CSC MISSION: To Educate, Inform and Inspire YOU-

To Conserve, Preserve, & Protect ALL Creation.

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The National Audubon Society

www.audubon.org  

Fall is here and our migratory birds are in the flyways! What better time to find an AUDUBON CHAPTER close to you.

For more than a century, Audubon has built a legacy of conservation success by mobilizing the strength of its network of members, Chapters, Audubon Centers, state offices and dedicated professional staff to connect people with nature and the power to protect it.

A powerful combination of science, education and policy expertise combine in efforts ranging from protection and restoration of local habitats to the implementation of policies that safeguard birds, other wildlife and the resources that sustain us all-in the U.S. and Across the Americas.

YOU are an important part of their great work! "Citizen Scientists" collect vital data, through Audubon's annual Christmas Bird Count, the new Coastal Bird Survey, and other initiatives, generating groundbreaking analyses and guiding scientists and policy makers in addressing the needs of birds and other wildlife.

Sadly, the National Audubon Society reports that many of our common birds are in decline. An unprecedented analysis over the past forty years has yielded some alarming numbers.

Won't you please consider becoming an Audubon Member and help make a difference in protection of our valuable bird life.

7th Anniversary of Fallujah

~by Father Ron Camarda

It is the 7th Anniversary of the Battle for Fallujah and Father shares that day and the men who fought from his journal. In his own words: " I just attended a workshop put on by Hospice of NE Florida for Caretakers of Veterans. Many times, people want us veterans and families to move on, but the reality is that we have been dramatically changed forever. We Veterans and families look at things in a totally different way. We must be good stewards of our memories, hopes, despairs and joy."

READ MORE... 

It was a cold, raw February morning and my dog, Dutch, and I were out walking the windswept, rainy beach of St. Augustine. The waves churned and pounded the shoreline in unrelenting violence. Ahead of us, something rolled around in the salty brew...it looked like a dead pelican. What happened next was an  

extraordinary moment in time.

Be not afraid....you are never alone. No matter the situation, Sister Marie Rene has a message of hope for you.

Ocean Film Festival 

~by Frank Gromling

Frank was in Savannah, Georgia for the 9th Annual Ocean Film Festival where he shared his new book collaboration with Jean-Michel Cousteau AND introduced the final film, Turtle: The Incredible Journey. Big news too...Frank & Ocean Publishing have a new author on the way...who might that be?

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The Greyhound Angel 

~by Mary Galvano-Bajohr

Saving the greyhounds is on Mary's mind this week. She has a friend that she calls her "greyhound angel" who rescues these very loving and beautiful dogs.

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St. Athanasius 

~by Joseph Kaiser

Our resident theologian, Joe Kaiser is such a delight! A more positive devout disciple of Jesus you'll never meet. So, it stands to reason that a saint who was devoted to the Divinity of Jesus Christ would catch Joe's spiritual eye. This month's column is a must read for all Catholics, as it journeys back to the earliest years of the Church and focuses on a mighty champion of the faith.

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September's Recommended Read

~by Michele Gregoire

A cat that can foretell impending death in seriously ill patients? Michele Gregoire, our resident book reviewer has an engaging look at just such a cat. Because the book is written by the medical doctor that witnessed to the cat's extraordinary capabilities of holding vigil at the bedside of patients who were dying, makes the credibility of the observation authentic, lending to the miraculous workings of something beyond this world. Animals doing extraordinary things-is always a sign of "God in the moment."

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Henderson-Foley Studios

henderson-foleystudio.com  

This Michigan studio is the home to two very gifted women, a mother and daughter, Helen Foley and Theresa Henderson who are both talented, spiritual artists. It is here where the beauty of creation is captured in paintings and where oft-times creation is used to create a pastoral image or silhouette. Helen passed away after a long fought battle with cancer In 2007, but daughter Theresa continues to  

share her mother's works.

They were featured in The Michigan Catholic for their beautiful work in sacred art.

Helen Foley was self taught, using books her father Edwin Graf, and mother Marion (Boley) had given her during her childhood and teens years. Her father was a hydraulic engineer and sold his patents to Henry ford which pioneered the hydraulics that went into ford cars and trucks. He was also a college Mathematics teacher.

Theresa is a gentle spirit and someone who loves her Catholic faith. She ennobles her work with the wispy gentleness and pastels that makes one's mind move towards the ethereal beauty of heaven. But, one of Theresa's loves is the restoration and repair of sacred statuary and custom wall murals.  

Please visit the Henderson Foley Studios website for a unique experience in holy art.

You are invited to attend the Catholic Writers Retreat in Lansing, Michigan, Oct. 5-9th 

Rockjumper 

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New APP Empowers Catholic Voters  

American Birding Association

www.aba.org/yb  

If you are between the ages of 10 and 18, sign up for the American Birding Associations Young Birder of the Year Contest and get the latest news on the ABA's scholarships to birding camps.

LEARN MORE... 

Heirloom Organics: Non-Hybrid Seeds

Non-Hybrid or Open-Pollinated seeds allow the gardener to collect seeds from a crop for future planting. Hybrid seeds do not. All Heirloom Organics Seed Packs are 100% Non-Hybrid AND Non-GMO (genetically modified) and specially sealed for long term storage. Use now AND save for emergency. All from the same  

hermetically sealed pack!

LEARN MORE...  

The Green Polka Dot Box: Wholesale Organic, Simple Wellness  

GET YOUR MEMBERSHIP TODAY!

We thank Michael Brown for submitting this story to us!

FREEDOM AND JEFF

Freedom and I have been together 11 years this summer. She came in as a baby in 1998 with two broken wings. Her left wing doesn't open all the way even after surgery, it was broken in 4 places. She's my baby.

When Freedom came in she could not stand and both wings were broken. She was emaciated and covered in lice. We made the decision to give her a chance at life, so I took her to the vets office. From then on, I was always around her. We had her in a huge dog carrier with the top off, and it was loaded up with shredded newspaper for her to lay in. I used to sit and talk to her, urging her to live, to fight; and she would lay there looking at me with those big brown eyes. We also had to tube feed her for weeks.

This went on for 4-6 weeks, and by then she still couldn't stand. It got to the point where the decision was made to euthanize her if she couldn't stand in a week. You know you don't want to cross that line between torture and rehab, and it looked like death was winning. She was going to be put down that Friday, and I was supposed to come in on that Thursday afternoon. I didn't want to go to the center that Thursday, because I couldn't bear the thought of her being euthanized; but I went anyway, and when I walked in everyone was grinning from ear to ear. I went immediately back to her cage; and there she was, standing on her own, a big beautiful eagle. She was ready to live. I was just about in tears by then. That was a very good day.

We knew she could never fly, so the director asked me to glove train her. I got her used to the glove, and then to jesses, and we started doing education programs for schools in western Washington . We wound up in the newspapers, radio (believe it or not) and some TV. Miracle Pets even did a show about us.

In the spring of 2000, I was diagnosed with non-Hodgkins lymphoma. I had stage 3, which is not good (one major organ plus everywhere), so I wound up doing 8 months of chemo. Lost the hair - the whole bit. I missed a lot of work. When I felt good enough, I would go to Sarvey and take Freedom out for walks. Freedom would also come to me in my dreams and help me fight the cancer. This happened time and time again.

Fast forward to November 2000, the day after Thanksgiving. I went in for my last checkup. I was told that if the cancer was not all gone after 8 rounds of chemo, then my last option was a stem cell transplant. Anyway, they did the tests; and I had to come back Monday for the results. I went in Monday, and I was told that all the  

cancer was gone.

So the first thing I did was get up to Sarvey and take the big girl out for a walk. It was misty and cold. I went to her flight and jessed her up, and we went out front to the top of the hill. I hadn't said a word to Freedom, but somehow she knew. She looked at me and wrapped both her wings around me to where I could feel them pressing in on my back (I was engulfed in eagle wings), and she touched my nose with her beak and stared into my eyes, and we just stood there like that for I don't know how long . That was a magic moment. We have been soul mates ever since she came in. This is a very special bird.

On a side note: I have had people who were sick come up to us when we are out, and Freedom has some kind of hold on them. I once had a guy who was terminal come up to us and I let him hold her. His knees just about buckled and he swore he could feel her power course through his body. I have so many stories like that.

I never forget the honor I have of being so close to such a magnificent spirit as Freedom.

May God Bless You All.

"But they that wait upon the Lord
shall renew their strength;
they shall mount up with wings as eagles;
they shall run, and not be weary;
and they shall walk, and not faint."
Isaiah 40:31