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Mary Pezzulo

@marypezzulo.bsky.social

3.5K followers 1.1K following 18K posts

I write about the Gospel, politics, gardening, Christianity, spiritual abuse, neurodivergence and social justice. 🏳️‍🌈

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Mary Pezzulo @marypezzulo.bsky.social · 2d

There were about two hundred other Catholics, priests and laity, with him. There were altar servers in lace. There were religious sisters in veils. They carried a processional canopy, and picket signs as well. They marched to the Broadview ICE facility.

In Chicago, The Church Wakes Up

Again, I saw the Body of Christ. I saw Him in the Monstrance and also in the Church itself. I saw the Church wake up, and be holy.

www.patheos.com

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The Washington Post @washingtonpost.com · 6h

The nation’s military and defense journalists exited the Pentagon in unison Wednesday, having had their accreditation revoked after refusing to agree to the Defense Department’s new restrictions on their newsgathering activities.

Reporters leave Pentagon en masse after refusing to sign on to new rules

After turning in their press credentials, journalists covering the Defense Department walked out rather than comply with its restrictive new policies.

www.washingtonpost.com

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Joe Walsh @walshfreedom.bsky.social · 11h

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Rachel Maddow @maddow.msnbc.com · 13h

20 billion dollars from the US Treasury **was not enough**. So now it's 40 billion dollars! And why stop there?

All while the US government is shut down.

"America First," amirite?

www.washingtonpost.com/business/202...

Bessent says bailout for Argentina will double to boost U.S. influence in region

The Trump administration is working to arrange private sector financing for Argentina that would double the total U.S. financial lifeline for the embattled Latin nation.

www.washingtonpost.com

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Spooky Back From the Dead Lazarus @jlazarus.bsky.social · 8h

Great 🧵; this is the main point. If the President can spend money on whatever he wants without congressionally mandated appropriations we don't have separation of powers, or even really a constitutional republic (at least under the terms of our constitution). We just don't.

Bobby Kogan @bbkogan.bsky.social · 17h

So just how bad is this? I got a text from an appropriator friend saying "The Republic has fallen. Pack it in."

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Max Kennerly @maxkennerly.bsky.social · 12h

Feels quaint, almost cliché, to say this about a Trump action, but just for the record:

This is all illegal, the President can't simply disregard the laws passed and agencies created by Congress, and both Vought & Trump would be impeached if the Constitution or the rule of law mattered to the GOP.

Reuters @reuters.com · 18h

White House budget director Vought plans to shut down CFPB within months, says it's no longer protecting consumers reut.rs/4qjMIyT

White House budget director Vought plans to shut down CFPB within months, says it's no longer protecting consumers

White House budget director Russell Vought said he wants to close the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and expects to do so within the next two to three months.

reut.rs

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LorennaCleary.bsky.social @lorennacleary.bsky.social · 7h

An emotional minute as the word Democracy melts away in front of the US Capitol Building.

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Mark Copelovitch @mcopelov.bsky.social · 8h

The entire Republican Party strategy for achieving what are comprehensively & wildly unpopular policy objectives now consists entirely of bypassing Article I of the Constitution through wildly illegal abuses of both Article II and Article III.

Patrick Chovanec @prchovanec.bsky.social · 12h

Whatever you think about CFPB, it was created by Congress (as part of the Dodd-Frank Act) and can only be abolished by Congress, not by the President acting as a dictator.

Reuters @reuters.com · 18h

White House budget director Vought plans to shut down CFPB within months, says it's no longer protecting consumers reut.rs/4qjMIyT

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Robert Reich @rbreich.bsky.social · 9h

The CFPB is one of the most staunch financial watchdogs for the American people.

The agency has returned at least $20B to the victims of financial fraud and abuse since 2011.

It's no longer protecting consumers now...BECAUSE THIS REGIME DOESN'T WANT IT TO!

Reuters @reuters.com · 18h

White House budget director Vought plans to shut down CFPB within months, says it's no longer protecting consumers reut.rs/4qjMIyT

White House budget director Vought plans to shut down CFPB within months, says it's no longer protecting consumers

White House budget director Russell Vought said he wants to close the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and expects to do so within the next two to three months.

reut.rs

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Sen. Adam Schiff @schiff.senate.gov · 9h

⁨The blatantly political videos being forced on airports across the country are not only an abuse of taxpayer dollars, but they violate the law.

I'm joining @SenBlumenthal and @SenJackReed to demand DHS take down these videos immediately.⁩

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Prisonculture @prisonculture.bsky.social · 10h

A comrade reached out to offer her herbalist skills to support people in Chicago who are fighting against ICE. I love that she did that because this is a way she can contribute. All of us can do something.

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Mary Pezzulo @marypezzulo.bsky.social · 9h

...and THEN we watched a video of what it would be like to jump on different planets.
The point here is that human beings, particularly children, DO like to learn. We also like stupid stuff, but it's a human trait to like to learn. We can foster that. It's a good thing!

Mary Pezzulo @marypezzulo.bsky.social · 9h

...and after we watched that one, we watched a video on how astronauts go to the bathroom, and then we watched a video of the first man to break the sound barrier without a plane by jumping from the very top of the atmosphere...

Mary Pezzulo @marypezzulo.bsky.social · 9h

Jimmy's boy came over this evening and asked to go for a walk. Then he asked "can we watch attacks on your computer?" and I realized he meant he wanted to watch videos of old news footage from famous disasters. I taught him about the Challenger explosion....

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Mary Pezzulo @marypezzulo.bsky.social · 12h

Here's the boilerplate with my tip jar. Best time to leave your favorite writer a gratuity is the middle of the month when all the bills are due! Thank you to my readers, fresh writing is coming up soon!
www.patheos.com/blogs/steelm...

Blogkeeping Notes For Fall 2025

Hi friends, This isn't a real post. This is just my every-few-months blogkeeping post, to help you keep track of what I've been up to and how to

www.patheos.com

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Mary Pezzulo @marypezzulo.bsky.social · 12h

Everybody I’ve interacted with who works for Urban Mission is friendly and professional. But they’re the ones getting yelled at in the comment boxes just now, because they’re closing the homeless shelters.
substack.com/home/post/p-...

Steubenville's Homeless Shelters Are Closing

Stop blaming the charity that runs them!

substack.com

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Mary Pezzulo @marypezzulo.bsky.social · 12h

Great is your faithfulness, said the river. Great is your faithfulness. Great is your faithfulness.

I have been so sad and so afraid for the longest time. It took until I was forty to be even close to happy, and I’m still not very used to it.
www.patheos.com/blogs/steelm...

Confession At Shafer's Rock

I went to the Wildflower Reserve, to see how the world was going to sleep. I can't even begin to tell you how I've longed for a hike this

www.patheos.com

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Mary Pezzulo @marypezzulo.bsky.social · 12h

When I was a little girl, I didn’t know whether to say that I liked history or not.
I didn’t like to memorize names and dates. But I liked to hear about how people lived. I wanted to know what clothes they wore, and whether they got gifts at Christmas.
www.patheos.com/blogs/steelm...

Tell Them It Rained All Day

I hoped to make it to the summer, to share food with my neighbors. I felt that it couldn't possibly be real life. Tell them it rained all day.

www.patheos.com

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Mary Pezzulo @marypezzulo.bsky.social · 12h

History will have a lot to say about this time. But I’m afraid they won’t remember that we were human beings.
www.patheos.com/blogs/steelm...

In The Here And Now

Again and again, I try to write the way Northern Appalachia feels, here and now. I've got to find a way to crystalize the here and now.

www.patheos.com

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Mary Pezzulo @marypezzulo.bsky.social · 12h

They sounded like gunshots.

Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and may they rest in peace.

And then the whole tower gave way, and New York was enveloped in a cloud of ash.

www.patheos.com/blogs/steelm...

A Requiem For The Falling Men

Twenty years ago, when I was a teenager, I watched the 9/11 terrorist attacks on television. I turned on the TV in time to see the last tower still

www.patheos.com

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Mary Pezzulo @marypezzulo.bsky.social · 12h

Maybe the birds were fighting. Maybe they were mating. Maybe they were crying “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani” and “If you are the Son of Man, come down,” in honor of the day.

www.patheos.com/blogs/steelm...

The God Of Crows And Eagles

The God of crows and eagles, streams of water, dilapidated Appalachian neighborhoods, of kind people like Jimmy and The Lady of LaBelle and of codependent failures like me.

www.patheos.com

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Mary Pezzulo @marypezzulo.bsky.social · 12h

Before we left, Rose stopped to laugh at the devil– a seven-foot bat-winged animatronic creature, standing in a planter by the foyer, shouting threats.

“I SEE YOU! YOU WILL KNOW TERROR!” said the devil, reeling back and forth like a drunk.
www.patheos.com/blogs/steelm...

To Laugh At The Devil

Charismatics had me convinced that the devil was nearly omnipotent, that he could cling to a person and "oppress" them.

www.patheos.com

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Mary Pezzulo @marypezzulo.bsky.social · 12h

One year, my aunt got the idea of handing out packets of hot chocolate mix instead of candy, because it sounded so nice to warm up with a hot chocolate while inventorying your candy on a late October evening. She bought boxes and boxes of hot chocolate mix...
www.patheos.com/blogs/steelm...

Hot Chocolate And Hospitality On All Hallow's Eve

One year, my aunt got the idea of handing out packets of hot chocolate mix instead of candy, because it sounded so nice to warm up...

www.patheos.com

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Mary Pezzulo @marypezzulo.bsky.social · 12h

“Don’t spoil your dinner!” I found myself saying, and aged about twenty years in my mind’s eye.

“These taste like grandma cookies,” said the Artful Dodger, smiling to show it was a compliment, and I aged a decade more.
www.patheos.com/blogs/steelm...

Becoming Grandma's House

It was a glorious day, but I wasn't feeling glorious. I'd caught Adrienne's head cold over the weekend, and I was now in the getting-over-it stage: no

www.patheos.com

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Mary Pezzulo @marypezzulo.bsky.social · 12h

I went to the vacant lot. The Gang was there, shouting about everything. They might’ve been yelling “Throw it to Jesus! Throw it to Jesus!” but I didn’t think to question that just then.

“You’re not playing baseball with a real pumpkin, are you?”
www.patheos.com/blogs/steelm...

Throw It To Jesus

"You're not playing baseball with a real pumpkin, are you?" No, they were not. This time, they'd played baseball with a lemonade packet...

www.patheos.com

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Mary Pezzulo @marypezzulo.bsky.social · 12h

I’m not a charismatic anymore and I’ll never be a charismatic again. I understand that I have an imagination. I’ll never be sure how much of what I imagined was God until I see God face to face. But let’s say God was there.

Let’s say we spoke.
www.patheos.com/blogs/steelm...

Deeper Than I Know

I can't possibly describe for you the richness of the wildflower reserve. It's like a stained glass window spread out over several Appalachian hills...

www.patheos.com

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