Shining a light into Anne Rice's darkness

Following up on yesterday's post about best-selling author Anne Rice "quitting" Christianity, here's a great post from The Anchoress (Elizabeth Scalia), who takes on Rice's issues with the Church point by point. Scalia's post could help a lot of lost Catholics who misunderstand the very same elements of the faith and many non-Catholics who know only what they read in the headlines.

From The Anchoress:

"...Rice’s angry frustration with what she (and, let’s face it, many others) perceive to be a sort of Institution of No is interesting. She refuses to be 'anti-gay,' but the church teaches that indeed we must not be anti-gay, that homosexual inclinations are not sinful in themselves, but that all are called to chastity, whether gay or straight.

"So, what she is refusing is not so much church teaching, which she incorrectly represents, but the worldly distortion of church teaching both as it is misunderstood and too-often practiced. I do not know how anyone could read the USCCB’s pastoral letter, Always Our Children and then make a credible argument that the church is 'anti-gay.'

"But then, I do not know how anyone can read Humanae Vitae and credibly call the church anti-feminist or anti-humanist.

"I do not know how anyone can read Pope John Paul II’s exhaustive teachings on the Theology of the Body and credibly declare the church to be reactionary on issues of sexuality or womanhood.

"I do not know how anyone can read Gaudium et Spes and credibly argue that the church is out of touch with the Human Person or Society.

"I do not know how anyone can read Fides et ratio and credibly argue that the church does not hold human reason in esteem.

"I do not know how anyone can look at the Vatican supporting and funding Stem Cell Research, or the even the briefest list of religiously-inclined scientists and researchers and credibly argue that Christianity is 'anti-science.'

"Anne Rice wants to do the Life-in-Christ on her own, while saying 'Yes' to the worldly world and its values. She seems not to realize that far from being an Institution of No, the church is a giant and eternal urging toward 'Yes,', that being a 'yes' toward God–whose ways are not our ways, and who draws all to Himself, in the fullness of time–rather than a 'yes' to ourselves.

"Unfortunately, we Christians teach this poorly and generally make too many excuses for our failings. Too many of us go out into the world seeking to confront and 'fix' others, when the key to the Christian life begins with confronting and 'fixing' the self. This can only be done through grace, which enters upon the Yes, and moves and grows on the intentional breeze of Willingness, because that is the only thing that counts, our intentions and our willingness; 'worthiness' does not enter in."

Read the full post HERE.

Anne Rice reverses course - again

By Mary DeTurris Poust

The Deacon's Bench over at Beliefnet is reporting that best-selling author Anne Rice has "quit" Christianity. This comes, of course, after her well-publicized reversion to Catholicism a few years ago and her commitment to write only for Christ.

Rice reportedly made the announcement on Facebook:

"I quit being a Christian. I'm out. In the name of Christ, I refuse to be anti-gay. I refuse to be anti-feminist. I refuse to be anti-artificial birth control. I refuse to be anti-Democrat. I refuse to be anti-secular humanism. I refuse to be anti-science. I refuse to be anti-life. In the name of ... Christ, I quit Christianity and being Christian. Amen."

I interviewed Rice for OSV at length last year about her return to Catholicism, her past career as the ultimate vampire novelist, and her decision to leave all that behind to write only things that would bring people to Christ. I was really impressed by her faith and her courage, so this announcement comes as a disappointment.

Here's a quote from my OSV interview with Rice about her "transition" from atheism to Catholicism:

"I think people are pretty accepting. One thing is that my writing of the last few years has brought me much closer to my fellow Catholics and to many, many non-Catholics too. I feel a communion with everybody that shares my values. When I was writing "The Vampire Chronicles," I was pretty much a loner. Certainly, there were a lot of people who shared my views then too, but we were all loners. That was our definition of ourselves. We were alienated. We weren't members of anything. Now I feel like I'm a member of something, and it's a very good feeling." (You can read that full interview HERE.)

Dangerous precedent at a public university

By Mary DeTurris Poust

A federal judge has upheld the expulsion of a Christian graduate student at Eastern Michigan University for refusing to counsel homosexual clients in the school's counseling program because of her belief that homosexuality is morally wrong. Whatever your stance on the issue in question, expelling a student for holding certain beliefs is a frightening infringement on First Amendment rights and a harbinger of the potentially dangerous waters ahead not only for Christian students attending public universities but for any students who hold views in opposition to the politically correct view of the day.

From the story on FoxNews.com:

"'It’s a very dangerous precedent,' Jeremy Tedesco, legal counsel for the conservative Alliance Defense Fund, told FOX News Radio. 'The ruling doesn’t say that explicitly, but that’s what is going to happen.'

"U.S. District Judge George Caram Steeh dismissed Ward’s lawsuit against Eastern Michigan University. She was removed from the school’s counseling program last year because she refused to counsel homosexual clients.

"The university contended she violated school policy and the American Counseling Association code of ethics. 'Christian students shouldn’t be expelled for holding to and abiding by their beliefs,' said ADF senior counsel David French. 'To reach its decision, the court had to do something that’s never been done in federal court: uphold an extremely broad and vague university speech code.'

"...Ward’s attorneys claim the university told her she would only be allowed to remain in the program if she went through a 'remediation' program so that she could 'see the error of her ways' and change her belief system about homosexuality."

Read the full story HERE.

When women buy into the objectification of women

By Mary DeTurris Poust

As an ardent proponent of breastfeeding, I was especially saddened though not surprised by Genevieve S. Kineke's article, "Racks and Ruin" over at Catholic Exchange. Kineke looks at the shift in societal attitudes that continues to take us farther and farther away from a true understanding of our sexuality and our natural roles as fathers and mothers.

Having breastfed all three of my children, I know the parent-child bonding breastfeeding fosters as well as the many health benefits it provides -- for both mother and baby. And despite the fact that I was pretty much the most discreet breastfeeding mom on the planet, I was sometimes treated as though this beautiful and natural thing I was doing for my children was shameful. Once I was ushered into a darkened room, blinds drawn, doors locked so I could feed my infant daughter.

Kineke's article is a sobering reminder of the skewed view many women now have of their own bodies, a view that society pushes on TV, magazine covers, billboards and more. And that warped self-image carries over into how these women view themselves as mothers.

"The sexual revolution has led us down a path of utilitarian nonsense into loneliness, disease and death. Instead of liberating 'the fairer sex' as it promised, it enslaved them to men’s appetites and degraded motherhood and feminine dignity. And those who participated willingly have either come up short – or have bravely tried to acclimate," Kineke writes.

She goes on to quote an editor at an Australian parenting magazine who wrote about her own decision not to breastfeed, saying, "But even the convenience and supposed health benefits of breast milk couldn’t induce me to stick my nipple in a bawling baby’s mouth."

The editor actually says a lot more that I didn't feel appropriate to quote here, but you can and should -- especially if you are a woman -- go to the full article HERE. It may be too late to change the attitudes of grown women, but we have to do something to help today's girls grow into a full and healthy understanding of their sexuality and their place in the wonder of God's creation.

One of Sanger's legacies: involuntary sterilization

Posted by Mary DeTurris Poust

Stop what you're doing right now and read this essay by Mary Beth Bonacci, founder of Real Love Incorporated. It is the story of how Margaret Sanger's anti-life, pro-eugenics attitudes and actions affected Bonacci's family in a very real and shocking way.

"My grandparents were married in 1922, and my Dad was born in 1923. His parents always wanted more children, but after his birth my grandmother never got pregnant again. They never understood why they hadn’t been blessed with siblings for their only son.

"Fast forward to the 1950’s. My grandmother has a scare with uterine cancer, and in the ensuing hysterectomy the surgeon discovers that her tubes have been tied. She knew nothing about this, and certainly hadn’t consented to it. But looking back, she remembered that shortly after my father was delivered, she had experienced some complications that had necessitated a brief hospitalization. And apparently while she was there, her tubes were tied without her knowledge or consent.

"That was Margaret Sanger’s legacy in southern Colorado," Bonacci writes on the Real Love website. Her grandmother wasn't the only one sterilized without her knowledge or consent. Apparently it was "fairly widespread" in that part of the state.

Read the full column, which gives a view of Sanger not seen in the usual secular celebrations of all her "contributions" to society, by clicking HERE.

Make a joyful noise

James Martin, SJ from The Leadership Roundtable on Vimeo.

Jesuit Father James Martin talks about the importance of joy in spiritual life and at the same time provides enough material for at least one night of stand-up at the Improv in this funny and informative address to the National Leadership Roundtable on Church Management at the Wharton School in Philadelphia. Warning: It clocks in at thirty minutes, but it's worth the time. After all, where else can you get your hands on that many tasteful religion jokes? But seriously folks... It's chock full of spiritual food for thought and some really great lines from saints and saints-to-be. (h/t to Fran Szpylczyn)

Hot-button social issues just a 'distraction'?

By Russell Shaw

Next January it will be 38 years since the Supreme Court in its Roe v. Wade decision imposed the legalization of abortion on the entire United States. It’s hard to comprehend that Americans now approaching middle age hadn’t even been born back then—and hard for some to accept the fact that the conflict begun that day continues unabated until now.

In a Washington Post column published at the start of Senate hearings on pro-choice Elena Kagan’s nomination to the Supreme Court, E.J. Dionne Jr. approvingly cited remarks by Sen. Al Franken (D-MN) to the effect that people shouldn’t spend so much time fretting over where the Supreme Court stands on abortion. The hearings, Dionne wrote, would do well to shift the focus from “hot-button social issues that have been a distraction from the main game” which ought to occupy the court.

And what game is that? Here’s Dionne’s agenda for the court: “the use of the Supreme Court as a redoubt against progressive legislation, the right of plaintiffs to call corporations to account before juries and the ability of the political system to protect itself against corruption.”

Leaving aside the ideological tilt of the writer’s rhetoric, one can agree that the issues exercising liberals like him and Franken merit a place on the Supreme Court’s docket. But it doesn’t follow that “hot-button social issues” are matters of small importance that can and should be ignored. On the contrary, the questions thus dismissively characterized are of fundamental importance to bedrock values whose affirmation or rejection in the years ahead will radically determine the future directions of American society.

It isn’t just abortion either. As this is written, the country is waiting to find out whether a federal court judge in San Francisco will or won’t sustain November’s decision by California voters that only heterosexual marriage should be legally recognized in their state. Whichever way the judge rules, the case appears virtually certain to go to a federal circuit appeals court and from there to the Supreme Court itself. The long-awaited high court decision on same-sex marriage has begun to take shape.

As for abortion, it’s obvious—or at least should be—that the fundamental constitutional issue here at stake turns on whether the unborn shall enjoy all, some, or none of the rights of personhood. That puts abortion in the same league, constitutionally speaking, with the Dred Scott decision of 1857, in which the Supreme Court, to its lasting embarrassment, held that slaves weren’t citizens and needn’t be treated as such.

For years liberals have been saying that the time had come to drop abortion and other social issues from the national policy debate. Some of them no doubt are sincere in making this point, but for others it’s a tactical ploy. Repeat something often enough and chances are good it will become a self-fulfilling prophecy—in this instance, social issues really will disappear from serious discussion. To use a word applied by Dionne to social conservatives, here is a case of heavy-duty “propagandizing” by liberals to achieve their ends.

The headline on the Dionne column in the Post was “Whose Court Is It?” That’s a good question. But the Supreme Court doesn’t belong only to people who think like Al Franken and E.J. Dionne. It’s everybody’s court. That most certainly includes those of us who believe questions like the personhood of the unborn and the nature of marriage occupy a place of central importance to the present and the future of the United States.

Russell Shaw is an OSV contributing editor.

Catechism is key to future of Catholicism

By Mary DeTurris Poust

I'm offering my perspective on the future of Catholicism over at the Catholic Portal of Patheos. I'm the second commentary on day five of the symposium, so scroll down to find me. (Be sure to check out the rest of the essays.) I'll get you started here:


Open the Catechism, Open the Heart

When I look at our Church today and imagine it ten, twenty, one hundred years down the road, I see a faith that has been reinvigorated from the inside out, a Church whose members participate out of love, not out of fear.

Far too many cradle Catholics have abandoned the faith of their birth without ever really knowing the heart of it. They look on their religion as crime and punishment rather than mercy and love. They see the individual threads of specific teachings rather than the broad tapestry woven from Scripture and Tradition. The end result is a Church with many members who don’t know enough about their faith to feel fully integrated into the Body of Christ. And if you don’t know your faith or understand your Church, it’s hard to be loyal and easy to walk away. Continue reading...

Labor of Love begins with one man, one meal

By Mary DeTurris Poust

This story by Maria de Lourdes Ruiz Scaperlanda is too good not to share. It's not only a powerful testament to living the Gospel but a reminder of what one person can do to make a difference. One day, during a hail storm in Shawnee, Okla., Anthony Christopher Rocko noticed a woman sitting on a curb. His decision to stop and offer her a meal from McDonald's was the start of something amazing, something that has blossomed into a community-based organization called Labor of Love Charities.

From Maria's story in the Arkansas Catholic:

"'I never could have imagined there were that many homeless in Shawnee,' Rocko declared.

"...I just kept thinking, these are the people that Jesus would be hanging out with," he said.

"A few Sundays after that first encounter, Rocko made eight hot dog sack lunches and he took them to Woodland Veterans Park. Soon eight lunches turned to 16, then 32, and then 40. Labor of Love now feeds an average of 80-90, and up to 130 a week. He describes the Shawnee homeless community as a demographically diverse mixture of approximately 100 to 150 individuals and families, including 25 to 30 children.

"'As someone told me, miracles happen when individuals hand over their loaves and fishes. This is much bigger than me,' he said. 'It's the community caring about the poor. Churches and families have adopted LOL as their project.'"

When Rocko got some outside assistance for his organization, at the top of his wish list was a homeless shelter with a chapel that would be open 24 hours a day and an apartment where he could live along with the poor he served, according to the Arkansas Catholic story.

"'I have a strong devotion to St. Philomena,' Rocko said of the patron saint of babies, infants and youth -- a favorite among the Rocko family and a saint renowned for her miraculous intercessions. 'And I prayed a novena with a promise -- if she would bless this work and allow me to get a shelter, I would name it after her.'

"It wasn't long before a building was suggested -- a former funeral home with 'the most beautiful chapel I have ever seen,' noted Rocko -- and with a third-floor apartment where the funeral home owner used to live.

"Philomena House, already in the process of being restored inside by volunteers, is a distinctive blue-roofed building in the heart of downtown Shawnee, located between the Salvation Army and a behavioral rehabilitation center. It is scheduled to open this fall as the first extended-care shelter for the homeless in Shawnee."

Take the time to read the rest of this inspiring story by clicking HERE.

Pilgrimage with a twist

By Mary DeTurris Poust

I'll be heading to Italy for the first time in September, but after reading this CNS story about a recent pilgrimage headed up by Lino Rulli, "The Catholic Guy" from Sirius/XM Satellite Radio's Catholic Channel line-up, I'm wondering if I signed up for the wrong trip. Rulli and his gang of 40 listeners hit all the usual pilgrim hot spots but did it in a way that should come as no surprise to those who've heard the antics on any given day on The Catholic Guy show, which airs from 4 to 7 p.m. Eastern each weekday.

From the CNS story:

"Rulli and 40 listeners of his nationally broadcast radio show traveled with Father Rob Keighron of St. Helen Church, Howard Beach, N.Y., to have what Rulli called 'the best and the worst pilgrimage in the world.'

"It was the best, he said, because from July 10-18 they visited and prayed at holy sites in Rome, Florence, Assisi and Siena. It was the worst because not many people would equate the not-so-spiritual moments of singing Bon Jovi at a karaoke club and imbibing Italian wines and liqueurs as being part of a proper pilgrimage, explained Rulli.

"'I think people like the idea that to be a Catholic, to have a religious experience does not mean to have a sour puss on your face before, during and after' those intensely spiritual moments, he said."

Rulli told CNS that one pilgrim said he was going to start attending Mass more regularly because the experience gave him a new perspective on the priesthood.

"What struck people on the tour, Rulli said, was that many of them were able to experience for the first time both their faith and having fun with friends. Usually faith and fun are lived as separate entities, experienced on separate days and with different sets of people, he said.

"Father Keighron, 29, opened up many people's eyes, Rulli said.

"On the trip, he said, they saw 'the priest isn't just the guy you see at church' behind the altar, but also is a normal man who loves football, will drink green Sambuca liqueur at the end of the day and can still be a strong spiritual leader."

Read the full CNS story HERE. And if you want to sign up for any future pilgrimages Rulli might lead, you'd better act fast. This one filled up the day it was announced with 100 more on a waiting list. When I head to Rome, it will be with a group of journalists, so I think we can give Rulli a run for his money when it comes to mixing faith and fun. You'll have to check back here in September if you want to keep score.

Gauging the future of Catholicism

By Mary DeTurris Poust

The Church may have 2,000-plus years under her belt but that doesn't mean it's necessarily smooth sailing ahead. Talk to folks both inside and outside the Church and everyone seems to have an opinion about what Catholicism needs to do, needs to be to remain relevant for generations to come. Do we need to go back to our traditional ways? Try something new? What would Jesus do?

Head over to Patheos for a diverse collection of essays on the "Future of Catholicism," not only as a body of faith but as a worldwide organization. You'll find everything from Barbara Nicolosi's "Save the Boomers, Save the World: Redeeming Culture" to Jesuit Father James Martin's "Casting Out Fear: Imagining a Sympathetic Church."

Over at the Religion Portal side of Patheos are shorter opinion pieces that continue the conversation. Yours truly will add my two cents there later this week.

Vacation obligation?

By Mary DeTurris Poust

The cynics out there say that, for Catholics, Sunday Mass during vacation is just an obligation, nothing more than "getting your ticket stamped" so you can get on with the real business of taking it easy and having fun. But year after year, when we go to Mass down at the Jersey Shore, I come away with a very different take on the so-called vacation obligation.

We just returned from a week in North Wildwood, N.J., where our parish-away-from-home is Notre Dame de la Mer (a merger of the former St. Ann's and Assumption parishes of the Wildwoods). We settled on this particular church (the former St. Ann's) not only because of its proximity to our rental but also because of its pretty interior and throw-back to older traditions we don't have back home in upstate New York. This beach parish was the first place my children ever heard bells rung during the consecration or saw altar boys holding patens as we received Communion.

This year, as we headed over to the 4:30 p.m. Mass on Saturday, our first day of "official" vacation, I could not help but smile at the throngs of people coming from every direction -- from the beach, the boardwalk, their bungalow rentals -- to get to Mass. I think we're past the point of thinking that American Catholics are so afraid of sin that they come to Mass out of fear. No, these people had cut a beautiful beach day short to attend Mass. They could have sat with their toes in the sand for a couple more hours but they chose Mass instead. That's not obligation; that's something far different -- love, respect, awe, adoration, all of the above.

Catholics in this country have made no bones about the fact that they will pick and choose what they want to believe regardless of what the Church teaches. And we've certainly seen a drop in Mass attendance to prove it. So I think the cynics have to take another look when it comes to the Sunday obligation during vacation. Maybe, just maybe, some Catholics -- many Catholics -- enjoy joining their brothers and sisters at Mass in a new place, where the faces are different but the words and songs are so familiar we can just fall into place as if we belong there. Because we do belong there.

I love sitting side by side with strangers far from home but singing every song, saying every prayer and showing my children that the Mass is the Mass no matter where we go. Sure, there may be notes of minor differences here and there, but the song remains the same.

What does Mass on vacation mean to you? Share your favorite vacation liturgy stories in the comment section.

What are your can't-leave-home-without Catholic websites?

The number of Catholic-oriented websites out there has exploded, and keeping track of the ones that are truly useful gets harder as they proliferate.

OSV Newsweekly is pulling together a "best of the (Catholic) web" for its annual Catholic Internet Guide.

Tell us your favorites in four main categories we've chosen (spirituality, news and resources, opinion and community building) and if your pick makes the cut we'll give you credit (either by full name or initials; your choice) and a free copy of the guide. If the sites you submit are hidden treasures (until now!), even better.

For fun, you'll also have an opportunity to submit your favorite Catholic YouTube videos and mobile device apps.

Here's the link to the survey. Don't miss your chance for fame! And to help out your fellow Catholic web-pilgrims! [Comments have been turned off. Here's a link to the guide: http://www.osv.com/tabid/7621/itemid/6762/OSVs-Catholic-Guide-to-the-Internet--Readers-ch.aspx]

Remembering Yankee Stadium's Catholic "Voice of God"

By David Dziena

Bob Sheppard was the public address announcer at Yankee Stadium for nearly 60 years. During this unprecedented tenure, he introduced nearly every modern day baseball legend, including Mickey Mantle, Joe DiMaggio, Ted Williams, and Jackie Robinson. His unique and unmatched vocal style has been so revered that he was nicknamed "The Voice of God" by hall of famer, Reggie Jackson.

While most knew Bob as a baseball icon, he would have wanted to be remembered as a man of faith. His Catholicism permeated every aspect of his profession. Ballplayers and team staff members followed his example and attended Sunday Mass in the stadium's locker room while reporters and commentators were known to clean up their language around him.

During the eloquent eulogies that he delivered when a member of the baseball community or well-known person died, he invited those in attendance to stand for a moment of silent prayer. Bob did this in a simple witness to his faith.

Bob was an active member of St. Christopher's parish in Baldwin, NY, where he attended daily Mass and served as a lector. Hearing Bob’s famed voice proclaim the Scripture must have been an unforgettable experience for many.

As a life-long Yankees fan, I was humbled and honored to have interviewed Bob for an adult Bible study project I worked on a number of years ago. Like many people, Bob wasn't sure how to pronounce my last name. Since the common pronunciation has been Americanized (Dah ZEE nah), he didn't hesitate to tell me he preferred the proper Polish pronunciation (Jah JE nah). Either way, I was thrilled to hear him say my name.

For those who are Yankees fan or and those who are not, Bob was an example of humility, integrity, and commitment to his Catholic faith. May he rest in peace.

David Dziena is an OSV acquisitions editor.

The vanquishing of America's can-do spirit

By Russell Shaw

From earliest days to modern times, Americans have been pleased to think of themselves as can-do people. Pioneers taming the wilderness, stupendous feats of production by American industry during World War II, astronauts walking on the moon — accomplishments like these sustained the self-image of a nation that prided itself on the capacity to do what it set its mind on.

Now, in perception at least, that seems to have changed. Whether this change will be lasting is impossible to say. But poll results combined with subjective impressions point to the conclusion that national self-confidence has been shaken and the national mood darkened.

Among many causes and symbols of this turn of events, three currently stand out: the oil spill and resulting ecological disaster in the Gulf of Mexico, the discouraging drift of the war in Afghanistan, and the nagging persistence — at high human cost — of what’s come to be called the Great Recession. Herewith a word about each.

The blow to America’s can-do image delivered by the oil spill goes much beyond the spill itself. Ooze staining beaches and killing birds and marine life along an ever-widening swath of the Gulf Coast undermines Americans’ historic assumption that, when worse came to worst, government would have a solution to every problem, together with the concomitant American faith in technology as a miracle-worker.

The largest lesson and most powerful lesson of the BP oil disaster so far may be that even though we have the technological capability of digging oil wells a mile under the ocean surface, technology has no clear notion what to do when and if the fail-safe machinery intended to prevent a spill way down there fails in the end. Read the warranty maybe?

Some day — one trusts — the oil will stop gushing into the Gulf. The war in Afghanistan, now approaching its ninth anniversary, also will end. But as in the Gulf, so in Afghanistan, the aftermath of our best efforts seems increasingly likely to be — putting it as delicately as possible — a great big mess.

The recent unpleasantness surrounding the publication of foolish remarks by Gen. Stanley McChrystal and some of his associates may or may not have marked a defining moment in the war. We’ll see about that. But it’s clear that the general’s words captured the mood of frustration already shared by many of his countrymen.

Gen. David Petraeus may yet turn it around. I hope he does. But the White House has given him only a year to pull it off, and many people fear that isn’t nearly enough to produce lasting results (supposing results both lasting and good are even a possibility in Afghanistan). Is this becoming a replay of Vietnam?

And finally — the economy. An interview by Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner seemed to sum it all up. Geithner insisted that the recovery is progressing, albeit slowly. And the national mood? People were “deeply scarred” by the great collapse two years ago, and remain nervous about investing and consuming now.

No doubt they do. But there’s more to it than that. A breadwinner out of work may be suffering psychological scars, but he or she would probably prefer to skip shrink talk and just say, “I need a job.” With unemployment over 9 percent, lots of Americans are saying that.

In none of these areas — the Gulf, Afghanistan, the economy — has America’s can-do spirit been irrevocably vanquished. Not yet. But the damage to morale is real, reflected in a nihilistic mood, neither liberal nor truly conservative, now abroad in the land.

Russell Shaw is an OSV contributing editor.

Beach Blanket Blogger

By Mary DeTurris Poust

Because I will be in an area with spotty Internet connections over the next ten days, posts will be infrequent, if at all -- at least from this particular OSV blogger. Unfortunately, it's not as exotic as it sounds. I'm just at the New Jersey shore, but the best I'll be able to get is very slow "high" speed (it took 30 minutes at my dad's ancient computer just to post this) or wi-fi that's only available if I stand precariously at the edge of a balcony and hold the computer out toward the sky.

But, if you start to miss me, you can head over to Peace Garden Writer, where blogger Roxane Salonen has kindly posted a lengthy interview with me about my upcoming trip to Rome, my Catholic writing career and my upcoming book. If you'd like to check that out, click HERE.

And, of course, keep checking OSV Daily Take for posts from the rest of the team.

Walking the walk - literally

Posted by Mary DeTurris Poust

A great story about a priest who is going to spend the next month walking 500 miles of the famed Santiago de Compostela in Spain to raise money for two Catholic parishes and a Catholic school in South Bend, Indiana. Inspiring summer reading. (h/t to the USCCB for the link.)

From the South Bend Tribune's interview with Father Chris Cox:

“It seems a good time to take some time in prayer and reflection upon my own life and also the people that I have served the last nine years here on the west side, and the people that I’ll be going to go serve in Santiago, Chile,” he said by telephone a week before setting off for Europe.

"...I’ve been thinking about doing this for so many years, and when the opportunity presented itself, I jumped in with both feet.”

Read the entire story HERE.

Pope Benedict: Seek silence, inside and out

By Mary DeTurris Poust

Lately in my own writing I've been focusing on the need for silence in our busy, over-scheduled lives. I realized this reality in a serious way when I went on my first silent retreat a couple years back and felt myself finally letting go of so much of the interior and exterior noise that keeps me from listening for -- and to -- God.

On that retreat and in the immediate weeks that followed I began to experience, for the first time, the wonder of the sound of extended silence in terms of prayer and spiritual life. But, all too quickly, life caught up with me, and my efforts to find at least a little silent time every day were swallowed up by all those appointments and responsibilities penciled onto my calendar.

So...when I saw this message from Pope Benedict XVI, as reported by Vatican Information Service (VIS), I knew I had to share it with all of you. Everyone needs to take his words to heart, at least if we want to have any hope of hearing that still, small voice we long for.

Visiting the Italian town of Sulmona, Pope Benedict celebrated the eighth centenary of the birth of the "hermit pope" Celestine V (also known as Pietro da Morrone), who lived alone on a mountain until he was named pope in 1294. Pope Benedict praised the hermit pope's desire to seek out God through both interior and exterior silence, calling on the rest of us to give that often-difficult practice a try.

"We live in a society in which every space, every moment must be 'filled' with initiatives, activities, sounds. Often there is not even time to listen or to converse. Dear brothers and sisters, let us not be afraid to create silence inside and outside ourselves if we wish to be capable not only of hearing the voice of God, but also the voice of those near us, the voice of our fellow man," the pope said, according to VIS.

Pope Benedict also stressed the importance of grace in the hermit pope's life. I don't know about you, but I find grace to be an elusive thing in this world, so any words of explanation and encouragement in this area definitely help me out.

From the pope via VIS:

"God anticipates us always. Each individual life contains good and beautiful things that we can easily recognise as His Grace. ... If we learn to recognise God in His infinite goodness then we will be able to see, with wonder, the signs of God in our lives, just as the saints did." The signs of a God "Who is always close, Who is always good to us, Who says: 'Have faith in me.'"

So, today, try to find some silence. Turn off the car radio. Close up the computer. Step away from Facebook. Retreat to a room or a lawn chair or a church all by yourself. And just listen...

Read more about Pope St. Celestine V by clicking HERE.

A Catholic twist on our American holiday

By Mary DeTurris Poust

Sure, Thomas Jefferson and John Adams were great men in our nation's history and kind of cool with that whole dying together on the Fourth of July thing. But what about the lesser known but still great men that made their mark on this day long ago? What about Charles Carroll? That's right, Charles Carroll.

As we celebrate our nation's independence, let's take a moment to appreciate Charles Carroll, the only Catholic signer of the Declaration of Independence and the longest-living, last-surviving signer. With all those credits to his name, why isn't he more well known?

Jesuit educated, Charles Carroll was cousin to John Carroll, the first Catholic bishop and archbishop in the United States. So spark up the barbecue and toast a marshmallow or two in honor of one of our own who was there when it all happened. Learn more about Charles by clicking HERE.

Jesus has left the building

By Mary DeTurris Poust

Well, technically he just left the church and went to the ladies' room. I'm not kidding.

This weekend at Mass we were sitting in the front pew, as we usually do. During Communion, my husband, Dennis, and I saw two little girls receive communion in the hand but not put the hosts into their mouths. We watched the girls walk to the back of the church, their mother a few steps behind them. They went to their seats (we still hadn't seen them consume the hosts), spoke to their mother and walked out.

So Dennis followed to see where they were going. A minute later, he saw them come out of the restroom. That's when he saw the younger of the two girls finally put the host in her mouth. He told her she was supposed to consume the host right away, but she argued that she needed to throw out her gum first.

Sigh. Where to begin? With the fact that people -- not just children but plenty of adults -- go up to receive Jesus while chewing gum. Or the fact that the little girls didn't consider (or their mother suggest) that perhaps the gum should be the thing they carry in their hands and not Jesus. Or maybe the fact that catechesis is so poor that anyone would think it's okay to bring a consecrated host into a public restroom.

We need to get back to basics in our faith formation classes. We need to make sure that every child -- and their parents -- understand how to receive Communion and why it's so important. When I taught fourth grade religious education this year, I had to cover a lot of material about the Mass, the sacraments, the commandments. I knew many of my kids didn't attend Mass. I knew many had forgotten the basics they learned back when they made First Communion. And so over and over, every week it seemed, I would remind them about the meaning of the Eucharist and how to receive it, that Communion is not something we pick up like a cookie, that Communion IS Jesus. I think they got it, at least while I was saying it. But I know that won't be enough. They need to hear it from their parents and from every other faith formation teacher they have right on down the line.

They say it takes a village to raise a child. Well, it takes a parish to raise a Catholic child. We can never forget that.

Can we stop the rising tide of child poverty?

Child poverty is an issue we can't ignore, especially in these difficult economic times when more and more families are facing tough decisions about what they can and cannot give their children. Do they pay for rent or food, shoes or heat, bus fare or medicine?

In the latest issue of OSV, writer Michelle Martin tackles this subject and looks at what Catholic agencies and individuals are doing to reverse the trend. The article is open to all readers, so you don't have to be an OSV subscriber to access it. (But while you're there why not sign up so you get print and online versions of the paper every week? To do that, click HERE.)

Stemming the rising tide of child poverty

By Michelle Martin

To grow up poor in the United States does not just mean going without material things, although poor children certainly do that. It also means going without things most families take for granted for their children: a safe way to get to and from schools, parents who are available and able to advocate for their children with school officials and to help them stay engaged in their studies, access to healthy food and the knowledge to choose a healthy diet. Continue reading...