20 years ago

Between 2002 and 2003, I did a sabbatical with the monks of St. Joseph's Abbey in Spencer, Massachusetts. During those 6 months, I lived the life of a monk, mingling with the 70 priests and brothers who made up the entire population of the Abbey.  I ate with them, prayed with them, dusted the cloisters, pruned trees, raked zillions of leaves, cleaned like them, including the 'jakes,' and experienced what it was like living as a Benedictine monk. I will share over the next few weeks some photos from my experience there. Today you can see the Abbey from outside, built by the monks themselves between 1951 and 1952 from the fieldstones they found on the property. 

The beautiful and peaceful Abbey chapel.

They had no other choice as their previous abbey had burned down in Rhode Island, and every monk had to pitch in and use their strength, talents and expertise in various occupations to build this massive monastery. The Trappist monks follow the rule of St Benedict, do not talk, unless necessary, and spend 7 time periods in their chapel, praying as early as 3:30 AM, ending with the Compline and the singing of the Salve Regina at 8 PM.

Better writing

Some of you may remember the Reader’s Digest past editions where they give you 20 words, and you have to guess what they mean by giving you 3 options. I used to enjoy that feature and was pretty good at it. Now here is a way to embellish your writing by using various words that colorize your writing. These are some words to use and impress those who read your letters or articles.
Ubiquitous - an adjective that means ever-present, everywhere, omnipresent.
Dichotomy - a noun which refers to something with two contradictory qualities, or a division into two mutually exclusive or contradictory identities.
Equivocate - a verb which means to beat around the bush, or deliberately use vague or ambiguous language.
Non sequitur - a statement that is unrelated to previous conversation. It can also be a conclusion drawn from ideas that seemingly are unrelated or don’t make sense. Originally in Latin.
Panacea - a noun which refers to a magic cure-all or universal remedy.
Perfunctory - an adjective which means to do something mechanically or superficially, or with little to no enthusiasm.
Fastidious -  an adjective, and is a fancy way of saying someone pays great attention to detail—or is critical and hard to please.
Scintillating - a noun which means to be very clever, lively, or animated.
Cacophony - a noun which refers to a harsh or jarring noise, or a discordant mix of sounds.
Acquiesce - a verb, and is just another way of saying that someone accepts something reluctantly, but without putting up a fight.
Anomaly - a noun that refers to an abnormality or deviation from what is expected. It can also mean something odd, strange, or inconsistent.
Capitulate - a verb, and a fancy way of saying give up.
Facetious - an adjective that describes joking, often in an inappropriate manner.
Aplomb - a noun that refers to a sense of self-confidence.
Axiomatic - an adjective, and a fancy way of saying that something is self-evident.

Jesus buried in Oregon!

Occasionally I share with you some of the anecdotes I experienced in my years in the USA. These are a collection of stories which I wrote as an autobiography, still unpublished but quite interesting and funny at times.

A funny situation happened one day when I had to lead a burial service in a small cemetery at North Powder, Oregon. It was a small gathering which included some children of the immediate relatives of the deceased. The children could not stand still and decided to go around the cemetery for a treasure hunt of their own imagination. At one moment they came running towards us, and during my devotional prayers, they started shouting “We found it, we found it! We found where Jesus is buried...” Their parents calmed them down, and when my prayers were finished, we asked them what they found. At which point I followed them inquisitively to a nearby grave to find a tombstone with a quote from the Bible that featured the name Jesus on it! Since they attend catechism, they knew how to read the name of Jesus, and they felt they made the discovery of the century! Or should I say millennium! So now we know that Jesus is buried in North Powder cemetery - at least three young children believe that!

Patron saints for the kitchen

Here is a list of saints we should all remember while cooking in our kitchens. At the end, you can find the day of their respective feast-day, not all of them found in the liturgical calendar.

1. St. Nicholas of Syracuse/Santa Claus — Patron of baking, confectionaries, chocolatiers - Dec. 6
2. St. Francis Caracciolo — Patron of Italian chefs, Italophiles and Italian food - June 4
3. St. Hyacinth — Patron of pierogi - Aug. 17
4. St. Anthony the Abbott — Patron of butchers, farm animals, meat-eaters, bacon, salumeria - Jan. 17
5. St. Drogo — Patron of coffee, coffee-drinkers, cafes, baristas - April 16
6. Dom Justo Takayama Ukon — Patron of tea - Feb. 3
7. St. Elizabeth of Hungary — Patron of bakers, baking - Nov. 17
8. St. Arnulf of Metz/Arnouf — Patron of beer, bartenders - July 18
9. St. Urban of Langres — Patron of wine, vintners, sommeliers - Jan. 23
10. St. Neot — Patron of fish fries - July 31
11. St. Lawrence of Rome — Patron of Chefs, sommeliers, cooking, comedians - Aug. 10
12. St. Michael the Archangel — Patron of Grocers - Sept. 29
13. St. Isidore the Farmer — Patron of Farmers, greengrocers - May 15
14. St. Brigid of Kildare — Patron of cheese and cheesemakers - Feb. 1
15. St. Abigail — Patron of bees and honey - Feb. 11
16. St. Hubert — Patron saint of hunters, venison, wild game - Nov. 3
17. St. Martha of Bethany — Patron saint of cooks, waiters, waitresses - July 29
18. St. Honoré — Patron saint of bread, bakers and those who make altar bread - May 16
19. St. Nicholas of Tolentino — Patron saint of vegans and vegetarians - Sept. 10
20. St. Hildegard of Bingen — Patron saint of nutritionists, recipe collectors, chefs - Sept. 17

St Charles Borromeo

St Charles Borromeo distributing food to the poor.

St. Charles was the son of Count Gilbert Borromeo and Margaret Medici, sister of Pope Pius IV. He was born at the family castle of Arona on Lake Maggiore, Italy on October 2, 1538. He received the clerical tonsure when he was twelve and was sent to a Benedictine abbey at Arona for his education. In 1559 his uncle was elected Pope Pius IV and the following year, named him his Secretary of State and created him a cardinal and administrator of the see of Milan. He served as Pius' legate on numerous diplomatic missions and in 1562, was instrumental in having Pius reconvene the Council of Trent, which had been suspended in 1552. Charles played a leading role in guiding and in fashioning the decrees of the third and last group of sessions. He was ordained a priest in 1563 and was consecrated bishop of Milan the same year. Before being allowed to take possession of his see, he oversaw the catechism, missal, and breviary called for by the Council of Trent. When he finally did arrive at Trent (which had been without a resident bishop for eighty years) in 1556, he put into effect, measures to improve the morals and manners of the clergy and laity, raised the effectiveness of the diocese, established seminaries for the education of the clergy, founded a Confraternity of Christian Doctrine for the religious instruction of children and encouraged the Jesuits to be more visible and active. He increased the systems to the poor and the needy, was most generous in his help to the English college at Douai, and during his bishopric held eleven diocesan synods and six provincial councils. He was active in preaching, resisting the inroads of Protestantism, and bringing back lapsed Catholics to the Church. He encountered opposition from many sources in his efforts to reform people and institutions. He died at Milan on the night of November 3-4, 1584, and was canonized in 1610. He was one of the towering figures of the Catholic Reformation, a patron of learning and the arts, and though he achieved a position of great power, he used it with humility, personal sanctity, and unselfishness to reform the Church, of the evils and abuses so prevalent among the clergy and the nobles of the times.

Julia Roberts and MLK

Julia Roberts and Coretta and Martin Luther King Jr

In a recent interview, the actress Julia Roberts revealed how Martin Luther King's Jr helped support Julia Roberts and especially her mother when she was giving birth to the future actress. The 55-year-old actress revealed that her mother and father had a close relationship with the Kings.  Julia's parents, Betty Lou Bredemus and Walter Grady Roberts, started their own children's acting school in Georgia; and MLK Jr. asked if his children could attend. Black kids were still not allowed in many schools, so when Julia's parents welcomed the Kings' children with open arms, the couple was touched. That's why, when Betty and Walter gave birth to Julia in 1967 and struggled to pay the medical bills, she said the political figure and his wife stepped in to help.  It was previously reported that Julia's dad, Walter, was the personal acting coach to Martin and Coretta's daughter, Yolanda, who went on to become a big actress. Yolanda faced difficulties at the school due to her skin color, and someone even 'blew up' a car outside of the theater while she was performing in a play in 1965. Yes, kind and generous people exist in this world of ours! It’s just that we don’t often hear about them. It’s the purpose of this blog to let you know about them – but please share these great stories with others.

We remember them.....

This is a prayer you can say, ending with...’we remember them....’ I wrote this for a celebration of November 2, and you can add any other personal things for which you remember your loved ones.

For their involvement in our churches, their dedication and devotion, ......we remember them.

For their generosity with their time, talent and treasure.......

For their interest in many community events, social gatherings and the joy of life......

For their love of their spouses, children, siblings, relatives and friends.......

For cherishing the discipline and love of their parents, and always obeying them.....

For their interest in history, current events and participation in them whenever possible......

For their commitment to their faith, and passing it on to their children......

For always being there when we needed them for support, encouragement and appreciation.....

For being friendly to everyone, and a true faithful reliable friend, especially when everyone else have left you.....

For their love of music, art, culture, cooking, adventuring and for clean fun.......

For being there to hold a hand, to give a hug, to smile and make your life better.......

For their sincerity, kindness, altruism and generosity........

For always accepting us, faults, warts and all......

All Saints

Parade of Saints at St Francis parish in Bend, OR.

Each year on the feast of All Sanits I used to present a collection of saints, represented by children from our Catholic School and our Faith Formation program. These photos show some of the children as they were presented with a brief biography. Each child was dressed up as the respective saint, even carrying an item related to their lives. This was a teaching lesson for the children as well as their parents and siblings, since I read a brief biography for each saint. 

My idea was to counteract the Halloween costumes that are so popular at this time and sway the children away from the grotesque and bizarre towards the holy and sublime. The parents worked hard to research and find out how that particular saint dressed like, which shows how some of the costumes and outfits were very original.

Another year of Saints presented to the parishioners.

A windmill sunset

Just this week they installed a beautiful windmill close to our Retirement Home at Hilltop Gardens in Naxxar. And of course, I was waiting for a spectacular sunset to get some photos with the windmill in the foreground. So, enjoy these four photos as I look forward to more similar photos with a landmark that is by far much more attractive than the tower cranes, electricity poles and wires hanging all over the place. 

Enlightening our churches

A very wealthy person built a new church high in the mountains. It was a very beautiful church, and all the neighbors went to see it when it opened officially. However, an older parishioner noticed that there were no lights, and when it got dark in the evening, the church was pitch dark. The wealthy man spoke in place of the pastor and told them: ‘We are giving a light bulb to each family, and when you come to church, bring it along and place it in one of the hundreds of sockets we left visible and accessible at eye level. If you don’t attend, your place will be left in the dark, and the more people attend, the more lit up the church would be. The parishioners got the message loud and clear, and were always present for Mass, even daily Mass. We can ask ourselves: how much are we enlightening our churches by our presence.

Flores, bursting with vocations

A church in the diocese of Flores

While 85% of Indonesians are Muslims, the island of Flores, which is part of this archipelago, with a population of 1.9 million, is happy to report that 70% of the inhabitants are Catholic. The Seminary in this island is bursting to the seams with seminarians. The Verbite Missionaries, who run the local Seminary takes care of no less than 1200 seminarians. The 5 dioceses that are in Flores have 847 priests, and 646 local seminarians studying. The local Bishop said he is sending hundreds of missionary priests, because the family soil is very fertile, and parents are very proud of their sons who are called to the priesthood. Most of the inhabitants are poor farmers, but they emphasize good education for their children, and even here the local church helps out too. And everyone is very appreciative of their priests, whom they admire and hold in high regard. 

These children......

Back in 2006, I was starting my 8-year stay at the Cathedral of Baker City in Eastern Oregon. I learned early in life to always be prepared for what the children come up with, as these two cute episodes describe. From my unpublished auto-biography.....

Children are so unpredictable, and you have no idea what they come out with. Two really funny situations happened with two 3-year-olds. One of them was a boy who apparently was brought to the nursery class for the first time, and another older child was showing him around the hall, the office and the church, and while climbing the steps towards the Rectory, he met me as he started saying all that he knew.....”I am three years old....I know the whole alphabet.....I know the numbers up to 20.......I’m a good boy.....and.... I am potty-trained!” Apparently, it is a big accomplishment for any child to be potty-trained.

Then towards the end of the classes when the children were leaving, a young girl was being led out by one of the teachers, Cathy Fisk. This girl was not Catholic but comes to class and is always enthused by everything she sees. Cathy was introducing her to me, and telling her that I live right there, in the Rectory. Not being convinced enough, she asked “Where do you live?” I told her I live right there, and my room is up the steps, to which she answered, “And is your honey up there too?”

Earlier in my years in New York, I was invited for dinner at a large family, and arriving a few minutes late, I was greeted with a chorus of children saying at the door, ‘Good evening, Father Julian, but you are 7 minutes late!’ So eager where they to have me in their company.

Padre Pio and the media

St Pio of Pietrelcina died in 1968, before the computer and cell-phone-age, but he was aware that movies were very popular at his time, and mass-media was changing the world, as it actually has. In his book ‘Padre Pio: The True story,’ the author, Bernard Ruffin, says that Padre Pio rarely watched the TV they had in their convent, other than the funeral of Pope Pius XII and John XXIII. He didn’t really like TV because he knew the danger it was causing to many people. Certainly, his confessional was a witness to this. He used to say, ‘Whoever invented the refrigerator is going to heaven, but whoever invented Television, is going down under....’ His prophecy became so true as we see this happening in just about every family....’instead of talking among themselves, the members of each family spend the evening staring at the TV set.’ He didn’t like cinema either, and often compared it to the work of the devil. However, many films were made even about him and religious themes, and thanks to these, we can learn about his life and the lives of other saints.

From 40 years ago

Priests and sisters at Holy Spirit, New Hyde Park, NY.

When I first arrived in New York in 1981, in Holy Spirit Parish in New Hyde Park, on Long Island, we were 6 priests in the Rectory and there were 13 nuns in the adjacent convent. But 6 years later, we ended up only 3 priests, and there were 3 sisters left. I would imagine that the majority of them are deceased by now, probably one still alive, and of the priests, 3 of them had died by 1988. The first photo shows the whole group together, with the13 Dominican nuns and the 6 priests, including a Filipino priest and a Jesuit. 

8 of the Dominican sisters with my parents in 1982

My parents had visited me on a few occasions, and they stayed in the convent with the nuns, where you can see them with some of the nuns in their garden. Both these photos were taken in 1982, 40 years ago.

Alec Guinness’ conversion

Alec Guinness played the part of Father Brown, the fictitious character created by G. K. Chesterton. One day while filming in France, he was walking back to the hotel still in his cassock, when a young boy approached him, took his hand and walked with him, feeling very safe with ‘the priest.’ The boy talked to him in French, but Alec did not know any French but kept walking with the boy. At one moment the boy told him ‘Au revoir, mon pere’ (Goodbye, Father.) Alec Guinness was so impressed by this incident and realized how much of an impact the image of a priest has on people, including young children. He reflected on how the Catholic church can have such a big impact on people and inspire trust even in young children. After the filming, Guinness used to stop by daily at a church. He had a son with polio, and promised God that if his son recovers, he will not obstruct his wish to be baptized. In fact, his son Matthew was fully healed by the age of 15. Then even Alec himself started talking to a priest, made a retreat in a Trappist monastery. While filming in Los Angeles one day, he even attended a Mass with Grace Kelly. Within a few months he became Catholic and so did his wife and they remained practicing Catholics all their life. 

Some interesting trivia

The dot over the letter "i" is called a tittle. 

 A raisin dropped in a glass of fresh champagne will bounce up and down continuously from the bottom of the glass to the top. 

 Because metal was scarce, the Oscars given out during World War II were made of wood. 

 There are no words in the dictionary that rhyme with orange, purple and silver. 

 The very first bomb dropped by the Allies on Berlin in World War II killed the only elephant in the Berlin Zoo. 

 The first CD pressed in the US was Bruce Springsteen's 'Born in the USA.' 

 The original name for butterfly was flutterby. (And that is a more accurate description) 

 Charlie Chaplin once won third prize in a Charlie Chaplin look-alike contest.  

 Chewing gum while peeling onions will keep you from crying. 

 The glue on Israeli postage is certified kosher. 

 The Guinness Book of Records holds the record for being the book most often stolen from public libraries. 

 Bats always turn left when exiting a cave!

The Marx Brothers were Groucho, Harpo, Zeppo and Chico.

The Three Stooges were Larry, Curly and Moe.

The Seven Dwarfs were: Happy, Doc, Sleepy, Sneezy, Grumpy, Bashful, Dopey.

Elvis and the Rosary

Elvis Presley, who was baptized within an Evangelical Christian community, was no stranger to Christian music. He released several albums of Gospel music, with tunes like: “He Touched Me,” “Amazing Grace,” and “How Great Thou Art.” Still, it seems strange that a Protestant would record a song about the Rosary.  His song “Miracle of the Rosary” is not one of his most famous songs, but it is an interesting and mysterious one. This is how “Miracle of the Rosary” came to be. It was written by Presley’s long-time friend, Lee Denson. Lee was the son of Rev. James Denson, who ran the Poplar Street Mission, a Pentecostal church, which the Presley family attended after moving to Memphis in 1948. Lee is the one who taught Elvis to play the guitar when he was 13. In 1960, Denson wrote an English version of “Ave Maria,” which his publisher had no interest in. Remembering his friend Elvis’ love of Gospel music, he dropped in and played it for “The King.” Elvis enjoyed the tune, but nothing ever came of it. Then, over a decade later, Presley surprised Denson with a recording of “Miracle of the Rosary” for his 1972 album, Elvis Now. “Miracle of the Rosary” is truly miraculous in its own way, as it is the only song about the Rosary to ever be recorded by a major artist and released on a major label. It is also a bit of a miracle Elvis remembered it for over a decade, after hearing it only once. And it is miraculous and mysterious that two Pentecostal boys felt called to record a song about one of the most sacred Catholic devotions and sacramentals. Listen to it in this short video......

St John Paul the Great

Pope John Paul with saints he canonized

We celebrate today the liturgical feast of the Man of the 20th century. Pope Saint John Paul II was born Karol Wojtyla on May 18th, 1920 in Poland and became the first non-Italian Pope in almost 400 years. Also known as John Paul the Great, he reigned from October 16th, 1978, until his death on April 2nd, 2005. He was the second longest-serving Pope in modern history after Pope Pius IX who served for nearly 32 years from 1846 to 1878.

As a young boy, he lost his mother at the age of 8 and his father when he was 21. He even had to work at a limestone quarry, but then started his studies at the underground seminary run by Cardinal Sapieha in Krakow. He was ordained a priest on November 1, 1946, and after further studies, he ended up teaching at the Jagiellonian University. He was made a bishop on July 4, 1958, and later became Archbishop of Krakow on June 26, 1967. He remained very staunch to his faith in Poland, even when he became a Cardinal 3 years later. His election as Pope was a big surprise as Pope John Paul I died suddenly after 33 days, and the trend was to elect Italian Popes, but the white smoke showed that a new Pope was chosen on October 16, 1978, aged 58, relatively young for a Pope.
At the balcony he waved to the thousands gathered in the Piazza and said “the cardinals have called for a new bishop of Rome. They called him from a faraway land — far and yet always close because of our communion in faith and Christian traditions. I was afraid to accept that responsibility, yet I do so in a spirit of obedience to the Lord and total faithfulness to Mary, our most Holy Mother.”

John Paul II is recognized as helping to end Communist rule in his native Poland and eventually all of Europe. John Paul II significantly improved the Catholic Church's relations with Judaism, Islam, the Eastern Orthodox Church, and the Anglican Communion. He upheld the Church's teachings against artificial contraception and the ordination of women, supported the Church's Second Vatican Council and its reform, and in general held firm to orthodox Catholic stances. He was one of the most travelled world leaders in history, visiting 129 countries during his pontificate. As part of his special emphasis on the universal call to holiness, he beatified 1,340 people and canonized 483 saints, more than the combined tally of his predecessors during the preceding five centuries. He was very much devoted to the Blessed Mother, well respected in his native Poland, especially with the famous Black Madonna, and he even chose his motto as Totus Tuus, “Totally Yours,” even with the letter M on his coat-of-arms.
John Paul II's cause for canonization commenced in 2005 one month after his death with the traditional five-year waiting period waived. His successor Pope Benedict XVI beatified him on May 1st, 2011, after the Congregation for the Causes of Saints attributed one miracle to him, the healing of a French nun from Parkinson's disease. A second miracle, attributed to the late pope, was approved and confirmed by Pope Francis two days later. John Paul II was canonized on 27 April 2014, alongside Pope John XXIII.

Strange Language ?

Among the many e-mails I receive, there’s always one that sticks out of all the others for a sense of originality. This one came to me and I read it with a breeze, but some people cannot manage it so easily. It’s easier than you may think.....

fi yuo cna raed tihs, yuo hvae a sgtrane mnid too. Cna yuo raed tihs? Olny 55% of the  plepoe can.i cdnuolt blveiee taht I cluod aulaclty uesdnatnrd waht I was rdanieg. The phaonmneal pweor of the hmuan mnid, aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it dseno't mtaetr in waht oerdr the ltteres in a wrod are, the olny iproamtnt tihng is taht the frsit and lsat ltteer be in the rghit pclae. The rset can be a taotl mses and you can sitll raed it whotuit a pboerlm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe. Azanmig huh? yaeh and I awlyas tghuhot slpeling was ipmorantt!

Prayer by Dietrich Bonhoeffer

This prayer was written by Lutheran minister Dietrich Bonhoeffer, while awaiting execution in a Nazi prison.

In me there is darkness, but with You, there is Light.

I am lonely, but You do not leave me.

I am feeble in heart, but with You there is help.

I am restless, but with You there is peace.

In me there is bitterness, but with You there is patience.

I do not understand Your ways, but You know the way for me.

Restore me to liberty and enable me so to live now.

That I may answer before You and before me.

Lord, whatever this day may bring, may Your name be praised.

Heather Bell

One day, a renowned botanist was examining the Heather Bell, a flower that grows in the Highlands around Scotland. As he was looking through a microscope, a shepherd herding sheep approached him, and asked what he was doing. Instead of trying to explain to him what he was doing, the botanist invited him to look through the microscope. The lonely shepherd was amazed at what he saw and exclaimed ‘Oh my God! and I’ve been stepping on them all my life!’ Maybe we too can look around the small minute miracles God gives us daily and see if we can observe something even more beautiful than a few leaves with flowers. Then again, we can look at people whom we tend to take for granted sometimes and see how much kindness and generosity and talents they are gifted with. 

BBC – 100 years old

It was on October 18, 1922, when the British Broadcasting Corporation was founded. It actually started transmissions on November 14, 1922, with the voice of Arthur Burrows, the director of programmes saying with a crackling voice on Short Wave radio: ‘This is 2LO, Marconi House, London Calling.’ One hundred years later, it still is a media giant, even though budget cuts and changing media scenarios are raising repeated questions about its future. BBC World Service broadcasts in 42 languages to about 464 million people a week globally. I was a fan of Short-Wave radio in my teenage years, and I even used to receive the monthly magazine ‘London Calling,’ while trying to listen to various programmes with all the expected interference and atmospheric noise. We wish the very best to a priceless service that have kept us connected for the past 100 years.

St Ignatius of Antioch

I am always surprised by the fact that so few parents name their children for well-known saints, whose names are hardly ever chosen at baptisms. Truly, how many children or adults do you know named Ignatius, Joachim, Lazarus, Stephen, Zacchaeus, Nicodemus, Cyril, Jacinta, Gregory, Matthias, Barnabas, Benedict, Alphonsus, Pio, Jerome, Jude, Leo, Cecilia, Agatha, and may others? St Ignatius of Antioch was a disciple of St John the Evangelist. He converted to Christianity and St. Peter appointed him as Bishop of Antioch, a major city back then. He wrote various letters to communities he would visit, as St. Paul did. He was the first person to use the word Catholic. When he was condemned to death at the Coliseum, eaten by lions, very few people knew that more Christians would join the Catholic church, because of his witness and strong faith till the end. Since he knew most of the apostles, what he wrote was considered to be very authentic, because he had heard it from the mouths of those who were closest to Jesus. Too bad they were not included in the Bible.

Mo Salah, a true champion

The beloved Liverpool football player Mohammed Salah is known for his goals against opposing teams who face Liverpool. His generosity may not be known as much as his goals for the Anfield Team. Last August, a fire destroyed a Coptic church in his native Egypt, and 41 people died. Salah donated $155,000 to have the church rebuilt, and help the families. In 2019, a terrorist attack killed 20 people, and he gave $2.9 million to the Egyptian National Cancer Institute. He gave a further half a million dollars for new equipment in a Children’s Cancer hospital. In 2020, during Covid-19, he paid for the petrol of all those waiting to fill up their cars in a petrol station. The Sunday Times reported that Mo Salah is the eighth most generous person in the United Kingdom. He even had convinced a family who was robbed to give some money to the person who did the robbery! And he worked to find him a new job. Salah is a champion on the football field, but even more impressive is his kindness and generosity to those who need any kind of help.