Tom Faranda's Folly

Ooops this popped up a day early! But that’s ok. Yeah who’s the man! Some recent pictures; graduation and an April track meet at Lafayette College, throwing the javelin. And on the Feast of Saint Juan Diego.    

This is from a TEDx lecture – the 15 minute video is embedded in the link with the short (18 paragraphs) article and I've also embedded the video below the link, and excerpted the first four paragraphs. If you have time, watch the video (as with all TED videos it's excellent- note title of video … Read more

Corbyn, the head of the Labor Party in Great Britain and currently in danger of finishing in 3rd place (behind the conservative and liberal parties) in their election December 12th.  Corbyn's political views make Bernie Sanders look like a free market capitalist.  

This is a continuation of this interview An interview with Stepinac alumni and major donor, actor Jon Voight   which I posted Tuesday. Very worth watching –

UPDATE: There was a a Part 2 of the interview – very fascinating, as he talks about his role in the great movie Coming Home, among other things. Will post it if it goes onto youtube. I like Jon Voight (and daughter Angelina Jolie); don't think much of the guy interviewing him. Voight turns 81 … Read more

Half of Farandaville (Tim and myself) are graduates of Stepinac. The other half – Brigid ineligible as a woman – and living in England for her HS years  – and Joe a Fordham Prep grad. My impression of difference between Fordham Prep and Stepinac: Fordham Prep – Chardonnay Stepinac – beer and a shot Here's … Read more

I am not sure where he stopped first (UPDATE – stopped at Nagasaki first) – these are each three minutes long. The first is at Hiroshima – 80,000 instant deaths and 60,000 later.    And here he's at Nagasaki – by the way, the center of Catholicism in Japan and a place where many were … Read more

Here's the full message: Pope asks people of Japan to protect life, ahead of Apostolic Journey  

A Benedictine, and a scholar. Here is a more extensive bio -  St. Gertrude then what I've put below. St. Gertrude the Great (1256-1302), also known as Gertrude of Helfta, was born on the feast of Epiphany in Thuringia (modern Germany). She was sent to be educated at the Benedictine monastery in Helfta at the … Read more

This is from Franciscan media – Saint Josaphat’s Story In 1595, the Orthodox bishop of Brest-Litovsk in present-day Belarus and five other bishops representing millions of Ruthenians, sought reunion with Rome. John Kunsevich—who took the name Josaphat in religious life—was to dedicate his life, and die for the same cause. Born in what is now … Read more