ability to forgive others as she forgave Francis.

Evelyn Wagner acknowledges her use of https://resurrectionsisters.org/about-us/history/2-blessed-alice https://www.suorecr.it/blessed-alice/?lang=en https://aus.religion.christian.narkive.com/TAJNICMH/june-13th-blessed-alice-kotowska

Catholic Lay Authors, by Emma Bidelspach

There have been many Catholic authors throughout history. Here are a few that I will talk about today: John Ronald Reuel Tolkien, Donna Tartt, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Elizabeth Jennings, Louise Erdich, and G.K. Chesterton.

John Ronald Reuel Tolkien, also known as J.R.R. Tolkien, was born on January 3, 1892, in South Africa. J.R.R Tolkien was a cradle Catholic but fell away from the Church, re-converting later in his life. Tolkien received education at King Edward’s school in Birmingham, England, and Exeter College in Oxford, England. Tolkien married Edith Bratt in March of 1916 in St. Mary Immaculate Catholic Church in Warwick, England. J.R.R. Tolkien’s most famous books are The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. J.R.R. Tolkien died on September 2, 1973, in Bournemouth, UK.

Donna Louise Tartt was born on December 23, 1963, in Greenwood, Mississippi. Donna Tartt converted to Catholicism later in her life. She was a book-loving child and enjoyed writing. Donna Tartt published her first sonnet at the age of thirteen. She studied at the University of Mississippi and Bennington College. Her most famous writings are The Secret History, The Little Friend, and The Goldfinch. Donna Tartt remains unmarried and is living in Virginia at the age of fifty-nine.

Francis Scott Key Fitzgerald was born on September 24, 1896, in St. Paul, Minnesota. Francis Scott Fitzgerald was raised Catholic by his parents. Fitzgerald attended school at Nardin Academy, St. Paul Academy and Summit, and Princeton University. Francis Scott Fitzgerald married Zelda Sayre on April 3, 1920, in St. Patrick’s Cathedral. Fitzgerald’s most famous books are The Great Gatsby, This Side of Paradise, and The Short Stories. Francis Scott Fitzgerald died at the age of forty-four due to a heart attack on December 21, 1940, in California.

Elizabeth Joan Jennings was born on July 18, 1926, in Boston, Lincolnshire, England. Elizabeth Jennings was a cradle Catholic and was very devoted to her faith. She studied at Oxford High School and St. Anne’s College in Oxford, England. Elizabeth enjoyed writing poetry: she wrote over twenty books of poetry.

Some of Elizabeth Jennings’s most famous books of poetry are The Mind Has Mountains, Familiar Spirits, and The Way of Looking. Elizabeth Jennings died on October 26, 2001, in Bampton, Oxfordshire.

Karen Louise Erdrich was born on June 7, 1954, in Little Falls, Minnesota. Louise Erdrich was born and raised Catholic to a German father and an Ojibwa mother. She was educated at Dartmouth College and John Hopkins University. She was married to Michel Dorris in 1981. Some of her most famous books are The Blue Jay’s Dance, The Painted Drum, and Beet Queen. Louise Erdrich is living in Minnesota at the age of sixty-nine.

Gilbert Keith Chesterton, also known as G.K. Chesterton, was born May 29, 1874, in London, England. He converted to Catholicism in 1922. He studied at St. Paul’s Juniors, University College of London, and Slade School of Fine Art. G. K. Chesterton married Francis Alice Blogg in 1901. Some of G. K. Chesterton’s most famous books are the Father Brown Stories, a book about Saint Thomas Aquinas called The Dumb Ox, The Flying Inn, and a book about Saint Francis Assisi. These are only a fraction of the books published by Chesterton. G. K. Chesterton died on June 14, 1936, in Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire.

All these Catholic authors contributed to the Church, society, and literature. Poems, novels, and biographies can inspire us now and forever.

Retreats: Yes, or No? By Gabriel Ringwald

At my home parish we have a phrase that we use during our stewardship renewal: “Renew your gifts of time, talent, and treasure.” This phrase has had meaning in more than just my commitments to my parish: it has given an increased meaning to my spiritual life.

Jesus says, “You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and the first commandment." (Matthew 22:37-38) This Bible verse gives us one of the greatest commandments, and it reminds me of giving God your time, talent, and treasure. So if this is one of the great missions Christ sent us for, then the question becomes, how do we achieve this goal?

Time is of importance. In this modern world the chances are that you ask someone, “How was your day?” They will say “it was busy". To that point if we have the ultimate goal of being with God in heaven for all eternity, we should plan to give him our time even in our busy life. Retreats can be a great resource to the goal of spending time with the Lord. It’s a blessing if you can manage to only have God on your heart for time. If you choose to cut out worldly things and devote time to God for a couple days great things can happen. The result of retreats has been evident in the people around me. I have been told many stories of Christ converting hearts when given the chance during a retreat because that person had come with an open heart and had accepted God’s will. Keep in mind that God works in ways mysterious to us, so try not to be narrow minded about the way he works in your life.

Don’t feel like you’re the only one that needs to get away from normal life for any problems. After being baptized, Christ spent forty days in the wilderness praying. After John the Baptist was beheaded, Jesus left other people’s company to grieve. He spent time praying with the Father before he made the big decision of picking his apostles. He prayed during the Agony in the Garden to God to give him strength.

All in all, if you think you need time with God without your normal earthly distractions (don’t we all?) a retreat is a good idea. And once you choose to go, make sure to look for the graces received from the Eucharist and from talking with the Lord. Retreats are useful in making Christ the center of your life when you head back to your previous life.

Good News Team and Contributors

Editor in Chief: Thomas M. Cabeen

Co-President: Ryan Hanson

Webmaster: Benjamin Wells

Contributors: Avery Bidelspach, Emma Bidelspach, Evelyn Wagner, Benjamin Wells, Alex Hanson, Gabriel Ringwald, Ryan P. Hanson, Mary Catherine Vallejo

Poet: Benjamin Cabeen

Head of Distribution: Benjamin Cabeen

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