Issue 2025-6

18208 Preston Road, Ste D9-552
Dallas TX 75252

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Remember the marvels the Lord has done.

Read this newsletter in PDF format for greatest clarity.

Lent is half over today, so it’s time to renew our vigor for those things we vowed to improve this year. Included in this issue is a list of books and movies that may enhance your Lent as we approach Holy Week. Recently I heard Bishop Strickland talk about “incremental holiness,” the moment-to-moment effort to take tiny steps, things you might think inconsequential. Even a short exclamation to Jesus, or a small act that puts another person’s will ahead of your own, nothing big, just incremental steps. I can totally do that!

Opinions expressed in this newsletter, unless otherwise attributed, are my own.

Sheryl Collmer, editor
April 1, 2025
sherylc@coracusa.com

From the cockpit of the Subaru

CORAC founder Charlie Johnston travels from coast to coast in his trusty Outback to speak in person to those now weathering the Storm.

CROSSTALK

Featuring
Marcus Allen

Intervies with a Catholic leader who boldly live the faith in action... more >

NEWS

Save the Date

The date and location are fixed: Atchison Conference Center, Atchison, KS July 11-13… more >

Ten Stories the Media Buried
This Week

What the media won’t tell us… more >

Holy Week Prep

Here are some ideas for getting into the cadence and mind of the Passion…. more >

APPENDIX

Things to Do
in Atchison

Here’s some sightseeing ideas if you’re planning on being in Atchison for the National Conference… more >

Assume the Good Will of Others

(Charlie is taking care of family this week following the injury of his grandson, so we here re-present a letter Charlie wrote in June 2022 that deserves another look. Meanwhile, the Johnston family will assuredly appreciate your prayers.)

One of the most deeply damaging psychoses of the modern world is to automatically assume the bad will of others when they disagree with you. Except for occasional crabby moments, I have always assumed the good will of all I meet – until they prove me otherwise. It has served me well. Many people who started off having animated words with me have become friends. A few are even close confidantes.

Decades ago, when I was a young local political columnist, I was seated next to the wife of a sometimes-controversial county Republican chairman. We were having a nice, lively chat when she started gushing about how much she and her husband loved my work. I thought it was probably true because they had refused to even talk to anyone from my group of newspapers before I came on the scene, but I was a bit puzzled. I asked her why that was, when I had probably criticized her husband more than any other single reporter in our market area. She was baffled for a moment and then earnestly said, “But you always treat us like real people instead of some evil cartoon. When you criticize, Bob (her husband) thinks of how to improve rather than how to get back at you. And you’re a lot of fun.” It pleased me and reinforced one of my central ideas from the time I started writing: never lose sight of the humanity of the people you cover.

I would have a much harder time of it today. In those days, believing that most people in authority wanted to do the best they could, but often stumbled, was a lot easier than today when so many – particularly on the left – think any vicious thing is justified in the pursuit of raw power. Even so, looking for the best in people until they prove they are hell-bent on the worst often brings out the best in them and serves as a nice cushion for what are merely stumbles.

In better times insults and ‘gotchas’ were primarily the province of dull-witted lowlifes who lacked the intellectual bandwidth to come up with a coherent argument. (I do not speak here of the cutting witty banter that has been an art form for ages). On a rough day, anyone could resort to toxic banter – but anyone with any breeding would have the wit and honor to apologize. And a real apology, at that, not some feeble attempt to mollify an angry mob. Today, such venomous banter is the norm. It is a great poverty.

Certainly, when times get harder people’s tempers get shorter. Heaven knows with inflation running rampant, food shortages looming, and winds of war whipping up around the globe, times have gotten much harder and people’s tempers much shorter, fueled by real anxiety for what the future of these dystopian times can possibly hold. Yet we are called by Christ to be the light of the world. We cannot be light while spreading darkness and assuming the worst of those who disagree with us.

I learned long ago that anger is not always anger. Sometimes it is how fear and anxiety present themselves. Endeavor not just to listen to what people say, but to hear what they mean. Now is a time to work very deliberately to see the humanity in all you encounter, especially those you work or speak with on a regular basis. If music soothes even the savage beast, a gentle rejoinder soothes the soul of a man expressing his fears through anger. Once someone proves they are just of ill will, swing away if you will. Even then, try to let the light of gentle kindness shine through from time to time.

As the Apostle Paul exhorted us, bear with one another. Let us work to lift each other up rather than tear each other down. We have a lot of wood to chop. There will be time enough for recriminations later.

If communication goes out for any length of time, meet outside your local Church at 9 a.m. on Saturday mornings. Tell friends at Church now, in case you can’t then. CORAC teams will be out looking for people to gather in and work with.

Charlie’s Blog

Charlie’s posts are a rich resource, synced to immediate events. There are not many places you can get a Catholic perspective on the issues right in our faces at the moment. I highly recommend devoting the time to read them.

Crosstalk

Interviews with Catholic leaders who boldly live the faith in action.

CORAC’s Angels

SAVE THE DATE – NATIONAL CONFERENCE JULY 11-13

There is a clear unifying theme in our choice of speakers this year:
people who have lived, and are living, notable public courage
and fortitude at times when it counted most.

The date and location are fixed: Atchison Conference Center, Atchison, KS July 11-13. Read more about the Conference and the charming town of Atchison here >

Registration coming soon. See APPENDIX at the back of this issue for points of interest near Atchison, so that you can start planning a whole vacation trip for this summer.

David Daleiden
Defender of the unborn

Most Rev. Joseph
Strickland Bishop Emeritus

State Sen. Mike Thompson
Kansas Republican

NEWS

Ten Stories the Media Blacked Out This Week

Holy Week Prep

We’re edging up to Holy Week; just two weeks until Passion Sunday. Here are some ideas for getting into the cadence and mind of the Passion.

BOOKS

Life of Christ, by Fulton Sheen
Eloquent retelling of Jesus’ life, using the Knox translation of the Bible.

The Seven Last Words, by Fulton Sheen
Reflection on the words Jesus spoke from the cross.

The Dolorous Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ, by Anne Catherine Emmerich
Detailed description from the mystical vision given this Blessed

The Fourth Cup, by Scott Hahn
Beautiful and intriguing thesis about the Passover supper and the Eucharist

The Spear, by Louis de Wohl
Fictional account of the Crucifixion through the eyes of the centurion

Jesus of Nazareth (volume 2), by Pope Benedict XVI
The final week of Jesus’ life, from the great mind and heart of Joseph Ratzinger

MOVIES/VIDEOS

No Greater Love, by Edward Sri
Video walk through Jerusalem, recounting the Holy Week story on location

Passion of the Christ, directed by Mel Gibson
One of the best films of all time, but very intense.

The Chosen, distributed by Angel Studios (season 5 in theatres for Holy Week, seasons 1-4 on the Chosen app)
The life of Christ presented with imaginative fictional backstories

The Fourth Cup and the New Passover, by Dr. Brant Pitre
Excellent preparation for Holy Thursday; it will change the way you encounter the Eucharist

King of Kings, from Angel Studios
A new animated feature film, especially good for younger children. Coming to theatres on April 11

Bishop Strickland

Check his Substack for latest writings >

His weekly radio show for Virgin Most Powerful radio is here >

If you really enjoy Bishop Strickland, there is a three-hour interview with Conor
Gallagher from Tan Books here >

It features a very relaxed Bishop Strickland, speaking from his kitchen on a wide range of topics.

Getting Started With GMRS

Carlos Acutis

With only a few weeks until the canonization date of Blessed Carlo Acutis on April 27, you can expect to hear a lot more about this Italian young man. He led a short life of virtue, and died of leukemia at the age of 15. A new movie is timed to release in theaters the week of the canonization, Roadmap to Reality. Carlo has been called “the saint in sneakers” and “patron saint of the internet” because he led the ordinary type of life that any teenager in the 21 st century would live, but narrator Chris Stefanik says, ‘Don’t let the sneakers fool you; there was nothing ordinary about this kid.” See what made Carlo Acutis extraordinary.

Trailer and showtimes here >

Cardinal Pell, Intercessor

George Cardinal Pell, who died in Rome in early 2023, may already be a powerful Heavenly intercessor. Many believe he was a “white martyr” due to his incarceration on false charges of abuse, from which he was finally exonerated. I have long felt a kinship with Cardinal Pell, and had prayed for his intercession on small matters, but this possible miracle for an Arizona toddler will inspire many to ask for the Cardinal’s favor.

Be an Active CORAC Member

Don’t just sign up and wait to be informed: work it! Our website is amazing, but it’s on you to take advantage of it. Explore the topics that interest you on the website. Contact your regional coordinator and find out what’s going on near you.

Find your region here and contact your regional coordinator for more info >

DOGE Clock

The US National Debt clock is continually rising. DOGE has saved $260 billion as of today.

You can see the clock in action at >

While DOGE, under the direction of Elon Musk, labors to save the country from bankruptcy-by-corruption, violent agitators attack his company, Tesla, its dealerships and customers. It’s so easy to see what’s going on. Why would the lunatic left target electric vehicles, their previous golden calf? The puppet masters have decreed that Musk must be made to suffer in an attempt to derail what DOGE is doing well. They have inspired the subculture of non-critical thinkers to do their dirty work for them.

Musk and his team are attempting to save our economy, which is headed for the brink of a high cliff. You only have to look at the National Debt clock above to see how critical this work is.

Physical Healing Sessions

Next session will be April 9 at 7:00 pm Central time. See the website for details >

PRAYER

April Prayer Intentions

  • That CORAC members receive grace to respond with prudence and wisdom to provocations in our families and communities during these times of cleansing

  • That we be drawn and motivated to Make CORAC Healthy Again by nourishing our bodies with the wondrous bounty of God’s natural foods

  • For all who are planning and preparing for the CORAC National Conference to be held July 11-13 in Atchison, Kansas; and for traveling graces for the pilgrims attending

  • For Charlie’s focus and energy during the final revisions of CORAC’s manual: Revival: A Handbook and Manual for Building Functional Communities

  • That many people be healed in body, mind, and spirit through the online Physical Healing Prayer Session via Zoom; and through many other healing prayer ministries in which CORAC members are engaged

  • That CORAC members desire and act to support financially our website and ministries

  • For all intentions carried in the hearts of CORAC members and those posted on the CORAC Prayer Hotline, with gratitude for prayers answered in our daily lives

St. Gabriel, enlighten us.
St. Michael, defend us.
St. Raphael, protect us.
Ave Maria, Stella Maris!

APPENDIX

Things to See and Do When You’re in Atchison, KS

See official tourist website here >

Benedictine College in Atchison

benedictine.edu >
223 N. Terrace St, Atchison
0 miles from conference site

Benedictine College is a beautiful campus to drive through, with a replica of the Lourdes grotto and a lovely chapel. They are currently building a library which will be a replica of Independence Hall in Philadelphia. Part of the building will include a museum-quality replica of the Assembly Room where the Declaration of Independence was signed.

Pace & Bene Catholic Bookstore

Learn more >
503 Commercial Street, downtown Atchison
0 miles from conference site

More than a bookstore, Pace & Bene is a whole faith encounter. There are the books and religious goods you would expect, plus a café, bakery, and gelateria. The upper story contains exhibits on the Shroud of Turin and Carlo Acutis’s Miracles of the Eucharist. A large relic display is also in the works. This sounds like a MUST-VISIT. Closed on Sundays, open weekdays 12-5 and Saturdays 9-5.

Evah C. Cray Historical Home

evahcraymuseum.com >
805 N 5th St, Atchison
0 miles from conference site

A glorious example of Victorian architecture in the late 1800s in Atchison. Open Wed-Sat 10-4.

Amelia Earhart Earthworks

Learn more >
6920 Rawlins Rd, Atchison
A few miles from conference site

A one-acre portrait of the famous aviatrix sculpted into a hill overlooking Lake Warnock, using stone, plants and other natural materials. Viewable from a hill opposite.

Benedictines of Mary Queen of Apostles

Benedictines of Mary >
8005 N.W. 316th St., Gower, MO
38 miles from conference site

The abbey church at Gower houses the incorrupt remains of Sister Wilhelmina Lancaster, the founder of this traditionalist order. The Benedictine Sisters have won numerous national awards for their chanting, and you can hear them if you attend the 11:00 daily Mass, or vespers at 5:30 pm. A self-serve gift shop is also available.

Weston, Missouri

Weston Missouri >
18 miles from conference site

Unique and charming pre-Civil War time with unique shops, wineries and distilleries, historic district, arts and crafts, and the National Silk Art museum. This town exudes historic charm! Good barbeque at The Tin Kitchen downtown. Most shops open Tuesday-Sunday, but closed on Mondays. Great hiking nearby along the bluffs of the Missouri River.

Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art

nelson-atkins.org >
4525 Oak St., Kansas City
56 miles from conference site

Nationally-known museum famous for its encyclopedic collection of art from every continent and culture, including some relics of Christianity like the finger bone of John the Baptist. Open Thurs-Mon, but closed Tues-Wed. Check website for hours. Café onsite.

The Arabia Steamboat Museum

1856.com >
400 Grand Blvd, Kansas City
60 miles from conference site

The museum houses artifacts recovered from the Arabia, which sunk in 1856, carrying 200 tons of mystery cargo. This captivating destination is right in the heart of the historic City Market. Gift shop onsite. Mon-Sat 10-5, Sun 12-5.

National WWI Museum

theworldwar.org >
2 Memorial Dr, Kansas City
60 miles from conference site

Designated by Congress as the nation’s official World War I museum and memorial. Excellent displays for any military historian and for average Americans with curiosity about this distant war. Open Tues-Sun 10-5

St. Mary’s, Kansas

St. Mary’s >
45 miles from conference site

The beautiful SSPX Church of the Immaculata (celebrating the TLM) is at the center of a town that is visibly Catholic, from the general store to the coffee shops. Don’t miss the relics shrine at the back of the church.

Leavenworth, Kansas

visitleavenworthks.com >
25 miles from conference site

Leavenworth is a historical gold mine. Historical placards dot the town and there are dozens of buildings on the National Register of Historic Places. You can see the spot where Abraham Lincoln first delivered the “the speech that made Lincoln president” as well as the site of General William Tecumseh Sherman’s law practice

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