“They Say” is a poem Meg O’Neill wrote while working in Ritsona refugee camp in central Greece.
A Not-So-Easy-Breezy-Beachy Summer Reading List
For this post, I decided to curate a list of some “not-so-easy-breezy-beachy” books that I absolutely recommend.
Thoughts On Homeless LGBTQIA+ Youth Social Services: What Does Enough Look Like ?
I recently attended a conference on Building Stronger Communities, held by the Albert Kennedy Trust, one of the UK’s biggest LGBTQIA+ social services. After an incredible experience, I reflect on where social service spending goes and how its being used.
On the Fringes of Humanity
I can attest that JVC’s foundational enshrinement of solidarity is just as alive and beautiful today, because its raw power and emotion has bled outside of my JV year and pierced my life in small, tender ways as an FJV.
I Devoted A Year to Trying All Natural Deodorants
About a year ago, in attempts to live simply, safely, and ethically, I decided to switch to all-natural deodorants. Here’s what I came up with.
Stewards of Access
There are those who dedicate their whole careers to helping people gain access to various resources, but there are also ways we can be stewards of access in our every day lives by sharing knowledge and information that can ease a small bit of another’s suffering. For me, it currently is sharing a code to the restroom at Whole Foods.
Queer Sexuality and its Challenges to Christianity and Catholicism
Released in 2018, Boy Erased and The Miseducation of Cameron Post bring major attention to Christian conversion therapy and the general repression of queerness by conservative Christian communities. In this post I discuss the ripple effects this kind of mass media representation has on people who identity as both queer and Christian, and what that might mean for FJVs working towards a better understanding of allyship within the church.
Crip Time, Care Time, & L’Arche Time
I recently read Sarah E. Stevens’ essay “Care Time” in Disability Studies Quarterly, in which she reflects on how her experiences as a care partner affect her relationship to time. Stevens’ essay got me thinking about the two years I spent as a live-in assistant at L’Arche Heartland. Stevens’ description of care time strongly resonated with my experiences as a L’Arche assistant, but I also noticed some interesting points of divergence between care time and “L’Arche time.”
Now: A Good Time to Laugh
Have you ever tried to laugh without having a reason? I’d recommend it. Laughter has become an odd spiritual tool of sorts for me the past few years, not a defense mechanism as is often cited but, rather, a form of deep surrender to whatever situation is at hand.
Gillette Takes a Bold Social Stance
But putting aside a philosophical view of the patriarchy for a moment, I am constantly in awe that more people do not believe that men have a serious problem on their hands.
The Need for Environmental Spirituality
The call to take action for environmental justice issues has never been stronger for Catholics. It may be just the thing the Church needs to reinvigorate millennial participation.
The Ruined Report 