Monitor Tulip Farm

Another flaskback from 2006, precisely 20 years ago, when I was on retreat at Mount Angel Abbey with all the other priests of the Baker Diocese. On Tuesday in mid-April, in the afternoon I left immediately after lunch to get a head-start in my trip to the Wooden Shoe tulip farm in Monitor, Oregon. As excited as I was the previous year to visit the tulip farm with just two rows of yellow and red tulips, this year it was a heavenly experience as one row of colorful tulips after another covered almost half a mile by a 300 yard stretch that was mesmerizingly spectacular to see from afar, to walk through, and to photograph. I took close to 170 pictures in the 2 hours I spent there, and plenty of other photographers were showing off their equipment, besides many young couples with their children taking their pictures for their annual Christmas card and for their keepsake. The windmill at the end of the field, plus Mount Hood in the background provided an excellent opportunity to create some fascinating photos, and yet, as is often the case, many people cannot compose a simple photo, with today being a great exception, because you really have to be a dummy not to get great photos, with such a colorful and rich surroundings.

My trip to the tulip farm left quite an imprint on my head. When I arrived for the 4 PM conference, all the priests were looking at me and asking me “What happened to you?” seeing that my head was as red as some of the tulips I had just photographed. Not realizing right away, I had forgotten to wear a hat, and in those two glorious hours, the sun did quite a job on me as it burned my head and my arms. It’s amazing how in just two hours, the sun can have such an effect on our bodies. The temperature was around 70 degrees between 1:30 PM and 3:30 PM, the time I spent in the farm, but I was so ecstatic taking one photo after another, that the last thing on my mind was the sun roasting my bald head! No major damage done, but over the next few days, I felt like a snake shedding its skin! Enjoy these few photos ! (Click on each photo to enlarge)

Two great quotes

These are two great quotes worth reflecting on. The first one comes from the German Jesuit Karl Rahner (1904-1984). ‘Have you ever remained silent and didn’t defend yourself when they treated you badly ?  Have you ever forgiven someone ? Have you ever gone out of yourself to help someone and never got acknowledged ? Have you ever done something simply because your conscience told you to do it ? Have you ever done something for the love of God ? Have you ever showed generosity or altruism to someone who couldn’t be able to pay you back? Whenever you experienced these feelings, you were touching the heart of God.’

This one is from St Ignatius of Loyola: ‘Teach me Lord to be generous, to serve you as you deserve to be served. To give without worrying how much it’s gonna cost me. To fight without worrying about my wounds, to suffer without searching for rest. To work without demanding any reward, except to do Your own will.’

Religious Humor

                      
Occasionally even Popes end up in funny circumstances. And usually there is  photographer close by to snap a quick photo that ends up going viral on the Internet. Here are a few such situations, with no offense intended at all. After all Popes are humans also. Click on each photo to enlarge, and smile.

St Joseph the Worker

We honor today St Joseph, the patron saint of all workers, but much more than that. He is of course the foster father of Jesus, the husband of the Blessed Mother, and the person who stays in the background, humble, unseen, quiet, but ever-present in Jesus’  infancy. Today workers honor him as their patron saint, a feast that was initiated by Pope Pius XII in 1955, when the May Day celebrations were becoming more popular. Everybody has worked sometime or another in his or her life. So many jobs are available and have been accomplished to perfection by craftsmen. I look back in my own personal life and can list some of the things I put my hands on. In no particular order, I list these: studying, writing, preaching, painting walls, painting watercolors, cooking, blogging, calligraphy, photography, counselling, comforting, walking, marathoning, creating PowerPoint talks, fluting, composing melodies, entertaining, gardening, praying, meditating, playing soccer (football,) snooker, table-tennis, cleaning, reading, listening, marrying, burying, celebrating Eucharist, driving (close to a million miles,) shovelling snow, raking leaves, baby-sitting, crafting presepios, washing feet on Holy Thursday, and so much more ! Now try to list at least ten things you have done in your life, by which you have helped in perfecting God’s creation.

Pope St Pius V

Born Antony Ghislieri on January 17, 1504, he was raised by poor parents and entered the Dominican Order with whom he was ordained in 1528 and taught philosophy and theology in Dominican colleges . He quickly became bishop and Cardinal and followed his predecessor, the easy-going Pope Pius IV in 1566. He started his Papacy by implementing the reform of the Council of Trent. He cleaned up the curia, excommunicated heretical bishops, cleaned up the immorality in the church and swept the church clean – paving the way for the great surge in the church we call the Counter Reformation. He also excommunicated the tyrant Elizabeth I of England and formed the Holy League – a confederation of Catholic armies which eventually defeated the Ottoman Empire at the Battle of Lepanto. Pius V also instituted the Feast of Our Lady of Victories. Pope Pius V also published the catechism of Trent and improved the breviary and the Roman Missal, which was still being used until 1962. He tried to clean Rome from any immorality, forbidding bull fights and even tried to stop bull fighting from Spain, one of the few things he was unsuccessful in. He died on May 1, 1572 and was canonized by Pope Clement XI in 1712.  

Bust of Pope Pius V in Valletta, Malta

Since he was a Dominican, he frequently kept using the white cassock or habit that Dominicans used, and the custom remained that successive Popes kept using  white, possibly to beat the summer Roman heat. And that is why the Popes still uses white as the color of his cassock. And the first thing Pope Francis did when he was elected Pope was the visit Santa Maria Maggiore and pay tribute to the tomb of Pope St Pius V. Pope Pius V was very helpful to Malta after the Great Siege of 1565, when he sent his personal engineer Francesco Lapparelli to help design, construct and build the new capital city Valletta. A bust was erected to commemorate his contribution to the building of Valletta as we always honor him for his generosity, philanthropy and kindness during the reign of the Knights of Malta.

St Catherine of Siena

St. Catherine of Siena was born during the outbreak of the plague in Siena, Italy on March 25, 1347. She was the 25th child born to her mother, although half of her brothers and sisters did not survive childhood. Catherine herself was a twin, but her twin sister did not survive infancy. Her mother was 40 when Catherine was born. As a child, prayer was her delight. When only seven years old, she made a vow of virginity and afterwards endured bitter persecution for refusing to marry. At the age of fifteen, she entered the Third Order of Saint Dominic, but continued to reside in her father’s shop, where she united a life of active charity with the prayer of a contemplative saint. From this obscure home, the seraphic virgin was summoned to defend the Church’s cause. Armed with papal authority, and accompanied by three confessors, she travelled through Italy, converting many to the Christian faith. She sought out Pope Gregory XI at Avignon, brought him back to Rome, while she wrote profusely to the kings and queens of Europe encouraging allegiance to the Pope.  She was the counselor of Pope Urban VI, and sternly rebuked the disloyal cardinals who had a part in electing an anti-pope. Day and night she wept and prayed for unity and peace. But the devil excited the Roman people against the Pope , yet her prayers helped bring some semblance of peace. She also established a monastery for women in 1377 outside of Siena. She is credited with composing over 400 letters, her Dialogue, which is her definitive work, and her prayers. These works are so influential that St. Catherine would later be declared a Doctor of the Church. By 1380, the 33-year-old mystic had become ill, possibly because of her habit of extreme fasting. In January of 1380, her illness accelerated her inability to eat and drink. Within weeks, she was unable to use her legs. She died on April 29, aged 33, following a stroke just a week before. St. Catherine is the patroness against fire, illness, Italy, miscarriages, and people ridiculed for their faith.

St Gianna Beretta Molla

St Gianna Beretta Molla, and her daughter Gianna Emmanuela

Today we honor a saint canonized in 2004 after sacrificing her life for her baby daughter, Gianna Emmanuela. She is beloved in Italy, and by everyone who has the gift of life at heart.

Born on October 4, 1922, Gianna Beretta was the 10th of 13 children, even though only 8 of the siblings survived infancy. She grew up in Bergamo, Italy where she was very active in the Catholic Action movement. In 1942, in the midst of the chaos of World War II she started her studies in Milan and graduated as a doctor in 1949, specializing in paediatrics. She actually wanted to go to Brazil to work as a paediatrician with her brother, a missionary priest, but her health prevented her from doing this. So she worked happily as a doctor, eventually meeting her future husband Pietro Molla, whom she married in 1955. They had 3 children within 5 years, and in 1961, she was pregnant with her 4th child. During the pregnancy, she developed a fibroma in her uterus, and the doctors suggested her to have an abortion to save her life. But she continued with her pregnancy and the baby was born on April 21, 1962, Easter Saturday. Gianna made the ultimate sacrifice for her daughter, and she got weaker and weaker and died a week later, on April 28, 1962. Her daughter Gianna Emmanuela became a paediatrician herself, and was present with her father and two other siblings at her mother’s beatification in 1994. Another sister had died in 1964, 2 years after her mother.

St Gianna with her husband Pietro and 3 of the children

The miracle that certified her canonization was done on a Brazilian woman Elizabetta Comparini, who in her 16th week of pregnancy, experienced a tear in her placenta, losing all the amniotic fluid. Praying to Gianna Beretta Molla, she continued with her pregnancy and gave birth to a healthy baby, defying all the negative prognosis the doctors had given her. Gianna was proclaimed a Saint by Pope St John Paul II on May 16, 2004, with her husband and three children present. She has since became the patron for pro-life and for pregnant women, and a great statement against abortion.

New Life

Jeremy was a disabled child, but he was loved by all his classmates, and he was very happy. One day their teacher wanted to explain to them the meaning of Easter. She gave each child an empty egg shell and asked them to take it home and fill it with something that reflects new life. Next day, each student came back with their egg shell filled with various items, flowers, plants, butterflies, tiny toys, etc. Jeremy returned to school with an empty egg shell. He told his teacher that he left it empty because the tomb where Jesus was buried, is now empty. When she asked Jeremy why was the tomb empty, he told her ‘Because the bad people killed Jesus, placed him inside the tomb, and he came back to life  because he rose from the dead!’ The teacher praised Jeremy in front of the whole class for his clever answer. A few months later, Jeremy passed away. All his classmates went to the funeral with their parents.  On the coffin, there were 21 empty egg shells, placed by each of Jeremy’s classmates. They all realized and learned that now Jeremy is enjoying a new life in heaven.

The Good Shepherd

The 4th Sunday of Easter is known as the Good Shepherd Sunday as the readings always deal with seeing Jesus leading us as a faithful shepherd. The sacrifice, toil and pain any shepherd goes through to keep his sheep together are well known by anyone familiar with the countryside, ranching, herding and farming. And Jesus goes through the same emotions as He cares for each and every one of us. As we see the shepherd bending in the midst of thorns to pull out the lost sheep, so does Jesus retrieve any person who gets entangled in the filth and dangers of this life. This picture is very realistic and probably describes best the image of the Good Shepherd, picking up gently and tenderly the dirty filthy sheep and places her on his shoulders, even ignoring the messy filth he himself is covered with. We celebrate this weekend also the World Day of Prayers for Vocations. As I see many priests, religious and sisters minister in Malta, I thank God that I too can share my ministry with fellow Maltese people who appreciate my service to them. And even though I was never a fisher of fish, I am honored to be a fisher of men and women, helping them get closer to God and to each other. I ask God to help me always be a gentle and patient shepherd to my people, especially to those searching for guidance and direction.

Toesary

A new trend is taking over the internet these days just ahead of the Marian month of May: mothers on the move holding their babies to their chests, peacefully perched in a baby sling, working their way through 10 little toes — a decade of fleshy beads — to pray a ‘Toes-a-ry.’ LaLaika Ordoñez, the mother of three boys commented, “I mean, it is a built-in rosary — blessed and everything.” She explained that the practice began out of a beautiful necessity during quiet moments of nursing.“I had strayed from my life of prayer, tending to a baby and all,” Ordoñez admitted. “A friend of mine suggested I just go back to my daily Rosary.” When she left the house early that morning, she realized she had forgotten her Rosary beads. Rather than letting the moment pass, she looked down at her son. “I forgot my rosary, so I just used my baby’s toes!” she reflected. “The ‘reason’ I strayed from my life of prayer is exactly what brought me back — my baby.” The viral post she placed on the internet racked up hundreds of comments, with many posters commenting on the cute idea. Others remarked with such observations as, “So this is why we have 10 toes!” While the Toes-a-ry might seem like a modern social-media invention, it echoes a long tradition of “digital” prayer — using one’s own fingers when beads aren’t at hand. By moving that prayer to her child, Ordoñez has effectively turned the domestic church into a living, breathing prayer tool.  The post that has now been viewed nearly 65,000 times and featured the toes of Ordoñez’s third son, who was born on Oct. 7, 2025, the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary!

White Baby Camel

Hilde and Cora, from Central Oregon

Here’s a recent highlight for Grant County, my former parish in Central Oregon.  Hilde, a camel residing in one of the many ranches just had a baby, named Cora, which turned out to be white! It’s been quite the talk of the town, especially where the owner lives up Laycock Creek between Mount Vernon and John Day. The owner takes her for walks around John Day and visits with all the curious people who have never seen a live camel before. These photos were taken by a professional from Studio 15 and I share them with you thanks to the courtesy of the owner and other friends who sent me these incredible photos. I don’t know if  it’s an albino camel as we don’t often see many camels, let alone a white one. But one can admire the affection mother and daughter have for each other, something we can all learn from them.

 

Click to enlarge each photo

Saint George

Saint George, was born in around 275 AD in Lydda, Palestine, and was a soldier in the Roman army and was later venerated as a Christian martyr. His father was Gerontius, a Greek Christian from Cappadocia, and an official in the Roman army; his mother Polychronia was a Christian from Lydda. Saint George became an officer in the Roman army in the Guard of the Emperor Diocletian, who ordered his death for failing to repudiate his Christian faith. St George died on April 23 in 303 AD. Pictures of St. George usually show him killing a dragon to rescue a beautiful lady. The dragon stands for wickedness. The lady stands for God's holy truth. He was one of the Emperor's favorite soldiers. Now Diocletian was a pagan and a bitter enemy to the Christians. He put to death every Christian he could find. George was a brave Christian, a real soldier of Christ. Without fear, he went to the Emperor and sternly scolded him for being so cruel. Then he gave up his position in the Roman army. For this he was tortured in many terrible ways and finally beheaded. So boldly daring and so cheerful was St. George in declaring his Faith and in dying for it that Christians felt courage when they heard about it. Many songs and poems were written about this martyr. Soldiers, especially, have always been devoted to him. We all have some "dragon" we have to conquer. It might be pride, or anger, or laziness, or greediness, or something else. Let us make sure we fight against these "dragons", with God's help. Then we can call ourselves real soldiers of Christ. In hagiography, Saint George is one of the most venerated saints in the Catholic Church, Anglican, Orthodox, and East Syrian. He is regarded as one of the most prominent military saints. Many patronages of Saint George exist around the world, including countries and cities as well as the Scout Movement, in addition to a wide range of professions, organizations, and disease sufferers. Most prominently, he is the patron saint of England.

Pope Francis – first anniversary

                 
Yesterday was the first anniversary of Pope Francis’ death, an event which precipitated a few incredible days, with Cardinals heading towards Rome for the conclave, setting up the Sistine chapel, planning his funeral and so many other details, which ended up with the white smoke from the famous Vatican chimney, heralding the election of a new Pope, Robert Prevost, as Pope Leo XIV. Born in Buenos Aires on December 17, 1936, Jorge Bergoglio was ordained a Jesuit priest on December 13, 1969, and was consecrated as bishop on June 27, 1992. He was elevated to a Cardinal and Archbishop of Buenos Aires on February 21, 2001. His rise came as Catholicism has grown in Latin America. A century ago, 65% of the world's Catholics lived in Europe. But by 2010, only 24% did, and in the meantime, Latin America's share has risen to 39%—more than Europe and U.S. combined. The choice of the name of Francis reflects his humble life. Having become archbishop of Buenos Aires 1998, he left empty the sumptuous episcopal residence next to the cathedral. He went to live in an apartment a short distance away, together with another elderly bishop. In the evening he was the one who saw to the cooking. He rarely rode in cars, getting around by bus in the cassock of an ordinary priest. And that is exactly the same lifestyle he followed as Pope, living at Santa Marta guest house, being driven in a small car, having breakfast with all the people that attended his Mass. His health deteriorated during the last few months until he died on April 22, 2025, being buried in Santa Maria Maggiore Basilica.  Pope Leo XIV praised the example of his predecessor whom he remembered for "truly living out closeness to the most poor. He left so much to the church, with his witness and his word, looking to promote an authentic respect for all men and women, promoting this spirit of fraternity. Francis spoke from the heart of the mercy of God, of forgiveness, of this generous expression of the mercy of the Lord. And he wanted to share this spirit with the whole church."

Queen Elizabeth -100 years old

Queen Elizabeth - her last official photo

Queen Elizabeth II was born on April 21, 1926, and today she would have turned 100 years old ! She was born two years before all women could vote on equal terms with men. Growing up in a house in Piccadilly, overlooking Green Park, she did not expect to be queen, and she was dismayed to become queen so young. She only became queen because her uncle Edward abdicated to marry an American woman. That meant leaving behind the ordinary pleasures of a happy marriage, out of the public eye. But, as she had said in a remarkable speech in 1947, when she turned 21: “My whole life, whether it be short or long, will be devoted to your service.” As a young teenager and newly-married couple, she lived with her husband Prince Philip in Malta for a few years, as he was stationed on the HMS Magpie in Malta. The barber that cut his hair was also my barber for many years. The house where they lived is being restored at the moment and hopefully it would soon be a Museum to attract many British tourists. 

Queen Elizabeth was actually the fourth longest-serving monarch in the world, after King Louis XIV of France, who reigned for over 72 years. He was followed by Bhumibol Aulyadej of Thailand and King Johann II of Liechtenstein, both of whom reigned for over 70 years each. Queen Elizabeth was known affectionately as Lilybeth, got married in 1947, and had 4 children, Charles, Anne, Andrew and Edward. Her reign started on February 6, 1952, when her father died while she was in a Kenya with Prince Philip, and she was officially crowned on June 2, 1953. Visiting every country in the Commonwealth, mostly by her ship Britannia, she kept going until the last day of her life, enduring several sad days because of her children’s mis-behaviors, proclaiming 1992 as the Annus Orribilis. She died on September 8, 2022 at the age of 96, a couple of years after Philip.

You are outstanding !

A young girl wrote this in her diary ‘Every day my mother tells me that I’m outstanding ! I don’t know why. My friend Sarah says that to be truly outstanding you have to have long and beautiful hair like hers. But I surely don’t have it. John tells me that to be outstanding you have to have bright, white and beautiful teeth like his. But certainly mine are not nice looking. Jessica on the other hand tells me that to be outstanding you need to have smooth skin without any spots like the ones I have. Marco claims that to be outstanding you have to be first in class, and I can barely make it to the top 10. Stefan says that to be outstanding one has to tell the best jokes. And I don’t know any  good jokes. On the other hand my friend Laura says that to be outstanding you have to be living in a beautiful mansion with a large swimming pool like the one she lives in, and our house is so simple and poor. Alfred proclaims that to feel outstanding any young person has to wear the brand names of clothing, shoes, jewellery etc. And I definitely cannot afford them. Every evening, at bed time, my mother comes into my room and says to me that I’m outstanding and she loves me very much.' Remember that at every second of our lives, God is hugging us and tells us ‘You are outstanding, and I love you dearly, even though I know many faults you made, and I ignore them all.’

Jesus at your house

As we reflect this Sunday on the beautiful story of the encounter of the Emmaus disciples with Jesus, let us ask ourselves what would we do if Jesus knocked on our door, and asked to stay with us for a day or two........but read on......and sincerely reflect on each verse.

If Jesus came to your house to spend a day or two –

If he came unexpectedly, I wonder what you’d do. 

Oh, I know you’d give your nicest room to such an honored Guest, 

And all the food you’d serve Him would be the very best, 

And you would keep assuring Him you’re glad to have Him there - 

That serving Him in your home is a joy beyond compare.

But – when you saw Him coming, would you meet Him at the door 

With arms outstretched in welcome to your Heav’nly Visitor?

Or would you have to change your clothes before you let Him in, 

Or hide some magazines, and put the Bible where they’d been? 

Would you turn off the radio and hope He hadn’t heard, 

And wish you hadn’t uttered that last, loud, hasty word?

Would you hide your worldly music and put some hymn books out? 

Could you let Jesus walk right in, or would you rush about? 

And I wonder – if the Savior spent a day or two with you, 

Would you go right on doing the things you always do? 

Would you go right on saying the things you always say? 

Would life for you continue as it does from day to day?

Would your family conversation keep its usual pace, 

Or would you find it hard at each meal to say table grace? 

Would you sing the songs you always sing, and read the books you read, 

And let Him know the things on which your mind and spirit feed? 

Would you take Jesus with you everywhere you’d planned to go, 

Or would you, maybe, change your plans for just a day or so?

Would you be glad to have Him meet your very closest friends, 

Or would you hope they stay away until His visit ends? 

Would you be glad to have Him stay forever on and on, 

Or would you sigh with great relief when He at last was gone? 

It might be interesting to know the things that you would do, 

If Jesus came in person to spend some time with you.

Easter – feast of our salvation

Easter is the big feast of our salvation. Love conquered hatred. Life overcame death, and Light expelled the darkness. Easter eliminated evil, washed away all guilt, gave back innocence to the sinners, turns those who are suffering to joyous people, and promotes peace and harmony. The Risen Christ symbolizes  that the Love of God is stronger than evil and death. It means that God’s love can truly change our lives, while those areas in our hearts which dry up, are suddenly flourishing again.

Our Lady of Agony

A special devotion is held in Portugal every year to Our Lady of Agony. Since the 18th century, the locals at Viana do Castelo, especially the fishermen, have had a special devotion towards this statue which is carried in procession. The families of these fishermen know how dangerous their lives can be when they’re out in the ocean, the vast and endless Atlantic ocean. The people know that Mary herself suffered under the cross as she experienced suffering, cruelty, heartache and abandonment while her Son was dying on the cross. So these fishermen between August 15 and 23 each year carry this statue on a boat, so that she will bless them as they embark on the fishing season. They implore her to remain with them until the end of their lives, as she did with her Son on Calvary.

A Maltese peacock

Some of the largest public gardens in Malta are in the residence of the President of Malta in the town of Attard, and besides trees, flowers, fountains, orange groves, swans and a few other exhibits, parading in front of everyone and showing off his feathers was this peacock who was putting quite a show for tourists and visitors. He knew that people were looking at him, and photographers were snapping away one photo after another, and so he just stood there majestically showing off his priceless possession, his feathers and his deep blue-green face. The male Indian peafowl (peacock) has iridescent blue-green or green-colored plumage. 

The peacock tail ("train") is not the tail quill feathers but the highly elongated upper tail covert feathers. The "eyes" are best seen when the peacock fans its tail. Both species have a crest atop the head. The female Indian peafowl (peahen) has a mixture of dull green, brown, and grey in her plumage. Although she lacks the long upper tail coverts of the male, she has a crest. The female also displays her plumage to ward off female competition or signal danger to her young. Their offspring or babies are called peachicks.

Resurrection

God, give us eyes to see
the beauty of the Spring,
And to behold Your majesty
in every living thing -

And may we see in lacy leaves
and every budding flower
The Hand that rules the universe
with gentleness and power -

And may this Easter grandeur
that Spring lavishly imparts
Awaken faded flowers of faith
lying dormant in our hearts,

And give us ears to hear, dear God,
the Springtime song of birds
With messages more meaningful
than man's often empty words

Telling harried human beings
who are lost in dark despair -
'Be like us and do not worry
for God has you in His care.

Defending Pope Leo

Pope Leo answering questions from journalists on the plane.

The US President, whose name is not worth mentioning, issued a vicious attack on Pope Leo XIV, and the whole world came to the defence of our Supreme Pontiff, whose role it is to speak the truth and defend the defenceless, and of course speak against violence and war.  The pope in his remarks on the plane towards Algeria insisted on his responsibility to speak out against war in his capacity as a peacemaker. ‘"I do not look at my role as being political, a politician. Too many people are suffering in the world today, too many innocent people are being killed, and someone has to stand up and say there's a better way." During the last week, the Pope Leo stressed that his calls for peace, which have recently intensified, "are not meant as attacks on anyone." The President’s threat to kill the entire civilization of Iran is, according to Leo XIV "truly unacceptable," and during a prayer service for peace he decried the "delusion of omnipotence" that has taken hold among world leaders that wage war. ‘"The message of the Gospel is very clear, 'blessed are the peacemakers.' I will not shy away from announcing the message of the Gospel. I am inviting all people to look for ways of building bridges of peace and reconciliation, of looking for ways to avoid war any time that's possible. Enough of the idolatry of self and money! Enough of the display of power! Enough of war! True strength is shown in serving life. And I will continue on with what I believe is the mission of the church in the world today.”

Naming Craters

The Artemis II crew – (from left) Mission Specialist Christina Koch, Mission Specialist Jeremy Hansen, Pilot Victor Glover, and Commander Reid Wiseman.

Artemis II has gone to the moon, around the moon for the first time ever, and came back safely. More than 50 years after humans last traveled to the lunar surface, the 10-day mission, designed to test systems for future lunar landings, has taken four astronauts farther from Earth than any crew since the Apollo era. Alongside its technical achievements, the mission has also drawn attention for something less expected: moments of faith, remembrance and a renewed sense of wonder at God’s creation. Those moments came into focus during a broadcast from orbit when the crew proposed naming two lunar craters. Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen explained that one would be called “Integrity” after their spacecraft. The second, he said, was “especially meaningful for this crew. We lost a loved one; her name was Carroll, and we would like to name one of the craters for her,” Hansen said, referring to the late wife of mission commander Reid Wiseman. Carroll Wiseman, a neonatal intensive care nurse, died in 2020 at the age of 46 following a five-year battle with cancer. The moment stood out among many during the mission, particularly in the story of Wiseman, who has described himself as “a very proud father” of his two teenage daughters, Ellie and Katherine.  Reid considers his time as an only parent as his greatest challenge and the most rewarding phase of his life. The naming proposal will ultimately be reviewed by the International Astronomical Union, which oversees official names for planetary features. Final approval for a feature usually takes about a month. 

But the idea of naming craters isn’t new. In 1651, Jesuit astronomer Giovanni Battista Riccioli, working with Francesco Grimaldi, published one of the first detailed lunar maps, giving names to craters and regions to people with a wide intellectual tradition, honoring scientists, philosophers and astronomers, including numerous Jesuits. More than 30 lunar craters bear Jesuit names, reflecting the order’s longstanding engagement with scientific discovery. If the name ‘Carroll’ is approved, it will join a lunar landscape shaped by centuries of Jesuit contributions.