Patrick: from slave to saint

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St. Patrick has always been one of my favorite saints (and not just because I am Irish). Most people don’t realize that he lead a life worthy of the most dramatic reality TV series. Patrick was captured at the age of 16, taken to Ireland and sold into slavery. He remained enslaved for six years, then became a priest and returned to Ireland to convert the people to Christianity. In Patrick, Patron Saint of Ireland, Tomie dePaola brings his usual warmth and wit to this saint’s fascinating story. It is an instant St. Patrick’s Day classic. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do! Lá fhéile Pádraig sona dhaoibh (Happy St. Patrick’s Day)!

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Posadas and Poinsettias

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Right now the Hispanic Catholic community is celebrating Las Posadas. It is a tradition spanning the nine days before Christmas marking Joseph and Mary’s journey and search for a place to say in the Nativity story. I absolutely love this holiday celebration and it reminds me of one of my favorite books, The Legend of the Poinsettia by Tommie dePaola. It tells the story of how the Poinsettia and the practice of using it as a Christmas decoration came to be. For me, the loveliness of this plant reminds me of the beauty of this season. I hope you enjoy this story as much as I do! 

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