Category: personal

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Remembering Pope Francis

Like so many people around the world, I woke up to the news that Pope Francis has died. The news cycle will no doubt be in a continuous loop of commentary, filled with whatever bias that particular speaker may harbor. Everyone will have an opinion on his papacy and legacy. But what if we refocus, and instead of bias we consider encounter.

Pope Francis leaves a legacy of encounter, committed as he was to visiting marginalized communities, inter-religious dialogue, engaging the poor and vulnerable, and advocacy for migrants and refugees. This past Holy Thursday at his visit to Regina Coeli prison, he lamented not being able to wash the feet of prisoners this year.

The Gospel is a story of encounter. It is the story of God’s pursuit of humanity and the transformative meetings between Jesus and individuals, culminating in the ultimate encounter: Jesus’ death and resurrection, which opens the way for humanity to meet God intimately through grace. God continually seeks us, meeting us where we are, and transforming us through relationship.

In Evangelii Gaudium, Pope Francis exhorts that we are to be missionary disciples:

“Evangelisers thus take on the ‘smell of the sheep’ and the sheep are willing to hear their voice” (EG, 24)

Encounters with His Sheep

One of the charming ways that Pope Francis stepped out of the crowd and into personal encounter was in his delight when the youth took selfies with him. I’m not suggesting that these physical encounters were anything more than the joy of meeting the Pope, or the joy the Pope took in meeting the youth. What it definitely was, indeed continued to be, was the opportunity to be present, even for just a fleeting moment, to an individual or intimate group.

That is the gist of his papacy, a papacy filled with encounter. Perhaps there were hopes for a transformative papacy, an ushering in of reforms in a time when the church was steeped in controversy. Instead, Pope Francis smelled of his sheep.

A Surprise Selfie with the Pope

In 2015, I had the pleasure of meeting Pope Francis on his Apostolic trip to Cuba. His theme for this trip, Missionary of Mercy, was driven by his desire to be a witness to the message of mercy. It was a powerful message for a communist regime, but more so for the people of Cuba. It was a powerful opportunity for encounter.

My family had the opportunity for a private audience with Pope Francis. It was an intimate moment because of many complex circumstances, one I explain at length in this post from a couple of months ago. But, the bottom line is that when Pope Francis and I spoke, in a brief exchange in which he asked about my family, I felt an ineffable feeling of encounter. His eyes took me in warmly, and it wasn’t the Pope, but a warm Father that delighted in my request for a selfie. I was unable to capture the twinkle in his eye, but I did get the selfie.

Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon him. May the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.

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Happy Feast of Our Lady of Begoña

My mother, Miren Begoña, and me, María Begoña. Miren is Maria in Basque.

Today is the feast day of a little known Marian devotion, Our Lady of Begoña. She is called Amatxu, mother, to the people of Biscay. This is special to me because I am named after the Blessed Virgin Mary under this title. You may know me as María, but family and close friends call me by my true name, the name I was called by my mother, Begoña. That explains why my social media is a variation of Bego.

My mother is also named Begoña. Her parents, Basques from Guipuzcoa, fled the strife of the Spanish Civil War, and settled in Cuba. When my mother was born, she was named after their beloved, amatxu. When I was born, I was given the same name.

A Name Isn’t Just a Name

I never gave much thought to why I carry this name, but with maturity comes the opportunity for some introspection. I understand why my mother bears this name, a way for my grandparents to hold onto their homeland and perhaps give a piece of it to their daughter born abroad. And I understand that I carry that piece of them, too.

I am a continent and two countries separated from their home of Legazpi. Who knew that one day their grandchildren would be in the United States, with children and grandchildren of their own. I didn’t always love my name because others thought it was “hard to pronounce” and too easy to default to Maria, but as I grew older, I think that perhaps I grew into it. There is nothing sweeter than being called by that name now.

The Story of Our Lady of Begoña

The origins of this devotion trace back to the early 16th century, though local legend suggests that the image of the Virgin Mary associated with Begoña dates to much earlier times. According to tradition, the Virgin appeared to a shepherd on the hillside of Begoña, near Bilbao, and a chapel was built in her honor.

The small chapel quickly became a pilgrimage site, as people from the surrounding Basque region flocked to seek the intercession of the Virgin Mary. Over the centuries, the site underwent several transformations, with the current basilica, built in Gothic style, constructed between the 16th and 17th centuries.

Throughout history, the devotion to Our Lady of Begoña has been a source of consolation and strength, especially for the Basque people. In times of war, plague, and hardship, many turned to her for protection. During the Spanish Civil War, the basilica was damaged by shelling, yet the faithful continued to venerate the Virgin. Her statue, housed within the basilica, has become a symbol of the enduring faith of the people.

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A Little Update

We Moved AND I Have a New Book Launching in Spring 2025!

It has been some many months since I reach out to you. 2023 proved to be a very challenging year for us, starting with a couple of health crises that overwhelmed us. We came to the difficult decision of selling our beautiful home on Mobile Bay and leaving dear friends and a lovely parish community to move closer to our children and grandchildren. I don’t need to say how this has been a wonderful boon in our lives!

We’ve been spending this year settling into our new home in the Washington, DC area, in north Virginia, and we love it. I’ve started doing some gardening as the weather has warmed up, and I am hoping to be enjoying the summer with the grandkids with plenty of pool time.

I’ve also returned to a deeper writing life. You may know that I have been working at CatholicMom.com as an editor for a couple of years, and have been podcasting more for the Momcast and Prayercast. I am encouraged to return to my personal podcast.


ALSO, I am DELIGHTED to share with you first that I am under contract with Ave Maria Press for a new book that launches in Spring 2025. It is a follow-up to the award-winning My Badass Book of Saints. The new book is the logical next step in our lives, where I talk about the excitement and challenges we face as we enter mid-life and beyond and seize the opportunity for a Second Act, a daring exploration of what we can do next with the gifts and experiences God has given us in our lives. I hope you’ll stay tuned for more news as we get closer to launching this fun new book.

In the meantime, Badass is featured on Ave Maria Press’s Summer Reading Sale, so if you’ve never read it, I invite you to join the fun and discover a bold and beautiful saint-companion. Use DISCOUNT CODE: SUMMER2024 for $5 off your order! You might want to pick up Super Girls and Halos and Our Lady of Charity, too!

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