MSI Press Blog

  Today's story behind the book tells the tale behind Tale of a Mission Cat   by Sula.  From the author --  The book content was the second in what has turned out to be the Sula series. It was inspired by fourth-grade students from all over Northern California who regularly visit the Mission on Thursdays for school projects. As I (Elizabeth Mahlou, amanuensis for Sula) watched them gather brochures for the school projects, I realized that there some things about the Mission that was not in those brochures or any brochure. So, I set about writing about all aspects of the Mission grounds, things that the children could see but that were not explained anywhere, including some pieces of history -- all told from the point of view of Sula, the cat, whom they all met either on the grounds, in the church, or in the gift shop. It became a sophisticated "cheat sheet" for them -- things that their teacher did not know, for the most part. Next to  Surviving Cancer, Healing ...

  Excerpt from Tale of a Mission Cat   by Sula, Parish Cat at Old Mission --      About Me and My Predecessors Did you know that every one of the Spanish Missions in California used to have a Mission cat? Some still do. I am one of them. My name is Sula, and I am the Mission cat at Old Mission San Juan Bautista. If you come to the Mission, you can meet me. It seems that quite not of my own doing, I have nonetheless become rather famous of late. Rather than chasing mice (really, there are no mice at the Mission these days, just people, whom I love to comfort; that is, after all, my mission), I try to raise money to save the Mission, which desperately needs to be retrofitted against earthquakes—and to have the roof repaired so that my home, the Mission, does not leak in the rain. How I do that is by giving interviews, writing books, and putting my pawtograph on my books, including at special event book signings. I like my vocation: helping people at the Missio...

Hi, I am Sula, the Parish Cat. In honor of Caturday, I am going to invite you to join me on my Facebook Page  HERE   -- I have almost 800 friends now; you can be my friend, too, if you like read some blog posts about me HERE   -- all kinds of information: who I am, pictures of me, information about my book, and more: go discover! read the interview that Mudpie conducted with me when my book, Suriving Cancer, Helping People: One Cat's Stor y first came out HERE   -- it was fun; I think you will like it see  the stories about me on the Internet (from local newspapers, Guideposts Magazine, All Creatures Managzine, and more) read reviews about my books; you can a list of the reviews here Christmas at the Mission Dia de Muertos Easter at the Mission Saints I Know Surviving Cancer, Healing People: One Cat's Story Tale of a Mission Cat read some excerpts from my books HERE And, for some immediate reading pleasure right here, this is the Canticle of Sula that Stacy Gen...

Sula, parish cat at Old Mission San Juan Bautista, has written six books about life, the Catholic faith, and being a Mission cat -- how they intertwine. Here are some reader comments on her books: Christmas at the Missi on I love these books told from the perspective of Mission Cat Sula I have ordered all three of them Easy read and very inspiring (Lenore Smith, Amazon) Dia de Muertos Brand-new, in Spanish, reviews pending Easter at the Mission What a delightful and beautiful work. This wonderful read speaks with clarity about the true meaning of Easter through the eyes of a truly magical earless cat named Sula. With gentle paws she nudges you and teaches in the most engaging manner. A special treat are the many photos of Sula, with the visitors to Mission San Juan Bautista. This is a book which will give you a special joy,knowledge and a feeling of peace.It is a special gift from a very special feline. ENJOY (Loryn Ross, Goodreads) Saints I Know ...

Sitting with Someone Needing Comfort There are many kinds of people to whom God sends me. All of them are hurting in some way, and it is my mission to help them hurt less. Some people have done bad things and don’t feel good about themselves. They don’t believe that God can forgive them, but God does. One person once told another parishioner, as I sat on his lap, that he had hurt animals when he was a child, had prayed about it a lot, but had never felt absolved even though he had spoken about it in confession. I guess that is why God sent me to him. He said that my sitting on his lap helped him to understand, accept, and believe that he had been forgiven.  Yes, of course, he had. As a cat whose like kind had been among those he had hurt, I forgave him, too. After all, if God forgives us, then we can forgive others, which, of course, is what He wants us to do. In some cases, I have a sad mission. Something bad is going to happen to the person who is my mi...

Photo by Stacey Gentry Inside the Church There is more to the church than the altar, of course, and I spend much time in the church on my own. I can do that because the cat doors let me in all by myself.  I often spend some time, reflecting by myself, spending time alone with God. That is so important. It refreshes me, and the Spirit I encounter there nourishes me. As a cat, I cannot take Communion and be nourished by the body and blood of Christ, but I can be spiritually nourished simply lying in the presence of God and reflecting. Inside the church, in my reflections I notice so many things that are often not noticed. Most are taken for granted by worshipers.  First is how big our church is. It has three aisles. None of the other Franciscan Missions have three aisles. They have one or two. That makes our church have a very open feeling, like you are part of nature. And, when the two side doors are open, one feels a flowing of nature into the church and t...