Other Catholic blogs feature politics. Frank and I agree that we want to focus on our faith experience\u2014which often means choosing the Good News over the not-so-good. Sometimes you have to dig for good in a media-driven world that seems to love the bad, but that\u2019s why you pay us the big bucks, right?<\/p>\n
Here are some things that caught my attention this week.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Frank was writing a dynamite post on Pascal\u2019s views on death<\/a>. The post attracted over 30 equally strong comments. While it is not exactly \u201cgood news,\u201d this piece by a mother who lost her autistic son<\/a> resonated strongly with me in the wake of Frank\u2019s post. And we should never ever forget that miracles really do happen<\/a>.<\/p>\n One thing you probably won\u2019t see either of us writing about is knitting<\/a>.<\/p>\n I have been to Lourdes a couple of times but never to Santiago de Compostela (above), on the other side of the Pyrenees. This year might have to be the year, as my daughter is being received into the Church at Easter, and I would love to take her on a celebratory trip. Where better than this Spanish pilgrimage site? When better than a Holy Year? What defines a Holy Year in Santiago de Compostela?<\/a> That July 25, the feast of St. James, falls on a Sunday. July 25 is my birthday!<\/p>\n I will probably not take my daughter to Dubai, not even to see the world\u2019s tallest man-made structure<\/a>. Didn\u2019t they already make this in a place called Babel?<\/p>\n Undoubtedly, there are Catholics in Dubai, and we may learn about some of them when the Catholicism Project makes its way to screens near us later this year<\/a>. I\u2019m excited about this movie project. I suspect it will teach us about Catholicism in China, as well, where our fellow worshipers are much more dedicated<\/a> than the average American Catholic. Even the French, derided as overly secular, know how to stand up for their faith<\/a>. Out in the American West (not exactly sure where she lives), Jan at \u201cRuns with Angels\u201d was one American Catholic willing to brave the elements to attend Mass<\/a>.<\/p>\n While abortion is the bad-news item of our times, it seems that every week there are indications that the tide is turning. Last week, Frank found evidence that Mexico is making it harder and harder to kill unborn children. This week, Creative Minority Report noted a stunning statistic: the population of abortionists is aging<\/a>!<\/p>\n In local Boston-area news that\u2019s also universal, a 76-year-old cancer patient from the outlying town of Walpole showed once again that prayer works<\/a>. What better news is there than that?<\/p>\n Also in Boston, we were cheered to read that the Patriots\u2019 presumed Super Bowl opponent, the New Orleans Saints, is \u201climping into the playoffs<\/a>.\u201d Call us presumptious, but who\u2019s going to stop us: the Ravens? the Colts? See you in February. But Webster, I thought you converted because <\/i>of the Saints<\/a>?!<\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/_dmDaLWNETzg\/S0iufuogNYI\/AAAAAAAAA1E\/b2ciAyA5qP0\/s200\/FirstCommunion\")
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