Last week, word broke that Pope Francis had established a new dicastery, essentially streamlining the bureaucracy by uniting under one head three major concerns of the Church: namely, the laity, the family, and the life issues. On October 22, during the afternoon session of the Synod of Bishops on the family, Pope Francis announced to the synod fathers gathered that he would combine the work of two pontifical councils and a pontifical academy: “I have decided to establish a new... Read more
Over at Aleteia, I tell the story today of the world’s only Nun Doll Museum. Located at the Cross in the Woods National Shrine in Indian River, Michigan, the museum is home to more than 525 dolls, dressed in the habits of more than 200 religious orders. Read the full story at Aleteia. And here, for your enjoyment, a few bonus photos from my recent visit there. Read more
I am confused. Are women so inferior that the “best” woman in the whole world is really a disfigured man? Or are women so superior that only a woman can fairly interpret the teachings of Christ? Both viewpoints have made it onto the Internet this week; and frankly, I find both viewpoints equally distasteful. If a man is inherently superior to his wife, an attitude against which mainstream feminism rails, then women’s exclusive role as life-bearer and nurturer is unimportant, and women’s... Read more
By Andreas Tille (Own work) [CC BY-SA 4.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)], via Wikimedia Commons The XIV Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops ended today, with the Synod Fathers approving a 94-paragraph report that told us… well, not all that much. Communion for the Divorced and Civilly Married? Whew! The vote to approve the paragraph dealing with this topic was a close one: It passed by just one vote over the two-thirds majority which was required for approval. One concern which was... Read more
I remember the first time I saw Donna-Marie Cooper O’Boyle on EWTN. She seemed so delicate, so mild-mannered, so firm in her Catholic faith. Later I met Donna-Marie at a meeting of the Catholic Writers Guild, and her image as a strong faith leader and an inspirational speaker was reinforced in my mind. Her writing is truly inspirational–reading her books, one can’t help but resolve to be holier. When, in December 2012, I participated in the blog tour for Donna-Marie’s book Rooted in Love: Our Calling... Read more
“We can’t stop affiliates from breaking the law.” That’s the word from a Planned Parenthood executive in the latest Planned Parenthood video, released by Charles C. Johnson of the website Gotnews.com. Deb VanderHei, a national director of the Consortium of Abortion Providers, tells an undercover Center for Medical Progress representative that Planned Parenthood affiliates may still accept cash, and that the parent organization has no control over that. VanderHei’s admission directly contradicts assurances made by Planned Parenthood CEO Cecile Richards. A court enjoined... Read more
It was September 2004. I was conference director for Legatus, the organization of Catholic CEOs, and each September the group traveled to Rome. In my years planning pilgrimages for Legatus, we typically had reserved seating on the dais beside the Holy Father during the Wednesday General Audience. After the Audience, we’d pose for a group photo with the Pope, gathered around his chair. (There I am with my husband, barely visible at the far left.) In 2004, however, Pope John... Read more
The Polish priest who declared his homosexuality on the eve of the Synod on the Family, Fr. Krysztof Charamsa, has been laicized. Bishop Ryszard Kasyno, bishop of Pelplin (Poland), sent a letter to Fr. Charamsa on Wednesday, October 21, notifying him that he may no longer celebrate Mass, administer the sacraments or wear a cassock. The action against Fr. Charamsa comes as no surprise, considering the priest’s carefully executed attack on the Church he served. Charamsa, who held a press conference... Read more
Today I bring news of a helpful little volume, the Pocket Book of Prayers for Young Professionals. I’m not sure where I stumbled across this slender book of 100 simple prayers, but I recognized in it a theme that would be of interest, not only to young people, but to everyone who seeks to follow God while maneuvering in the business world. Author Julie Rattey includes everyday prayers, but also quick little prayers for special circumstances: During a job search, Julie suggests praying... Read more
Lisa Mladinich caught her reflection in the mirrored closet doors in her St. Louis hotel room–and for just a minute, she didn’t like what she saw. The declining state of her appearance, she explained, was not really a surprise. She’d seen it already: the skin that had lost elasticity around her eyes and chin, the extra pounds around her middle…. She cut herself no slack as she considered how the years had taken their toll, and the tears flowed freely. But... Read more
Seasons of Grace
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