New Orleans, April 2, 1848   Tendrils of morning fog drifted through the live oaks of St. Anthony’s Garden. Nestled behind St. Louis Cathedral's towering spires, the garden was an Old World masterpiece transplanted to the New World. Brick pathways formed a cross that met at a gurgling fountain filled with water lilies. Manicured hedges of boxwood created intimate alcoves. Magnolia trees joined the oaks overhead, their white blossoms hanging like faint ornaments in the pre-daw

1 He had not been to church since he was a kid. He had not crossed the threshold and entered sacred ground, where Jesus watched from golden crosses and the Virgin Mary lingered in the air, providing hope to the weary and the lost. When he sat down and closed his eyes, he was unaware of Reverend Mulls’ presence. He simply shut his eyes and prayed.He prayed for forgiveness. Reverend Mulls tapped him on the shoulder midway through his fifth repeated prayer. He opened his eyes

I was born wall-eyed! Well, for those of you who don’t know, wall-eyed is the opposite of being crossed-eyed.  I needed three operations to fix my eyes. I can still remember the third operation quite clearly. It happened right after my father’s construction company folded.   Since Father or Mother weren’t bringing in a paycheck, I became an “indigent” case.   Before Father had lost his company, he’d been able to afford one of the best doctors in the country and this doctor h