Good Company

FOCUS missionary Claire de Loynes made a return visit to St. Joseph on her spring break. That meant we could enjoy a brunch gathering with her at the Schieber's house. You can predict a good discussion whenever Keith is around, and we went the full circuit of current events, politics, and Church matters before turning to recently-read books. We tossed around bits from "My Grandfather's Son," the memoir of Clarence Thomas. I read the book last month, and I discovered he had attended Conception Seminary (right here in northwest Missouri!). He also worked for Missouri Senator Danforth, who later helped him during the confirmation hearings. He certainly bore the brunt of an orchestrated political nightmare, and he implicitly blames Joe Biden for lying to him! (Alison proudly noted, "We picketed Biden when he came to St. Joe!") For Clarence Thomas, the political games reached a happy ending. I wish the book would have gone beyond his confirmation. But it is clear that Thomas reveres his grandfather and values the Catholic upbringing he received when his single mother could no longer care for her two young boys. This book gave me a peek at the civil rights movement from an honest perspective, and a good lesson in trusting Providence.