About Us

We are two Catholic academics living in a world-class city in the southern hemisphere. We've got a hole above our heads and the sunblock creme here runs at SP50+ to provide adequate UV protection. So, what can we do?

We can be part of the urban renewal. Saint Ambrose had a similar situation to deal with as the Bishop of Milan sixteen hundred years ago. We don't necessarily agree with everything he did; but, we like the fact that he got involved. Well, at first, he had to be coaxed into getting involved. But, we academics aren't always the quickest in terms of action.

This Image is in the Public Domain
Circa 1868

Yet, Saint Ambrose used his intellect and his rhetoric to achieve public goods. We would like to do the same. The symbol associated with Ambrose has been the beehive because his words were said to be like honey. They were sweet enough to convince a very skeptical Augustine that there might just be some reason behind the rhetoric.

Honey was also a restorative and a source of energy. Just think of Samson and the lion. Can't remember? You're probably not the only one. Honey also heals. Try it with a little whiskey next time you have a sore throat.

One of us lives in the inner city and the other in the suburbs. So, we thought we would use the space we had to do a little gardening. We will need to talk with others, think about what we are doing and share what we are learning with our friends. You are invited to join us.

A companion is someone with whom you share your bread. [com-with; pan-bread; we're academics, remember! One of us is even a Latin scholar.] Increasingly, companions are those with whom we must share our planet or there may well be nothing worth sharing in the generations to come.