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Kimberly Hartman has been eagerly planning her June wedding for months now and after searching through typical father-daughter wedding songs, she and her parents decided on Heartland’s “I loved her first.” It is tradition for the father of the bride to dance with his daughter on her wedding day. This is the last dance that a father and daughter will share before she starts her life and her dances with her new husband. Ms. Hartman said she chose the song because they believe it fits her perfectly.

Dr. Barbara Ensor is hooked on Sudoku, the challenging 9-by-9 grid Japanese brainteaser seemingly everywhere lately in print and online. The challenge of Sudoku is that a number between one and nine can appear only once on each row, in each column and on each 3-by-3 area. The doctor realizes the puzzle is a way to exercise her brain. “That is one simple little thing that takes 5-10 minutes out of your day,” said Dr. Ensor, part of Stella Maris’ medical staff and in private practice. Although the line of reasoning required to solve the puzzle may be complex, there is nothing difficult about understanding that the brain benefits from exercise.

Without mention of the soul, the Merriam-Webster dictionary describes a “soul mate” as “a person who is perfectly suited to another in temperament; a person who strongly resembles another in attitudes or beliefs.” Monsignor Jeremiah F. Kenney, judicial vicar, agrees that the soul is not involved. “The Church has no position on the term if it is used in this way. It does not mean people are ‘connected’ by their immortal souls.” Rather, he said, the term is more of a local concept for the closest of friends who share the same likes and dislikes. “It does mean that two people are so close as to share the same views on almost everything life sends their way.”

Mary Ann Leard learned how to lay laminate flooring by attending clinics at Home Depot on Saturday mornings. She attended to learn the skill, not to meet someone; however, Ms. Leard said that’s one good way for singles to meet people. “It takes the focus off yourself,” said the single 60-year-old president of the archdiocese’s Catholic Single Again Council (www.singleagain.itgo.com), the umbrella of parish Single Again groups. “The focus is on doing something.”

WASHINGTON (CNS) — Rich Halvorson is counting on 10 million Americans to fast with him Ash Wednesday, Feb. 21, and to donate the money they would have spent on food to what he terms “highly efficient” charities. Mr. Halvorson, a 25-year-old Catholic from Boise, Idaho, believes the donations could reach $50 million. The charities he’s contacted are themselves willing to match funds donated to accomplish specific projects. The Ash Wednesday program is called Global Fast ‘07 — because Mr. Halvorson expects there to be a Global Fast ‘08 next year.

OTTAWA (CNS) — Pro-marriage and Catholic groups have called for a federal government study after the Court of Appeal for Ontario recognized three parents for a child living with a lesbian couple.

Beatification bound Or, “Roamin’ to Rome” ORTE, Italy – Coming from Kentucky and Tennessee, Florida and Ohio, Maryland and Virginia, Delaware and Pennsylvania, a group of 50 pilgrims from the eastern United States gathered in Rome to join hundreds of thousands of others expected to witness the beatification of Karol Wojtyla, Pope John Paul II. […]

I asked the priests in the group to share their some of their reflections on the pilgrimage. Here’s one from Father Martin Burnham. – CG