Miriam & Charles consent to copulate and begin the pregnancy that leads to Marcus Patrick Page--a baby. Throughout the 1970s Marcus grows and eventually gets confirmed as a Catholic, taking the name of Saint Blaise.
Miriam & Charles consent to copulate and begin the pregnancy that leads to Marcus Patrick Page--a baby. Throughout the 1970s Marcus grows and eventually gets confirmed as a Catholic, taking the name of Saint Blaise. |
Laurel & Joe consent to copulate and begin the pregnancy that leads to Chelsea Valerie Collonge--a baby. Throughout the 1980s and into the 1990s Chelsea grows and eventually gets confirmed as a Catholic, taking the name of Saint Catherine. |
A close call: Chelsea walks the streets of Nevada City, CA with her mother Laurel Kinley. Marcus is employed 11 miles away at the Milhous Boys Ranch as a Child Care Worker, and resides in nearby Grass Valley. They don’t remember crossing paths at this time. Chelsea lives in San Jose--roughly 100 miles from Grass Valley/Nevada City. |
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Driving all night, Marcus (with his friend Mike) delivers a sunflower and holy water from Los Alamos, NM (LANL) to Nevada's nuclear weapons Test Site (NTS). It's the 60th anniversary of the bombings of Hiroshima & Nagasaki, and Nevada Desert Experience has joined Pax Christi USA for this commemoration of the anniversaries of US nuclear attacks on Japan. Chelsea & friends (Sarah, Lisa, Mike & Kamara) have driven from UCBerkeley to this NevadaDesertExperience.org event, and after Marcus and Chelsea meet consciously for the first time, Chelsea drives back to CA for more nuclear abolitionist events, bringing the sunflower that Mike & Marc had transported from New Mexico to Nevada. Chelsea later takes this sunflower to California's nuclear weapons lab (LLNL). Sunflowers have been the symbol of nuclear disarmament since 1996. |
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Holy Week: Marcus & some friends of Trinity House (Jessie & Lucy) join the NDE Sacred Peace Walk, organized this year by Amy, Patrick & Chelsea. They arrive in the middle of Mass celebrated outside in the harsh desert wind with Fr. Steve Kelly, sj. July: Chelsea & friends (Eda & Jacques) visit Trinity House for the sake of seeing LANL and attending a CAC conference. Chelsea's car breaks down and this gives Chelsea & Eda an opportunity to volunteer at the House. Marcus is inspired by their hard-core work ethic as they begin to pave the way for renovation of the House a few months later. August: Chelsea returns to Albuquerque for a week to intern with the Los Alamos Study Group along with other UC students (including Will, Kamara & Sophia). During this time she sees Marcus and promises to come back for more volunteering at Trinity House after the Fall Semester of Grad school (JSTB). Christmas ‘06/’07: Chelsea takes care of Trinity House while Marcus visits California for the Holydays. Chelsea falls in love with the Catholic Worker community and promises to join the House officially as a Catholic Worker later that year. |
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Lent Chelsea visits the House a few times before her two-year CW commitment begins. December Chelsea & Marcus realize their friendship is taking on a new dimension. They seek spiritual counseling with their co-worker Jerome regarding the changing dynamics. |
| January During a House Tea, Chelsea & Marcus announce they are beginning a one-year term as Hyper-Affectionate Romantic Partners. Housemate Matt immediately dubs this new couple “The Chearcus” April-August Mike Butler & Marcus attempt an all-night vigil at LANL. Both are arrested. Mike opts for plea bargain; Marcus goes to trial. Arresting officer Hererra wears a nicer suit than Marcus, but jury of 6 can't decide what to do, so Marc goes free for 7 months until another trial in 2009. |
| Marcus enjoys eating kale dish in Flagstaff and proposes a series of proposals: if the couple can successfully propose marriage 100 times in the next year, then MAYBE they'll get to eat good greens for a lifetime together as part of the sacrament of marriage. Chelsea is thrilled and the game is on. |
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September TALLY OF POINTS: Chelsea has proposed 5 times, Marcus has proposed 4 times. They are still not sure it's serious yet. October TALLY OF POINTS: Marcus has proposed 12 times, Chelsea has proposed 8 times. They are still not sure it's serious yet, so they both seek spiritual counsel. |
| November 21 Chelsea blindfolds Marcus and walks him into Hidden Park where she reveals the rings (fashioned by David) and asks for a commitment. They dialogue about religious versus legal marriage, and the social effects for the families involved. Advent/Christmas 2008 Marcus finally comes to believe this is God's will, just a few days before Christmas. Fr. Steve Kelly agrees to marry Chelsea to Marcus. All of Chelsea's parents (Laurel, Joe, Bill, Rich, Jean) and all siblings know about the coming engagement. Both of Marc's parents (Miriam & Chuck) and all siblings know about the coming engagement. Plans proceed and the world is notified through launching the webpage: 2009.lovarchy.org |
apples & oranges 
Fr. Richard Rohr checks in on the vows--will Marcus remember his lines? At the CAC, the Mass in February included these vows: "With this ring I (CHELS) promise you, Marcus that I will always be your friend, and partner in radical work for Christ's sake. "With this ring I (MARC) promise you, Chelsea that I will always be your friend, and partner in radical work for Christ's sake. I promise to hold your needs and desires as precious, as I make decisions in response to God's plans for my life. (CHELS) I promise to hold your needs and desires as precious, as I make decisions in response to God's plans for my life. I promise to pray daily to God for discernment over our call to further alliance in the Catholic sacrament of marriage. (MARC) I promise to pray daily to God for discernment over our call to further alliance in the Catholic sacrament of marriage. (TOGETHER) We praise and thank God for the gift of our love and our life together in the body of Christ." |
one penultimate picture just prior to entering the Mass 
Marcus lost a tooth, before the afterparty |
at the afterparty in the San Damiano room 
Chelsea turned 25 
ring-bearer Mariah prepares to honor Ed Grothus... |
at the afterparty in the Joyful Noise room 
copper rings 
...Ed Grothus died a few days before the Mass, so he gets the flowers. |
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Chelsea & Marcus take a retreat with the priest who will witness the sacramental beginning of their marriage in October. |
Chelsea & Marcus go on the Catholic Engaged Encounter. |
CRISIS in planning... The couple reconsiders a life-long commitment. At the Jesuit church of the Immaculate Conception, Mary (Mother of God and Partner of Joseph) tells Chelsea to go forward with these plans. Marcus cries out of exhaustion and agrees. Both have proposed 100 times to each other and the answer has come back with a 84% "yes" rate. Conventions, protocols, and past agreements fade as Love speaks despite the dark urban fixtures of Koyaanisqatsi. |