Recommendations

Here is a book that slipped under my radar. Done by Peter Kreeft but for IVP publishers, although a glance at the TOC shows it to be a very Catholic book.







Speaking of Cuture Wars...David Lang gives you some great reasons why Marriage can only be between a man and a woman in Why Matter Matters:







And Amy gives you the real truth behind the fiction of The Da Vinci Code:

De-Coding Da Vinci

Jesuit Liturgist Removed from Ministry

I met him once and immediately didn't like him. He was cocky, the kind of person who if you didn't agree with him on one point--would laugh at you like there was something wrong with you. Now it turns out that he was a troubled individual...



From toledoblade.com:



"An award-winning expert on the liturgy - the public worship of the church - Father Gallen served as editor of Hosanna Magazine, wrote numerous books and articles on liturgy and worship, and in the 1970s was director of the pastoral liturgy center at the University of Notre Dame. He has continued to write about liturgy, publishing articles as recently as June, 2003, in the national Catholic magazine The Tidings.



Father Gallen arrived in Sylvania in March, 1980, to lead a week-long parish retreat at St. Joseph's - where then-Auxiliary Bishop James R. Hoffman was pastor - and stayed at the church rectory.



'He was a very charismatic, very friendly man, and would call me into his room to talk to me and stuff,' Kevin told The Blade. 'That's when the ...'



Kevin's voice faded, finding the allegations difficult to discuss even after 24 years. Married for 12 years and the father of one daughter, Kevin has been undergoing counseling both individually and with his spouse, for more than a decade.



'First it started out with a hug, and then, you know, he'd be rubbing his leg up against [me]. Then he was kissing me,' Kevin said.



'And it was all very, very, very confusing to me. I was completely taken up by his speech, by his talking, the respect that he had from the other priests and the bishop, and what do I do with that? In my mind, I was very, very confused.'



Shortly after Father Gallen returned to his home in Phoenix, Ariz., he called Kevin's parents in Sylvania and asked if their son could help him move to California.



'He didn't even talk to me, he got permission from my parents to help him move from Phoenix to Sacramento,' Kevin said.



He said he was afraid to go but also was afraid to tell his parents "

Hospital Notes from Father Benedict

Did he have a near death experience?



From Letter 3/14/03:



"People have asked me if I had one of those life-after-death experiences. I can honestly say no; but medically there is no doubt that I had walked in the shadow of death. It makes life very precious - all sorts of things start to fall into a profound perspective: pro-life, euthanasia, even the general question of how we treat those who are needy or incapacitated. "

Episcopalians Exclude Bishop

We live in tumultuous times. There is breakdown in churches, society and one wonders what the future holds?



From Episcopalians exclude bishop:



"But one person was missing from the festive, Episcopal gathering in Fairlawn Sunday afternoon - the bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Ohio.



Six area congregations unhappy with Bishop J. Clark Grew II's support of the election and consecration of an openly gay bishop in New Hampshire broke church protocol and brought in retired bishops from outside the diocese to conduct the confirmation service.



They secretly planned the service and held it in an Orthodox church so that Grew could not stop it and they later could not be accused of holding an improper service in an Episcopal Church.



'We don't know what repercussions there will be, but we certainly expect some,' said Cynthia Brust, a spokeswoman for the conservative American Anglican Council that helped arrange the service at Presentation of Our Lord Orthodox Church. She said about 800 people attended. "

Daily Lenten Meditations by Michael Dubruiel

I continue to post these at a separate site, that you can reach by clicking on the "gate"in the right column. The Sunday posts are based on the readings for Cycle A because in parishes with the Rites for Christian Initiation these readings are used every year.

For excellent Lenten reading, see Michael Dubruiel's book The Power of the Cross, available for FREE .pdf download here. Also available at the site are podcasts Michael Dubruiel made about the book.

For Michael Dubruiel's "new" version of the Stations of the Cross, based on those created by Pope John Paul II - go here. (also available in an IPhone app.)

Pope's Reign the Third Longest in the Church's History

If you take Peter out of the mix, his reign is the second longest!



And while many were prepared for his death last Fall, in recent days the pope's health is continues to improve to the point that he may start walking again.

Twenty-five Percent of Boston Catholic Churches to Close

Hearing the percentage puts the depth of the crisis that exists in the Church in context. Its not just about the clergy crisis, it is about the faith of people who have lost any real moorings about why they should go to church on Sundays. This is the fault of religious education that has not taught fundamentals, it is the fault of pastors who do not preach Christ but in an attempt to entertain and not challenge leave people looking for something more entertaining and more challenging and ultimately it is the fault of the hierarchy who in the Catholic Church are the leaders and sadly in many cases have refused to lead but have been led by forces that often are against them.