From Slavery to Freedom: The Story of St. Patrick for Kids
THEME: He sent me to bring good news to the poor SHARING FAITH Patrick’s story: My name is Patrick, and I grew up in an old Roman settlement in northern Britain. My mum and…
Tag: British Isles
St. Patrick's Day: A Holiday That Knows No Borders
Today is St. Patrick's Day, and it is a day of celebration throughout the island of Ireland (both in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland). Saint Patrick is the patron saint of Ireland -…
Song for Ireland
I sing to you a song of emerald green, An Island home revered by people scattered. Whose lives through tyranny were shattered, But taller spirits earth has never seen. – Ireland, where civilization grew, Where…
Reaching for the Sky: The Story of the Tuskegee Airmen and the Pilots of the Caribbean
As an American with a profound interest in the United Kingdom, among the things which fascinates me is the interplay of society and culture between our two countries. Going further as a black person, I…
The Diamond of England: The Mission and Martyrdom of St. Edmund Campion
St. Edmund Campion first became a major part of my life when I was assigned to read Edmund Campion: Hero of God’s Underground by Harold C. Gardiner, S.J. I was in 4th Grade at the…
Harvest Thanksgiving: A Trans-Atlantic Tradition
“Do you celebrate Thanksgiving in England?” a young American asked me at a suburban High School in Ohio. Difficult to answer, somehow: it sounded rude simply to make the obvious point that people were giving…
The Great Cabin: An Adventure on Board HMS Victory
In 2013, I had a very special and ever-memorable adventure on board the historic HMS Victory. But before telling my story, I’d like give a little background as to how I came to be a…
"Gentleman Johnny:" The Life and Times of General John Burgoyne
The Right Honorable General John Burgoyne, General in the British Army and MP for Preston, is probably most famous for commanding the losing Army at the Battle of Saratoga in 1777, during the American War…
An English Jacobite: James Radcliffe, 3rd Earl of Derwentwater and the '15 Rising
“Circumstances unhappily concurred to draw [Derwentwater] into this snare, to his destruction, and the utter ruination of the most flourishing family in that part of the country”. So said Robert Patten, an Anglican clergyman who…
Queen Elizabeth II: The Longest Reign and Still Going Strong
“I declare before you all that my whole life, whether it be long or short, be devoted to your service and to the service of our great imperial family to which we all belong.” These…