Now And At The Hour

For twelve-year-old Catholic school kid Albert Davidson, skateboarding in the hills and parks of San Francisco provides a sense of freedom and adventure to an otherwise cautious lifestyle. He's always been one to keep things steady and under tight control (even if he has to tell the occasional lie to do so). This careful approach to life is turned upside down when his mom is diagnosed with cancer. Even as Albert struggles to keep things normal by hanging out with his two best friends, his life continues to be full of surprises. While hiking one day near Lands End, he jumps into dangerous waters to rescue a dying shark-an act that is recorded by onlookers. Videos of the bold act soon go viral, and Albert becomes an internet celebrity overnight. His newfound popularity launches an unusual quest for healing, fueled by his mom's intensifying battle and Albert's determination to find a cure. A quieter adventure unfolds with the boys and a mysterious stranger, whose unsafe circumstances lead Albert to double down on his secrets and lies. With problems escalating all around him, will Albert find the remedies he so desperately seeks?

Billy Malsavage, a young aide, is shocked at the scared look in twelve-year-old Ricky's eyes when the boy is wheeled into B Ward, victim of a serious brain injury suffered in a football game. Ricky can't walk or talk, but his intelligence is unaffected. Buddy also feels sorry for Ricky. A fifty-four-year-old man with cerebral palsy, he too is trapped in a body that doesn't work well, but his mind is fine. As the months pass, the three grow closer. Billy has his own inner demons, but does what he can to make Ricky feel better, less scared, among the residents of the ward, most of whom have severe or profound mental retardation. He reads to Ricky and Buddy and shows Laurel and Hardy movies. Buddy does what he can to befriend Ricky. As Ricky weakens and his physical condition worsens, he turns to his Catholic faith for solace. But can his faith help him in his desperation? Can anything? This is a novel about three isolated people who struggle to connect with others and to find some meaning, and maybe even salvation, in their lives. Billy, who has been working in B Ward for about a year, right after graduating from high school, is a reclusive loner who left home and his "whacko" parents as soon as he could. Buddy lived on the farm with his folks and then with just his brother and sister-in-law until they could no longer care for him and he had to be institutionalized. He hates enduring the indignities of being helpless, and longs for heaven. Ricky, until his terrible accident, was a normal kid living at home with his parents and sisters, playing sports and hanging out with his friends. At first, Ricky finds many of the residents bizarre or frightening. There's Gramps, the oldest person with Down syndrome in the state, and his twisted-up little friend Timmy, who spend most of each day holding hands. There's sullen Arnie, who always wears his stars and stripes hard hat and studies lingerie catalogs. There's annoying Larry the Whacker and little Davey, who scoots around the floor on his back and dusts the legs of cribs with a washcloth. But as time goes on, Ricky grows more used to them. When Ricky's condition takes a turn for the worse, Buddy and Billy feel helpless and worried. Will he get better? What if he doesn't? In his lonely hospital room, Ricky silently says his prayers and misses his friends. Now and at the Hour is Marty Drapkin's first published work of fiction. He's written and published nonfiction books and articles in his professional field, having to do with county jail operations. He is a self-described faceless bureaucrat laboring unappreciated for an obscure state government agency-the proverbial man in the gray flannel suit, leading a life of quiet desperation. Marty and his wife, Erica, live in Cross Plains, Wisconsin, with a motley crew of dogs and cats, all of whom have issues. He has a grown daughter who lives in Seattle and doesn't mind the rain. Cover art by Lynn Wells

This book presents an opportunity for you to make informed preparations for death that are guided by your knowledge and faith. This book includes information about living wills, durable powers of attorney for health care and for financial management, and wills. You will also find consumer information regarding funerals, burial and cremation, and an outline of the church's funeral rite. On the pages provided, individuals can record their wishes and preparations that have been made. A great basis for parish-wide workshops during the month of November.

"The choice to believe is yours. It's the only thing that truly is." Mary Credence wants to be a modern day Joan of Arc battling the skeptical world around her. But when the ardent virgin finds herself pregnant, she's thrust into a much bigger fight than she ever imagined. Is Mary hiding a romantic tryst in an effort to protect her father's political career, or is her baby a true modern miracle? With the help of a talented writer and a surprising medical finding, Mary attempts to convince the world of her gift and to convert a nation of cynics into believers. Now and at the Hour of Our Death challenges our notions of faith and science, all while asking the eternal question: What do you believe?

Preparing for your own death removes a great burden from your loved ones who will be suffering deep sadness upon your death. Preparing ahead of time will let them grieve without worrying whether they are fulfilling your wishes, and it may prevent conflict among family members. This booklet is a hopeful, prayerful, and practical guide that will help you record your wishes for the end of your life and funeral. It provides space for recording information regarding DNRs, living wills, and finances. It will guide you through the consumer information for funerals, while also providing theological reflections on the Catholic funeral liturgy, so you can select the Scripture readings and music you would like to be offered at your own funeral. This booklet is grounded in Catholic teaching and will help you make arrangements that reflect your faith in Christ.

A moving exploration of families facing death, in the voices of those affected in one rural corner of Portugal.

Nine years ago, the bloody conflict in Northern Ireland tore apart two young lovers, consuming their hopes and dreams and changing their lives forever. Now, in 1983, Davy McCutcheon and Fiona Kavanagh find themselves worlds apart. Davy, once a bomb-maker for the Provisional IRA, is serving a twenty-five-year sentence in a British prison. Having seen enough of death and violence, he wants nothing more to do with the struggle that cost him his freedom and his love. But old loyalties die hard and, despite himself, Davy is drawn into a dangerous conspiracy on behalf of his fellow Provos . . . . Meanwhile, Fiona has forged a new life for herself in Vancouver, British Columbia, far away from the war-torn streets of Belfast. Now a vice-principal at a local elementary school, she has a successful career, good friends, and a new man in her life. Yet she remains haunted by painful memories of her troubled homeland—and the love she left behind.Patrick Taylor's Now and in the Hour of Our Death is a moving and compelling portrait of ordinary men and women caught up in a conflict not of their making, and of the way the past holds onto us even as we try to move on into an uncertain future. At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.