Welcome to the Sacred Legions newsletter, brought to you by your podcast hosts, Max Goller and Pat LaMarche. We deeply appreciate your interest in and support of the Sacred Legions podcast.

Our mission began as a way to share exciting interviews with secular saints—people who embody decency in an otherwise indecent society, as defined by our very own patron saint, Kurt Vonnegut. By tuning in to each episode, we hope you’ll be inspired to seek out opportunities to volunteer or take the necessary steps for self-care. To assist you on this journey, we provide an ever-expanding list of volunteer and self-care resources on the Sacred Legions website. After all, secular sainthood is good for others and good for your self!

In keeping with our saintly themes, Sacred Legions has identified 12 categories of decency (a number itself steeped in sacred connotation). These categories are:

Creative Expression: Celebrates the arts that exalt and enlighten us.

Criminal Justice: Addresses the need for equal application of justice and the elimination of unnecessary incarcerations.

Diversity Awareness: Advocates for the recognition and accommodation of individual physical and neurological potential.

Education: Upholds learning as an essential tool for development that must be freely and equally accessible.

Enfranchisement: Demands open and democratic access for all citizens.

Free Expression: Values the human need to honestly share individual truths.

Global Steward: Emphasizes the imperative to honor and protect the planet’s interconnected ecosystems for human survival.

Gun Safety: Promotes personal safety through responsible weapons legislation.

Health Care: Affirms that both mental and physical health are basic human rights.

Human Rights: Champions the principles of the 1948 United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Inclusion: Highlights the valuable contributions of all groups, particularly historically underrecognized populations, which enrich everyone.

World Peace: Envisions personal security that is independent of military intervention.

Thank you again for following us as we work to make this planet a more rewarding place for all its inhabitants. If you like what we’re doing, please show your support by donating to our ongoing mission. Simply scan or click the link at the bottom of this newsletter.

We hope you had a chance to listen to our first podcast episode, which premiered on Kurt Vonnegut's birthday, November 11. The episode featured Christina Jarvis, a SUNY Fredonia professor and Kurt Vonnegut scholar. Joining her was her husband, Tom Annear, as her special partner—a feature you can expect in most of our future episodes.

Hosts Max Goller and Pat LaMarche led a lively discussion that, we confess, often wandered into fawning over Kurt Vonnegut's works. Despite the occasional detour, the episode offers valuable insights into global stewardship.

You’ll also hear Christina’s pick for a volunteer or self-care resource, which has been added to the Sacred Legions resources page. Be sure to tune in to discover the name of the person she credits with inspiring her secular sainthood!

Future episodes of Sacred Legions are scheduled for release on the second Monday of each month. That means we’re just days away from the launch of our second episode, which will be available on Spotify and the episode page of our Sacred Legions website.

What’s in store for episode two, airing on December 9? How about a conversation with Diane Davis, the inspiration for the Tony Award-winning musical Come From Away! Diane was a teacher in Gander, Newfoundland, when the 9/11 tragedy grounded air travel. Gander’s airport, uniquely equipped with an unusually large runway, became a critical hub for handling the influx of grounded planes. Diane shares her experiences assisting stranded travelers during this historic event. She also discusses the joy she’s found in applying those learned skills to help relocate Syrian refugee families to Gander.

Diane’s partner for this interview is Julie Dowd, a former Air Canada employee. The two formed a special bond when Diane traveled to New York City for a VIP showing of Come From Away. Fate intervened when a cancelled flight back to Gander gave them time to connect. During their conversation, Diane also discovered that Julie’s husband had been a first responder on 9/11.

We’re confident you’ll enjoy this heartfelt and inspiring discussion. You might even learn something new from one of our friends to the north! We look forward to sharing this episode with you on Monday, December 9.