"There is no magic formula for

living a caring life," says Dale

Francis. "We all of us are

struggling people, trying to do the

best we can. But because we are

people living together there is

value in sharing with each other the

experiences we have in Tife.

Experiences are not

interchangeable -- our situations

are always unique -- but in the

sharing of experiences it is

possible to find in another s life

hints of explanations."

As perhaps the most widely read

columnist in the Catholic press

today, Dale Francis receives

thousands of letters each year.

Though his is not an "advice"

column, people have turned to him

as counselor and "listener" for

many years. A man of strong

principles and religious

convictions, he is obviously a

human being of deeply sincere

compassion and enormous

commonsense.

Perhaps this shows through so

clearly because his own highly

diverse life -- he has worked as a