Hello everybody. Both of our book groups will be starting new books in the upcoming months, and we hope that you will be able to read them and join us.

The Papal reading group “Poperies” (still love that name) just finished up Pope Francis’ book “Heaven and Earth” and now for the Christmas season is reading Pope Benedict’s “Jesus of Nazareth: the Infancy Narratives,” published in 2012 by Image Books. A shorter read (132 pages) than his other books on Jesus, the book focuses on the Gospel accounts of Jesus’ life as a child. The group looked at it in two parts – it met Tuesday, Dec. 3 and will meet again at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 17. “Poperies” meets the first and third Tuesday of every month. If December is too hectic for you, in January the group will start reading “Memory and Identity: Conversations at the Dawn of a Millennium” by Pope John Paul II. Please join the group. If you have any questions you can email Clara Kimani at clarameghan@gmail.com.

Our Salzmann Selections book group is going to be reading “Fluent in Faith: the gift of Mary McCormick” by Donald Mueller and Jacqueline Hansen Maggiore. Mary McCormick was a local Milwaukee woman who, in 1968, at the age of 56, moved to Latin America as a lay missionary. It was supposed to be for one year; she stayed until 1994. The group will meet on Thursday, Jan. 30 starting at 6:30 p.m. and, as this is another shorter book (181 pages), you will have plenty of time to read it and come join us. As well, we are happy to say that one of the authors, Jacqueline Maggiore, will be joining us for the discussion. She came once before to the Salzmann Selections reading group, when they read “Vessels of Clay,” and having her insight and commentary makes the reading group extra special. Please join us, even if you do not find time to read the book.

One final note, I want to say thank you to the parishes that allowed me to come and speak to their parishioners these past two months. It was a great experience for me – talking in front of the congregations, as well as meeting many new people after Mass. We gave a lot of library cards out to new patrons, and hopefully word-of-mouth about the Salzmann Library will continue to spread. If a parish would like me to come and speak, beginning in January, I will be available and would love to come and speak.

As always, if you have any ideas and comments for things I could change, please let me know. If you have any books that you have read or have read the books I mention, please leave a comment. We here at Salzmann also want to know what people are reading. Comments are always appreciated – anything I can do to make this better I will strive my best to accomplish.

Here is some basic information about the library:
• Our standard hours are Tuesdays, Thursdays, 12 to 8 p.m.; Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. 
• Our address is 3257 S. Lake Dr., St. Francis, WI 53235, right next to Henni Hall, due west of the South Parking Lot. 
• The library’s phone number is (414) 747-6479. If you would like to contact me through email, it is mschrauth@sfs.edu.
• There is free Wi-Fi available. • “Like” us on Facebook – Salzmann Library.