So, as I mentioned in this post, our own “Catholic Thinker”, Tod Worner — following the recent Pew report on diminishing Catholic numbers, and the glee that inspired in some corners — decided to write a post on why he will not be leaving the Catholic church.
Tod’s piece reminded me of an older piece of mine from NPR, where I also catalogued why I remain a Catholic, and it inspired Monique Ocampo to explain why she remains, as well.
And then Dr. Gregory Popcak chimed in, writing so well about the “audacious intimacy” of the Eucharist.
And then Denise Bossert kicked in with her convert’s insights.
I suggested that we may have the beginnings of a spontaneous Symposium, here and have nudged other Catholic Channel writers to jot down short pieces on why they intend to remain Catholic. Those will be popping up soon, and Ill be sure to link to them, so keep checking back, here.
But, in the meantime, I had another idea, which was probably inspired by this event. How about if we take this little project outside of Patheos? How about if Catholic writers from all over the internet — bloggers, reporters, poets, aggregators, newshounds, journal editors, politicians, new-media-storming priests and nuns, Catholics in secular positions — what if they all were to take a few minutes to jot down “Why I Remain A Catholic” and post it where they can, on websites or social media?
How great would that be — a cloud of witnesses in the ether, another kind of Communion of Saints?
Let’s do this! If you’re Catholic and have access to a web-page, a radio program, a Facebook page, whatever, take a few minutes, and tell the world why you are remaining a Catholic in an era where doing so seems not only counter-cultural, but also counter-intuitive and even, perhaps, a bit risky?
And for those of you who have access to nothing but comboxes, well, feel free: use the combox to tell us why you will stay with the church!
UPDATE: Hm, and maybe we should hashtag this: #WhyRemainCatholic
How about it, folks? This is a call-out to CatholicMom.com, and New Advent and Ed Morrissey and Our Sunday Visitor, and Crux, and dotCommonweal, and Brandon Vogt, and dear, brilliant Heather King, and Jennifer Fulwiler, and Big Pulpit and Catholic Digest, and DaTechGuy and Hallie Lord and In the Arena, and Relevant Radio!
I could go on and on but you get the idea, and I must dash out to noon mass, but what do you think? Ready to share your reasons why you will remain with the church as the world increasingly bares its teeth against it? My handle on twitter is @TheAnchoress. Tweet me with your post-links, and I’ll include them here!
This image makes a most succinct statement as to why I remain, but I’ll come up with something more detailed, later:
WHO IS CHIMING IN?
Marge Fenelon: “Jesus doesn’t lie…”
Max Lindenman “…there’s always the chance I’ll get to be part of the solution.”
Tom Zampino: Pews filled with the fallen, like me
Kate O’Hare: When you find the truth, you stop looking…
Kathy Schiffer: 8 Reasons to Go, 1 Reason to stay
Swimming the Depths Keeping it short and sweet
Julie Davis: Boy, this is Easy!
Tom McDonald 14 Reasons!
John Stegeman at Catholic Telegraph: 4 Reasons…
Sarah Reinhard “I am healed…”
Leroy Huizenga : Hey, I just GOT here!
Notre Dame’s Tim O’Malley: “…this body of wounded lovers.”
Rick Rice at Brutally Honest: I am never, ever, ever leaving again…
Artur Sebastian Rosman: Takes a page from Walker Percy
Sherry Antonnetti: 50 Ways She Stays
Leticia Adams Jesus is Good to me…every day
Gregory Hillis: An Abiding Vision
Mudblood Catholic: Consoling or not? Yes.
DaTechGuy: Why on earth would I leave?
Katrina Fernandez: Will remain Catholic for beer
Maria Morera Johnson “Because I didn’t…”
Deidre Mundy: It is a church of both faith and reason
Erin Martin: The Ordinary Means of Salvation
Nick Senz: Don’t want Jesus to ask, “will you leave, too?”
Catholic Drinkie: The Holy Spirit nabbed me at 15
Michelle Arnold: God Only Knows…
Diane Korzeniewski: I need the sacraments!
Caitlin Marchand: I can trace every good thing in my life…
Sister Theresa: The Eucharist saved my life…
Pascal-Emmanuel Gobry: The thing I know for sure…
Rebecca Hamilton: Christ hasn’t told me to leave…
Erin McCole Cupp: “Make me anything but Catholic!
With Open Hands: It’s the steadiness, the timelessness, the fearlessness
Matt Nelson: For Answers and the Eucharist, the ultimate answer
Patti Maguire Armstrong This one reason…
Kerry Weber: I’m sticking with a loving, global, imperfect church.”
Terry at Abbey-Roads The Holy Spirit grasped me…
Cay Gibson: A A Self-offering of Faith
Stefoodie: It’s because I am selfish
Catholic Science Geek: Miracles, Consistency…
Michael Boyle: “it’s the visceral catholicity, stupid!”
Brenda Becker: Why do I stay in my body?
Sister Eileen Connelly: a sense of connection that went beyond language and nationality.
Shelly Kelly: Family, Comfort, Discipleship, and…
Scott Eric Alt: Since becoming Catholic my life has been terrible, and I’m never leaving
Franciscan Mom It’s in my DNA
John F. Sullivan: the most consistent and coherent set of propositions I’ve encountered…
Cynthia Trainque: The Personal Connection with Jesus
Bill Burns I piddled around with a Unitarian Universalist congregation for a while, but…