MSI Press Blog

  Sula c 2005- August 24, 2022 Sula, parish cat at Old Mission San Juan Bautista, "wrote" six books for parishioners on religions topics. They were well received, and Sula made the news cycle now and again and was featured in national magazines and in online publications. Examples: All Creatures and Guideposts. Today, parishioners and visitors walked past her grave at the Mission and asked to know more about her. Today, the decision was made by the parish to create a 2024 calendar with her charming photos. It should be available for sale soon. The picture above was posted on her Face Book page today in memory of what she brought to the Mission. (photo by Stacey Gentry) For more info, pictures, and book excerpts related to Sula, click HERE .

  Tomorrow at least 70 community members -- may be a lot more since these are the only ones who voluntarily sent an RSVP. Television coverage is expected, and the service will be videotaped. With any luck, we will have it available for the next Caturday. It will als o be available on Sula's Face Book page . The Memorial Service includes all the usual components: prayer, song, and eulogies. In addition, a gratitude basket is being given to the Animal Cancer Center in Monterey, where the staff prolonged Sula's life by two years, and, this being close to Francistide , Br. James from the St. Francis Retreat Center will be be blessing the animals.  Sula's prayer card, which will be distributed at the memorial service, can be ordered through the MSI Press webstore , essentially at cost, by anyone anywhere who would find the card comforting.  For more posts about Sula, click HERE . Arthur Yavelberg, author of  A Theology for the Rest of Us , was recently featured in an  Authorit

  Dia de Muertos is a holiday celebrated now throughout the world though is began a long time ago in Mexico. It is too good a holiday not to be adopted by others. Honoring ancestors is part of nearly every culture, but none does it quite as richly and publicly as the Mexican culture with Dia de Muertos.  The eating of specially prepared (yunny) foods at the graves of those who have passed, a sacred sharing, is a culmination of sorts of all the other activities that include: altars remembering the dead (Sula shown visiting one above) yummy, yummy, yummy food served at restaurants, eaten at home, shared with friends posadas (parades) around town - sacred and fun at the same time paper-cutting (really ornate) Sula's book, Dia de Muertos , contains a history, authentic recipes (!!!!), explanation of symbols, directions of how to make the paper cuttings, and lots and lots of pictures. Proofed by a Mexican priest -- Sula wanted to get it 100% right because, as with many other things, mis

  (At Christmas, Sula was in her element -- and in every creche and nativity scene.)  Watch  two endearing videos  of the late Sula , author of seven books and parish cat at O ld Mission San Juan Bautista for a warm 2022 memory. (Sula crossed the rainbow bridge in August.) For more posts about Sula and her books, including trailers and exceprts, click HERE . Sign up for the MSI Press LLC newsletter Follow MSI Press on  Twitter ,  Face Book , and  Instagram .   Interested in publishing with MSI Press LLC? Check out information on  how to submit a proposal . Interested in receiving a free copy of this or any MSI Press LLC book  in exchange for  reviewing  a current or forthcoming MSI Press LLC book? Contact editor@msipress.com. Want an  author-signed copy  of this book? Purchase the book at 25% discount (use coupon code FF25) and concurrently send a written request to orders@msipress.com.

  Excerpt from Sula and the Franciscan Sisters (Sula) --   quite appropriate for Caturday and for Francistide! About Me I was like the sisters, in a way. You see, I was living in the San Juan Bautista (California) cemetery, then hanging out at City Hall. While I was still a kitten, though, I heard the Mission bells ringing, and my little paws headed me across the way to the Mission. Here I found my forever home and my special mission to help the parishioners. So, I too, became a mendicant, like all the other Franciscans. That is the summary. My whole story is quite a bit longer, but you can read about it in my other books. They are listed at the end of this book. For other posts Sula and her books, click HERE . Sign up for the MSI Press LLC newsletter Follow MSI Press on  Twitter ,  Face Book , and  Instagram .   Interested in publishing with MSI Press LLC? Check out information on  how to submit a proposal . Interested in receiving a free copy of this or any MSI Press LLC book  i

  Thanks to photographer, Stacey Jewel, Sula, Parish Cat at Old Mission, has a fresh new picture (above)  You can friend Sula on Facebook HERE   You will be joining hundreds of others who love Sula. She has had people from all over the USA come to California to meet her! For more posts about Sula and her books, click HERE .

  (Sula, reminiscing, in her own pew, donated by parishioners in her honor.) So, how is Christmas 2020 going? You might ask Sula, beloved parish cat at Old Mission San Juan Bautista and MSI Press author, considering that she wrote a book a few years ago--a popular one really--called Christmas at the Mission . Different this year, she may tell you because her cancer returned in the form of a tumor but with some very skilled veterinarian care her very bad prognosis turned around and the tumor is disappearing. At the same time this is all too familiar.  Because of covid, her "home" being closed from lock-down many times, and her cancer, Sula retired in December. (Please pray for her cancer to disappear entirely.) She now lives with parishioners and gets to interact with a retired priest from the Mission who lives nearby, so it feels like home. But she does work on Sundays, and she participated in all the normal activities--if anything could be considered normal this year. She he

  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 .

  Sula, the parish cat who pens books for MSI Press, has had her cancer return recently. A cancer specialist in Monterey was so kind as to provide treatment for her for free. I suppose that is fair. Sula takes care of the whole parish for free every day. So, once more, for the fourth time, let's all offer prayers for Sula's continuing resiliency and God's continuing care. Read more posts about Sula and her books HERE. And stories about her from newspapers and magazines online HERE .

  (illustration by Zhenya Yanovich) New political realities aside, January 6 has always been a special day. In the orthodox tradition, it is the first day of Christmas; in the Christian tradition, it is the last day of Christmas. In celebration, we offer an excerpt from Sula's book, Christmas at the Mission: Epiphany The Bible   contains only 12 mentions of the wise men (magi) and the Star of Bethlehem, but over time they have captured nearly everyone’s attention. A Christmas pageant would not be complete without the three magi, or as they are sometimes called, kings. Many nativity scenes also include the three magi. Who were they? What did they see? What did they know? Why are we enthralled with them? Well, first, they saw a star. The star is called the Star of Bethlehem because when the magi followed it, it stopped in Bethlehem over the manger where Jesus lay. The magi came from the east, following the star. They seemed to know what the star meant because on the way, they sto

  March is Women's History Month. We celebrate by recommending the following books for women. Order from our webstore and get a 25% discount with coupon code FF25.             108 Yoga and Self-Care Practices for Busy Mamas (Julie Gentile) Are you too busy for self-care? From a one-minute meditation to building a routine you love to wake up to, this quick read and everyday self-care resource gives you the energy to live a mindful, more nourished life by taking good care of yourself. With Julie M. Gentile, award-winning author, yoga teacher and Millennial mom, as your guide, you'll give birth to your highest self through self-care.  Book Excellence Awards Finalist IPPY Living Now Bronze Medal Read more posts about this book HERE . A Woman's Guide to Self-Nurturing (Joanna Romer) A Woman's Guide to Self-Nurturing offers a new perspective on how to comfort yourself while bolstering self-esteem. Using Bible stories as well as creative techniques for self-nurturing, the b

  The following is an excerpt from the description and history of the Day of the Dead as written by Sula, Parish Cat at Old Mission in her book, Dia de Muertos. Los antiguos mesoamericanos, quienes comenzaron la costumbre de celebrar la vida de sus antepasados =cada año (el Día de Muertos) creían que la muerte es parte del viaje de la vida. La muerte no es mala, no es el final de la vida, sino el comienzo de una nueva vida. Nueva vida viene de la muerte, al igual que los nuevos cultivos en este valle agrícola en el que se encuentra la ciudad de San Juan Bautista surgen cada año para que nuestros maravillosos trabajadores agrícolas cosechen en beneficio no solo de nuestra ciudad, valle y estado, sino también para muchas personas en muchos estados de los Estados Unidos donde nuestro producto se envía todos los días. Tal vez esta interpretación de la muerte—de que sea parte de un ciclo de nacimiento y renacimiento, es la razón por la cual San Francisco se refirió a la muerte como “Herma

  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 .

  Check out page 24 of the January issue of the  Mission Village Voice , where Sula's grave is announced as Headstone of the Month. (Just flipping the pages is found - great Internet tech set-up.) As the article says, Sula ministered to the parish at Old Mission San Juan Bautista for 15 years, arriving there apparently Heaven-sent when she was two years old from no one knows where. The "author" of 7 books and the subject of (inter)national articles, she was always a stop on the Mission tour, where she never failed to give visitors her love. Since she passed over the rainbow bridge in August, her grave site in the Mission gardens beside her beloved St. Francis statue has become a stopping place for parishioners and visitors honoring her years of support to this community. For more posts about Sula, click HERE . For more Caturday posts, click HERE . Sign up for the MSI Press LLC newsletter Follow MSI Press on  Twitter ,  Face Book , and  Instagram .   Interested in publishi

  Sula, parish cat at Old Mission San Juan Bautista and prolific MSI Press LLC author, has her own youtube series, the Sula Diaries. Listen to one of the diaries HERE Read more posts about Sula, her battle with cancer, and her books HERE . Sign up for the MSI Press LLC newsletter.

  Excerpt from Surviving Cancer, Healing People  by Sula -  One of Fr. Jerry’s homilies was so very interesting that I had to get up out of the pew and go down and listen to him. He was talking about the animals and what they brought to the baby Jesus. He talked about what the donkeys brought and what the camels brought and what the sheep brought and what lots of other kinds of animals brought. That homily interested me much more than any other homily I had heard from Fr. Jerry although all his homilies are good. All the people who take care of me agree, which is almost everyone when you count all the people who love and pet me. But, he did not say anything about what the cats brought! That made me very curious. I wanted to know what the cats brought. I wanted to hear more of the homily. I wanted to hear it clearly. I really wanted to hear what the cats had brought to Baby Jesus. So, I walked up to where Fr. Jerry was standing and talking and sat down in front of him, eager to hi