cover story Tom and Pat Brennan are among the nearly 21 million Americans with diabetes. Despite their physical challenges, and suggestions that they could be cured some day through the use of embryonic stem cell research, they wholeheartedly support the church’s teachings. Incurable Faith By Marybeth Hicks
	profile During her daily walks to morning. Mass, Margaret Perrone often recites the Angelus. It’s no wonder she feels a connection with Mary. Both relished the blessings of motherhood and both gracefully faced the deaths of people they loved. Through everything, neither lost faith. – Kimberly Laux A Walk by Faith By Kimberly Laux
	profile Father Joe sat down with Will Smith, one of Hollywood’s brightest stars – and a role model for young men. Read their conversation about Will’s newest movie, The Pursuit of Happyness. Will Smith: Interviewed by Father Joe By Father Joseph Krupp
	cutlure Points in heaven versus pounds on hips. Comfort foods get a makeover. Comfort Food Michelle Sessions DiFranco
	exclusive FAITH’s exclusive interview with the 10-year-old star of Charlotte’s Web. From Heffalump to Wilbur the Pig Interview by Elizabeth Solsburg
	exclusive Find out what happened to make Marybeth’s snow day a blessing in disguise, Snow day chills plansthen melts the heart By Marybeth Hicks

Incurable Faith
The Brennan Brothers battle diabetes
By Marybeth Hicks | Photography by Jim Luning

When the waitress puts the plate on the table, Patrick Brennan studies his food and silently counts carbs. Then, almost imperceptibly, he deftly uncaps his syringe, lifts his shirt and injects himself in the abdomen with insulin.

Without missing a beat in conversation, he recaps the needle, picks up a fork and digs in.

Such is the life of a diabetic.

Patrick, 21, a Michigan State University senior, and his brother Tom Brennan, III, 23, a recent MSU graduate, are among the nearly 21 million Americans with diabetes – roughly 7 percent of the country’s population. Both are Type 1 diabetics, meaning they rely on insulin shots (or in Tom’s case, an insulin pump) to survive. Only 5 percent to 10 percent of all cases of diabetes are Type 1, often referred to as “juvenile diabetes” because it typically strikes children and young adults.

In fact, Tom was diagnosed as a diabetic at the tender age of 10. “It was Thanksgiving day,” he recalls. “We were at my grandparents’ farm and I suddenly became really sick. My mom and dad took me to the hospital where we learned my blood sugar level was 775. That’s when we were told I had diabetes.”

Tom’s life – and that of his parents, Tom, Jr. and Julie, literally changed overnight. Suddenly the family had to become educated about how to manage a life-threatening disease. Diabetes is especially difficult to control in young children whose rapid growth and activity levels (not to mention the childlike propensity for sweets) require constant supervision. Even with vigilant care, they knew they would need God’s help to safeguard their young son.

Somehow, though, Tom avoided further hospitalization. While some children with diabetes routinely are readmitted with wildly fluctuating glucose levels, Tom’s parents ensured he enjoyed good health through diligent monitoring of his blood sugar levels and careful management of his diet and insulin shots.

Diabetes simply became a fact of Tom’s life. His activities didn’t change – he still played hockey and golf, did his homework and hung out in the neighborhood with his younger brother, just like other kids. “It’s just that four or five times a day, I had to check my blood, and throughout the day I’d have to get insulin shots,” he says.

Watching his brother deal with the inconvenience and discomfort of his disease gave Patrick a deep appreciation for Tom’s courage and stoicism. “Tom’s diabetes never became a huge issue,” Patrick says. “I’m sure it had more of an effect on him than I was aware because Tom is such a laid back guy in general. He rarely let others know when he was bothered with shots or checking his blood.” Through the years, Pat grew to admire his brother’s attitude in dealing with his unique burden.

Fast forward: January 2005. Tom is an MSU senior majoring in building and construction management; Patrick is a pre-law sophomore.

For the first time as an MSU student, Patrick manages to snag a ticket to sit in the lower bowl of the “Izzone” at the Breslin Center (the MSU basketball student cheering section). “I remember having to make a trip to the drinking fountain before the game and then again, desperately, at halftime. I had been drinking water by the liter during the week, but I never connected the dots. The thought that I might have diabetes never entered my mind.”

“After the game that night – a Spartan victory, of course – I met up with my brother and parents for dinner. My dad remarked that I looked unusually thin. And once Tom saw me down two glasses of water during our meal, he knew something was wrong.”

Recognizing Pat’s unusual thirst as a symptom of diabetes, Tom took Patrick to his off-campus apartment later that night to check his blood. “When my blood sugar registered over 500, Tom pricked me again just to make sure. Same result.”

The brothers broke the news to their parents, then spent the night in the hospital – a night Patrick recalls as “one of the worst of my life. All I wanted to do was get some sleep, but I spent most of the night awake in fear and in tears.”

Despite years of watching his older brother tackle the daily routine of treating diabetes, Patrick felt overwhelmed by the idea that he, too, was diabetic.

As for Tom, learning his younger brother shared the disease that had plagued him for more than 10 years finally caused him to get angry at God. “I never felt angry at God about my disease. I’ve always just accepted it as something I have to deal with. But when Pat was diagnosed I snapped a little bit.” Perhaps because he knew what Patrick would now face, perhaps because of their close friendship, Tom reacted emotionally.

But he also swept in to comfort and educate his brother at a crucial time, ultimately leaving unanswered the question, “Why?”

Tom and Patrick are hopeful that research using adult stem cells will bring about a cure for diabetes. Unfortunately, much of the emphasis in the scientific and research communities now focuses on the use of embryonic stem cells – stem cells taken from embryos for the sole purpose of generating a treatment or cure for disease.

The way the brothers see it, embryonic stem cell research represents the violation of another human life in the quest for a cure.

“People who support embryonic stem cell research don’t put a face on those cells. It’s just a science experiment, not a human person,” Patrick says.

“But how good can you feel about a cure that comes at the expense of a human life?” says Tom.

The brothers believe the ease with which many people support embryonic stem cell research is a reflection of the “abortion culture” that devalues human life in its most vulnerable, pre-born form. They also think it’s part of a mind-set that a cure is justified no matter how it is found.

Some might find it hard to believe that two young men just entering adulthood can genuinely assess the embryonic stem cell debate and come down on the side of the embryo, especially when their futures include daily doses of insulin and a lifetime of health concerns.

Yet their stalwart commitment to the sanctity of life reflects a shared faith that is mature beyond their years, with a vision beyond themselves.

“We’re human, and that means we’re not entitled to perfect health,” says Tom. “In our culture, people act as if we all have a right to be healthy or to be free from disease, but we don’t. What we’re entitled to is to make our lives and those of the people around us the best they can be.”

“And we’re entitled to our attitudes,” Patrick adds. “That’s what we’re really in control of, not the specific circumstances we face, whether it’s diabetes or some other problem.”

“Besides,” Tom says, “it’s not the length of the life you have, but what you do with it. Jesus only lived to 33 and look what he accomplished.”

Patrick also believes hardships in life, such as diabetes, are part of the process of becoming the person God intends him to be. “My most difficult moments are the ones that make me stronger and also the ones that cause me to seek out God,” he says.

Tom agrees. “We need to be strong in the face of our struggles, but we also need to just turn them over to God.”

Facing their own health challenges has given the Brennan brothers cause to turn to the church for guidance and support.

“The beauty of our Catholic faith is that we can apply it to everything in our lives. For us it’s diabetes, for other people it’s another health issue or some other kind of setback. Ever since I was a child, I understood that the church offers me guidance,” Tom says. “I’m taking it.”

Even if the use of embryonic stem cells holds some hope (a debatable point), it’s not enough to persuade Patrick and Tom to turn their backs on the church’s stand for life.

“We’re not supposed to dilute this faith for our own advantage,” Patrick says. “It would be like changing the creed to suit our own purposes. Ultimately, the question is, ‘What do you believe?’”

“For me, being a Catholic Christian is a lot like being a Spartan fan,” says Patrick. “I could never be a fair-weather fan or a fair-weather Catholic. It’s all or nothing.”

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On the verge of a cure

Medical science still can’t explain why some young people develop diabetes, or why two members of one family are afflicted. Theories abound, from viruses to heredity to environmental factors. But for years, researchers have claimed that a cure will be found for diabetes – it’s just a matter of time.

The Brennan brothers certainly would welcome such a discovery, but not at any cost.

Recently, the promise of a cure has been tied to the use of stem cells. Stem cells are the body’s repair system. Theoretically, they can divide without limit and can either remain stem cells or become other types of cells in the body, such as red blood cells or a brain cells, or perhaps pancreatic cells, potentially replacing a nonfunctioning pancreas that no longer manufactures insulin. – Fr. Charles Irvin

a walk by faith
Margaret’s daily journey with God
By Kimberly Laux | Photography by Tom Gennara

During her daily walks to 8 a.m. Mass at St. Mary Cathedral, Margaret Perrone often recites the Angelus (a morning series of three Hail Marys). It’s no wonder she feels a connection with the Blessed Virgin. Both relished the blessings of motherhood and both gracefully faced the deaths of people they loved. Yet through it all, neither lost sight of their faith.

What would you tell your younger self? My goals were pretty set as a young person – finish school and college, get married and have a family.

I graduated as valedictorian of my class at Resurrection in 1944 and entered the University of Michigan to study education and earn a teacher’s certificate. After earning my degree, I came back to teach third and fourth grade at Grand River School. My mother told me about a social club forming at St. Mary Cathedral and encouraged me to attend. That’s where I met Dominick, one of the club’s leaders. It wasn’t too long before we were a couple. He was warm and had a great sense of humor. And, you know, he was Italian and had that special charm.

We met in September, became engaged in April and were married in August. Over the next two decades, we welcomed 10 wonderful children into the world.

Throughout my life, I’ve lived by one simple guideline. Live until you die and have as much fun as you can without getting out of line. So far, I’ve had a pretty good ride.

When have you seen true wisdom? My mother was a very wise woman – she had to be. She had been widowed young and worked as a nurse. I was the oldest, followed by my sister Kate and brother Bill. In 1931, two months after my father died, my mother gave birth to a fourth child, a baby boy, who was diagnosed with Down Syndrome and died at the age of two.

Even with all her own problems, I can remember her going out to Hell’s Half Acre, between what’s now the highway and Kalamazoo Street – she went to take care of the people who lived in tar-paper shacks there.

When have you seen true justice? When Michigan won the Rose Bowl!

What is one of your defining characteristics? I thrived on responsibility. And I’m a resigned sort of person – I accept what God sends me. My mother always said that when you have setbacks, “you pick up your doll rags and move on.”

What is the most interesting thing you’ve learned about people? I’ve learned to trust in their goodness. People have been good to me – my friends, my family and my neighbors.

What has been your biggest disappointment? In 1987, I was cut loose fast. My mother, Margaret Zirbes, died in August, and my husband, Dominick (Perrone), died in November.

One day, Dominick told me he wasn’t feeling well. Then he collapsed onto a recliner in the living room. I called for my son, Tim, who was trained in medical response and still lived at home. He attempted to resuscitate his father, but Dominick had died before he hit the chair.

It was a shock, but it was a good way to go. He died at home and he was happy and active up until the end.

What gives you the greatest joy? My family and my faith. I have been blessed that my family gets along – we all live in each other’s pockets.

What question would you like God to answer? Did I do good? Not just, did I do well – but did I do good in the world?

What have you done that was good? I remember taking over the care of an elderly friend of my mother’s when my mother was incapacitated. I visited her, listened to her, took care of her finances, and finally buried her. I was honored that she trusted me.

I feel blessed to be able to go to Mass every day and on Mondays I am the lector. I was active in the Cathedral Choir from 1948 until 2005. I do proofreading for FAITH Magazine and serve on the Board of Directors. Over the years, I’ve also volunteered at the Michigan Peace Team (MPT) and the Peace Education Center. I share my home with Sister Martha Larsen, RSM, who recently traveled to Palestine with MPT.

When you get to heaven, what do you hope God will say to you? “Come on in!” And hope he says, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”

Will Smith ­ Interviewed by Father Joe
an interview about Will’s new movie The Pursuit of Happyness

Alright, let’s knock one thing off the “don’t forget to tell the readers” list right away – I know it’s spelled wrong. The reason for the intentional misspelling of the word “Happyness” in Will Smith’s new movie will become clear to you if you choose to see it, which I rather hope you do.

I saw it at a special screening in Detroit, and I gotta tell ya’, things were not good. I’d had a string of those days that can break a priest’s heart – filled with people’s viciousness to each other and the pain human selfishness causes. It was one of those days. I remember walking into the theater feeling almost heavy with the weight of it all.

I’m a movie guy, that’s for sure. I love few things more than buyin’ the popcorn and plopping down in those big, comfortable seats. This time, though, I just took my seat and waited.

Jump forward two hours and see me walking out with a smile on my face. Folks, it was just that good. When I say the movie was good, I don’t mean that the actors, writers and producers did a good job, though they did. I mean it was just good.

Since The Pursuit of Happyness is the true story of Chris Gardner, it is tempting to describe this as a rags to riches story, but it’s not. This movie can serve as a reminder of what God meant when, after creation, he said, “It is good.”

After I saw the movie, I was able to sit down with Will Smith, star of The Pursuit of Happyness. He is a charismatic, kind, passionate and polite man. The interview was a joy and, if you want to get the full flavor of Will Smith, you have to imagine that passion as you read.

Fr. Joe: This is a different role for you; not just in terms of the kind of role it is, but in your image; you grew the “dad mustache” and grayed your hair. Your career has taken you all over, character-wise. Where do you place this role in your career?

Will Smith: I connect this role with the potential of artistry. I was in South Africa, and met Nelson Mandela, and man, when you meet Nelson Mandela or Muhammad Ali – when you are even near Nelson Mandela or Ali, or even Chris Gardner, man, you want to just do something and fight in the streets and make the world better. Nelson Mandela told me a story about a time he saw The Heat of the Night with Sidney Poitier when he slapped a white man. I don’t remember the story, but it was the first time you saw a black man slap a white man on the screen. Nelson Mandela said the idea, the audacity of American film-making at that time … helped him through. The idea that there was hope, that the world was moving in a different direction. He told me that film-making was a gift I had and that I have no idea the people that will reach. This film [The Pursuit of Happyness], was the first time I was aware of the power to craft something that was close to what I think and what I feel – to create something that reflected my heart.

After discussing the possibility of this movie “humanizing the homeless”, Will moved on to a subject that was clearly close to his heart and the main focus of the movie – the relationship between a father and his son. Perhaps the most important line of the movie is one of the first you hear “I met my father for the first time when I was 28 years old. When I had children, my children were going to know who their father was.” Will commented on that:

Will Smith: To me, the idea of black fatherhood that Chris Gardner had in his heart, who he wanted to be and the lengths he was willing to go through to be that person, I would hope that would give some inspiration. Even if it’s one day, just one day to get someone through one day of keeping that idea or dream alive. With Chris Gardner, there were days he didn’t have food and that idea [of fatherhood] – that dream – is what kept him full. That idea took a little of the cold away. He was rich with this dream and with the Spirit and that just kept him going for one more day. I hope that this movie, in some small way, can help that person take just one more step.

Fr. Joe: As long as you’ve been in the public eye, you’ve made it clear that fatherhood is important to you. Your song about you and your son, Just the Two of Us explains fatherhood as being of life and death importance to Chris Gardner. What about you?

Will Smith: Historically, black families have been destroyed, separating the black father from the family – through slavery and the specific designs of welfare, where you get better assistance if there is no father in the house. I am such a strong believer that it has to begin with the individual. There is no system that can be put into place. There is no governmental assistance that can ever be as important as a person making a decision based around an idea. For me, I would hope that this film could help some person clarify that idea.

My father was in the house … he was not perfect by any stretch of the imagination, but man, he had an idea. The idea was that it’s by hard work that you do it. That is what he fought and kicked and scratched to get into his children. So, I take the good, ditch the bad and try to take the next step with my children. Basic survival is what my father had to work with and now, I am able to take the idea of equality, of survival, and work with that into the raising of my children. Re-introducing the father into the family is something the black community has to work very hard at.

I remembered reading different things about Will Smith; that he was the hardest-working man in Hollywood. I laughed at the story about him passing out on the treadmill because he “didn’t want to quit.” I thought about how he couldn’t resist smiling when he talked about his own son and it hit me: he is becoming the man he wants to be and I think that we need him to be.

Points in heaven
versus pounds on hips
Comfort foods get a makeover
Michelle Sessions DiFranco | Photography by Phillip Shippert

If you belong to a gym or fitness center like I do, you’ve probably noticed the long lines to use a treadmill or elliptical during that first week of January. Then, shortly thereafter, the waiting diminishes. And by mid to late January, no more lines. I don’t think it is a mere coincidence. It’s just plain proof that New Year’s resolutions of eating healthier and going to the gym tend to fade for a lot of folks after only a few weeks. Heck, it’s difficult for them not to when our bodies are craving those comfort foods on a cold winter day, or a box of chocolate truffles on Valentines Day.

No matter what the month, there is always an excuse or an occasion where we throw up our arms and give in to our edible indulgences. But the winter months, for whatever reason, tend to be the most difficult. Whether it’s having the protection of the extra winter garments to hide our bodies or coming face-to-face with those to-die-for paczkis on Fat Tuesday, winter gives us the opportunity to exercise our God-given self-control. It doesn’t mean we have to totally give up foods we really enjoy. It’s more about working harder to find or make dishes that are healthy – and then eating them in moderation. It’s not only better for our physical well-being, but our spiritual well-being too. In Galatians 5:22, Paul describes self-control as being necessary for any spiritual progress and for overcoming the impulses of the flesh that can steer us away from God.

To aid in that self-control, I gave a couple of my favorite comfort foods a wholesome makeover. They offer the same great taste and, if eaten in moderation, won’t add another notch to your belt.

Do recipes like these completely address every spontaneous craving for every wintertime meal we cherish? Not exactly. I have a hard time believing there will ever be a yummy low-fat paczki. But remember, the idea is self-control and if we look hard enough, we can probably find enough recipes like these to help us through our weakest moments.

Come spring, we can have the satisfaction of knowing that throughout the preceding winter months, we had healthful nourishment to offer our bodies, tasty food to offer our stomachs, and where it was needed, some measure of sacrifice to offer our Lord.

Low fat Chicken Pot Pie

1 1⁄2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 lb boneless chicken breast cut into 1-2 inch cubes
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons dried thyme
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
4 medium redskin potatoes, cut into 1-inch cubes
3 cups chicken broth (1 1⁄2 14-oz. cans)
1/4 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup frozen peas
1 cup reduced-fat all-purpose baking mix
1⁄2 cup non-fat milk
1 egg

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

• Heat oil in a large non-stick pan or stockpot over medium heat.
• Add onion and sauté 2 minutes.
• Add chicken and sauté 6- 7 minutes, until slightly brown on all sides.
• In a small bowl, combine flour, thyme, salt, and pepper.
• Add half of the flour mixture to the chicken/onion mixture and stir to coat.
• Stir in carrots, celery, potatoes, chicken broth, and wine and mix well.
• Bring mixture to a boil and gradually add remaining flour mixture. Cook until liquid thickens and vegetables are tender.
• Transfer chicken and vegetable mixture to a 2-quart casserole dish and stir in peas.
• In a separate bowl, whisk baking mix, milk and egg together until blended. Pour over mixture and bake for 30 minutes, or until the top is golden brown.

Reduced Fat Cheesecake
with Chocolate Graham Crust Filling

2 egg whites
1 whole egg
1-cup sugar
2 8-oz. packages of reduced-fat cream cheese
1 8-oz. package nonfat cream cheese
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Chocolate Graham Crust

1 1/2 cups chocolate graham cracker crumbs
2 teaspoons melted butter
1 tablespoon sugar
1⁄4 cup applesauce

Topping (optional)

Canned raspberry sauce
Fresh raspberries

Preheat oven to 325 degrees

• In a medium bowl, mix the egg, egg whites and sugar together.
• Add the sugar and vanilla extract and softened cream cheese one at a time. Set aside.
• In another medium bowl, mix together all ingredients for the chocolate graham crust.
• Coat a spring form pan with cooking spray. Using wax paper or plastic wrap press crumb mixture evenly along the bottom.
• Pour and spread filling evenly over the top. Bake 45-50 minutes.
• Let cool and then chill for a few hours in the refrigerator. Drizzle raspberry sauce over top and garnish with fresh raspberries.