About Me
My background
I hold a Masters in Theological Studies (MTS) from Oblate School of Theology in San Antonio, Texas. Past experience includes lay ministry in the San Antonio Archdiocese, ministry formation at Oblate School of Theology, and Adjunct Faculty at Our Lady of the Lake University in San Antonio, Texas.
My writing roots
Mary Olivia Patiño, MTS
Poetry, prose, and photography: these passions originated, when as a child growing up in the Texas Valley, imagination took flight before life on a dairy farm. There, wandering in the woods filled with encinos (Spanish oaks) and mesquite trees, my mind’s eye absorbed its mystery.
Today, many years later, those passions still inspire me to write, design greeting cards and create ‘Cups of Faith’. I invite you, my reader, to sip your favorite tea or coffee while you reflect on your own experiences and write!
Writing is a wonderful wellspring that brings joy and sometimes, if needed, inner healing. Enjoy the experience, whether you write to remember, to create, or to leave a legacy.
I facilitate ‘Writing with Angels’, a faith-based writing group at St. Brigid Catholic Church in San Antonio, Texas.
My poems and stories about family and life’s memories have been published in Story Circle Network Journal and other venues, including broadcasts for ‘Texas Matters’ on Texas Public Radio (TPR.org) for National Day of Listening.
My poem, ‘San Juan Capistrano’, was enacted at a special celebration coordinated by San Antonio’s First Poet Laureate, Dr. Carmen Tafolla, in 2013.
Remembering my Mother
Entranced by the stories and myths told to me during my childhood, I yearned to hear about the people who shaped my history and spirituality. I'd take notes while Mother shared her own childhood memories of the people and struggles in her life.
Our family history was too valuable to forget.
Mother passed a few years ago, and I wish I'd listened even more. In one of my favorite poems, featured in Story Circle Journal, she remembers (as a young girl) sitting under a lemon tree. There, in a vast field surrounded by crops still to be harvested, she rests from her labors, biting into a lemon. She tastes the sweet freshness of her youth. And who knows what else she was resting from?
I hope to publish some of my stories!
Events and Books
The Great American Read
Events
Boerne Book Arts & Fest
October 6, 2018
Patrick Heath Boerne Library
http://www.klrn.org/greatread/
Vote for your favorite books!
Author Geraldine Guadagno has several books. Here is one, below:
5 Steps to Facing Suffering by Geraldine Guadagno
The Moss Rose Antique Shop by Glee Miller
For a peaceful place of prayer:
A Spirituality of Daily Praise
The Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Our Lady of Fatima in Bom Jesus do Monte Church in Portugal. Photo Courtesy: Mary Olivia Patiño
Mary, most holy, Queen of Heaven, intercede for your children and shower us with God's graces.
Prayers & Petitions
For those who are suffering from flooding and other catastrophes...
For the homebound, in hospitals, and facing illnesses...
For those who are feeling a loss...
Journal
How do I respond in times of illness or uncertainty?
Sacred Scripture for Reflection
"The Lord is my Shepherd." - Psalm 23
More of my writing can be found in Moments of Grace: A Collection of Poetry Inspired by Faith. Find me on