Father Lance W. Harlow
Oct 31, 20222 min read
A Would-Be Entrepreneur, But Not Enough Time
Are you an entrepreneur with a passion for charity? I have a passion for charity, but I am not a good entrepreneur--most likely because...
1 comment
Father Lance W. Harlow
Oct 24, 20221 min read
All the leaves are brown and the sky is grey
If you are of a certain era, you will remember this opening by the Mamas and the Papas: California Dreamin'. But, if you live in...
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Father Lance W. Harlow
Sep 26, 20222 min read
It's Back-to-School Time!
(By guest blogger, Laura Duquette) A new school year and a new start! Every year as the new school year would approach, I remember...
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Father Lance W. Harlow
Sep 12, 20222 min read
How is your Speling?
Yes, I know the title is spelled incorrectly. I hope it caught your attention! This year I am teaching a religion class to 5th and 6th...
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Father Lance W. Harlow
Aug 28, 20222 min read
Are You a Day Dreamer?
If you watch YouTube, you can find many entrepreneurs giving advice about how to be successful. Some of them are very interesting and...
2 comments
Father Lance W. Harlow
Aug 17, 20222 min read
The Times They Are A Changin'
Have you ever had the experience of going back to your school as an adult and thinking to yourself, "It all seemed so much larger when I...
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Father Lance W. Harlow
Aug 1, 20222 min read
Dirty Laundry
The other day I had a young man visiting my house who had just arrived from a recent trip back to Vermont. He's staying at my house until...
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Father Lance W. Harlow
Jul 27, 20222 min read
What Do You Want to be When You Grow Up?
(By guest blogger, Laura Duquette) What do you want to be when you grow up? I remember when relatives would ask me this question when I...
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Father Lance W. Harlow
May 20, 20222 min read
Moving Can Be Tough On Kids
What makes a house a home? Anyone who has moved knows that moving into a new house doesn't always seem like home for a while. It helps to...
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Father Lance W. Harlow
May 8, 20221 min read
Homecomings
This time of year many alumni of the Kurn Hattin Homes for Children return to visit. Some have come to attend graduation. Some are on...
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Father Lance W. Harlow
Apr 24, 20222 min read
One Foot in Front of the Other
(By guest blogger, Laura Duquette) Have you ever been through a difficult time where it seemed no matter which way you turned, some...
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Father Lance W. Harlow
Apr 11, 20222 min read
You Have to be Ready to Run
I didn't know why the little boy always carried his backpack with him. It was stuffed to the hilt. And, so, one day I asked him if he...
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Father Lance W. Harlow
Apr 6, 20222 min read
Mirror, mirror on the wall...
I recently had to paint a self-portrait along with some other teacher colleagues for an art project on behalf of our school. It was an...
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Father Lance W. Harlow
Mar 28, 20222 min read
Roommates
Have you ever had a college roommate? If so, then you surely have plenty of stories to tell from that experience: some good, some bad. ...
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Father Lance W. Harlow
Mar 20, 20222 min read
Be a Light!
(By guest blogger, Laura Duquette) I always like this time of year. It’s still chilly some days and most nights, everything is colorless,...
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Father Lance W. Harlow
Mar 13, 20222 min read
Homesickness
Years ago, I was a summer camp counselor for a residential summer camp. Campers stayed for two weeks at a time for three sessions. Some...
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Father Lance W. Harlow
Mar 6, 20222 min read
Dear Mother
I was speaking with a man this week whose brother and he have established a scholarship to their alma mater in honor of their parents. It...
2 comments
Father Lance W. Harlow
Mar 1, 20222 min read
St Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle...
The St. Michael Prayer is prayed by thousands of Catholic people every day around the world. No doubt thousands of Ukrainian Catholics...
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Father Lance W. Harlow
Feb 22, 20222 min read
How Can I Keep from Singing?
(Guest blogger, Laura Duquette) What gives you joy in life? Recently I heard a hymn at church that always leaves me humming. It’s...
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Father Lance W. Harlow
Feb 16, 20222 min read
Cabin Fever
Fundraising this time of year is hard. It's cold and overcast almost every day in Vermont. Many of us are suffering from "cabin fever." ...
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Father Lance W. Harlow
Jan 31, 20222 min read
Is There Anybody in the Audience for Me?
There is a loneliness that accompanies poverty. That loneliness seeks community and it seeks family. One notices it especially with...
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Father Lance W. Harlow
Jan 23, 20222 min read
Snowflakes
(By guest blogger, Laura Duquette) Looking out the window this time of year, the landscape looks like a big, white blanket. It’s hard to...
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Father Lance W. Harlow
Jan 17, 20222 min read
A Cinderella Story?
I received in the mail this week some touching thank-you cards from the boys and girls at the Kurn Hattin Homes for Children. The St....
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Father Lance W. Harlow
Jan 10, 20222 min read
No More Procrastination!
I was talking today with my 7th and 8th graders at Good Shepherd Catholic School where I teach part-time. At the very end of class, I...
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Father Lance W. Harlow
Jan 2, 20222 min read
You Won't Need a Camel For This Trip
Today is the Feast of the Epiphany recorded in the Gospel of Matthew which describes the Magi who follow the star until they find the...
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Father Lance W. Harlow
Dec 26, 20212 min read
Celebrating the 100th Blog
Today is the Feast of the Holy Family. It always occurs on the Sunday following Christmas. This year, the two feasts are back-to-back...
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Father Lance W. Harlow
Dec 20, 20212 min read
Making Christmas Memories
(by guest blogger, Laura Duquette) Growing up I remember vividly that after spending a fun Christmas Eve with family, there was nothing I...
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Father Lance W. Harlow
Dec 16, 20212 min read
The Hard Pavement
"Cet enfant ne se sentait jamais si bien que dans la rue. Le pavé lui était moins dur que le coeur de sa mère." In case your French is a...
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Father Lance W. Harlow
Dec 5, 20212 min read
On The Road Again
The St. Nicholas Project is traveling to two different Catholic schools in Vermont for a Christmas ornament yard-sale. This week I went...
3 comments
Father Lance W. Harlow
Nov 28, 20212 min read
Donations bring big smiles
The best part of the St. Nicholas Project is that we connect donors with the Kurn Hattin Homes for Children. It's not just for an...
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Father Lance W. Harlow
Nov 22, 20212 min read
Giving Thanks
(By guest blogger, Laura Duquette). Throughout our lives we face many challenges. When we look at the world, we can see even more...
1 comment
Father Lance W. Harlow
Nov 14, 20211 min read
Thank you, Friend
I received this week some very touching thank-you cards from the boys and girls at the Kurn Hattin Homes for Children. The St. Nicholas...
1 comment
Father Lance W. Harlow
Nov 7, 20211 min read
The Christmas stockings
A few nights ago, one of my parishioners arrived at my door with some truly beautiful, handmade Christmas stockings that she had...
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Father Lance W. Harlow
Nov 1, 20212 min read
Masks
Tonight is Halloween and the streets outside my house are filled with kids in Halloween costumes. Despite the rain, they remain...
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Father Lance W. Harlow
Oct 25, 20212 min read
The Christmas Doll
There is a tear-jerking scene in Victor Hugo's Les Misérables when Jean Valjean arrives at the Thénardier's inn on Christmas Eve to...
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Father Lance W. Harlow
Oct 18, 20212 min read
Never too busy for the kids
(Guest blogger, Laura Duquette) Do you ever feel like you have a hundred things to do and realize you have no idea how you'll accomplish...
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Father Lance W. Harlow
Oct 11, 20211 min read
Charity is beautiful
Fall in Vermont is quite stunning. The leaves change color quickly and with some rare warm days in October, it's been a pleasure to be...
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Father Lance W. Harlow
Oct 3, 20212 min read
Yard Sales!!
Although the summer is over and fall is here, it's not too late to have a yard sale to support the Kurn Hattin Homes for Children. I...
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Father Lance W. Harlow
Sep 26, 20212 min read
Anticipation
(by guest blogger, Laura Duquette) Have you ever looked forward to something so much that you began to think about it daily? Maybe you...
1 comment
Father Lance W. Harlow
Aug 7, 20212 min read
God opens doors
The other day I said Mass at a Catholic retreat center in Northeastern Vermont for a group of people visiting from Rhode Island. It had...
1 comment
Father Lance W. Harlow
Jul 26, 20212 min read
Raindrops
The other night I was unexpectedly caught in a huge storm. Driving was treacherous, so I slowly made my way to the church and I parked...
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Father Lance W. Harlow
Jul 13, 20212 min read
Remember Me
One day at the Warming Shelter, one of the homeless youth gave me a small, wooden statue of an animal as a gift. I still don't know...
2 comments
Father Lance W. Harlow
Jul 4, 20212 min read
Disorientation
Our lives need stability and routine in order for us to feel comfortable and secure. When major disruptions interrupt that stability, we...
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Father Lance W. Harlow
Jun 23, 20212 min read
For It Is In Giving That We Receive
Gift-giving can be an expression of appreciation, love or esteem, and sometimes it is all these things wrapped up into one! We have all...
1 comment
Father Lance W. Harlow
Jun 6, 20212 min read
A Little Jazz is Good for You!
The Burlington Jazz Festival started the weekend of June 4, 2021 in Burlington, VT. I had the opportunity to play previously with the...
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Father Lance W. Harlow
May 30, 20212 min read
Who Inspired You This Memorial Day?
Tomorrow is Memorial Day. It's a day for remembering a lot of people who have died, especially the military men and women who gave their...
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Father Lance W. Harlow
May 23, 20212 min read
Two Deacons
The other night I was so deeply touched. We had had a Confirmation ceremony at the Cathedral of St. Joseph where I work. There had been...
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Father Lance W. Harlow
May 16, 20212 min read
Out With The Old
(Guest blog by Laura Duquette) Almost every one of us is familiar with the saying: "Out with the old, in with the new." While the...
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Father Lance W. Harlow
May 9, 20212 min read
Thankful
Sometimes we think we know what children think, but we often don't give them enough credit for having thoughts much deeper than what we...
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Father Lance W. Harlow
May 2, 20211 min read
Compassionate Donors
We have some amazing donors to The St. Nicholas Project who know from their own personal experience the importance of supporting children...
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