Dear Everyone: STOP BITCHING. STOP COMPLAINING.

Last updated on: June 8, 2015 at 5:24 pm By Kathy Schiffer

Look at those Christians, how they love, er, shove one another! I don’t know about you, but I’ve been demoralized lately by the constant harping and haranguing that goes on in the Catholic blogosphere. Consider the Duggars: A large Christian family brings their message of family values to the small screen, and social media erupts with screaming voices. “What responsible parent would expose their children to public scrutiny like that?” they demand to know. The Duggars welcome a large family (19 kids,... Read more

Flannery’s Peacocks: “King of the Birds” Run Amok

Last updated on: June 5, 2015 at 11:02 pm By Kathy Schiffer

“I intend to stand firm and let the peacocks multiply, for I am sure that, in the end, the last word will be theirs.” –Flannery O’Connor If Flannery O’Connor were living in New York City today, and if she were to make such a statement about, say, cats, I imagine that the ASPCA would be called, the felines would be hastily relocated, and she’d have a social worker assigned to her case at the earliest possible moment. But she’s talking, instead,... Read more

The Body and Blood of Christ. Really. Just Think of That!

Last updated on: June 2, 2015 at 6:43 pm By Kathy Schiffer

Sunday, June 7 is the Solemnity of the Most Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ (Corpus Christi). In anticipation of the feast, I want to remind you about Cardinal Donald Wuerl and Mike Aquilina’s The Feasts: How the Church Year Forms Us as Catholics. As a participant on their blog tour last year, I was asked to write about the Solemnity of the Body and Blood–and I’m only too happy to share this book with you. The feast is celebrated... Read more

Catholic Priests Lean Right; Episcopalians–Well, What Did You Expect?

Last updated on: June 4, 2015 at 1:32 am By Kathy Schiffer

Joe Carter, writing over at the Acton Institute Power Blog, has just pointed out a quirky little fact: Catholic priests vote Republican, while Protestants vote Democratic. In a way, I’m surprised: That statistic seems to stand against the common perception of Catholics as defenders of social justice (hence liberal) and Protestants as Bible Belt conservatives. But on the other hand, most Catholics are vehemently opposed to the Democrats’ golden calf of abortion-on-demand. The Acton Institute gleans the information about Catholic clerics’ alignment... Read more

Alabama Senate Finds a Work-Around to Avoid Same-Sex Marriage

Last updated on: June 3, 2015 at 2:10 am By Kathy Schiffer

In the Bible Belt state of Alabama, folks don’t take too kindly to the idea of same-sex marriage. Over the weekend, demonstrators rallied in support of traditional marriage between one man and one woman. And now, the state may stop issuing marriage licenses to anyone. That’s because this week, in anticipation of a possible U.S. Supreme Court ruling to legalize same-sex marriage, the Alabama Senate voted 22-3 to eliminate marriage licenses altogether. If Alabama’s SB377, which has now gone to the House for deliberation,... Read more

President Obama Lights a Candle for Our Lady

Last updated on: June 1, 2015 at 11:14 am By Kathy Schiffer

President Obama has visited the National Shrine of Our Lady of Charity in Miami, where he paused to light a candle before the Virgin Mary. Crux has the story of the unexpected presidential visit to a Catholic shrine: The president was on his way to the airport after attending a Democratic fundraiser the night before and spending the morning at the National Hurricane Center…. Obama is the first sitting US president to visit. And Dominguez had barely an hour to... Read more

Pope Francis Gets a White Rose of His Very Own

Last updated on: June 1, 2015 at 6:03 am By Kathy Schiffer

Visitors to the Vatican Gardens and the papal summer residence at Castel Gandolfo will soon enjoy the fragrance of roses. Two French rose growers have come together to cultivate a new variety of white rose, which they have named “Pope Franciscus” in honor of the pontiff. Croix Dominique and Jacques Ranchon, horticulturists from Bourg-Argenal in the Loire region, developed the new rose. The breeders then sought permission to name the rose in honor of Pope Francis. In March 2014, they sent... Read more

Including God on Our Bucket List

Last updated on: May 31, 2015 at 6:24 pm By Kathy Schiffer

Something different: Today, on the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity, I’ve opened this space for a homily from my husband, Deacon Jerry Schiffer. Homily for the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity Year B May 31, 2015 Not long ago, an acquaintance who had been ill for more than two years, died – but not before he had fulfilled some of the wishes on his “bucket list.” Included on that list was spending time in his favorite bar, which... Read more

Once Again, Gregory Popcak Hits It Out of the Ballpark With “Seven Longings of the Human Heart”

Last updated on: May 31, 2015 at 2:37 pm By Kathy Schiffer

Gregory Popcak has done it again! Already, I’m a fangirl: I love his radio show, and I trust his books on marriage and family to be theologically sound, energetically written, and inspiring. So it was an honor to be invited to participate in the Blog Tour for his latest title, Broken Gods: Hope, Healing, and the Seven Longings of the Human Heart. * * * * * So, folks, let me tell you why you want to... Read more