The final concert of Echoes of Remembrance took place at Grace St. Paul Episcopal Church in Tucson. In collaboration with Paraguayan guitarist Micaela Núñez, we presented a program of traditional songs from Oaxaca,.

The evening was bathed in a beautiful atmosphere of candlelight and marigold. The concert drew a full house and was met with warm appreciation, making it a clear success.

It is Sunday night, and I decided to write a bit about our travel to the performance of Echoes of Remembrance in Phoenix. The production team arrived on Friday in Phoenix after a long drive. There were a couple of car wrecks on I-10, so we had to detour and it took considerably longer to reach the venue.

Looking out over the thousands of people who had walked through those doors over the years, I realized we hadn't just built a concert series. We had unlocked the soul of a city in a space consecrated to God, proving that beauty and grace belong to everyone, echoing timelessly against the historic adobe and stone.

Tuve el honor de participar en la inauguración del Foro Náinari, un nuevo espacio público al aire libre inaugurado el 20 de junio de 2026 en Ciudad Obregón, municipio de Cajeme, Sonora, pensado para la cultura, el arte y la convivencia familiar junto a la emblemática Laguna del Náinari. Fui invitado por el Lic. Javier Lamarque Cano, Presidente Municipal de Cajeme, y participé musicalmente con la Orquesta Filarmónica de Sonora, dirigida por el maestro Eduardo Alarcón.

Antes de volver a casa pasé por el Santuario de Guadalupe, en la calle Galeana del centro de Ciudad Obregón. Quería ver el órgano que envié desde Arizona para que se usara en las liturgias del santuario. El lugar es amplio y, al parecer, solo abre para las misas dominicales. El “santuario viejo” tiene capacidad para unas 150–200 personas; es una capilla muy bonita.

Today I attended the presentation of Chulo: The Great Journey of the French Bulldog, a children’s book written by Nury Stemple. The story follows a little dog who was adopted in Kenya, traveled through several countries in Europe, and spent his final years living peacefully in Arizona. Chulo enjoyed a long life of almost 15 years.

A few days ago, when I arrived in Mazatlán and went straight to the orphanage, a little girl approached me and said she enjoyed learning “how to use Safari” (two undergraduates from the local university had come to teach the children how to use the iMac computers brought to Mazatlán). A few minutes later she came back with two candies she wanted me to have. How sweet.

At the convent they have an old Windows computer, so I suggested installing an iMac. I moved the desk where I planned to set it up, and that’s when I saw a large scorpion.

I was grateful it didn’t sting my hand. Since I didn’t have any tools to deal with it, I called a sister who was in an adjacent room. She saw it and said, “No problem.” She went to another room and came back with a broom and a hammer. The scorpion’s life was ended by a blow from the hammer (RIP.)

Today I was waking up in my room when I got a phone call from Sister Teresa informing me that the pianos had arrived. When I got there, the pianos were still inside the moving truck’s box. I was in shock when I saw that they were not properly protected and had scratches and dents. The most damaged one was a Yamaha Clavinova that had one fractured leg, but fortunately the electrical components were fine. The wooden section where the pedals are was damaged. The Clavinova can be played, but the instrument should not be moved without extreme caution. It was installed in the chapel.

Last year, three computers were donated to the Ciudad de los Niños orphanage in Mazatlán. This year, 2026, I was able to gather three more computers. Two of them were donated by Chris Steele, a strong supporter of the project, who made sure they were in perfect working condition and upgraded whatever needed upgrading. I purchased one computer from Jon R., and Chris also fixed it. Then the computers had to be sent to Nogales, Mexico.

I finally arrived in Mazatlán after a short, uneventful flight from Phoenix that lasted less than two hours. From the airport I took a taxi straight to the Ciudad de los Niños orphanage, where I was welcomed and offered my favorite quesadilla accompanied by refried beans.

Last night, the Cathedral Concert Series featured a performance by the Balourdet Quartet. Although the weather kept some attendees away, those who came enjoyed a wonderful concert. Members of the Balourdet Quartet are violinists Angela Bae, Justin DeFilippis, violist Benjamin Zannoni and cellist Russell Houston.

The Balourdet delivered an outstanding performance.

It was a joy to organize and produce the Día de Muertos concert as part of the Cathedral Concert Series. The first presentation of the season featured Mariachi Sonido de México, performing traditional music, and Viva Performing Arts Ballet Folklórico with dances from different regions of Mexico. There were outstanding performances from Veracruz, Oaxaca, and Michoacán

Last Sunday, I had the privilege of attending a performance by Trio Guadalevin at Mission San Xavier del Bac. El trío, con sede en Seattle, está formado por Abel Rocha, un artista polifacético que canta, toca la guitarra y el arpa; Antonio Gómez, quien toca el teponaztli, el bombo, la trompeta y el cajón; y August Denhard, un amigo mío que toca la guitarra barroca, el laúd, la tiorba y la tuba. Tuve el placer de trabajar con Gus en México hace varios años.

Tonight I attended a captivating Flamenco performance at the Community Performance & Art Center (CPAC) in Green Valley, AZ. Mi amigo Misael Barraza Díaz, un talentoso y destacado guitarrista flamenco, se unió a Gretchen "La Checha" Williams (cantante), bailaora Angelina Ramírez y el percusionista Jason Martínez. It was a well-put-together show with impressive artistry, and it was well attended, despite the intense heat of the season.

Eric Mentzel, who was my voice teacher at the University of Oregon, played a crucial role in shaping my artistic journey. Estoy sinceramente agradecido por su inquebrantable guía y apoyo durante mis años de formación en la UO, que sin duda enriquecieron mi experiencia y crecimiento.

Tuve la gran fortuna de visitar el impresionante monte Fuji. Fuji is considered the iconic symbol of Japan and since 2013, UNESCO has granted it the status of World Heritage Site, under the designation of “Fujisan, sacred place and source of artistic inspiration”.

A few days ago, I was searching through a box of CDs that I had brought back from Germany, where I lived for quite a few years, when I stumbled upon a CD titled Michoacán. Música Tradicional. My dear friend Paulina Maciel performs beautiful and enchanting traditional songs that truly capture the essence of our cultural heritage.

I am late in writing this, but nevertheless, here it goes: Finally, the much-anticipated day has arrived. Detroit can now proudly welcome a new Archbishop. The day began with a luncheon at Sacred Heart Major Seminary, where many dignitaries gathered in attendance, most notably Cardinal Pierre and Archbishop Vigneron. Naturally, Bishop Kicanas was also among the attendees.

On Monday, March 17, Vespers were held in the chapel at Sacred Heart Major Seminary in Detroit. Archbishop-designate Edward was the celebrant. Many friends, including clergy, chancery workers, and laity, made the journey from Tucson to Detroit, all coming together to support and be with the archbishop during this pivotal moment in his life and ministry