Cry Oneness

by Joe Avalos

Read “I Would Have Probably Been Dead” by Marc Massery. (June 15, 2020)

INTERVIEWS

“I Thought You’d Like to Know This, Too” interview of Joe Avalos on WCAT Radio by Michael Horn on March 14, 2018.

Listen to “Special Guest Host, Michael Horn, interviews Joe Avalos, author of Cry Oneness (En Route Books and Media, 2017)” on Spreaker. Joe’s Cry Oneness Program where he talks about his book Cry Oneness with Bob Olson on July 26, 2017. Listen to “Episode 28: Cry Oneness (July 26, 2017)” on Spreaker.

TESTIMONIALS

Joe’s new book Cry Oneness is a very captivating and well-written journal of how God has led Joe into a closer walk with Him over the past 15 years. Joe’s book easily convinces us all of God’s love for each one of us. Once I began to read it, I could not put it down. – Tony Coscia, author of Tony’s 50,000 Co-incidence Miracles

Joe’s book, Cry Oneness, shows that each person’s life is imbued with God’s graces and miracles. Joe has a special gift for sharing those through poetry and witnesses. As you read this book, you will become more open to God’s Graces and miracles. – Fr. Bill McCarthy, MSA, of My Father’s House in Moodus, CT

Joseph Avalos has written a truly inspirational book. Besides its being a fascinating read, I believe it will help those who are fighting battles with alcohol and drugs, as well as fighting spiritual battles. Its message of gratitude to God is one that can be of tremendous value to all people. – Grayson Hugh, Music Artist, Graysonhugh.net (check out his music store at graysonhughstore.net)

“Cry Oneness is a book of poems and locutions that speak to the spiritual benefit of self-examination and of questioning the values we hold dear. Just maybe the divisive messages that the media pounds away on the airwaves occupies our minds more on problems of the world and less on the solutions. Cry Oneness brings our thoughts and prayers to bear on the purpose of unity and the desire to love others unconditionally. The operative solution aimed at this purpose is love, mercy and trust…which is God Himself. This message is brought home in the 65 or so poems that Joseph Avalos was inspired to put on paper and to music. The rhythm and words blend in a way that warms the heart. How does a fireman whose training was for a medic…not English literature or music come to write so superbly? Read this book and decide for yourself.” – Fred Wellborn, Catholic Evangelist

INSPIRATIONS

See one of Joe’s Inspirations. Immaculee Ilibagiza’s latest book is available here.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Joe Avalos is a 70-year-old retired fire rescue lieutenant who grew up in Stamford, Ct. 

During his 21-year career, he specialized in public education and was Fema Certified to develop community fire safety programs. He also served as media relations coordinator for his department, where he appeared on both local and national media networks. 

In 1999, Joe coordinated a international Babe Ruth World Series with 750 volunteers that raised over 100 k for youth sports in Stamford. 

Today, he lives in Stamford and has hosted his own radio show “Cry Oneness,” available online at WCAT Radio.

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Diamonds in the Rough: Homilies and Reflections on the Mystery of Suffering

Sister Paula J. Miller, FSE, Editor

TESTIMONIALS

These reflections on John Paul II’s Gospel of Suffering by lay theology students and transitional deacons are pastorally-wise and theologically-rich. They shed light on the age-old question of the meaning of human suffering. With lively examples from daily life, they guide the reader to embrace the redemptive value of suffering in union with Christ for the sake of his Body, the Church. – Archbishop J. Michael Miller, CSB, Archdiocese of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

I am grateful to the Fourth Theologians of St Vincent de Paul Regional Seminary who have shared with us their brief and deep theological reflections on human suffering. The reader will be surprised to find such wisdom in the homilies of these young men (and the reflections of two women in the class) on a reality that relates to us all. – Most Reverend Felipe J. Estévez, S.T.D., Bishop of the Diocese of St. Augustine, Chairman of the Seminary’s Board of Trustees

This collection of heartfelt and thoughtful homilies and reflections by our soon-to-be graduates offers the reader brief yet deeply theological insights into the perennial problem of suffering. I am very proud of the work they have done, and I look forward to witnessing their efficacious pastoral ministry in the years to come. – Msgr. David L. Toups, President-Rector, St. Vincent de Paul Regional Seminary, Boynton Beach, FL

I join diverse readers who will mine gems of hope in the midst of suffering from Diamonds in the Rough.  As a nurse, it adds another viable tool to my arsenal of empathetic care-giving for patients who suffer. As a wife, it has granted me retrospective reassurance about my beloved husband’s grave suffering for months last year following invasive surgery. And as a patient myself many times over, it has helped me understand suffering as a source of hope in communion with Christ’s own suffering. We need not consider suffering the end product. Diamonds in the Rough encourages our acceptance of the mystery of suffering, inviting those who suffer to become participants in God’s redemptive love. – Diane Haight, RN, BIS, MA

This set of Homilies on the Theology of Suffering based upon Salvifici Doloris, prepared by students of the medical ethics course at Saint Vincent de Paul Regional Seminary, is a sign of pastoral commitment to the suffering world we are called to serve. This book will be a wonderful resource for the ministry of preaching to the people of God who face challenging situations where it is difficult to discover the provident presence of our Good God. – Fr. Jaime E. Robledo, PSS, formation adviser, spiritual director and moral theologian at St. Patrick’s Seminary and University, Menlo Park, California

ABOUT THE EDITOR

Sister Paula Jean Miller, FSE, is Professor of Moral and Historical Theology at St. Vincent de Paul Regional Seminary in Boynton Beach, Florida.

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Escaping Anxiety: Along the Road to Spiritual Joy

by Albert E. Hughes and Ronda Chervin

REVIEWS

Keary, James. (2019, March 30) “Chervin shares her honest stories of anxiety, finding joy.” Arkansas Catholic. To read the review, click here.

TESTIMONIALS

With anxiety and its distressing manifestations (ie: muscle tension, headaches, panic attacks, insomnia) at nearly epidemic levels, what could be more timely than a book that helps the reader move beyond this all too common anxious state which, as Alex Williams points out in his June 10, 2017, New York Times article: An Anxious Nation; “is starting to seem like a sociological condition, too: a shared cultural experience.” Escaping Anxiety, a new book by Dr. Ronda Chervin, Ph.D., and Albert E. Hughes, Lt Colonel USAF, M.S., M.P.M., not only shows the reader that it is in fact possible to put anxiety “in the rear view mirror,” but it will also help the reader to move… along the road to spiritual joy… which is the subtitle of the book. For me, the real “take-away” message of this remarkable and rare piece of spiritual writing was the powerful, therapeutic value of authentic love. Why did these courageous authors make themselves vulnerable by sharing this intimate process of spiritual growth? For Love! Why did Dr. Chervin initiate this dynamic exchange in the first place and then continue to push forward into spiritual growth and liberation… despite the difficulties of what was, very often, a rigorous “uphill” climb? For Love! Read this book… it will draw you into the mystery of how God is at work in our times and in our hearts! – Fr. Lawrence E. Tucker, SOLT, Author of To Whom The Heart Decided To Love; Adventures In The Father’s Joy; The Prayer Of Jesus Crucified.

There are no coincidences with God! I was in the process of having a dental procedure and was feeling extreme anxiety and a friend shared that they had just read Escaping Anxiety. I had some some preconceptions about the book based on the title and to my surprise, through the insightful sharing of Ronda Chervin, one of the co-authors, found otherwise. I was able to have empathy for Ronda as her life story hit a similar “bitter root judgment” as mine even though our life circumstances were different. Don’t be surprised if after reading this book, that you, too have the “aha” moment! – Kathy Bolanowski, Ed.D.

“Your book is very refreshing.  It is filled with honesty and the deep metaphors that touch life at its core.” – Robert Sizemore, Sociology Professor, Therapist, Spiritual Director and Author of The Franciscan Desert Pack

“I found Escaping Anxiety Along the Road to Spiritual Joy constructive and enriching.  Both Al, as spiritual director, and Ronda, as directee, exhibit great honesty, humility, and openness to the reader.  I actually applied some of the personal reflections at chapters’ end to my own life.  This dynamic is potentially helpful for both counseling and spiritual direction.” – Marti Armstrong M.S., Counselor, Dedicated Widow, Happy Mother and Grandmother

“Who among us suffers no ills, no shortcomings, no inadequacies, no deficiencies? Traumas, shocks, ordeals, trials and tribulations—they all take a toll, leaving behind deep-seated but often hidden wounds. If left unattended, they manifest in various ways such as anger or anxiety. The question is not whether there is need for recovery, but when or if we will pursue it. In this book, Dr. Ronda Chervin and her Spiritual Director Albert Hughes walk their readers through the healing process in real time. It takes effort, commitment, resolve, and patience. But, there is reward for those who persevere. In addition, definitions and philosophical reflections are interspersed along the way, offering many insights as well as the hope of realizing spiritual joy as the title promises.” – Dr. Jeffrey L. Romine, author of Knowledge Unto Relationship: A Biblical Destiny

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

Albert E. Hughes (Pastoral Counselor and Spiritual Director) and Ronda Chervin, Ph.D. (Professor Emerita of Holy Apostles College and Seminary, Catholic Writer, and Media Presenter, pictured here below)

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Weeping with Jesus: The Journey from Grief to Hope

by Dr. Ronda Chervin

TESTIMONIALS

My grief was intense. I read the manuscript of Weeping with Jesus and it gave me what I need to have hope in the midst of my tears. The book showed me how to lift up my husband’s soul into the arms of Christ and surround him with heavenly angels. – Dorothy Scalise, Parish Prayer Warrior, St. Charles Borromeo Church, North Carolina

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Ronda Chervin has a Ph.D. in philosophy from Fordham University and an M.A. in Religious Studies from Notre Dame Apostolic Institute. She is a convert to the Catholic faith from a Jewish but atheistic background. She has been a professor at Loyola Marymount University, St. John’s Seminary of the Los Angeles Archdiocese, Franciscan University of Steubenville, Our Lady of Corpus Christi, and presently teaches at Holy Apostles College and Seminary in Connecticut.

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