Category Archives: Ascension

Staff Report| Gonzales Weekly Citizen

Libraries are full of stories and full of life. On any day of the week, visitors to any Ascension Parish Library location might find parents helping children develop early literacy skills through games and books, art programs for tweens and teens tapping into their creativity or adults learning new skills to build a business plan. While thousands of stories are on the shelves, more untapped content exists in the librarys services and people who use it.

This week, APL joins libraries across the nation to celebrate those stories during National Library Week. This years theme is Theres More to the Story. APL will recognize community members and contributions of staff to promote and support library use.

Being a social being, you want to be a part of the community, and I think theres no better place than the library, said Raakhee, a frequent visitor to APLs crafting programs. I was able to see I have a creative side, and Ive made good friends at the library.

Raakhee is one of several APL Superusers who will be highlighted on the librarys social media platforms. She has also introduced her family, in India, to her newfound skills.

Naturally, you are proud about what youre doing, so you want to show it to your family. Now they ask me, When are you going to the library? What are you making today?, she said.

Libraries are known for the variety of stories they offer on the shelves and through digital services like ebooks and audiobooks, but there are many more community needs that libraries respond to. Last year, Ascension Parish Library hosted 2,005 events, for adults and youth, with an attendance rate of just under 77,000 people. APL cardholders saved $11,475,836.20 (not including electronic resources) by using the library in 2022.

If youre looking for your kids to do something educational or otherwise, there are fun things for them to do, and they can make friends, meet new people, and gain that community bond that you do get from being in the library, said Candy, another APL superuser.

By providing access to the internet, technology, literacy classes, and support for businesses, APL aids in advancing community infrastructure. APL promotes lifelong learning for cardholders through our Library of Things (which includes museum passes, educational kits, and games). Library events for adults and children bring entertainment, education, and connection through book clubs, storytimes, crafting classes, and workshops.

We want the community to visit and see what opportunities and resources we can connect them with, said APL Director John Stelly. It may not be a book. Maybe its a puzzle, a telescope, a fly-tying kit, a ukulele, or a board game. Maybe someone wants to take up crafting or learn to draw we have programs for them too. The library is a space to innovate, read, create, and learn.

Residents are encouraged to visit the library to learn more about their story, sign up for a library card, and follow @myAPLibrary on Facebook and Instagram to see highlights of staff and community users.

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Ascension Parish Library celebrates National Library Week - Weekly Citizen

Gavin Richardsons dream of being a college basketball player is not a dream anymore, it's reality after he signed to play Baptist Bible College in Springfield, Missouri.

These four years at AC have been the most memorable times of my life, this place has taught me how to be a better person," Richardson said. "I chose Baptist Bible because the coaches made me feel at home, they have won national championships and I cant wait to be a part of that.

Richardson is three-year starter for Ascension Catholic, an all-district performer and helped lead the Bulldogs to two quarterfinal appearances.

Gavin has been one of the most dedicated players I have had since being a part of this program. He consistently got better everyday and did everything the coaches asked with respect, coach Kylon Green said.

Richardson has had many influences up to this point and he knows he will be a better person for it. Coach Kylon Green has been a father figure to me, he always wanted the best for my family and me. I can go to him with anything, will never forget our relationship on and off the court, he taught me basketball and how to treat people with respect.

"Coach Dimario Jackson, (Port Allen head coach) coached me at Hustle Hard Elite, tough coach that instilled discipline in me, he made me a better player," Richardson said. "Coach Rashaun Clayborn (St. Amant) coached me for the Shooting Stars, he taught me confidence and believe in my shot.

The Bulldogs won many games during Richardsons time there, a few stick out to him.

My favorite game was this season, a four-overtime win against Episcopal," he said. "They face-guarded me the whole game, had to create space to get my shot off, we played well as a team in that one. My best individual game was against Collegiate Prep, had 25 points in that game. We went to the playoffs each year, we played hard as team, we came together as one.

Watching Richardson play at Ascension Catholic, you saw someone that used every ounce of energy on both ends of the floor. I want everyone to remember me as a hardworking player that never gave up, worked on my craft. I tried to getter better each day in the gym and I trusted gods process and plan, Richardson said.

Richardson wanted to make sure those special to him were thanked as his time as a player at Ascension Catholic has come to an end.

So thankful for coach Kylon, coach Mike, coach Chase and coach Delmond. Those guys trusted me with the ball in my hands and believed in me. Thankful for my teammates, we made some memories for sure. My dad went out of his way to make sure I had everything needed to succeed. He made sacrifices for me to grow in this game and pushed me to work hard, Richardson said.

ACHS football standout Landon Szubinski recently signed to play at Louisiana Christian University in Pineville. Szubinski was a two-year starter and all-state as a punter and defensive back. He recorded nearly 100 tackles, punter for 42 yard average and was a key piece in the Bulldogs run to the D4 Select Semifinals this past fall.

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ACHS Gavin Richardson signs with Baptist Bible College basketball - The Advocate

ASCENSION PARISH - The beautiful weather made for a great trip for families to slide into the Ascension Parish fair on Sunday.

It wasn't a busy crowd, but still packed with fun, games, and the favoritethe fair food.

"Funnel cakes, we love the funnel cakes and the corn dogs," Lauren Maxwell said.

"I'm ready to eat! Funnel cakes and lemonade!," Arriell Bujol said.

There were plenty to go around. The fair had ten different flavors of funnel cakes. There was chicken on a stick and massive corn dogs.

"I had the Oreo funnel cake. It was yummy in my tummy," Bujol said.

For Lauren Maxwell and her family, it was their first time at the fair in Gonzales.

"It's Sunday, we figured it wouldn't be as busy. We saw ads on Facebook and decided to come."

They were ready to take full advantage of all the fun.

"We went on the sizzler, the boat and the swirl," Harper Pendarvis and Berklee Gross said.

And of course, quality time.

"It's super important and the weathers beautiful, you can't beat it, family time is always awesome," Maxwell said.

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Families take advantage of nice weather; spend time at Ascension ... - WBRZ

Jacob Conley| For the Shelby Star - USA Today Network

The congregation of Ascension Lutheran Church in downtown Shelby recently celebrated its 100thanniversary.

Father Kris Kramer, the interim pastor of the church, said a service was held to mark the occasion in a traditional way.

When we met, the committee decided that we just wanted to do what we normally do, Kramer said. We wanted a typical Lutheran service. We invited former members to come and celebrate with us, and we also had some special guests.

Those special guests included Bishop Tim Smith from the North Carolina Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America and North Carolina State Senator Ted Alexander. A special hymn commemorating the history of the church, composed by longtime member Ludy Wilkie, was sung, followed by dinner on the grounds and the performance of an original play depicting the history of the church.

Ascension Lutheran Church was founded on Palm Sunday 1923 with 13 members coming from congregations in Newton, Kings Mountain and Cherryville. For the next decade, members met at other churches and school buildings until 1933 when Ascension had its own building on the corner of North Lafayette Street and Marietta Street where it still stands today.

Along with the church, two members are celebrating 100 year.

Dot Paul turned 100 back in October, Kramer said. She used to knit baby hats and prayer shawls, so we gave her a shawl. She came every Sunday until COVID. Lee Berry will be 100 in a couple of months. We also have family members of L.O. Hoffman (one of the 13 original members) that still attend some services.

While the church celebrates its history, there were also some tough times for the congregation. During the Great Depression, several ladies in the congregation made a quilt and for a fee, church and community members could have their names sewn on it to help pay off debt. The quilt is currently on display in the church Fellowship Hall.

More recently, the congregation faced the challenge of COVID.

COVID almost killed us as a congregation, Kramer said. I came as interim in 2022 when we were opening back up. In some ways, I felt like it was 1923 again, and we had a small group of hearty souls coming together to meet and serve the Lord. It has almost been like a rebirth of the church, and we have grown so much since then.

As it was in the past, the focus of the Ascension Lutheran Church is to serve the Lord by serving others, he said.

Our method of evangelism is more relational than confrontational, Kramer said. Our goal is to come alongside you and walk with you, sharing the love of Jesus along the way.

To that end, the church has planned a different outreach ministry for each month in 2023.

This month we are serving snacks to the families of hospice patients, Kramer, who also serves as a part-time chaplain at Atrium Health Cleveland County, said. We also support the North Carolina Synods relief efforts on behalf of Ukrainian refugees. The church has had a long history of supporting refugees, dating back to World War II.

One such refugee was Velta Ilsters. In 1944, through the efforts of the church, she and her mother, were brought to Shelby from a displaced persons camp after the Germans invaded her native Latvia. She married Ringold Langins, also of Latvia, in 1950 and was the organist at Ascension Lutheran Church for decades.

As for the future, Ascension has put together a call committee to select the next pastor, the 15thin its history. Kramer is a candidate for the position, but he says no matter how long the Lord has him serve as pastor, he is happy to be here.

For a long time, we were known as Shelbys best-kept secret, he said. But we dont want to be a secret anymore. We are an alive, vibrant and growing congregation serving the Lord and others and we want to continue to grow. A lot of people think we are those crazy Lutherans in Shelby, but if you look at our roots, we are not all that different from other protestant denominations. We execute the theology a little differently, thats all. We welcome anyone to our services.

Ascension Lutheran Church, located at 300 N. Lafayette St. in Shelby, has services at 11 a.m. on Sundays with additional special services held throughout the year.

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Congregation celebrates church's 100 year anniversary in Shelby - Shelby Star

About five years ago, leaders at Ascension School asked what they could do to answer Pope Francis call to care for creation. Their response led to Ascensions designation as a 2022 U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon School.

The awards were announced on Earth Day last year, and a year later the school held a school-wide event April 21 to celebrate the honor.

Science teacher Donna Jackel said they delayed the celebration because they wanted to plan a school-wide event close to Earth Day.

Jackel and the schools Green Club were instrumental in implementing some of the schools green initiatives.

Once a school earns the Green Ribbon designation they are expected to maintain their green efforts, Jackel noted.

In the past year, Ascension, located at 4600 Lynbrook Dr., has installed energy-efficient windows and lighting throughout the school.

They are currently working on setting up bee hives on the schools campus. Middle school science teacher Dan Vowels and his students are leading that project. Vowels has 10,000 Italian bees that are ready to go into a hive set up near Ascension Churchs rectory. Italian bees are docile. They will not attack and are easy to work with, Vowels noted. The goal is for students to study the bees life cycle and through pollination he hopes the bees will be useful to the surrounding community.

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Ascension celebrates Earth Day with Green Ribbon win - The Record

Staff Report| Gonzales Weekly Citizen

Here is a look at the bills Ascension Parish representatives filed in the 2023 Louisiana regular session.

All bills are available at http://www.legis.la.gov.

HB4: TRESPASS:Provides relative to the crime of criminal trespass on running waters of the state

HB34: RETIREMENT/MUNICIPAL POL:Provides relative to the funding deposit account for Municipal Police Employees' Retirement System and authorizes the board of trustees of the system to modify employer contributions (OR NO IMPACT APV)

HB62: TAX/SALES & USE:Reduces the rate of the state sales and use tax

HB94: CRIME/THEFT:Provides relative to theft or criminal access of automated teller machines

HB166: BUDGETARY CONTROLS:Requires certain information and analysis to be included in the governor's executive budget and the General Appropriation Bill

HB401: APPROPRIATIONS:Provides appropriations to nongovernmental entities (Withdrawn from the files of the House - prior to introduction)

HB477: CRIMINAL/RECORDS:Provides relative to information provided when prosecuting offenses

HB72: COLLEGES/UNIVERSITIES:Provides relative to the designation of military and veteran friendly campuses

HB213: PUBLIC RECORDS:Exempts certain school surveillance and security video from the Public Records Law

HB485: STUDENT/LOANS-SCHOLARSHP:Creates the Louisiana National Guard Patriot Scholarship Program to cover the cost of mandatory fees for members attending La. public postsecondary education institutions

HCR43: EDUCATION DEPARTMENT:Requests the Louisiana Department of Education to update its early childhood care and education data management systems

HR16: COMMENDATIONS:Commends John C. Brass for his educational and civic accomplishments

HB42: VACCINES/VACCINATION:Requires all public and nonpublic schools to accept a student's documentation relative to exemption from immunization requirements and requires that communication issued to students or parents about such requirements include exemption information

HB82: EDUCATION DEPARTMENT:Abolishes the Louisiana Environmental Education Commission

HB158: LIABILITY/CIVIL:Provides for a limitation of liability relative to the administration of pandemic disease vaccinations

HB182: VACCINES/VACCINATION:Provides that no person shall be required to receive a COVID-19 vaccine as a condition of enrollment or attendance at any public or nonpublic school

HB372: FEDERAL MANDATES:Provides relative to mandates, requirements, recommendations, instructions, or guidance from federal or international organizations

HB399: VACCINES/VACCINATION:Requires that communication issued about immunization requirements include exemption information and applies exemptions not only to students seeking to enter school but also to students attending school

HB609: APPROPRIATIONS/JUDGMENT:Appropriates funding for the consent judgment against the state in the suit entitled Matthew Anders v. State of La. through the Dept. of Transportation and Development

HB561: AGRICULTURE:Provides relative to the Louisiana State University Agricultural Center

HB562: TAX CREDITS:Provides relative to the Motion Picture Production Tax Credit

HB563: FUNDS/FUNDING:Creates a law enforcement recruitment incentive fund

HB564: RACING/HORSE:Provides relative to racehorse wagering

HB571: ENERGY:Provides relative to carbon capture and sequestration

HB605: HEALTH:Provides relative to the regulation of consumable hemp products

HB630: TAX/SALES-USE-EXEMPT:Provides relative to sales and use tax exemptions for commercial fishermen

HB636: LEGISLATIVE EXPENSES:Makes appropriations for the expenses of the legislature for Fiscal Year 2023-2024

HCR2: HOSPITALS:Provides for a hospital stabilization formula

HCR18: COMMENDATIONS:Commends the Council of State Governments Southern Office on the occasion of the 77th Southern Legislative Conference

HCR19: COMMENDATIONS:Commends the Lutcher High School Bulldogs football team on winning the Louisiana High School Athletic Association 2022 Non-Select Division II state championship

HCR20: COMMENDATIONS:Commends the Louisiana State University women's basketball team on winning the 2023 National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I women's basketball championship

HCR33: COMMENDATIONS:Commends Arthur Villordon for receiving the National Sweet Potato Impact Award

HCR34: CONDOLENCES:Expresses condolences on the death of Ruben John Dauzat

HCR35: COMMENDATIONS:Commends James Hendrix on being named 2023 Conservation Systems Soybean and Corn Researcher of the Year

HCR41: SPECIAL DAY/WEEK/MONTH:Designates May 16, 2023, as Parks and Recreation Day at the state capitol and July 2023 as Parks and Recreation Month in Louisiana

HR24: COMMENDATIONS:Commends Amy Sins for receiving the Greater New Orleans Champions of Service Award for Volunteer Louisiana

SB18: RETIREMENT SYSTEMS:Provides for benefit increases for retirees, beneficiaries, and survivors of state retirement systems and the funding therefor

SB21: PUBLIC BUILDINGS/GROUNDS:Names the DOTD headquarters building in Baton Rouge in honor of Governor P.B.S. Pinchback

SB26: ETHICS:Provides relative to public notice of hearings of the Ethics Adjudicatory Board

SB36: SHERIFFS:Provides for funding of certain insurance costs for retirees of the Ascension Parish Sheriff's Office

SB131: PORTS/HARBORS/TERMINALS:Provides for the commission for the Port of South Louisiana to set contract limits

SB99: FISH/FISHING:Provides for possession limits of certain species caught in saltwater areas of the state

SB100: ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY:Provides for advanced recycling facilities

SB103: NATURAL RESOURCES DEPT:Renames the Department of Natural Resources

SB158: WEAPONS:Provides for the protection of schools

SB161: PUBLIC HEALTH:Provides for the Louisiana Small Wild Catfish Processor's Act

Gonzales Weekly Citizen and Donaldsonville Chief, part of the USA Today Network of Louisiana, cover Ascension Parish and the greater Baton Rouge area. Follow atfacebook.com/WeeklyCitizenandfacebook.com/DonaldsonvilleChief.

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What bills were filed by Ascension Parish delegation in 2023 ... - Weekly Citizen

RELEASE: Ascension Christian

GONZALES, La. Former LSU Quarterback Rohan Davey is taking on a new role. Hes the new head football coach at Ascension Christian. The Gonzales school recently named Davey to the position after the retirement of Josh Puryear who served as head coach for 11 years.

As a fourth round NFL draft pick by the New England Patriots in 2002, and with two Super Bowl rings, Davey has his eyes set on building a championship program at Ascension Christian.

Davey says building a quality program will take time and commitment from everyone.

Ascension Christian already has an outstanding academic program. We are going to build an outstanding football program that everyone in the community can be proud of.

School Administrator Dustin Bagwell said the football program is primed for a coach of this caliber.

We have been growing our athletic program with purpose over the last few years. Weve upgraded our facilities and brought in high caliber coaches. We just need to be patient and give our new football coach time to do his work.

Davey said he already has the mission and vision ready to go as he takes on the head coach position.

Our vision and culture starts with building a championship culture that establishes building blocks that not only buildquality student-athletes but building blocks for life.

Davey understands the challenges ahead, but is determined to ignite a new culture in the football program that matches what he sees already in place at Ascension Christian. (Clip #2)

It all starts with building strong faith and belief that we are conquerors for Christ both on and off the field.

Davey says he is excited to have the opportunity to join the program at Ascension Christian, and he says he looks

forward to building a strong culture of hard working young men.

Ive always wanted to coach. I knew that Ascension Christian was the place that I could envision being a championship program.

Davey was a 4th round (117th overall) pick by the New England Patriots in the 2002 NFL Draft.

During his time at LSU, Davey threw for 4,415 yards and 29 touchdowns. Davey capped off his senior season with a 2002 Sugar Bowl 47-34 victory over Illinois, and was named MVP.

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Former LSU QB Rohan Davey named Ascension Christian head ... - crescentcitysports.com

Before the days of in-depth single-player campaigns and cinematic storytelling, nearly every videogame shared the same basic premise: survive as long as you can. From Pong to Missile Command, most early gaming experiences werent about concluding story-arcs or even defeating a final boss, they simply tasked players with trying their best at a certain task until they met with an inevitable defeat our natural instinct to persevere and earn high score bragging rights is what made that journey satisfying.

Thats why I find it curious that survival games as a genre only really took off during the mid 2010s after the success of titles like Minecraft and Day Z. While this was likely due to rapidly advancing technology allowing for more complex mechanics that could better simulate real world survival, youve got to admit that theres no better universal motivator than being forced to find shelter and attend to basic human needs like food and water.

Of course, not all survival games are created equal, and today Id like to shine a light on IonFXs criminally under-played Miasmata, a decade-old title that not only helped to pioneer the genre as we know it today but also hasnt been surpassed when it comes to sheer dedication to its premise.

Originally a part of Valves ill-fated Greenlight Program, which allowed gamers to vote for independent titles to be approved for distribution on Steam, Miasmata was developed by a couple of Minnesotan brothers that had previously specialized in simple puzzle games and Pocket PC ports of older titles. Wanting to set their sights on something more ambitious, the duo looked towards the real world for inspiration and came up with an idea that would blend pharmacology, cartography and botany into a challenging yet addictive digital cocktail.

Uh-oh.

Over the course of four years, Joe and Bob Johnston began developing a custom-built engine that could support unique terrain and physics, as well as an innovative map mechanic that would force players to pay attention to their environment. Settling on a name inspired by the now-debunked theory that noxious air is responsible for disease outbreaks, the duo would release Miasmata in November of 2012 with little-to-no fanfare.

In the finished game, players take on the role of the plague-infected Robert Hughes, a scientist who finds himself trapped on a deserted island with only his wits and some abandoned lab equipment to help him. Forced to study the local flora in order to find a cure for his condition, Robert soon discovers that hes being stalked by a tiger-like Beast that aims to prevent him from escaping, resulting in a thrilling fight for survival unlike any other game available at the time.

Despite this thrilling setup, theres no denying that Miasmata is a janky experience in both mechanics and presentation. From glaring quality-of-life omissions to animations that have aged about as well as a year-old jug of milk, its easy to see why the game doesnt usually make top ten lists when it comes to best survival games. However, much like other idiosyncratic classics in the vein of Deadly Premonition and even Shenmue, its precisely these offbeat and often unfriendly creative decisions that make the game such a memorable ride.

For example, the titles more realistic approach to inertia means that simply stumbling down a hill while dehydrated can result in a near-fatal incident, and dont even get me started on trying to navigate the dense jungle while sprinting away from your seemingly supernatural pursuer. Hell, the only other time Ive had to be this careful with my virtual footwork was in Death Stranding, but even Kojimas title didnt go so far as to allow its protagonist to die of a jungle-borne fever after becoming lost in the unmapped wilderness.

Miasmatas heavily simplified depictions of amateur botany and pharmaceutical science is also based in reality, with the Johnstons consulting with real scientists in order to get the basics right. However, the real star of the show here is the advanced cartography, which teaches players how to triangulate their position through recognizable landmarks instead of a constantly updating mini-map. It can be a little frustrating to find yourself losing hours of progress simply because you took a wrong turn and can no longer find your way back to camp, but it also means that you end up paying more attention to your surroundings and its a shame that this mechanic hasnt shown up again in more recent games.

I think this is beyond my medical abilities.

While the real horror of the experience comes from the protagonists fragile state as hes forced to confront nature itself, the game also boasts a more immediate threat in the form of the ever-pursuing Beast. Survival titles often rely on in-game timers to keep players on the edge (such as Dont Starves ravenous Hounds), but the creature in Miasmata is unique in how its specifically designed to hinder your scientific progress. The developers actually programmed the beast to spawn more often when the player character is sick and/or close to ingredients for the cure, making it even more dangerous a typical enemy.

Sure, the creatures often-inexplicable AI (which was modeled after a pet cat) and the titles lackluster stealth mechanics mean that youll probably stop being scared of the beast after a handful of encounters, but its still an incredibly unique way of keeping the exploration fresh. I also really appreciate the Beasts bizarre design, with its fever-dream-like appearance actually hinting at one of the games final twists.

Miasmata may not have aged as gracefully as some other survival classics, with its conceptual reach clearly exceeding its technological grasp, but its still a shame that IonFX didnt continue to refine these ideas in future games. Even in 2023, youll be hard-pressed to find another survival title as committed to its mechanics as this one, with most of the genre focusing on player-friendly experiences and forgetting that the challenge of surviving is supposed to be half the fun.

It may not be a polished AAA experience, but Id argue that Miasmata remains a stellar example of creative survival mechanics in gaming and is still worth revisiting today if you can stomach some uneven presentation.

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Tome 15: Ascension Available Now for 'Dead by Daylight' [Trailer] - Bloody Disgusting

Oregon-based death metal outfit Ascended Dead return with their new track Inverted Ascension. The track is a precursor of the bands impending second LP, Evenfall Of The Apocalypse. Evenfall Of The Apocalypse will be released on 20 Buck Spin. Evenfall Of The Apocalypse is their first new album since 2017.

Listen to Ascended Deads Inverted Ascension on YouTube:

According to the press release:

Uniting guitarist/vocalist Jon Reider, guitarist Ian Lawrence, bassist Kevin Schreutelkamp, and drummer Charlie Koryn, Ascended Dead plays death metal the ancient way with an intrinsically malign pedigree and methodical cruelty scarcely heard nowadays. Flesh-peeling intensity at warp-speed, technically frenzied leads that cut straight through bone, and a relentless annihilating force that rarely ceases long enough to take a breath. Yet amidst this fiery conflagration, a wholly deliberate and fanatical attention to detail and craft remain undeniable, allowing the pandemonium a distinct structure and memorability.

Ascended Dead have also announced the first tour supporting the new. The tour will be called The West Coast Apocalypse 2023 tour. Ascended Dead will perform in nine cities in Arizona, California, Oregon, Washington, and British Columbia from June 2 through June 11 alongside Irelands Coscradh.

Ascended Dead West Coast Apocalypse 2023 w/ Coscradh:

6/02/2023 The Nile Underground Mesa, AZ6/03/2023 Til Two San Diego, CA6/04/2023 Knucklehead Los Angeles, CA6/05/2023 Cafe Colonial Sacramento, CA6/06/2023 Thee Stork Club Oakland, CA6/08/2023 John Henrys Eugene, OR6/09/2023 Dantes Portland, OR6/10/2023 Central Saloon Seattle, WA6/11/2023 The Wise Hall Vancouver, BC

Follow Ascended Dead on Facebook.

Photo courtesy of Ascended Dead

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News: Ascended Dead Share New Track Inverted Ascension - New Noise Magazine

Working with children, both as a catechist and as a choir director, has taught me many things, but first among them, is that sharing your faith involves all of your senses. This rings true for kids of all ages, from four to 13.

For those of you with children or grandchildren that extend across that age range, you have likely already learned the very important lesson that I did: children of different ages and personalities learn differently.

For some, all they needed was words. Nothing more. They were comfortable and confident learning from a piece of paper, a hymnal, or a poster.

When all you need is the right words, then Ascensions Catechism of the Catholic Church, Ascension Edition with its exclusive, newly designed Foundations of Faith approach is just for you. Everyone can learn and understand the teachings of the Catholic Church that can transform their lives with this Catechism.

If you are searching for a deeper understanding of the Divine, Paul Cotinhos Awaken to the Divine: 52 Contemplative Reflections to Transform Your Spirit from Twenty-Third Publications would be a good fit. This book takes a unique approach that combines words from the spiritual traditions of both Eastern and Western religion and philosophy, and is filled with memorable quotes, Scripture passages, and sacred stories.

For other students, words are a good starting point, but need to go further. That can be through a deeper conversation about the meaning, a closer listening to the music, or sometimes even an activity that connects the words to something bigger.

We adults arent that different. We often need tools to deepen our journey, understanding, and practices.

The 50 Days of Joy: Easter Reflections for New Catholics from GIA Publications and Grieving: A Spiritual Process for Catholics from Liturgy Training Publications, both available through CatholicsRead, explore more deeply the journey of death and Resurrection, especially during this Easter season.

The 50 Days of Joy provides Scripture readings and reflections for each day of Easter week, all the Sundays of the Easter season, and Ascension and Pentecost.

In Grieving: A Spiritual Process for Catholics, Paula Kosin combines deep wisdom from the Christian tradition with current insights from the social sciences to create a book that can be an effective companion for grievers. It also recommends concrete practices to support their process such as journaling, mindfulness meditation, prayer, and nature therapy.

Sometimes words need to be put into motion. Alongside my wonderful colleagues in the Catholic ASL community, my students and I learned how to put our words into beautiful motion that required them to be actively engaged and present.

There is no better way to learn the virtues than by practicing them. Saintly Habits: Aquinas 7 Simple Strategies You Can Use to Grow in Virtue from Ascension is this weeks CatholicsRead tool to help you do just that. In Saintly Habits, Professor Andrew Whitmore will transform your understanding of what a virtuous life looks like and teach you how to put your new knowledge into practice.

When all else fails, good teachers turn to pictures. We have to look no further than the great cathedrals of the Catholic world where our faith has inspired immensely colorful and detailed stained glass and impossibly graceful and strong carvings and architecture. We hold onto the adage that pictures speak a thousand words for a reasonthey do.

In two of this weeks CatholicsRead titles, two amazing artists take the incredible words of a pope (Francis) and the Scripture (the canticles) and create vibrant, exciting, seemingly endless pathways to better understanding words, some of which we know well and some we should know better.

Our Common Home from GIA Publications with the words of Pope Francis Laudato S and Brother Mickey McGraths drawings will help you discover and remember the popes instructional words of wisdom as he speaks of the God-given gifts that surround us, and how we have been mandated to care for creation with all of its beauty and inspiration.

Also from GIA Publications, Canticle: Biblical Songs Illuminated is a unique book where you can discover twenty canticles illuminated by the evocative art of the late G.E. Mullan. Each piece of art includes a scripture followed by a poetic reflection written by theologian and master storyteller John Shea.

Liked this post? Take a second to support Where Peter Is on Patreon!

Therese Brown is the Executive Director of the Association of Catholic Publishers. She holds a master of arts degree in youth and liturgy from Catholic Theological Union in Chicago. She previously served as senior marketing specialist at United States Conference of Catholic Bishops Publishing Office. She isthe author ofGraced Moments: Prayer Services for the Lives of Teens (World Library Publications). She resides in the Baltimore area.

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Beyond the Words on the Page - Where Peter Is