MSI Press Blog

  On Thursday, a funeral was held at Old Mission San Juan Bautista for Sula, parish cat, who crossed the rainbow bridge August 24. The funeral consisted of: rosary sharing of memories ("eulogies") traditional burial with holy water and prayers and scripture closing song: Prayer of St. Francis Sula's grave is in the grove by the statue of St. Francis. The current grave sign is temporary; a headstone is being readied and is expected in a couple of months. The funeral was private and attended by Sula's nearly 20 caregivers over her 15 years at the Mission. A public memorial will be held September 25. It will be streamed and, apparently, tele                                    Sign up for the MSI Press LLC newsletter                           Follow MSI Press on  Twitter ,  Face Book , and  Instagram . vised. We will post it here at MSI Press Blog as well. For more posts about Sula and her seven books, click HERE .

  IN MEMORIAM On August 24, 2022, Sula, the beloved parish cat at Old Mission San Juan Bautista, passed away quietly in her carrier as she prepared to spend her last working day at the Mission. For about 15 years, based on the estimates of parishioners who have known her since she appeared at the Mission as a kitten, she has spent her time at Masses, exploring the gardens, and in the Gift Shop where she lived until recently, moving in with parishioners, her godparents, when covid struck and spending Sundays on duty at the Mission. She brought excitement to scores of visiting children, peace to parishioners during Mass, and healing to the hurting. As a survivor of multiple forms of cancer, including skin cancer that took her ears years ago, she served as a role model to cancer patients. Visitors came not only to visit the Mission but also to meet Sula. On her Face Book page, she had over 1000 followers, including fans from more than a dozen states and many countries. Sula, a “divine cat

  We indeed have books about cats -- a number of them -- and welcome more. Here are some cat lovers might enjoy: How My Cat Made Me a Better Man . Jeremy Feig Book of the Year Finalist Kops-Fetherling International Book Award Legacy Award for Humor 25% discount with code FF25 at msipress.com/shop Intrepid Carl and Betty Leaver 25% with code FF25 at msipress.com/shop Sula series -- there are six books (five in English and one in Spanish) in a series of books "written" by Sula, Parish Cat at Old Mission                                         Sign up for the MSI Press LLC newsletter                           Follow MSI Press on  Twitter ,  Face Book , and  Instagram .

  Sula, Parish Cat at Old Mission San Juan Bautista, cancer survivor x5, and prolific author of spiritual books, retired from her duties as full-time Mission cat when covid struck and moved in with her godparents. Since the Mission has reopened, they bring Sula in on Sundays. Some days she walks around the grounds and attends Mass like in the old days. Mostly, though, she "holds court" at the Mission gift shop and welcomes visitors. Last Sunday, one of her visitors brought her a belated Easter present. Everyone loves Sula! Unfortunately, Sula is struggling a bit now, as is probably evident in the picture. As she reaches the special age of 15, she is experiencing arthritis. Most unfortunately, however, the tumors on her leg have returned, and she has trouble walking. Her oncologist says that she is "very worried" about Sula. So, we are asking for prayers for the little cat that has been the answer to prayers for many people. Read posts about Sula and her books HERE .

  And now begins the Triduum. Here is an excerpt about Maundy Thursday from Easter at the Mission .  What is Holy Thursday? Holy Thursday (or Holy Thursday) starts the Triduum (Latin for three days) with its evening Mass. The Triduum is a 3-day period at the end of Lent and includes Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and Saturday vigil. Holy Thursday commemorates the Last Supper. That is when Jesus ate together for the last time with his 12 apostles (and during which Judas slipped out and betrayed him for 30 pieces of silver). Before eating supper with his apostles, Jesus washed their feet. The feet washing is also commemorated during the Holy Thursday Mass. Maundy , a term common to Protestant churches, is an old word used in England and France that meant “commandment” (Latin: mandatum ). It was called that because during the Last Supper, Jesus gave the apostles (us, too) a very important commandment: “A new commandant I give to you, that you love one another even as I have loved you”

  Time goes by so quickly!! It is already Palm Sunday (for Christians in the world). How many understand much beyond the palms? Sula, parish cat at Old Mission, wrote a helpful book, Easter at the Mission , with information not generally shared in books that more superficially discuss the events around Easter, that explains Catholic dogma (much would also relate to Protestant denominations).  Sula's book is informative yet delightfully illustrated and easy to understand. It can be purchased on the spot at Old Mission gift shop or at St. Francis Retreat Center, both in San Juan Bautista. Or, it can be purchased online . Want a discount? Order from MSI Press webstore at half price sale ; use code FF25, and get another 25% off. Cannot beat that price! But it won't last beyond Easter, so please do hurry if you want the book.                                         Sign up for the MSI Press LLC newsletter.

  A couple of months ago, in a Cancer Diary post, we shared the ways in which cats get cancer. When our first two cats, Intrepid and, pictured above, Murjan, came down with cancer (small cell lymphoma), one of which died within four months and the other which lived an additional 2.5 years, we were in shock. We were aware that cats could get cancer because of our experience with MSI Press author, Sula , parish cat at Old Mission.  But then it really hit home and in big numbers.   First, Intrepid and Murjan .  Then, two other cats have since been diagnosed with cancer.  Happy Cat beat skin cancer, after only one round of freezing it off his nose.  Snyezhka is now a one-year cancer survivor at the Animal Cancer Center in Monterey, Califonia, where she sees Dr. Teri Arteaga, who is also Sula's vet oncologist.  That totals 2/3 of our 6 cats! Different cancers, different cat backgrounds (all are adopted street cats), different cat breeds. No idea of causes, either, but clearly no cat i

  Today, a Celebration of Life was held for MSI Press co-owner, typesetter, and cover designer par excellence, Carl Leaver, who died August 16, 2021.  Carl always said he was a rotten pumpkin, being born a day after Halloween, but November 1 is All Saints Day and the day after is All Souls Day -- pretty special timing. Carl's experience with cancer of unknown primary, which he killed him very rapidly (5 months), inspired Carl's Cancer Compendium and Cancer Diary. As for those saints and souls, check out Saints I Know and Dia de Muertos by that famous parish cat, Sula. Blog editor's note: As a memorial to Carl, and simply because it is truly needed, MSI  is now hosting a web page,  Carl's Cancer Compendium , as a one-stop starting point for all things cancer, to make it easier for those with cancer to find answers to questions that can otherwise take hours to track down on the Internet and/or from professionals. The web page is in its infancy but expected to expand i

  Yes, our book, Dia de Muertos is about the Mexican holiday, Day of the Dead, that occurs the day after Halloween, but these days have much in common -- and not. One section in the book spells out these differences; check it out! For excerpts from Dia de Muertos and other information about the book, click HERE .

  How many gift shops can boast the presence of a divine cat, always willing to meet with and pose with customers? Sure, a few can. Among them, a leader is the gift shop at Old Mission San Juan Buatista, where Sula, parish cat and a member of the staff at Old Mission, as well as author of six books, lives in residence. Well, lived in residence pre-covid. With current covid curtailments, she retired to live with her godparents nearby in Hollister and now works on Sundays, where she attends Mass to comfort people who need her and engage with customers at the gift shop next door. Among other Catholic products, such as rosaries and statues, the gift shop also sells all of Sula's books, and the proceeds go toward the restoration fund for the Mission. Sula has raised a lot of funds to help save her Mission! To read more about the Mission and the gift shop, click HERE . To see more information about Sula and her books, click HERE .

  Drawing by Uliana We recently learned that Sula, who is the parish cat at Old Mission (and listed as such on the Sunday Bulletins), is once again struggling with cancer. Sula, for those who follow her on Face Book and in person, has had quite a history of cancer. She was diagnosed with skin cancer a number of years ago, and beat it -- for a couple of years -- thanks to the tips of her ears being clipped. Then, it came back, and her ears had to be removed. Sula wrote a book her experience with cancer at that time.  For a few years, Sula continued cancer-free. Then, bang!, her vet found sarcoma in her hip. It was caused by a vaccination she had received earlier. He removed the sarcoma surgically. And Sula was fine for a while, but it came back, bigger and more scary. Sula was referred to Animal Cancer Center in Monterey, where Dr. Arteaga came up with a new treatment, using sonar to break up the tumor. And that worked -- for nearly a year. Then, bang!, the sarcoma reappeared, and Sul

Sula checking her book inventory; photo by Stacey Gentry Here are some of the comments that readers have made about Sula books. Surviving Cancer, Healing People:  One Cat’s Story Surviving Cancer, Healing People: One Cat’s Story is comprised of truly charming, heartwarming, endearing, and inspiring stories, shared by parishioners and told from the point of view of a lovable and amazingly insightful cat. [This] is one of those books that will linger in the mind and memory of the reader long after it is finished and set back upon the shelf. Heartwarming and thoughtful, Surviving Cancer, Healing People is a joy to browse and highly recommended. – Reviewers’ Choice/Small Press Bookwatch/Midwest Book Review Once you meet Sula through the pages of this book, you won’t soon forget her. While it’s Sula’s “meowmoir,” it’s also the story of those whose lives she’s impacted and an inside look at California’s Spanish mission. Whether you’re a religious person or not, the history is fascinating,

  (Sula in the arms of Fr. Ed at her godparents' house in Hollister, godparents on the left, friend on the right, and another MSI Press author, CB Leaver , in red in the front) Sula has been the parish cat at Old Mission San Juan Bautista for 13 years and through four bouts of cancer (fourth just starting/reappearing). With Covid-19 and the shutdown of the Mission, along with the rest of the state of California, Sula retired to live with her godparents in Hollister, where she can be watched after and can even have a visit occasionally frnom a retired priest from the parish who lives neaby. She still works on Sundays, though -- and visitors are always delighted to find her in the pews at Mass, where she goes on her own and sits with whomever seems to need her at the moment even though she does have her own pew with her name on it, and between Masses at the Mimssion gift shop. Here is her bio: Sula is a very unusual cat. She is the parish cat for Old Mission San Juan Bautista and, b

  (Sula and Deacon Van) Sula is sick again; her tumor has come back. In honor of her heroic struggles and in honor of Caturday, we are posting an exceprt from one of her many books, the one about cancer. Here we have the preface, written by Deacon Van.  Preface Letter to Sula from Deacon Van Dear Sula, I love your book. It rings so true—your stories, your humility, most of all your love of God and of the people of God here at Old Mission San Juan Bautista. The people who love you (there are hundreds, I’m sure) will cherish this book and love you all the more for your plainspoken faith and your mission of service at the Mission. Tell your amanuensis that she did a wonderful job of capturing your voice and incorporating the moving stories of Loryn and Cody. Thanks to her efforts, the book is not only an excellent fund-raising vehicle, it’s an inspirational call to Catholic faith and worship. She served you well, just as you have served all of us so well. Love, Deacon Van Read

  There have been many posts on Sula, Parish Cat at Old Mission , by many people, including on Sula's own page, as well as articles written about her in Guideposts and All Creatures, but perhaps the most special thing about her (at least recently) was shared by her current vet oncologist.  Sula has had an ongoing struggle with cancer, in and out of remission, for more than six years. At first, she had skin cancer on her ears. That was controlled by cutting out the cancered areas. Then, the skin cancer returned, and Sula's ears were removed. She wrote about it in Surviving Cancer, Healing People: One Cat's Story . Then, Sula got another kind of cancer: injection site carcinoma. Her vet cut out a piece of her hip to help her survive it, and survive she did. But in a couple of years, the cancer came back. This time, the vet said the only way to save Sula's life would be to remove her leg. The priest said no. Let her live out her life however long with all her legs intact. 

Sula, Parish Cat at Old Mission and well known author to readers of this blog, has suffered from cancer for many years bow. Her first book, Surviving Cancer, Healing People: One Cat's Story , was meant to provide hope and understanding to people suffering from cancer. From the input received at the publishing office, that goal is being reached on a regular basis. Sula's skin cancer returned, as detailed in the book, and her ears were removed. After that, she has been free of skin cancer.  However, another cancer appeared. This one was at the injection site for one of her inoculations. It resulted in a cyst, which Sula's vet removed. However, with time, the tumor returned about a year ago. Her vet recommended amputation of her leg and estimated that her remaining life would be about six months if the cancer were not treated. The parish priest did not want to go to extremes like amputation and decided that it would be best to let Sula live out a normal life even if it would

  Happy Easter to all! Here are some readings related to Easter from a couple of our books: From Blest Atheist: The Church in Siberia From Easter at the Mission : Easter Vigil and Palm Sunday

  (drawing by Uliana Yanovich) What is Easter Vigil? A vigil is a period of waiting. Easter Vigil is considered the greatest of all vigils and reflects the waiting that the disciples and especially the women who followed Jesus did after Joseph of Arimathea, having gotten permission from Pontius Pilate, laid Jesus in the tomb. They waited a very long time: three days. With Easter Vigil, the Triduum of Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Saturday Vigil is brought to a close. The waiting will end on Easter morning with the Resurrection. That will be joyful. For now, though, we all wait. In sadness. In the dark. photo by Stacey Gentry Waiting before the Vigil The church is always dark on Easter Vigil. I am among the first there, waiting not just for the Resurrection that is to come but also for the people who will be coming to wait together—they with me and I with them. I like greeting the people as they come in. Often, I will know with whom I should be waiting. That, after all, is my m

  (drawing by Uliana Yanovich) What is Lent? One of the duties during Lent is to go to confession (reconciliation). Lent is one of two times in the Catholic Church when the Sacrament of Reconciliation is required. Can you guess the other? Yep, it is Christmas. I like to sit with people in the church as they take turns going to one of the priests—our Mission often brings in several priests on one evening during Lent to make it easy for people to go to confession. I notice that when they come back—maybe the priest has given them a penance of a prayer or something like that—they sometimes pray beside me. They always seem happy! That is why I think the Sacrament of Reconciliation is a good thing! Sometimes people seem nervous at first, but if anyone is willing to take advice from a cat, I say “go for it; don’t pass up any opportunity for reconciliation.” The Mission, like every Catholic church makes the opportunity for confession available at any time. Usually a few hours each week are