Help a Mom Who’s Chosen Life Today

March 27, 2013 By Lisa M. Hendey

Friends, we only have four days remaining in the effort my site CatholicMom.com has undertaken to help pregnant moms who have chosen life and are being served through crisis pregnancy centers. Here’s the blueprint: CatholicMom.com and Ave Maria Press are partnering on this Lenten project to provide spiritual support to expectant mothers. We hope to send 50 copies of A Catholic Mother’s Companion to Pregnancy—a week-by-week spiritual companion for pregnant women—to 20 pregnancy centers around the United States. Your donations... Read more

Why Pope Francis’ Living Arrangements Matter – To Me

March 26, 2013 By Lisa M. Hendey

From Zenit via Fr. Lombardi, Holy See Press Office Director, this morning came the news of Pope Francis’ latest surprise – he will, for the time being, remain domiciled in Domus Sanctae Martae where he has been living since becoming our Pontiff. Here’s an eye-catching video from Catholic News Service that gives us an inside peek at the place he’s calling “home”: I feel certain that in making this decision, Pope Francis is in no way commenting on the living arrangements... Read more

Making Church Matter: Unpacking #MACongress

March 26, 2013 By Lisa M. Hendey

Today I continue sharing my reflections on the recent Mid-Atlantic Congress in the Archdiocese of Baltimore. Find all of my #MACongress posts online here. Friday, March 8th and Session Three of the Mid-Atlantic Congress found me sitting on the floor in the back of a standing-room-only crowd for the session “Making Church Matter” by Rev. Michael White and Thomas Corcoran. Here is the description for this session, which was sponsored by Ave Marie Press: In this workshop Father Michael White and his Pastoral Associate, Tom Corcoran,... Read more

Speaking of God in a Disenchanted World: Unpacking #MACongress

March 21, 2013 By Lisa M. Hendey

This week, I am sharing my reflections on the recent Mid-Atlantic Congress in the Archdiocese of Baltimore. Find all of my #MACongress posts online here. Session two of the first day of Mid-Atlantic Congress found me attending “Speaking of God in a Disenchanted World: Religious Education and Secularism” with Hosffman Ospino, PhD, an Assistant Professor of Theology and Religious Education at Boston College’s School of Theology and Ministry. Here is the description for this session, which was kindly sponsored by Our Sunday Visitor: Religious educators... Read more

Why Stay Catholic? Unpacking #MACongress

March 21, 2013 By Lisa M. Hendey

This week, I am sharing my reflections on the recent Mid-Atlantic Congress in the Archdiocese of Baltimore. Find all of my #MACongress posts online here. For the second half of the first session, I caught the tail end of a presentation by noted author and publisher Michael Leach based upon his book by the same title: Why Stay Catholic? Here’s a summary of this session, which was kindly sponsored by Loyola Press: “Don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater. It... Read more

Team Sisters of Mary Take on The American Bible Challenge Tonight

March 21, 2013 By Lisa M. Hendey

You’ve probably heard the good news about the amazing television program The American Bible Challenge, hosted by comedian Jeff Foxworthy on Game Show Network. When the show debuts tonight for its second season, Catholics around the country will be rooting for a special trio, Team Sisters of Mary from the Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Here’s an overview of what we’ll enjoy tonight excerpted from the Ann Arbor Journal: Combining their love of... Read more

#PopeMoving: Pontifical Mission Societies Offer a Practical Giving Opportunity

March 21, 2013 By Lisa M. Hendey

The world watched and celebrated this week as Pope Francis was installed as our new Holy Father. To mark this momentous occasion and to help the faithful commemorate Pope Francis’ Pontificate, the Pontifical Mission Societies have launched the “Pope Moving” campaign: Our Holy Father has indicated that he wants us to celebrate his inauguration as Pope by performing acts of charity for the poor and those in need. As a concrete act of solidarity, we invite you to see the... Read more

Building Intercultural Competence for Ministers – Unpacking #MACongress

March 20, 2013 By Lisa M. Hendey

After a week full of weather-related travel delays, the participants of this year’s Mid-Atlantic Congress were thrilled to arrive in Baltimore. The event opened on the afternoon of March 7, 2013 with a lively introduction and prayer service which set the perfect tone for the days to follow. One interesting feature at this year’s Mid-Atlantic Congress was the use of a responsive texting system designed to bring the Congress attendees directly into the conversation at the event. Additionally, Congress participants... Read more

Unpacking the Mid-Atlantic Congress

March 20, 2013 By Lisa M. Hendey

Over the past few weeks, I’ve been — like most of you — in a whirlwind of Catholic news and my own busyness. While the eyes of the world were on the Conclave, election and installation of Pope Francis, I wanted to concentrate most of my blogging here on keeping up with that news. But now it’s time to share with you a very special experience I had attending the Mid-Atlantic Congress in Baltimore from March 7th through the 9th.... Read more

Pope Francis on the Priesthood and the Eucharist

March 18, 2013 By Lisa M. Hendey

From EWTN comes this short video footage, where — as Cardinal Bergoglio — he comments on the role of the priesthood and the beauty of the Holy Eucharist: I love his comments on the laity, the faithful, in the participation of the Eucharist and his excited plea to young men to consider the beauty of a vocation to the priesthood. Video link Read more