Patricia Vaccarino

Freedom Spent

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When I was in college, a professor suggested that I read Freedom Spent by the legal writer Richard Harris. Freedom Spent was a narrative of three case studies in which Americans lost their civil liberties during legal proceedings that adhered to the letter of the law, or abided by a strict constructionist (narrow) interpretation of the law that disregarded the gravitas and prevailing spirit of the U.S. Constitution.  I lent Freedom Spent to so many friends that eventually I lost track of it and fear it is no longer in my library. 

Today, I am more convinced than ever that America has the most amazing...

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Latest Posts in Patricia Vaccarino

NOTES FROM THE WORKING CLASS: The Third Candle

Katherine Sheedy attended noon mass every day at St. Mary’s Church in Yonkers. Going to church was more than a religious rite. It was how she expressed herself—Irish Catholic, good natured and kind, except when she was vexed by something she did not understand. And she did not understand me, her rebellious granddaughter, the third in line.


St. Mary’s Church: For Whom the Bell Tolls

St. Mary’s Church (The Church of the Immaculate Conception) is the oldest Roman Catholic parish in the city of Yonkers. More than an ordinary church, St. Mary’s is often called the "Cathedral of the Hudson River Valley." And for good reason. Humble but elegant, the church is larger and grander than any other Catholic church in Yonkers. But right now the church is under wraps and slated to close its door on July 1, 2024. 

 


March 2024 Magazine

This month  Barbara Lloyd McMichael writes about a young woman, Raihab Baig, who has taken her passion for exploring healthy beverages to create a thriving business. Nick Licata’s analysis of the Middle East succinctly places the current Gaza Conflict within a historical context. In How NOT to Read the News, Patricia Vaccarino writes about how we can get a reality check to tell what is real from what is not. As always, Time Marches On! Happy March! 

 


Women Believe

My granddaughter Quinn was born on November 4, 2023. Quinn’s birth made me twice the Nonna that I used to be. (My grandson Wyatt was born November 25, 2021.) Becoming a Nonna (Grandma in Italian), made me embrace the fragile complexity of life that is especially evident in these tender children. As a Nonna, a writer, and a giver of life, I can help to make a better world, that ultimately benefits all children. So, I came up with a list of simple beliefs that #Women Believe.


NOTES FROM THE ROAD: Listen to This...

This past November, I was traveling from Denver, making a connection from Salt Lake City to Portland. While I waited for my flight to Portland, an older man sat next to me and started a conversation. I put down my New Yorker and listened to him.