I’m grateful to have come across Kari’s kind correspondence in a file this evening.
Dear Mark,
I just wanted to drop you a note to thank you for taking the time to write The Book of Mev. It’s one of the best books that I’ve read in a very long time (and I read a lot of good books). I really appreciated the way that you pulled in the relationship that the two of you had together as well as what was going on globally.
Of all things, it brought back a lot of fond memories for me. I was at the World Youth Day in Denver (though prior to reading your book, I hadn’t realized that Mev was one of the MCs for the event). I’d also served for a year in social ministry/parish nursing at the College Church in St. Louis in ’98-’99 through the Jesuit Volunteer Corps. It was during that year that I read Mev’s & John Kavanaugh’s book, Faces of Poverty, Faces of Christ, as well as going to my first SOA protest at Ft. Benning. I understand from your book that you were there, too! I do vaguely remember meeting you while I was in St. Louis, but I can’t remember the exact circumstances—was it at a Tuesday night Mass at the Catholic Worker house? Was it at St. Cronan’s? Was it at a death penalty vigil? I can’t remember…
Anyhow, after that year, I ended up entering the Sisters of St. Joseph in Baden, PA & am currently serving in Nicaragua. (Prior to coming here, I did some training at Maryknoll, so I had fun reading about your time there as well.) There are actually quite a few young folks from the U.S. here through different organizations—Jesuit Volunteer Corps, Capuchin Corps, Mennonite Central Committee, Volunteer Missionary Movement, etc. There are currently 2 copies of your book in circulation among us. (There were 3, but one of them was stolen at gunpoint—that’s how badly some people want to read your book, I suppose!) I think it’s fair to say that despite making us cry as we read it, we’re all thoroughly enjoying The Book of Mev.
Thank you again for opening your life to all of us. Please know that you’re in our thoughts & prayers. Qué Dios le bendiga!
Kari Pohl, CSJ
July 30, 2012
