A quick update
I haven't posted much lately, and that is starting to bug me. But, life has just been very busy, and good! I have something of a post brewing right now, and maybe it will get posted before I leave Sunday for a week-long mission trip.
On Sunday I'm going with 20-some other adults and teens to Harlan county, Kentucky. We're participating in the COAP program - Christian Outreach with Appalachian People. We'll go down there for a week and fix-up peoples' houses. This is my first time doing this, and my older son Nicholas is going with us too. I'm looking forward to it! I've setup a blog for the trip - though I got it started, through the week I plan to get the kids writing about their experiences. So, feel free to check-in on us if you have the time or interest: Bellarmine Youth Group COAP Trip.
Sounds like a great trip with an important purpose, Steve. And a cool idea to get the kids blogging -- reflecting -- on the experience. Looking forward to reading posts on the special blog.
Steve M.
Posted by: Steve M. | June 23, 2007 at 11:36 AM
Sounds great Steve! Sounds like a great thing to do with your son.
Do you know if this group is affiliated with Fr. Ralph Beiting's Christian Appalachian Project at all? Great man. I know someone who became a priest largely because of his influence.
Posted by: Jeff | June 23, 2007 at 12:30 PM
Hi Steve,
So glad you are going. I know you'll receive more than you'll give from this good work!
Posted by: Mary H. | June 23, 2007 at 01:59 PM
Steve - Hopefully we'll have some new content and a group picture up on Sunday night.
Jeff - CAP and COAP sound like very similar programs, but I don't know that Fr Beiting is involved with COAP. His CAP program sounds really good though!
Hi Mary - That's often the case, isn't it!?
Posted by: Steve Bogner | June 23, 2007 at 09:53 PM
All the best Steve. Hope it all goes well and the youth are inspired.
Posted by: KiwiNomad06 | June 23, 2007 at 10:37 PM
Went down to Cumberland once with the old church and, while there, drove the wife over to Harlan to shop in a small Sears @ Roebuck. Actually, it constituted the town's only resemblence to "big city" enterprise. She shopped and I wandered...until I found myself staring at an entire wall in the men's department displaying a huge selection of knives, handguns, high-powered rifles, and grenades! No way around it, there was enough weapontry on that wall to start a medium sized war! It dawned on me really quick that I did not want to incur anyone's wrath in that particular part of Kentucky.........
Posted by: jim | June 24, 2007 at 08:24 PM
I imagine that was quite some time ago Jim. Harlan even has a real live Mall and a Wal-Mart now, not to mention McDonald's, oh my. I haven't lived there for years, but I'm pretty sure there aren't any grenades for sale in any public place any more.
Hope all goes will with the trip Steve. Look forward to hearing about it.
Posted by: + Alan | June 25, 2007 at 06:20 PM
Steve, hope your trip is full of adventure, fun, rest and most of all enjoyment for you and those who accompany you. Look forward to hearing about some of the highlights on your return.
Posted by: Patrck | June 27, 2007 at 06:40 AM
Awesome, I am currently in Cincinnati at the Colloquium on Ignatian Education, XU has treated us very well though I will say I am not fond of your humidity or the heat either. Though the rain practically every day is a good thing it cools it down for a bit. Today is our 'off' day and many are out and about but being on the staff that is running the thing I am hiding in my room at the dorm.
Bellermine Chapel is pretty nice I have to say... very Jesuitical.
Posted by: Kat | June 27, 2007 at 07:45 PM
Kiwi, Alan - So far, so good! And very busy...
Jim - It has grown considerably; they even have wireless internet access!
Patrick - It's all that, except the rest!
Kat - Now I am disappointed! I leave Cincinnati just as you get there - so sad. And Bellarmine is my parish; yes it is very 'Jesuit'.
Posted by: Steve Bogner | June 27, 2007 at 08:49 PM
And I will probably be leaving when you are headed back... we leave Friday afternoon/evening. Not too many complaints other then the weather, apparently the chapel didn't believe me when I said 400+/- ppl for mass at our first big mass... So Fr. Graham wasn't happy things weren't set up but eh... it worked out in the end. Our last liturgy is tomorrow so HOPEFULLY there won't be the same thing again. I am hoping to be able to sneak away for a bit tomorrow and just hide out in there for a little while... its a really cool space... the idea of sacred space but not overly "churchy" that I have run into in other places. Its done really well.
Posted by: Kat | June 27, 2007 at 09:02 PM
Yeah, I like the church a lot - it has a good feel to it. But how in the world can 400 people fit into it? May as well move next door to the Cintas center for that ;)
Posted by: Steve Bogner | June 29, 2007 at 06:30 PM
Very tightly. :)
Most of our meetings were in Cintas so we needed the break and change of mentality as well as physical space. We got all the pews and chairs filled and still had standing room. Traffic for communion was... interesting.
Posted by: Kat | July 02, 2007 at 01:54 PM