Beheading of St. John the Baptist, Thu, 8-29, Maple Hill, KS

     By the help of God, I arrived here at Maple Hill yesterday at about 2:30 pm, having left Topeka at 5:45 am. The trip was about 7 hours of walking after subtracting rest stops. The trip would have taken close to 2 hours less had I been permitted to continue on the more direct route of I-70, but a patrolman stopped me at around 7:30 am and told me I'd have to get off and find the back roads. So I did.

     For the first time today I had to grab the pepper spray that I have linked to my belt loops. A large dog ran me down barking furiously.(The dog was barking furiously). But since it was an Irish setter nothing came of it and I fortunately did not have to spray him. After a few minutes we both calmed down and parted ways. I told him I'd pray for him.

     The next major destination is Wichita, but I came a little out of my way from Topeka in order to come here to Maple Hill since St. John Vianney parish here is served by priests of the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter. I knew I could attend Mass celebrated with great devotion and attention to detail, and without arbitrary additives. They themselves have been helpful to me and generous. Such simple Christian helpfulness is exaggeratedly appreciated by a pilgrim like me who owns next to nothing, knows no one, is known by none, and is held in suspicion by many. May You bless them, Lord, in their work. Blanket the earth with such Christianity!

     Tomorrow I will try to write a brief summary of my pilgrimage during the first month (since I have already been on the road for a month now). I am still getting used to the technical difficulties of blogging and of this blog site in particular. The last blog got posted accidentally before I could proofread and make some corrections. Even though I write it, I may not be able to post it, since it seems I will be traveling into a large wi-fi blackout zone for the next few days.

     Before I forget, I want to be sure to remind all who read this blog to send prayer intentions. I will continue offering all my prayers and sacrifices along the way, with every labored step I take, and at every shrine I can carry myself to, for all of your personal intentions. There is no need to describe your intentions explicitly.....God knows them. Don't worry that they've been sent late....I've already been praying from the start of my pilgrimage for all the intentions that would eventually reach me.....but they must reach me. It would be best if you could send them to my other email address since it will be used almost exclusively for this: markbyerlyao@gmail.com.

     Pax Christi.