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Book of the Week: Saints I Know

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About the Book As Sula walks through her Mission home, she meets more than a dozen saints, In Saints I Know , she shares them with anyone who has an interest.  Saints I Know depicts the lives of 21 saints in both their imperfection and perfection--chosen based on the relationship to a Franciscan Mission, Old iMission San Juan Bautista and, told through the eyes of the Mission's cat. The sections of the book include saints related to the founding of the Mission (St. Francis, St. John the Baptist, and St. Juniper Serra), the Holy parents (Mary and Joseph), saints whose statues are behind the altar in the Mission, patron saints of animals, patron saints of children, and the favorite saints of the parish priest. In a final section, she gives some thought, as well, to future saints. Book Endorsement Pending Review of the Book This is a brand-new book so Sula is still waiting for reviews. Want to write one in exchange for a free copy of the book? Send a note to editor@msipress

Excerpt from Christmas at the Mission (Sula): "The Twelve Days of Christmas"

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Sula, the parish cat at Old Mission San Juan Bautista, is quite a famous cat. Google her, and you will find lots of pictures and references. She has appeared as the lead article in Guideposts Magazine and in A ll Creatures Magazine -- and she has written six books of her own, including one in Spanish. The excerpt below is from one of her earlier books, a beloved one that was illustrated by the late Zhenya Yanovich, a Russian artist of growing esteem. The 12 Days of Christmas The twelve days of Christmas refer to the period extending from Christmas to Epiphany. The song you just read and maybe even sang in your head is well known both to Catholics and to those not in the Church. It is a secular tribute to something sacred, but many people do not know the sacred part. Do you know that there are three feasts during the 12 days of Christmas? They date from the fifth century and all focus on the incarnation of the Word of God (Christ) as the baby Jesus, human like us—well, like

Author in the News: Sula the Cat Featured on KSBW

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  MSI Press authors, Sula Parish Cat and Shenan (CB) Leaver, at Old Mission San Juan Bautista Gift Shop office Sula, Parish Cat at Old Mission, has written seven books, the most recent one, Sula and the Franciscan Sisters , released this month. Today, KSBW in Salinas, California featured Sula, her passing, and parishioner response -- along with quite a surprise at the first Mass after her passing. Listen to it HERE . For more posts about Sula and her books, click HERE For posts about Shenan and his book, click HERE .                                    Sign up for the MSI Press LLC newsletter                           Follow MSI Press on  Twitter ,  Face Book , and  Instagram .

Daily Excerpt: Tale of a Mission Cat (Sula) - About Me and My Predecessors

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  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 Mission. I also like my avocat

From the Facebook and Internet Pages of Sula, the Parish Cat -- and MSI Press Author

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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 Gentry, my care pro

Sula and Cancer: A Personal Matter

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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

Update on Sula, Parish Cat at Old Mission and Her Struggles with Cancer

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  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

Suggested Books for Christmas Gifts

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  Here are our suggestions for Christmas book giving: Sula the Cat does it again! Sula, parish cat at Old Mission San Juan Bautista, is a cat with a special mission: to comfort people in need. Every morning, she spends time with St. Francis, patron saint of animals, and receives guidance for the day. During Masses, led by the Holy Spirit, she seeks out whomever God wants her to comfort, and they report that she brings comfort, indeed. In her spare time, she writes books. This time, she is writing about Christmas traditions and how she experiences them as a parish cat. Ever wonder where our various Christmas customs come from? Sula tells you about the history and the customs today, both mainstream American Catholic and Mexican American Catholic customs since both are part of her parish in California. Charmingly illustrated with an Eastern flavor by Russian artist, Zhenya Yanovich. Read excerpts HERE . Purchase the book HERE . People are often at a loss to find the right words to say in

It's Caturday--and It's Sula, with a Couple of Christmas Pictures and More

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(Christmas photo by Lovejoy Studios, Hollister, CA; originally published in The Hollister Freelance )  This Caturday, we are sharing some new pictures of Sula, parish cat at Old Mission San Juan Bautista, who has earned Internet fame and written six books (one in Spanish) and two more proposed. For today, though, thought it might be fun just to share some pictures of the author herself, as she has appeared in various interviews and stories over the years. Photo by Klimek, for Guideposts Magazine. More from that article can be found HERE . Portrait by Kat, cat artist in New York City. Drawing of Sula by Stacy Gentry, photographer and Old Mission Gift Shop manager--and overseer of Sula's care and caregivers. And the newspaper article with the photo above. And another newspaper article : "Cat's Story Is a Tale of Hope" ( The Hollister Freelancer ; photo by Nick Lovejoy). And yet another article , "Sula the Cat Is on a Mission in San Juan" ( The Gilroy Dispatch

MSI Press Author, Sula, Parish Cat at Old Mission Is Beating Cancer for the SIXTH Time!

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  Sula, well known across the Internet for the general sharing of her story by Guideposts , All Creatures , and others, is listed on every Sunday bulletin of Old Mission San Juan Bautista .  Sula has survived five bouts of cancer, written a book about it ( Surviving Cancer, Healing People: One Cat's Story ). When she entered remission after her fifth bout and concurrent with closure of the Mission gift shop, her home, because of covid regulations, Sula, now 14 years ago, went into retirement, living with a parish couple that has taken care of her whenever she needed to recuperate for years. Now, she comes to the church on Sundays to be with the parishioners and lend them support as she always has. Sula's first cancer is skin cancer. The first bout required clipping her ears. The second bout required removing her ears. She remains in remission from skin cancer. Sula's second cancer was carcinoma at the injection site of a vaccination (her hip). The first time required surgi

Sula Parish Cat Has Waterfront Property Thanks to California Storms

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  Gee whiz, after all the rain, Sula now has waterfront property! (For those who do not live in California, over the last couple of drought-killing months, we have not only filled our previously nearly empty reservoirs but have so much water to spare that many people like me have nature-made swimming pools in the backyard and a house, not designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, with a river running through it.) Not to be left out, Old Mission San Juan Bautista's famous parish cat (author of books, subject of online stories), who passed last August after 17 years of dedicated service to the parish and is buried in the Mission gardens near her beloved status of St. Francis, now also has a pond for reflection. For Sula's story on this blog, including posts about Sula and her books, click HERE . For Sula's story on the Internet, including the first publication about her in Guideposts Magazine , click HERE . For more Caturday posts, click HERE . Follow Sula's life, death, and afterl

The Miracle of Sula

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  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. 

Introducing Sula, MSI Press Author

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  Sula is a very unusual cat. She is the parish cat for Old Mission San Juan Bautista and, beyond being beloved by the people of the parish who see her at Mass every day and have paid for three cancer surgeries through collections (a fourth surgery was provided gratis by the vet, Dr. Theresa Arteaga of the Animal Cancer Center of Monterey), she has garnered some national attention for her miraculous understanding of who needs comfort and joy -- and uncannily offering it to them at just the right time. Her story appeared in G uideposts Magazine in December 2015, and in All Creatures in Novermber-December 2017. She has also written 6 books, with the help of some of the parishioners at Old Mission SJB. The first book, which has garnered some fame, including totally selling out during the first hour of a Barnes & Noble book launch event, is called Surviving Cancer, Helping People: One Cat's Story. It is recommended by US Review of Books, and was selected as a Reviewers' Choic

MSI Press Author, Sula Parish Cat at Old Mission, Has a New Facebook Page Picture -- and It Is Very Nice

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  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 .

Introducing Zhenya Yanovich, Illustrator of Christmas at the Mission by Sula Parish Cat

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  Zhenya illustrated several of MSI Press’s books. He has drawn covers, as well accomplished as inside illustrations. He illustrated Jeremy Feig’s book,  How My Cat Made Me a Better Man , which placed as finalist in the 2017 Book of the Year Awards. And right now, it is the season for another book he illustrated, Christmas at the Mission by Sula, Parish Cat at Old Mission. Unfortunately, Zhenya passed away at too young an age while already becoming a well-known artist in the US and Russia. Fortunately, his illustrations for MSI Press can be enjoyed in the books he illustrated for us. You can view information about them  HERE . MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Excerpt from Surviving Cancer, Healing People: One Cat's Story (Sula): I Am Not Alone

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  Photo by Kaleena Scargill Some of the people who form a big part of my mission [taking emotional/spiritual care of the parishioners at Old Mission San Juan Bautista] struggle with cancer. I do understand them—their fears, their pain, their sometimes-sadness. I feel those things, too, at least as much as a cat can feel. I know that God made humans to have even deeper feelings and a greater range of feelings, and I am glad that some of those feelings include loving animals because it is through that love that I can connect with them and bring them the message of God’s love. I have to tell you about one of my special friends, Loryn. She understands me because she had cancer, and I understand her because I had cancer—the same way Cody and I understand, support, and love each other. Maybe it is better if I am not the one to tell her story, though. Maybe she should tell her own story. I think you will find it more interesting that way. So, here is what she wrote for my book about her exper