a column of benevolent gossip

• Mary, standing tall —

  When your treasured 60-year-old honey locust tree dies, what do you do?
  Carved statue of Blessed Mother in trunk of backyard honey locust tree.
  If you’re Bill Haggerty of Most Holy Redeemer Parish ( Evergreen Park) ya make lemonade — sort of. It was autumn 2009. Haggerty thought of having his neighbor Jim Long, an artist with a chainsaw, carve a totem pole in the old tree. (Long is retired from the U.S. Forestry Service.) Yes, maybe a totem pole with the faces of Haggerty’s seven children. But he quickly decided on a statue of the Blessed Mother instead. Long gave him three choices and after eight halfdays carving the tree’s trunk, there stood: “Mother of Our M.H.R.” (Most Holy Redeemer). More than 10 feet tall, she was dedicated October 2009 by Father Tom McCarthy, OSA, at a block party attended by about 100 neighbors and the priests of the parish, toasting with cookies, milk and coffee. She stands on an angle in the backyard, looking into the morning sun, easily seen by passers-by on 96th Street at Ridgeway in Evergreen Park. What else is unique about this Mary? Her feet aren’t in sandals. Haggerty was inspired by the description EWTN’s Father John Corapi gives of Mary: “Your Mother wears combat boots.” The statue is wearing boots.

• Point of pride —

  The Archdiocese of Portland, Ore., is one of our older archdioceses. Among its claims to fame: our own Cardinal George was Portland’s ninth archbishop for a year, before coming to Chicago. The University of Portland is a Catholic school, known as “Columbia” when it opened in 1901. Five of its students just won prestigious Fulbright awards for 2010-2011, ahead of three other top-producing Catholic schools, Villanova, Gallaudet and Seattle University.

• Music in the air —

  Leave it to the Daughters of St. Paul chorale to bring holy joy to the Christmas season. One of their CDs is called just that, “Joy.” Its 10 songs are reverent and original, with a peppy beat, from calypso to smooth jazz.
  “Joy, Christmas Songs”

  “Treasury of Traditional Christmas Carols”
  Perfect to motivate holiday baking and wrapping. (One of the sisters’ original songs was featured in the movie “A Bronx Tale.”) “Treasury of Traditional Christmas Carols” holds 19 standards, from “O, Holy Night”to “Pat-a-Pan,” They are $16.95 each, plus shipping. Call (312) 346- 4228, or visit their store at 172 N. Michigan.

• Good St. Nick —

  The Friday after Thanksgiving wasn’t “Black Friday” at St. Nicholas Parish (Evanston). Everyone got together and strung Christmas lights on the church’s outdoor trees. St. Nick’s also hosted their second annual “Bridges from Baghdad to Chicago” piano and violin concert Nov. 13. The event benefited an Iraqi refugee student at DePaul University, who fled the violence in Baghdad. The organization has provided 30 such needy students a pathway to college here.

• Back to the future —

  Israel and Google have teamed up to make the 2,000- year-old Dead Sea Scrolls accessible on line. Scholars and the general public will soon be able to see and peruse the puzzle pieces of parchment free, on their computers. (You’ll have to know Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek.) If the refined images are clearer than the originals, scholars won’t have to travel to Jerusalem to see the scrolls themselves, in their dark, temperature-controlled room. Scholars are also excited because freer access may spur “new interpretations of the highly debated text.” No one knows who copied the ancient writings which include parts of the Old Testament.

• Advent thought:

  “I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen: not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else.” Thanks to C.S. Lewis.

Send your benevolent gossip to Church Clips, Catholic New World, P.O. Box 1979, Chicago, IL 60690-1979; or e-mail to dmadlener@catholicnewworld.com.