Chicago Bears Vice President Patrick McCaskey to Speak at Harbor House Fundraiser in Kankakee

Patrick McCaskey, vice president of the Chicago Bears, will be the featured speaker at an upcoming Harbor House fundraising tailgate party where you can wear your favorite sports jersey.

On Friday, Sept. 22, at the Kankakee Country Club (2011 Cobb Blvd.), cocktails will begin at 5:30 p.m. and the event will end at 9 p.m.

For complete information see the Kankakee Daily Journal Story. 

McCaskey is a Sporting Chance Press author and his latest book is called Pilgrimage. 

Has the Leprechaun Left the Building or Can You Still Laugh with Coworkers

There was a wild colonial boy
Jack Duggan was his name
He was born and raised in Ireland
In a house called Castlemaine
He was his father’s only son
His mothers pride and joy
And dearly did his parents love
That wild colonial boy.

That wild colonial boy now has a career!

During my working life, I remember a kind of biorhythm thing that went on each week. It seemed like certain days were dreary and hard to get through, and some days most everything improved. I was not depressed, just locked into the job and at times, we were all under the gun and it could be stressful. But it did occur to me that my feeling for each day was very personal, it was about my attitude and my mood. 

I remember working in Chicago on the Northwest side where my office was on the second floor in what people would call a mid-century modern building. Many coworkers worked alongside each other. I had a great spot close the windows. My view was both good and bad, beautiful and ugly--it depended upon where you looked. 

On some days, as I came into the office, I headed for an escalator that took me up to the second floor. But I noticed that on my good days, I bounded up the stairs instead. I also found myself with such enthusiasm that I smiled and greeted coworkers. My greeting announced my presence for the day. Eventually, I got to the point where I would prance down the aisle and tell people “it’s a great day for the Irish.”

Sure, I was Irish through and through, but a little removed by distance.  But I had grown up on the South Side of Chicago in a neighborhood with many Irish families. It's still the home of the Chicago South Side Irish Parade, minutes away from Chicago Gaelic Park, and home to a myriad of Irish cultural institutions not the least of which are a bevy of Irish neighborhood bars. 

But Chicago is a diverse city and I am not sure if all my co-workers appreciated the Irish thing. Yet, I sensed at least some amusement on my coworkers' part even if they were not Irish. So at least it was harmless. Yes, I was enthusiastic, and yes, I loved my job.

When I started to think about it more and more, I noticed that my “great day for the Irish” was for the most part on Wednesday. Sure, like most people, I appreciated Fridays and suffered through Mondays, but there was a certain joy that came to me each Wednesday—hump day. Wednesday could be a day of pure joy. 

I suppose in a way, most of us had a great day each week (or some folks even a few). And these days might fall on different days, but collectively as co-workers, our honest enthusiasm could improve our lives and make work better for everyone. We shared the joy. We were happy people. We took coffee breaks and lunched in the cafeteria. We got to know each other during the work day and went home to our families each night. 

At least that’s how it was!

Something happened to the American workplace, many American workplaces, that has all but destroyed our lives at work. Many work places are deadly dull dreary places to work that are basically killing off employees by savage adherence to a corporate rules that take any real joy out of life. Millions dance to the tune of spreadsheets and worship technology. There are no boundaries to work hours.

Even at "hot job sites," ping pong tables and standing desks can't replace the close connection and love that comes from a functioning family. 

An old  friend of mine tells me that at his job, there are no great days for the Irish or anyone else. "The leprechaun has left the building."

I find that very sad.

If your place of work is decent and you can spread some joy today, please do so. There could come a time when it is impossible. When you find yourself at the total mercy of your employer and every spare minute of your day is about your work. 

Lawrence Norris is the author of an honest book called  The Brown and White.

Chicago Catholic Story on The Brown and White by Lawrence Norris

 Chicagoland

Mount Carmel alum writes a ‘fictionalized memoir’ of his days at the school

byline Chicago Catholic

July 17, 2017

Larry Norris was a freshman at Mount Carmel High School in 1967-1968, a year that was pivotal in Chicago’s history. He recalls that history 50 years later in “The Brown and White” (2016, Sporting Chance Press), a “fictionalized memoir,” seen through the eyes of Collin Callaghan, a freshman at what Norris calls St. Mary’s College Prep. But the school, and, indeed, the South Side neighborhoods that the eponymous “Brown and White” school bus traverses, are clearly rooted in Norris’ experiences as an adolescent in an unsettled time.

Norris answered questions about his book by email for Chicago Catholic.

Chicago Catholic: You call “The Brown and White” a “fictionalized memoir” and you changed the names of not only people, but also the high school and other Chicago landmarks. Why did you want to make some of it fictional instead of writing a straight memoir, and how much did you change?

Larry Norris: I wanted to write a book like John Powers’ “Last Catholic in America” and “Do Patent Leather Shoes Really Reflect Up” in that the people who are characters can recognize themselves, but it would be up to them. I also wanted the book to be of interest to a wide audience.

From my publishing experience, books are more powerful when they are organic -- when each reader brings into the mix his or her own experiences as the book is being read. When I read Powers myself, I thought about our Catholic culture and some of the things were so funny, yet so true. It was post Vatican II and things were a bit wobbly.

It also seemed easier to think about Power’s fictitious Seven Holy Hills and not to get hung up on the fact that his experience was at St. Christina and Brother Rice. Sometimes when you write about a particular school, that is where your market begins and ends. I love my school, Mount Carmel, but I am hoping the book works for everyone.

Fiction also allows you to round out the edges. It might also make it easier if I get a call from Hollywood and they want to make a movie from it.

Chicago Catholic: You said you’ve been writing this book for 40 years. Why did it take so long for the story to mature? What perspective do you have now that you didn’t have when you started to think about it?

Norris: I was talking to a priest that I knew 40 years ago and he said anyone can make fun of things in writing. I took that to heart and I wanted my book to be a positive book -- although I wanted to keep it real and be funny.

I wrote the various episodes of the book over many years. I was in no hurry; the world had four books by John Powers and several more on Catholic culture. Then, about 20 years ago, I had to take another pass at the entire book because I lost the file.

I went back and spent more time examining the times to describe the setting. I wanted to make sure that the book was about my experience and I wasn't trying to extend too far beyond that. In high school and college, I read a half-dozen books about the black experience. I didn't want to pretend I was the second coming of James Baldwin. So I tried to tell my story, a white boy’s story.

Chicago Catholic: The year you write about – 1967-1968 – was a tumultuous time for Chicago, and much has happened since. How do you think that time changed the city? How did it change Mount Carmel High School, in the near and long terms?

Norris: That's a big question. I had some idea of how the city was changed, but I was very young when that happened. So I guess you could say that much of what I describe was symptoms, not cause and effect.

I wrote about a few experiences that we had and focused on family and teachers. The year's events served as the backdrop, but I kept the book focused a personal level -- not a treatise on the times.

I hope readers will especially enjoy the family stories -- I think that's the strongest part of the book. I have both male and female fans of the book and that makes me feel good.

Mount Carmel survived and not only that, it was able to continue its mission to graduate one class after another of "Men of Carmel." Huge improvements have been made with gifts by generous alumni and the school now has a beautiful campus.

It’s blocks away from the site of the future Obama library. The student body is an ethnic alchemy -- students now will get an even better education. The future looks bright. People see Carmel as an athlete’s school, but it is certainly much more than that.

Chicago Catholic: The book covers not only a time of great social change, but also the freshman year of high school – nearly always a stormy time – for your protagonist. How did the turbulence of the time affect you as you were growing up? How did your growing up change your understanding of the times you lived through?

Norris: I kept the book light and wanted to focus on the fact that we almost all survive tough times and we do so with our family, faith, friends and help from others like teachers. In high school, there is also a tendency of not taking things too seriously. Personally, I think the 1960s left many of us shaking our heads and trying to come to some kind of closure, but I am not sure we will see it.

Chicago Catholic: The metaphor of the bus – “the Brown and White” – runs through the pages until, at the end, it stops, replaced without a word. What came to an end for you that year?

Norris: The story of the first year ended with my friends stopping by my house and sitting on the front steps with my parents. The Brown and White is a pervasive metaphor: the bus, the students, school colors, etc. At the end of the last chapter, we are taking a rest after the brown and white boot camp. We saw everything in brown and white.

The epilogue is a critical part of the book's message in that it talks about teachers that gave us everything they had.

"The Brown and White" is available on amazon.com.

The Top of the Book Pyrimid: The Brown and White?

I remember years ago when a Chicago Catholic radio station was getting started it just broadcast non-stop Bishop Sheen programs all day long. I remember seeing actual programs when they first appeared on TV.  My parents loved Bishop Sheen and I don't know how to describe it, but when you watched Bishop Sheen, you were at ease and inspired at the same time.  You felt like it was really cool to be Catholic. 

When I hopped in the car in the early morning about 20 years ago and heard Bishop Sheen once again, it was little different. The signal was not very strong, but it was almost like you were hearing Bishop Sheen come from the grave--he was speaking to me one-on-one. At the time, it was during our short Chicago days of winter and I was always listening in the dark. The lights on the radio glowed on the dashboard as the Bishop talked through all kind of Chicago weather. 

As I get older, I hate to say it, but I do wonder if we will ever have a speaker quite like Bishop Sheen.  I like to think we will. 

If you were a Father Corapi fan, you remember he was excellent as well. Father Corapi could talk about Catholic doctrine and somehow make it clear, painless and interesting.

I suppose everyone has his or her favorite speakers and writers. I am always amazed to see the C.S. Lewis classic Mere Christianity on top seller lists as it approaches 70 years old. As a publisher, I have to say that kind of success is just unbelievable. 

I am an author myself and I certainly don't put myself in the same company as these great authors and speakers. But I will say that when I was writing The Brown and White I was trying to convey the emotions of Catholics at the time in the late 1960s. The world was a very scary place for many of us, but we did find comfort and faith in our homes and with our friends. 

I also tried to capture some of the Irish sense of faith and humor. I hope I did.  On Amazon, I do have some good reviews from people I respect very much. I just need a few thousand people to pay the $12.50 price for the book on Amazon and life will be very good!  

The Brown and White is a fictionalized memoir and when people express a positive view of it, I feel like they would like my family in those days. And I do find that very exciting. Of course, if it turns out I just sell a few hundred copies of the book, I will start feeling a lot smaller. 

Catholic Brand

I know people don't like to hear about something as crass as a "brand" being applied to a religion, but brands do exist in Christianity. You can argue that your religion is much more than a brand, and I am in total agreement with you, but each denomination of Christianity is also a brand. 

Following Your Own Human Nature

St. Paul saw the problem of splintering groups within the early church and reminded folks that God was the source and the focus of the faith and he played down the personalities. 

For when one person says, “I follow Paul,” and another person says, “I follow Apollos,” you’re following your own human nature, aren't you?...I planted, Apollos watered, but God kept everything growing. So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is significant, but God, who keeps everything growing, is the one who matters."

Parables to Get Ideas Across

I think that faith is often an obtuse subject and even Jesus liked to use stories or parables to get ideas across. He knew that we humans are not so bright as to be able to absorb teaching without some additional aids. These aids helped Jesus get His ideas across. 

It was miraculous that from the humblest of beginnings, the early church survived. Certainly, God's hand was in its survival. And it seems that the Lord had made his presence known throughout the centuries. The Catholic Church is still standing although every conceivable taste and preference is fed by many other brands of Christianity these days. On top of all the name brands, there are also the "nondenominational" ones. These help to create a kind of Christian grid. 

In a sense you had a kind of Protestant construction of many different distinct brands and then I see a kind of deconstruction where thousands of churches were established without a real hard and fast belief system other than a kind of outline of Christianity. 

On some Christian radio stations they make an attempt to define the "Christian Church" in a more exacting way. They fall back to the Bible as a source for all truth, but at some point, it always comes out that the Bible seems to be sending different messages to different individuals. 

New Ideas Come Slow in the Catholic Church

In the Catholic Church, there has been a lot of different ideas coming and going. I suspect that's the way it has always worked and then there is some kind of reigning in. The church leaders have a means of issuing documents and explaining principles through the Pope and the clergy. Most other churches aren't so lucky. Lately, the Catholic Church is taking strides to make sure that it maintains its brand as one of the  most disciplined of churches. And by this I mean that its teachings are based on a couple thousand years of church doctrine.  Doctrine interpretation does change--it can't help but change.  People from the fifth century could only understand an idea within the context of their existence then.  The same holds true today.  No one can really understand something outside the context of their own existence. 

Catholic doctrine is Biblical based, but it also takes into account church interpretations of the Bible.  That annoys some people, but all churches have people who interpret the Bible.  I have to chuckle when I hear some guy on the radio explain that his interpretation of the Bible is God's word rather than his interpretation of the Bible.  Someone will go on and on about how the Bible is so simple when it says this or that.  Switch the channel to another Christian radio station and you hear someone else say that the Greek word that has been used in many translations was really a totally different word that entirely changes the interpretation.  Life is messy and the Bible can be messy as well.  The translations keep coming. It was not written in 21st Century English. 

New ideas come slow because the church fathers want to error on the side of caution. Why this surprises people is beyond me! Some people expect the Catholic church to embrace the most widely accepted kind of ideas regardless of its history and principles. And this is why I like to think of the Catholic brand as a means of explaining why it works this way. And when I say a means of explaining why it works this way, that's not to say a means to argue its beliefs. It's a means of explaining the speed of change to its beliefs. I am not arguing that the church has not been inspired and guided by the Holy Spirit. I am just using the term brand to give a modern understanding that an organization of such stature does not change its mission frivolously. 

I think people today get the idea of a brand better than get the idea of the church holding onto beliefs that many don't like. People are exposed to a lot more advertising today than they are to their faith. People tend to believe the church should abide by what's on their list of new beliefs, but we know that there are a lot of different versions of such lists today. Everyone's got an opinion today about just about everything.

During the election Candidate Hillary Clinton said a lot about immigration and she promoted a more compassionate approach to illegal aliens. A few years earlier, her husband said just the opposite. I think the Church wants to avoid those kinds of contradictions particularly on issues of doctrine. 

The Catholic brand has not endorsed female Priests, same sex marriages and contraception. A lot of people had and have a hard time with the Catholic church's views on contraception, but it is consistent with the Catholic churches views on human life and not messing around with it. I think most people could understand the church's position against abortion and euthanasia, but contraception was harder. But if you look at how birth control has been morphing into the post conception phase, I think it's starting to make more sense.

Anyway, folks need to wake up and smell the coffee about the Catholic Church. The Catholic Church isn't going to change its brand. The brand will evolve as it has continued to evolve over a long period of time, but it is not likely going to change very quickly.  And Catholics believe that God will guide the church and will work through the labor of it's best and brightest.  All churches have a human leadership component.

I would caution people however, that although the Catholic brand is slow to change, this does not mean that it is conservative as in "conservative politics." I think it's interesting to hear Catholics today who seem to embrace the Protestant work ethic--you are what you deserve. I find the Protestant work ethic kind of odd--although history has shown that it had a great influence on things like ingenuity and effort especially on the part of folks like the early Yankees.  You hear so much today about salvation through faith--you are saved by faith alone.  It's one of those points that Protestants use to differentiate themselves from Catholics. Historically, Catholics have said that when it comes to faith, you have to put your money where your mouth is--not that you are going to earn heaven, but that faith is empty without action.  That's what things like the Cardinal virtues are about.  Did we foul things up when overusing indulgences and creating a system that allowed misuse of such things--you bet.  But let's not pretend that the church was always outside the influence, many times forced influence, of powerful groups and people out to take advantage of it.  To say that we believe that faith should be accompanied by supporting action seems less than heretical to me.  It's what most people would call common sense. 

People love to point out that we are saved by faith and that Catholics don't believe this.  When you look at the United States history however, the Catholics have historically been much kinder to those who have not made the grade.  The Protestant work ethic says that you have what you deserve--that if you are poor or lowly you deserve to be poor or lowly because you have been lazy.  So for a lot of Protestants, faith will save them, but at the same time, the poor and lowly in society are unworthy regardless of their faith.  One of our former presidents comes to mind in this regard who had both Catholic and Protestant forebearers.  He  could not seem to understand that those who were not tall,  handsome, athletic and talented might not be able to succeed quite the same as he did.  People may be equal citizens, but they are not made equal in terms of their gifts.  People can be poor and lowly due to circumstances that are beyond their control.  

Some very articulate media people are espousing the Church as if its some kind of Republican club--it isn't. Many want to paint the Catholic church as a card-carrying member of the Religious right, but I don't believe that's true--although I can't say that I understand exactly what the religious right is these days there is so much smearing that goes on against most every active faith.
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Our new book, Pilgrimage, looks mostly at traditional religious sites and provides information that readers will find  useful and interesting. 

Love Your Roots

We need to be enthusiastic about who we are.  That's one thing that makes us healthy. We need to feel good about ourselves and our backgrounds. The Irish like to think positive about their past ancestors although some have their doubts about history and how it affected them. 

I've written about people who take one of those DNA tests and get the results and are disappointed because they don't believe they are diverse enough. And you see other people on the genealogy TV shows who thought that they are part-American Indian (there must be a lot of people who think this) and they are disappointed when it turns out they are not. Then there was the case of a woman who thought she came from slaves, but found that she came from slave owners on one side of the family who were in fact American Indians.

I often think of people in Mexico who are in many cases both Indian and Spanish.  So in case after case, the genealogy points to both a victim and victimization.

But our background goes much further than a generation or two. And we are survivors. I like to think that if we could see what went on in our past we would find a lot of close calls and courageous behavior. You might have had a horse thief in your family in the 17th century, but then you might have had a hero in the 16th century.  We will never know all that is in our past, even people who have well-researched backgrounds, have only a small portion of their history. Our families go back thousands and thousands of years.

So I encourage people to look positively at their past. In your ancestry, there are likely to be many people who were wonderful and who were survivors.  

Sporting Chance Press is the publisher of Pilgrimage by Patrick McCaskey and The Brown and White by Larry Norris.

Saint Thomas Becket

December 29 is the feast day of Saint Thomas Becket. It is the anniversary of his murder in 1170. Becket is a powerful example of a person who courageously battled for the church and followed his beliefs in a time when most around him were being steamrolled by secular authority.

Thomas was recommended for service to King Henry II and was an able administrator and good friend to the king. He is one of those saints who had lived a life of merriment followed by a conversion that led him to a heroic life. His friend, King Henry II, saw to it that fun-loving Becket was made Archbishop of Canterbury in 1162 thinking that Becket would help him solidify his control of the Catholic church in England. Henry was opposed to certain independent actions of the church and was taking actions to suppress certain practices that he felt contrary to his interests as King of England. Henry expected Becket's support, but found himself in constant conflict with his new Archbishop who grew in courage, faith and determination. Becket had become a better man--there were many conflicts between the Kind and the Archbishop. When it became dangerous to stay in England, Becket went to France in exile, but continued to lead his flock. The Kind eventually convinced his old friend to return to England. Becket's excommunication of the Archbishop of York and the Bishops of London and Salisbury for their support for Henry's attacks on the rights of Becket and the church set the king off. His refusal to back down further angered the king who apparently underestimated Becket's determination to stay the course. Becket had changed his total allegiance from the King to the Pope and the Church.

At one point, Henry became so enraged, he is quoted as saying "Who will rid me of this meddlesome priest?" Four knights overheard the King's words and on December 29, 1170, they entered the Cathedral. They insisted he absolve the excommunicated Bishops. Upon his refusal, they brought weapons into the church and hacked Becket to death as monks watched in horror. According to one monk, Edward Grim, Thomas Becket told the Knights that "for the name of Jesus and the protection of the Church, I am ready to embrace death."

Three days after his death, the first in a series of miracles took place in the Cathedral associated with Becket's martyrdom. These miracles would later be depicted in stain glass windows called miracle windows. In 1173, Becket was canonized and pilgrims began to flock to Thomas' shrine in the Cathedral. The repentant King would make the pilgrimage himself a year later.

Canterbury was on the medieval pilgrim route to Rome, but the Cathedral became a pilgrimage site itself after Thomas Becket's canonization. Geoffrey Chaucer used the pilgrimage treks as the backdrop for his Canterbury Tales. Becket's martyrdom would help create a tradition of faith expression that in England that survives to this day. Although Becket's shrine and his bones were destroyed in 1538 on the orders of King Henry VIII. Pilgrims continue to vist Canterbury as a sacred site.

Our new book, Pilgrimage, looks mostly at traditional religious sites like Canterbury and provides information that readers will find  useful and interesting.

If it's His will, I'll Get Over There to Ireland

In Ireland, Copyright 2016, Marianne Norris

I think about Ireland at times. My sisters have visited some of our roots and I'd like to get over there some time, but there are battles that need to be fought here right now. A good movie may be about as close as I come. As I Catholic, we would say it's up to God. If it's His will, I'll get over there. So I don't worry about it. 

The Irish and Irish American Catholics are not the only ones close to the Catholic faith. But it's something many of us have loved for generations and it has been a  force in almost every aspect of Irish life. Only time will tell whether Catholicism is reduced  to a trivial pursuit for the Irish in years to come. It's up to the Irish, when in past, the faith was oppressed by others. It won't the English trying to take the Irish faith away or robbing them of the richest part of their DNA, it will be the Irish themselves. 

America (the US), as a country that reflects our ancestors' heritage,  we have pockets of culture that have been transplanted. Sometimes we have a presence that is no longer found in it's origin location. I remember traveling through Wisconsin where I heard there are Northern European recipes that can no longer be found in Northern Europe. You have to come to Wisconsin to find these!

It's very sad for me to see country after country in Europe in which churches are all but museums. We are starting to see some of that here in America. Modern people look at faith as a straight jacket that restricts their movements. They want to be free! But true faith, while it can inhibit actions with our approval, is really more a reflection of free will. If you are not doing specific things, your faith might be helping you, but it is still about choices you make--at least here in America.

When we were little bitty kids, we learned the Hail Mary. It was easier than the Our Father and it was a prayer that honored Jesus's Mother. It was what we call a prayer for intercession. From the earliest days in Catholic School we learned that Mary would intercede for us, asking for us. At the same time, we were learning about Jesus and what he had done for us. As a little kid in a Catholic home and going to a Catholic School, there was many crucifixes around and images of Jesus. We prayed to the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost. 

I was reading Bible stories to my grandson this week. He is five years old. We read about creation, Adam and Eve, Cain and Abel, and Noah.  Some of the basics of our Judea-Christian heritage. I hope he holds onto these, but I won't be forcing him to do it or having the Ten Commandments tattooed to his back. 

But you can't very well expect your kids to learn to read without understanding their abc's. Kids do need a little help in all things that we want them to learn. If you present no faith to your kids as some kind of objective authority, I have to wonder how that plays out. If you school your kids on faith, your children may reject things you taught them. Or you may find them developing a deeper faith than you.

I wrote a book about my experiences called The Brown and White. My book isn't about faith and beliefs so much as it is about the life we lived at the time when I was in high school. But faith was at the core of our existence and a Catholic faith was at mine. In  truth, I'd like to go back and feel the faith that I had at that time. As an adult, I think it works a little different.  I think some of us, like Mother Theresa, can feel disconnected at times and at other times feel in touch.  

When we were kids, I think we felt in touch most of the time. Lots of people let their faith go after many years in Catholic School.  My friends from other churches tell me the same things. But I think its important to try to leave a legacy of some kind.
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Forty plus years in the making, The Brown and White is a fictionalized memoir that tells the story of Collin Callaghan's freshman year at a Chicago Catholic High School. Collin is a white boy who is living in turbulent times in a changing city. He clings to his neighborhood and his family as he heads out each day with his classmates on the Brown and White, the ancient school bus driven by free-spirited Willie. Memorable characters abound as this story unfolds. Collin's lovable family, especially his Irish Catholic policeman father and his Irish immigrant mother face life together. Collin and classmates blaze their own humorous and passionate trail through the late 1960s. A unique cast of terrific teachers are there to see the boys through. Laughs and life meet readers head on as they travel on the Brown and White.

Copyright 2017, Sporting Chance Press