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Finished another book in my list of recommendations from you all. I finished “The Last of the Mohicans” last night. It's not my favorite book by any stretch of the imagination, but I am glad that I read it. The story opens with two sisters trying to get to their father, a colonel in the British Army. He is at Fort William Henry in the northeast. They are being led by Major Heyward and their Indian guide ends up deserting them. Enter Hawkeye, a white man that lives in the wilderness, and his two Indian companions, Uncas and Chingachgook. Uncas is the last of the Mohicans. The story follows the journey of the men trying to get the sisters to their dad and the violent encounters they have with an enemy tribe, the Hurons. For a modern reader, there’s the potential for lots of gripes and complaints about the constant description of the landscape and the different objects in nature. In our 21st century minds, we have little patience for all that. It is a problem with our modern minds that we only want the constant movement towards the climax and never the moments where the author tries to draw us into the setting. I'll admit, it's hard to get used to, but I think there is something to be appreciated there.The many names for the same tribe can be difficult to get used to, as well, and I found myself a bit confused at times. Overall, though, it does show the dynamics of the frontier before the United States was formed. Tribes warred with each other, they allied with Europeans, and some of them hated the "pale-faced" ones and some didn't. I think Cooper does a good job of not completely idealizing the Europeans and not completely demonizing the Natives. He shows a good balance, in my opinion.
This book isn’t going to be everyone’s cup of tea, but I would recommend it, as I think it tells a good story.
Day Nine of US landmarks and Catholic connections in our lead up to America's 250th Birthday. Today's Location: US NAVAL ACADEMY I've realized that I'm a mid-sized town gal and Annapolis definitely appealed to me. Annapolis is home to the Naval Academy, which I got to visit in 2022. We have two Catholic connections. 1. This gate that you see here is named after Commodore John Barry who was a devout Irish Catholic. He died long before the Academy came around, but he was personally chosen by George Washington to be the very first commissioned officer and first flag officer of the permanent U.S. Navy. 2. If you visit the Naval Academy Chapel there is a basement where you will find a Blessed Sacrament room. It is in honor of Servant of God Father Capodonna, the "Grunt" padre that was killed in Vietnam on September 4, 1967. Every September there is a Mass said in his honor in the chapel. Even though my hubby is an Airman, I am the granddaughter of a WWII Navy vet. While my grandfather did not attend here, it was still special for me to visit. I highly recommend Annapolis, Catholic Pilgrims, and if you are able to be cleared onto the Academy, I would encourage you visit. The grounds are beautiful. Live the Faith boldly and travel well!
Continue ReadingDay Seven of US landmarks and Catholic connections in our lead up to America's 250th Birthday. Our feature for today: NIAGRA FALLS Anybody wanna hop back and forth between borders? The Falls are nearly almost divided in half between Canada and the US. Now, I've never been, so this isn't my photo, but I'm guessing this was taken from the Canadian side. Maybe? But what, Amy, is the Catholic connection, you ask? Well, these Falls were first documented in the 17th century by a Belgium monk named Father Louis Hennepin. He was a Franciscan missionary and his documentation really was his claim to fame. He explored lots of other territory in what would become the United States, but he often embellished his stories and this got him into some trouble. However, he did make an "engraving of the Falls of Niagara. It is out of proportion, but its general features give an accurate idea of the appearance of the Falls at his time." I do hope to go to the Falls someday and apparently in the surrounding area, both in Canada and Buffalo, NY, there are some excellent Catholic Churches to visit. Live the Faith boldly and travel well, Catholic Pilgrims!
Continue ReadingDay Five of US landmarks and Catholic connections in our lead up to America's 250th Birthday. Today's landmark: CENTRAL PARK Why does my picture from 2005 look ancient? In 2005 my family visited NY after attending a graduation for my husband's cousin in Connecticut. This is me with my oldest (now 24 years old) at the famous Bethesda Terrace with the Angel of the Waters Fountain. The Pool of Bethesda, if you'll recall from the Bible, was a famous healing site in Jerusalem. The Jews believed that an angel stirred up the water and when it was stirred up, whoever got in first would be healed. So, we have a Biblical connection here. Another one is that Pope John Paul II said Mass on the Great Lawn on October 7th, 1995 for a crowd of over 125,000. Also, one of our most visited Catholic Churches sits just south of Central Park and that is, you guessed it, St. Patrick's Cathedral. Archbishop John Hughes (1797–1864), was one of the most famous Catholics in NY history. He was around when Central Park was being created. He was the first archbishop of NY, when it became elevated to an archdiocese. So, there's your Monday morning Catholic history lesson! Live the Faith boldly and travel well, Catholic Pilgrims.
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