The Pope gets us to behave for a change.

1.  Having a merlot with Johnny, the ninja assassin. (Regina Doman, when discussing set up and payoff in the Faith in Fiction panel, said, “Your character can’t say that he was a ninja assassin last year and not use it later.”  Then Karina Fabian, in the panel, mentioned she and John Desjarlais were ninja assassins.  That evening, Johnny went to make a phone call, and asked that we order him a merlot.  It arrived while he was still gone, and Joseph Pearce, who had just joined the party asked whose it was.  We told him Ninja Johnny, which got a bit awkward as Joseph had his arm around Ninja Johnny’s chair at the time.  Payoff!)

2.  Our first guild minion rendering Joseph Pearce speechless. (Squeeee!)

3.  Photos with the Pope, and the legality of it all.

4.  The EWTN interview round with a half dozen or more authors all talking about their books.  Then Ellen Hrkach getting them to interview yet another author on the floor.  (Said EWTN: “There are Catholic Writers all over!”)

5.  Karina squealing from across the hall, “Omigosh!  It’s (insert Guildie name here.)”

6.  To veil or not to veil?

7.  Matthew Bowman’s hundred-plus Lego pics, not to mention his feature-length Star Wars parody in stop action Lego.  (Impressive.)

8.  Much singing in the bar!  A jam session of Irish songs with the Flynns providing music, Ann Lewis singing Ave Maria.

9.  The reason why Ann Lewis will most likely ban spray glue at future conferences.  (Good thing Tony Kolenc had Jennifer Fitz to rinse out his eyes while her young daughter gave medical advice.  At least Michelle Buckman and Karina were only joking about gluing Michelle to the wall.)

10. Discovering the incredible poetry of 14-year-old Theresa Mladinich (daughter of Guildie Lisa Mladinich).

11.  Arthur Powers and Michelle running madly down the hall because they were late to the Faith in Fiction panel—and receiving a room of applause when they arrived.

12.  The world’s worst service at the bar—late meals, wrong orders.  At least Michelle got free fries from it.  In fact, Michelle got a lot of free things—free ride from the airport, free food and drinks from editors she lunched with.  The one meal she planned to pay for—at Ruby Tuesdays, where we all went to escape the bad service–ended up free because they gave her meal to the wrong person!

13. Father warning everyone to stay faithful to the church and not look for a “little Buddah on the side,” and Ed Hara’s reaction when he got the joke. (He buried his face in his hands for a minute, then declared, “Well, except for that, he’s really a great homilist.”)

14.  Ice cream!  But no airborne peanuts, please.  We had someone with an airborne peanut allergy.

15.  Meeting with so many friends we only knew online, via chats or Facebook.  Connecting with publishers, editors, priests and nuns, marketers, and bookstore owners.  The Catholic writing world is bigger than imagined, yet small enough to be cozy.  What a great group—what a great conference.

Did you attend?  What are your favorite memories, touching or comic?  Share them in the comments.

CANDLES IN THE DARK: the Authorized Biography of Father Richard Ho-Lung and The Missionaries of the Poor

Written by: Joseph Pearce

Published by St. Benedict Press, 2013,   Charlotte, NC 28241   259 pages

“Thank You, Joseph Pearce”. In an age where the priesthood is constantly under attack, you have given us the story of a present-day priest who is so filled with an unconditional love for the poorest of the poor, the handicapped, the mentally challenged and the unborn that this love has already changed the world in the darkest of places. When I finished reading this book I closed it and simply stared at the picture of the man on the book jacket. I had never heard of him and here I was, suddenly transfixed by the gentle, Christ filled face looking back at me.

Father Ho-Lung and his missionaries work in the most disgusting, filthy, squalid and unclean places imaginable, caring for weakest and most vulnerable of God’s creations. Father Ho-Lung and his followers have given away all their personal belongings, taken vows of poverty, chastity and obedience,  put smiles on their faces and followed  their motto, “Joyful Service with Christ on the Cross”.

Richard Ho-Lung’s parents came to Jamaica from China in the mid 1930s. Richard was born in 1939. His parents were Buddhists, and, in his formative years, Richard was raised Buddhist. His mother taught him to respect the earth and all of the wonders of nature. His father had an affinity  for the poor and taught Richard to “never forget the poor people of Jamaica, no matter what”. That sense of caring by his father has stayed with Father Richard his entire life.

If “less is more” I must pull in the reins on this review. There is so much in this book that will inspire you. For example, Father Ho-Lung is called the “reggae priest” because he wrote hit songs that topped the music charts and even rivaled the greatest “reggae” musician of all time, Bob Marley. Father Ho-Lung developed the “Caribbean Mass” with his cultural music and to this day writes music that is used to raise money for his order, the Missionaries of the Poor.

I would love to see this book read, or at least referenced, in all Catholic High-schools. I would love all young people to know of this man, whom some have dubbed “The 21^st Century Mother Theresa”.  Father Richard Ho-Lung has been called the ‘reggae priest”, the “renegade priest”, the “dancing priest” and the “fiery priest”. However, Father’s favorite title is that of “ghetto priest”. That is where he works, where he lives and where he will die.

Please consider getting this book. It chronicles the life of a simple man, his conversion from Buddhism to Catholicism, his improbable ordination as a Jesuit priest, his hand-in-hand walk with Pope John Paul II to the sanctuary when the Holy Father visited Jamaica in 1993, his founding of the Missionaries of the Poor who today number over 500 members from 13 countries. (In 2011 the Missionaries of the Poor Sisters were formed.)

Father Richard Ho-Lung: lover of the downtrodden, the ill and the handicapped; lover of the beggars and  peasants and a bellowing voice for the unborn; Father Richard Ho-Lung, who has fought the crime, poverty and injustice that permeates the filthy ghettos of Jamaica; Father Richard Ho-Lung who sat on the floor with Mother Theresa, just talking, when she visited Jamaica. Both she and Pope John Paul II have been declared “BLESSED” by the church. One day I believe that Father Ho-Lung will join their ranks.  Seeing how Christ’s love is amongst us through his priesthood bolsters our faith and reinforces our resolve to fight and defend this faith we have been gifted with.

To the author, Joseph Pearce, once again—Thank you, nicely done.

Editor’s note: Don Mulcare will also be reviewing this title later in the month. Thanks, Larry & Don!