Top Catholic Tweets for 04/24/15

I’m grateful to my friend John Clem, O.F.S. for this week’s Top Catholic Tweets:

Today, I have a feeling similar to waking up from a long, long nap. As I type this, I’m sitting in a high rise in Chicago. Yesterday at this time, I was riding on a Greyhound bus through rural Mississippi, en route to the Amtrak station in Jackson. The trip will be fodder for an upcoming blog post. I’ve been light on blogging the past few weeks as I focused on some family issues. But today, it’s time to get my head back in the game.

It’s funny what an intentional break does for a writer. For me, I’ve learned over the past few weeks that blogging and social media are the way that I “process” emotions in my life. Even though I wasn’t blogging here, I tried to share some daily updates on Facebook and Instagram. The ability to invite friends in those spaces into some of what our family is going through has been a balm, an outlet for emotion, and a way to communicate the experience.

I spend so much of my time speaking about the power of social media as a medium for the New Evangelization. This month, I was reminded again that these tools are an essential component of the fabric of my life. The support derived from friends’ offers of prayer and their shared perspectives lifted me up and buoyed my spirits to be strong and resilient. Some may discount the potential of these platforms. For me, I’m reminded that–when used responsibly–these social media venues can truly touch hearts.

Top Catholic Tweets April 24, 2015

• Papal Tweet:  “We need to care for the earth so that it may continue, as God willed, to be a source of life for the entire human family.” (Pope Francis on Earth Day 2015)
• Video: Accessibility enriches faith life (CNS) ow.ly/LKXMg
• Chicago Cardinal Francis George, the ‘American Ratzinger,’ dies (John Allen – Crux) ow.ly/LLkIZ
• A Lion of the American Church: Thoughts on the Passing of Cardinal George (Fr. Robert Barron – Word On Fire) ow.ly/LQOei
• NEW online Franciscan Gift Shop | Franciscan Monastery in DC – proceeds benefit ministries & sites in the Holy Land ow.ly/LLn6e
• Watch This Adorable Priest Completely Geek Out Over The New “Star Wars” Trailer (Buzz Feed) ow.ly/LNwJp
• 15 Typical Excuses for Not Going to Mass (Answered!) | Catholic Link ow.ly/LOln3
• Dignity in death: Chicago buries unclaimed fetuses in Catholic cemetery (Deacon Greg Kandra – Patheos) ow.ly/LQq9W
• Rome’s Chief Exorcist Shares Secrets for Driving Out the Devil (Aleteia) ow.ly/LQqDQ
• Blog: Catholic Charities USA – Parish Social Ministry Training (John Clem, O.F.S. – Call To Holiness) ow.ly/LQxzW
• Jesus, a Ghost? What Does the Catholic Church Teach About Ghosts? (Kathy Schiffer – Patheos) ow.ly/LR5kB
• Trees are the Best Masters: 4 Reasons to Get Outdoors (The Catholic Gentleman) ow.ly/LRaoH
• Check out promo video for Catholic Moments with Lisa Hendey on Mondays at 11am CT at Radio Maria USA. ow.ly/LRooh…
• Couple who lost limbs in Marathon bombings urge government to remove death penalty (The Boston Globe) ow.ly/LQpUV
• Editorial: Clear all obstacles from the path to peace with Iran | National Catholic Reporter ow.ly/LRy2g
• NEW Guardian Angels video — looks like Harry Potter meets The Guardian Angels! (Holy Cross Family Ministries) ow.ly/LRFWu
• My time in prison reveals caring behind bars | National Catholic Reporter ow.ly/LRUKJ
• NEW WordPress Website: Greg and Jennifer Willits – The Catholics Next Door ow.ly/LSPxW
• Catholic bishop of Kansas City convicted of failure to report child abuse resigns (John Allen – Crux) ow.ly/LTQ1i
• Experts talk about Shroud of Turin ahead of Pope Francis’ visit in June (CNS) ow.ly/LTTvN
• Bishops release new book: Compendium On The Family And Human Life – in preparation for Synod of the Family (USCCB) ow.ly/LUajw
• Buddhists and Christians, together to counter modern slavery (Vatican Radio) ow.ly/LUb36
• The Curious Case of the Theft of the Pope’s Stone (Aleteia) ow.ly/LUeNP
• Beauty in Nebraska: College’s transformed church hopes to help students be saints :: Catholic News Agency (CNA) ow.ly/LUFUK
• It’s National Infertility Awareness Week. Are you familiar with NaPro technology? (CNA) ow.ly/LUHbf
• Pope: the Church today is a Church of martyrs (News.va) ow.ly/LVkMT
• Maggie’s Story -she was diagnosed with brain cancer & strongly opposes assisted suicide.(Patients Rights Action Fund) ow.ly/LVBn3
• On Earth Day, Pope Francis calls all ‘to see the world through the eyes of God the Creator’ (NCR) ow.ly/LZyLP
• 10 Catholic Ways to Celebrate Earth Day (Joe Paprocki – Catechist’s Journey) ow.ly/LXjKR
• Vatican spokesman confirms papal visit to Cuba ahead of US visit :: Catholic News Agency (CNA) ow.ly/LXkTY
• Catholic priest: ‘We’re not in Mayberry anymore,’ urges parish to pack heat (Detroit Free Press) ow.ly/LXx3h
• Finding God in the Crowd: 5 Tips for Urban Catholics (Megan Fountain – FOCUS Blog) ow.ly/LYhWk
• Pilgrimage Travel Tips: 5 travel essentials that made a big difference in my Jordan trip (Deacon Greg Kandra) ow.ly/LYiwQ
• ‘Wolf Hall’ and Upmarket Anti-Catholicism (George Wiegel – Catholic World Report) ow.ly/LZGPd
• Nigerian Bishop Sees Vision of Christ, Says Rosary Will Vanquish Boko Haram – Aleteia ow.ly/LZHUE
• Crowdsource fundraiser to help the Daughters of St. Paul – Catholic Nuns Music Ministry | Indiegogo ow.ly/LZJxZ
• Vatican launches website for the upcoming Jubilee of Mercy ow.ly/M10pq
• Video Magic Trick: Soldiers Deck of Cards and The Bible (Justin Flom) ow.ly/M1Tcr

Fr. Jim Martin’s Virtual Pilgrimage to the Holy Land (America Media)

• America Media’s Virtual Pilgrimage — DAY 1: Capernaum & Sea of Galilee (Fr. Jim Martin, S.J.) ow.ly/LPtBw
• America Media’s Virtual Pilgrimage: Day 2 Nazareth & Cana (Fr. Jim Martin, S.J.) ow.ly/LSLlt
• America Media’s Virtual Pilgrimage — DAY 3: Sea of Galilee (Fr. Jim Martin, S.J.) ow.ly/LVAYt
• America Media’s Virtual Pilgrimage DAY 4: Jordan River & Bethany – YouTube ow.ly/LZG4D

Blessed Junipero Serra

• Pope Francis to honor Junipero Serra at American seminary in Rome :: Catholic News Agency (CNA) ow.ly/LKzQP
• Saint’ Serra highlights Hispanic contribution to US, official says | National Catholic Reporter ow.ly/LRQC8
• Will the US greet first Latino Pope by kicking out Junipero Serra? :: Catholic News Agency (CNA) ow.ly/LSGqa
• Junipero Serra, the “evangelist of California” who Pope Francis will canonize (Rome Reports) ow.ly/M0ZOn

Year of the Consecrated Life

• A glimpse into the life of St. John’s Seminary in Camarillo, CA vimeo.com/125396747
• BENEDICTA: Marian Chant from Norcia by The Monks of Norcia (De Montfort Music) ow.ly/LSMEL
• These Dominicans Can Play Jazz, Sing Chant, & Evangelize the Streets! | ChurchPOP ow.ly/LSNhy

John Clem, O.F.S is the Director and Media Minister at Catholic Web Services (http://catholicws.com/). John is a professed member of the Secular Franciscan Order, and loves to share his talents in faith, technology, and journalism in service to the church. John also writes a blog entitled Call To Holiness (http://www.calltoholiness.us/). Follow John on Twitter at @Catholicwebs, on Facebook and at Google+.