Last month I had the chance to visit Fr. Dwight Longenecker’s parish, Our Lady of the Rosary in Greenville, SC. Google Maps was mostly-faithful, and I found the parish school without too much trouble. I was a little early for Mass, but figured I’d park where the other people were parking, then wander around until I found the church. What was I looking for? The school buildings were a classic collection done in the style of Low-Slung Mid-Century Frugal Southerner,... Read more
My latest at New Evangelizers is up: Catholicism is for People Who Don’t Fit In. Funny story: The other week at confirmation class, my kid won a gift card to Zaxby’s for being able to define and explain the word “Catholic.” Important concept for a group of 9th graders thinking they might want to commit to this Jesus thing after all. It’s not a club. It’s not a lunch table you get to sit at. It is understandable that we... Read more
Andrew Sullivan writes here about the plight of a pair of gentleman who’ve been asked to step out of the communion line at their Catholic parish on account of their recent same-sex civil union. Sullivan’s observations are about typical for those who are mystified over the Church’s reaction on this topic. I’d like therefore to review some of the myths concerning Catholic teaching on same-sex attraction and Church participation, because the reality is both more extreme and not nearly as... Read more
I don’t go in for clergy-policing, to the point that I have to remind myself it’s okay to give a guy a compliment when he does a good job. Likewise, as my husband pointed out one day when I was whining about some trivial shortcoming on the part of Fr. Excellent, most pastors are trying to do the job of five men, and if they manage to do the job of three men well, they’re ahead of the game. I... Read more
For those who know what such a thing is, the theme around my corner of the Catholic world over the past few weeks has been Spiritual Warfare 101. I don’t have any particular talent for that fight, so it ends up about as unlovely as any other battlefield. You may be finding yourself on similarly unlovely territory just now. Despairing. What is the point? How to continue in the face of this latest news, that latest turn of events? ***... Read more
In this ironic age, in which everything is a riff on something else, it’s hard to let go of the cynic and just enjoy something beautiful and good. In this case, a lonely-hearted traditional-style country music love song from a kid who isn’t wearing the hat and overalls as a costume. Those are the clothes Matt Curley wears when he works behind a horse-drawn plow. (He wears them for other less glamorous farm chores as well.) The montage looks like a home video shot... Read more
In response to my post the other day, I had a few comments from friends in the catechetical world. On the topic of good resources for teens, Charity Horinek writes: When Mark and I taught high school for six years, we used these books, and *I* think they are awesome: We did the first three in three-year cycles, then repeated, but used the fourth as a framework for discussing issues of morality that arose quite frequently since the teens in our group... Read more
New book out from one of my college friends* and her trusty colleague: Exploring Southern Appalachian Forests: An Ecological Guide to 30 Great Hikes in the Carolinas, Georgia, Tennessee, and Virginia by Stephanie B. Jeffries and Thomas R. Wentworth. A few excerpts from an interview with the authors: CR: What makes your “ecological guide” different from other hiking books? TW: Many other hiking books are focused on the details of a trail as a way to get from point A to point... Read more
From my inbox: Hello! This is John McNichol You may or may not remember me, but if you are receiving this email, you and I have had positive dealings in the past. Please help me raise money for Our Lady of Lourdes School Endowment Fund. The fund is intended to provide financial stability for the students’ education. This page is intended for Susanna, Chris (red Shirt) and James (Hobbes costume) to help continue their excellent education at a wonderful school, Our Lady... Read more
A friend asked for a high school textbook recommendation, and it came to my attention she might not be the only one with a such a need. My go-to textbook series for teens is the Midwest Theological Forum’s Didache Parish Edition series. I’ve looked through a handful of these, and am pleased to report they hit that perfect balance between approachable and readable, but scholarly and never, ever, dumbed-down. I like the Parish Edition because it’s manageable for weekly one-hour get-togethers, but... Read more
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