On Valentine’s Day 2013, Jason Bach posted a cartoon on his personal Facebook page—and a new career was launched. Readers loved it and shared it—more than 4,000 times. Jason, who had been drawing comics for as long as he could remember, realized he was onto something, and that if he drew it, people would come. Incredulous at the response, Jason launched a new website to showcase his original comics. Explaining how it all happened, Jason says: “This made me think... Read more
In the first two minutes, you’ll find yourself falling in love with this mother and child. “A Mother’s Dream” is the first-place winner of the 2013 National Right To Life video contest. It was submitted by Joshua Rapavi, a Marquette native who is a student at Northern Michigan University. The NRTL’s annual video contest is open to any amateur film maker/student ages 15 through 25. The film can be from 30 seconds to 3 minutes in length. Each film must... Read more
OK. There will be no more Sam Adams at my house. You may remember that last week I posted an article reporting that Samuel Adams, the Boston-based beer company, in its July 4 commercial had dropped any reference to the Creator from the Declaration of Independence. Conservatives immediately began murmuring the word “boycott,” and the brewer offered a fairly lame excuse citing constraints imposed by the Beer Institute Advertising Code. I was un-persuaded by the company’s apology for their re-write... Read more
I guess I sort of knew this–but until today, I had never found my way over to the Vatican’s YouTube page. I was delighted to find the Pope’s Masses, the Sunday Angelus addresses, and various other events and addresses.  These are not brief features, like the very helpful “RomeNotes” videos.  Some of these events are an hour, two hours, or longer. If you’re a Rome watcher like I am, you’ll want to check it out. Read more
I heard this week that Matthew Kelly, popular Catholic speaker and best-selling author, is fighting cancer. Not wanting to spread an unconfirmed rumor, I checked with Matthew’s organization, dynamiccatholic.com.  Today I received confirmation–they’ve sent his most recent newsletter.  Matthew writes: Last Wednesday Meggie and I welcomed another beautiful boy into this world – Harold James Kelly. Little Harry is happy and healthy, and Meggie is doing quite well. We give thanks for the gift of new life. I also discovered... Read more
When I was young, my cousin served in the Armed Forces in Asia. While there, he bought his parents a gift: a painting of the Last Supper by a local artist. Jesus and the twelve apostles were drawn from the perspective of the Asian painter—and all had the characteristic yellow skin, broad faces and almond eyes. Here in the United States, Father John Giuliani is an accomplished artist whose works depict Jesus and Mary in the style of the Hopi... Read more
Beer-maker Samuel Adams forgot something in its Fourth of July commercial—and now, they’re taking a big hit over on their Facebook page. In the ad, a bartender cites the Declaration of Independence, but deliberately omits any reference to God. It goes like this: The bartender asks, “Why name a beer after Samuel Adams?” He goes on to explain that “…Samuel Adams signed the Declaration of Independence. He believed there was a better way to live.” The bartender then recites the... Read more
Bette Midler, aka “the Divine Miss M”, sent a most unpatriotic tweet on the Fourth of July.  Fans have cried foul, after  Midler used the occasion of America’s birthday to publicly criticize the United States. “Happy Independence Day!” Midler tweeted. “Just think, if we hadn’t won that war, today wouldn’t be a holiday AND we’d have health care.” So on the day that Americans celebrate our independence from Britain, the Divine Miss M foists her liberal politics on the nation.... Read more
Since his retirement, Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI has kept a low profile—living a life of quiet prayer and study in the home prepared for him in the Vatican Gardens. So it was a treat for Vatican City State workers when Benedict joined his successor, Pope Francis, in the gardens on Friday, July 5, for the blessing of a statue of St. Michael the Archangel. At the same time, Pope Francis consecrated the Vatican to the Archangel’s protection. Pope Francis, in... Read more
Here it is! The Vatican has just released Lumen Fidei (The Light of Faith), the eagerly awaited first encyclical signed by Pope Francis. The encyclical completes the trilogy of papal teachings on the three theological virtues which was begun by Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI. Pope Francis had earlier said that the encyclical would be “the work of four hands”—noting the extensive groundwork laid by Pope Benedict, who had passed along his draft after he resigned without completing the work. Although... Read more
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