Tuesday, December 15, 2009

The Farewell Post...For Now

Sixteen weeks ago, I began my first day here at Rowan and, despite being a junior, the adjustment process was still a bit bumpy.

Now, almost as quickly as it began, the semester is over. I survived, and have a good deal of writing to add to my growing resume portfolio. I would have never guessed an entire blog would be added in, though!

As I've mentioned in the past, Abide With Us was a semester-long project for my Online Journalism I course. Friends and my professor have all commented since about my ability to be personal here, and I couldn't help but smile. Allow me to let you in on a little secret: I've been a blogger in various forms for eight years now. ;) Needless to say, I was absolutely thrilled when I learned that blogging would be the cornerstone of this course.

And suddenly, almost strangely, I don't have to write here anymore.

Of course, that doesn't mean I'm shutting the site down. It will remain up, with all multimedia intact, until the Internet explodes. Who knows, now and again I may return with comments on the Church and the media. I'd love to work the religion beat someday. A girl can dream, right?

Thank you to Fr. Larry Polansky, Msgr. John Burton and Fr. Tom Kiely for giving your time (and faces!) to make my feature stories come together. Thanks also to Lois Dark and Ann Polo for allowing me to record at CCM meetings. I'm blessed for having all of you as mentors.

Mark Berkey-Gerard, my professor, made this blog possible, and has turned me into a multimedia princess in the process. I'll be back on the web with him next semester--I'll post a link when things settle down.

And for those of you who have read faithfully or have just stumbled here while looking for cupcake recipes, I appreciate you coming along on both my faith journey and that of Rowan's Catholic community.

Have a wonderful Christmas and a blessed New Year.

Peace be with you!
Melissa

Resources

There's so much more I wish I could write about here, but given the Catholic faith spans nearly 2000 years, it's ground I won't be able to cover on my own. However, I do want to leave you my top five book recommendations that will further explain much of what Abide With Us has explored.


* Catholicism for Dummies by Frs. John Trigilio and Kenneth Brighenti- This should be the first book purchased by anyone curious about Catholicism. The For Dummies series is famous for its simple, engaging writing style, as well as mini-lessons, handy charts and trivia. Written by two priests, it's incredibly thorough and has an index for looking up specific questions.


* Swimming with Scapulars by Matthew Lickona- When I grow up, I want to be Matthew Lickona. He's a newspaper columnist for the San Diego Reader, writing reviews of various worship services in the area. His new book is about living as a young, devout Catholic in today's world. Funny, honest and sometimes intense, if you like what you've read in this blog even a little, pick up this book.
  
* Rome Sweet Home by Scott and Kimberly Hahn- To be a bit personal, this book was a huge player in leading me back to the Church, and many others credit Dr. Hahn for influencing their faith. Hahn and his wife Kimberly recount candidly and rationally their gradual conversion to Catholicism. This includes tons of Scriptural support for every step of their "journey home." I recommend all of Hahn's work, but this one is a favorite.


* Saints Behaving Badly by Thomas Craughwell- I mentioned this book before when I covered saints, and definitely have to add it to the list. Not only is it educational, but it gives a very real sense of how human and imperfect the Church's saints are. Some of the examples are actually downright comical.

* Introduction to Mary by Mark Miravalle- This book is written by an ordained deacon and covers all of the central elements of Mary's role in our salvation. It also deals with uniquely Catholic beliefs like the Immaculate Conception, Assumption, and her perpetual virginity. This is an easy read and a solid springboard into other Marian works.

Ten more days until Christmas. It's not too late!

Saturday, December 12, 2009

Gathering God's Gifts: A New Future for the Diocese

Note: This post is my final project for my coursework, and is therefore a bit more formal and lengthy. Consider yourself warned. ;) Click the play button to the left of each media player to hear clips from audio interviews. Comments are always welcome!

After over two years of intense debate, discussion and prayer, Bishop Joseph Galante of the Diocese of Camden made a sobering address to Catholics of South Jersey: it was time to reconfigure.

In 2006, there were around 175 priests in active ministry for the diocese. That number has been steadily dropping since, and trends suggest there will be only 85 remaining by 2015. This shortage of priests has only further constricted the tight schedules of those still active; some are already serving as pastor for two or more parishes. Similar problems can be found in areas nationwide. In the most dire situations, some parishes are no longer able to celebrate daily or even weekly Masses.

The solution has come in the form of mergers, clusters and closures of many churches in the area. It has been a difficult process that is still progressing in many places, but a few have already completed their mergers.

The initiative, called Gathering God's Gifts, began in 2004 when Bishop Galante first arrived in South Jersey. He held "speak up sessions" throughout the diocese, inviting clergy and laypeople alike to openly express their concerns and suggestions for strengthening the Church locally. From these talks, six points of focus were developed, among them worship, lifelong formation (growth in faith), and young adult ministry.

Parishes then submitted a proposal to the bishop with their suggestions for the future of their community. Galante considered these proposals and on April 3, 2008, declared his intentions for each parish in the diocese. According to an article from the Associated Press, the diocese's 124 churches will be cut down to just 66.

Wednesday, December 02, 2009

I Confess

I still remember very well the day I walked into my church two years ago and made the first honest confession of my sins. I didn't know the priest; he had arrived after I left the faith, and was new to my parish. I rambled about it having been a long time, about always lying in the past to the priests and bragging afterward. He told me it would be okay, just to sit, relax and talk about it.

I told him everything, and when I was done, I heard these familiar words: "God, the Father of mercies, through the death and resurrection of His Son has reconciled the world to Himself and sent the Holy Spirit among us for the forgiveness of sins. Through the ministry of the Church may God give you pardon and peace, and I absolve you from your sins in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good and His mercy endures forever. The Lord has freed you from your sins; go in peace."

Just like that, ten tons of weight had been lifted from my shoulders. Everything was behind me. I was home.

Most converts and "reverts" like myself can tell a story like this one. It's usually one of the most difficult things they'll ever do for their faith, but the majority will admit that when it's over, the joy is indescribable.

Some get upset with the Church when they hear we confess our sins to a priest. Men can't forgive sins, they might say, and there is no mediator between God and man but Jesus. So where do flawed priests get the authority to forgive sins? How is the Sacrament of Confession biblical at all? These two verses explain the foundation:

[Jesus said to Peter,] "I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven." --Matthew 16:19

"(Jesus) said to them again, 'Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.' And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, 'Receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained.'" --John 20:21-23

Jesus gave His Apostles the power to wipe away sins in His name, and because the Apostles passed their authority on to others, all our priests can forgive sins. It's not his own authority that does it, but the power of God working through him. We confess our sins simply because the Bible tells us to; the book of James says plainly, "Confess your sins to one another" (5:16). Why would Jesus allow men to forgive sins if he didn't want us to confess to them?

Confession gives us the closure that is sometimes absent from just asking God to forgive us. Like all our Sacraments, it's a real and physical way to express what is happening spiritually. The best part is that our priests are bound to utmost secrecy. Every priest I've spoken with has said that they forget our sins almost immediately, no matter how heinous. Plus, it's also good to have an objective confidante who can counsel us, and spot patterns or motivators we would otherwise overlook.

This video, while humorous, does a fantastic job shedding more light on Confession. There are six minutes of actual content and then bloopers, so it's really not that bad. Check it out; you'll be glad you did.

One last note: kneeling behind the screen is optional today. Many people, particularly in my generation, were raised confessing in a comfortable and well-lit room, face to face with their priest. You usually have a choice of both options. It's also a good idea to choose a priest with whom you feel comfortable.

Tuesday, December 01, 2009

New beginnings...

Over Thanksgiving break I was home in Vineland, so I went to Mass at St. Isidore's to visit everyone. I've been going to Mass at the Newman House since October, and it was so nice to return to all the "smells and bells" for a little while. 

I picked a good day to show up, and admittedly had planned it that way. Our usual elaborate decor has been stripped down, replaced by plain purple banners that hang behind the altar. Most of the flowers were taken away, and evergreen branches laid in their place. The scent was light, but the transition made me aware of the changes to come on more than just an intellectual level.

This past Saturday evening began the Advent season, the beginning of the new liturgical (Church) year. Our year is broken up into seasons:

Advent- Four weeks before Christmas.

Christmas- Dec. 25 and eight days after.

Ordinary Time- The "normal" time of the year; nothing particularly special celebrated.

Lent- Starts with Ash Wednesday and continues for 40 days until Easter, not counting Sundays. (Sundays are treated as breaks in our fasting, so they aren't included.)

The Triduum- Three days before Easter; the most solemn time of the Church year that includes Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and the Easter Vigil on Saturday night, where new converts are baptized and/or confirmed. (Wikipedia, while usually unreliable, is particularly good with explaining the Vigil).

Easter Season- Begins at the Easter Vigil and continues for 50 days until Pentecost.

Ordinary Time- Picks up again until Advent.

The liturgical year is based entirely on the life of Jesus. It makes sense, then, that Advent is a solemn period of reflection and prayer to prepare ourselves to celebrate His birth. The same thing occurs on a larger scale during Lent, which includes fasting. Advent is also at the end of the standard calendar year, and we use it to reflect on the other arrival of Jesus: the Second Coming at the end of time.

I love Advent. Things may be a bit subdued and solemn, but there's also an expectancy reflected in the prayers, songs and rituals we use. It's time to start over. Joy is coming, and this month is perfect for readying ourselves to receive it.

It also means that the carols start showing up at Mass. ;) Here's one you may recognize, performed by guitarist Trace Bundy and singer/songwriter Josh Garrels. The latter writes very raw, sometimes dark, and entirely non-cheesy Christian music. Do check him out.

Friday, November 27, 2009

Belated Turkey Day wishes...

My Online Journalism professor, being the saint that he is, was kind enough to let us take a hiatus from our blogs this week and enjoy the holiday.

I was so excited at the thought of coming home to turkey and my own bed that I totally forgot to say anything here. Oops. Mea culpa.

Regardless, I hope all of my readers had a wonderful Thanksgiving. Personally, I'm thankful for the opportunity to blog for a grade. That's almost as good as getting paid to play video games!

I'll be back with regular posts on Monday or so. Peace!

Saturday, November 21, 2009

The Saints: An Interactive Timeline

Behold! I come bringing you another super cool multimedia project. :) (What can I say? I get giddy late at night.)

I talked a bit about the saints in a post at the beginning of this month, and I wanted to dig into the topic a bit further with this project. You'll find that I've chosen ten saints from various periods in history, beginning with the time of Christ and ending with the contemporary era. I picked five men and five women saints that have made what I believe are significant contributions to the Catholic Church and the Christian community at large. Some others were virtually unknown while alive, but because I happen to like their stories, I've included them as well.

If you're wondering how we decide who is recognized as a saint, there is a good resource here. Keep in mind that all canonization does is allow the Church the opportunity to formally honor an individual. Everyone in heaven is a saint, and God desires all of us to become saints.

Feel free to click on anything in the timeline you find interesting to explore in greater detail. Click on the plus signs at the bottom to view other entries. There are plenty of links and videos to keep you busy for a while, if you so choose. Enjoy! (I recommend you start with the description tab for each saint.)

Note: Ignore the years listed with the entries; those were required for the timeline to display properly. The dates, however, are accurate and reflect the saint's feast day.

Friday, November 20, 2009

The Fight for Life

Please note: In the interest of being open and honest with my readers, the following post contains some personal opinions that may be considered abrasive or offensive. Also, be aware that some descriptions of abortion procedures will be graphic. 

Wednesday night's CCM meeting was far from the lively and lighthearted discussions one can usually find. In fact, by the end of the hour, not a sound could be heard from any of us in the house. No one was laughing, either.


Melinda Saffioti had made stoics out of us all, and with very good reason: as part of our pro-life night, she came to speak about the reality of abortion. Personally, I've never been particularly vocal about the things those on the political right call "life issues"--abortion, euthanasia, and embryonic stem cell research among them--but after last night, I find it hard to be silent.


Every day, 3800 children in America are killed by abortions. The reasons vary, and it might be assumed that rape, incest and health reasons top the list, but that's not true. In fact, the vast majority of abortions are performed purely for the convenience of the mother. The Guttmacher Institute, a respected research facility for sexual health, says that:

Three-fourths of women cite concern for or responsibility to other individuals; three-fourths say they cannot afford a child; three-fourths say that having a baby would interfere with work, school or the ability to care for dependents; and half say they do not want to be a single parent or are having problems with their husband or partner.
But it's her right to choose, pro-choice supporters may say. She didn't ask to get pregnant.

True as that may be, Saffioti argued, it doesn't mean the baby that was given life must suffer the consequences. "It's like the cops showing up at your house and sending you to jail because your dad had a DUI," she said.

Saffioti, a 2002 graduate of Rowan University, is a licensed social worker who works as a counselor for women who are considering or have experienced abortion. While Guttmacher reports there is no evident link between abortion and mental health problems, she said that many of the women she counsels have at least some form of post-traumatic stress disorder.

It makes sense, especially considering the various methods of abortion in use today. Suction aspiration uses a vacuum-like device to literally suck the baby out while the mother is usually conscious; an abortive D&C involves scraping the uterus, and saline injections involve burning the baby from within the womb before inducing labor.

Harsh? Yeah, I thought so, too.

What does this have to do with Catholicism, though? Truthfully, the abortion issue is one that doesn't have to involve God--it's the taking of an innocent life, which is intrinsically wrong. However, as Catholics we believe that God is the author of all life, and it is therefore our responsibility to defend it from the very beginning. This beginning isn't birth, but conception. At the very instant conception occurs, there are 46 chromosomes present in the new fetus, 23 from each parent. From these, we can tell the child's gender, hair color, eye color, and more before it even begins to resemble a child.

A life is a life, regardless of age, and each should be given a chance to fulfill its potential. There are millions of couples worldwide clamoring for the opportunity to be parents. There are options, and abortion doesn't have to be one of them.

Thursday, November 19, 2009

Trial By Fire

When Catholics mention areas of our faith like praying for the dead, and the mysterious realm of purification we call Purgatory, others may raise their eyebrows in skepticism. There can't be a Purgatory--it would negate the entire point of Jesus coming to die, they might argue. Jesus suffered so we won't have to. He paid the price and wiped us clean.

These are all true statements, but this viewpoint is missing a few key details that are essential to understanding what Purgatory is, and why we believe it exists.

God is perfect in every sense of the word. He is the epitome of holiness, purity, and love--in the Bible, every person who has come face-to-face with Him has gone straight to his or her face in awe. In reality, this is how facing God at the end of our lives will be for all of us; in our fallible human state, in the sight of that beauty, we'll be crippled. We can't handle God in His perfection because we are imperfect.

Jesus was sent to die so we gain the opportunity to join God face-to-face in heaven. Of course, sin hinders us on that journey, and if it's serious enough, it can sever our connection to Him altogether. Jesus may wash away the initial mark of our sins, but the hurt they leave in our lives and the "puncture wounds" made in our soul afterward cannot always be healed completely in life. This is where Purgatory comes in.

Check out this passage from 1 Corinthians: If anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, or straw, the work of each will come to light, for the Day will disclose it. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire (itself) will test the quality of each one's work. If the work stands that someone built upon the foundation, that person will receive a wage. But if someone's work is burned up, that one will suffer loss; the person will be saved, but only as through fire.

The foundation Paul mentions here is Jesus, and what we "build" is our life--those deeds and choices that either honor or disobey Him. When we die, we're immediately judged by both our faith in Christ and the things we've done. If all of our works don't stand up to God's standards (and they never can), we need to be purified before we enter Heaven. Voila--Purgatory.

It's important to note here that Purgatory and Hell aren't the same thing. Once you go to Hell, you're there for good, eternally separated from the love of God because you have consciously rejected Him. "Abandon all hope, ye who enter here." ;) On the other hand, there is joy in Purgatory; while tradition tells us that Purgatory is worse than even the greatest human pain, the dead are encouraged in knowing that in the end, they'll emerge completely new in eternal peace. This may be a crude analogy, but it's a bit like putting bleach on clothes that were stained after coming out of the washing machine.

That's why we pray for all those who have died. We pray that their time of purification might pass quickly, so they can join God as soon as possible.

"May these, and all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace."

Saturday, November 14, 2009

Imaculee Ilibagiza: Forgiveness in Rwanda

On August 15, 1981, the Feast of the Assumption, the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to three high school and college students in Kibeho, Rwanda with a message: repent and turn to God in prayer. Pray the rosary. Destruction is coming, and if the whole world turns to God, it can be stopped.

The apparitions continued for eight years, and then in 1994, the inconceivable happened--the majority tribe of Hutus began to murder entire families of the upper class Tutsi tribe. These murders quickly turned into widespread, hand-executed genocide that killed over a million people in a span of three months.

Immaculee Ilibagiza was home from university for Easter break when the genocide began, and 15 years later, she is telling the story of her survival that she credits to the grace of God. I had the opportunity to see Immaculee speak this past Tuesday at Assumption Parish in Atco, NJ. She was a dynamic speaker with a powerful and (believe it or not) almost comedic testimony that I'd like to relay for you. Unfortunately, I was unable to take photos or audio at the event; you can find both at the two links above.)

Thursday, November 12, 2009

Preview!

I'm feeling a little bit under the weather today (read: so exhausted), so I'm going to leave you with the things I'm working on to close out the month of November.

Immaculee Ilibageza- This devout Catholic woman from Rwanda is a survivor of the genocide there; I had the opportunity to see her at a thought-provoking presentation in Atco on her experience and the power of forgiveness. God's grace really can do anything, even give us the strength to forgive a murderer. Check back this weekend for a feature about Immaculee.

The Fight for Life-  This week, CCM began to circulate flyers on campus advertising a pro-life evening of prayer and presentations. Interestingly, a feminist organization here at Rowan has now begun to advertise an evening celebrating the right to choose, featuring a Christian pastor, the same night as the CCM event. I'm in the process of working with our student newspaper, The Whit, about the controversy developing between these two groups, and I'm sure it will give me plenty to write about here. At the very least, I'm going to be at CCM next week to cover the guest speaker, who is an alumna.

Spotlight- I'll be sitting down soon with a grad student who recently converted to Catholicism after 21 years as a Baptist. His story offers insight into the struggles people "on the outside" face when presented with some of the Church's stickiest doctrines.

And speaking of sticky issues...

I Confess- I'm going to talk to a few priests about what it's like to be a confidante for the deepest secrets of so many. There will be Biblical support every step of the way, and maybe even a video (though not of me in Confession--sorry to burst your bubble. ;))

Those are definite ideas that will be showing up here soon. There are also some others in the works that are being finalized as I contact sources; I'll keep those under wraps for a while.

Have a great weekend!

Saturday, November 07, 2009

Spotlight: Fr. Tom Kiely

Priests, just like laypeople, have a wide range of styles and personalities. I've never met a priest I didn't like, but none of them have ever been quite as...extroverted...as Tom Kiely.

Let the photos speak for themselves (the first is Fr. Tom's, and the last two are courtesy of Lisa Falk. I had some photos of my own, but you all have seen them already.):





Despite his obviously mischievous personality, Fr. Tom is genuinely in love with both his faith and his call to the priesthood. His ordination seven years ago led him to assignments at various parishes throughout the South Jersey area before being named Director of Vocations for the Diocese of Camden, and chaplain for Rowan University in February of this year. Since then, he has developed a personal responsibility to young adults in the diocese as he assists them in discovering God's will for their lives, whatever it may be. As university chaplain, Kiely serves to meet the spiritual needs of Rowan students through celebrating Mass five days a week at the Newman House, hearing confessions, spiritual direction, and acting as moderator for Catholic Campus Ministries. He is currently priest in-residence at St. Stephen's Catholic Church in Pennsauken.

I sat down with Fr. Tom this week to discuss his own spiritual journey, the finer points of the priesthood, and how working with young people has impacted his life. (Hit the play button on the left of each player to hear an audio clip.)

Physical Signs, Intangible Graces

Over the winter last year, I was going through a really hard time in almost every way: school was kicking my butt as I struggled to meet deadlines and set up a summer internship; my grandmother was ill again; and my then-boyfriend was laid off unexpectedly. To say I was stressed would be an understatement, and predictably, my faith had begun to suffer. I dragged myself to church on the weekends regardless, knowing that being there far outweighed the benefits of staying home.

After Mass during one particularly rough week, I approached my pastor and, choking up, asked for a blessing. He placed one hand on my shoulder, the other on my feverish forehead, and prayed for God to give me the physical strength and spiritual peace I needed to persevere. It was a beautiful and impromptu ritual, and in the days following, I really did find things were beginning to even out. Beyond that, there was something so comforting in the words and touch that consoled me in a way personal prayer couldn't.

Christianity is full of physical rituals like these that act as instruments of God's very real power. The Catholic Church in particular has seven of these major rituals, called sacraments. We believe that each one was given to the Church by Jesus in order to bring intangible gifts down to our human level. Wisely, He chose to do it through our five senses. Most of these are performed only once as life milestones, but Confession and Communion should both be taken advantage of regularly. That's what they're there for, after all. The Sacraments, coupled with faith, are centering points for all Catholics. It's through them that we truly encounter God. Let's break them down.

Friday, November 06, 2009

Funny story...

(I'm not sure how relevant to anything this is, but oh well--let's call it off-beat Friday, okay? :) )

Yesterday, I learned that in times of crisis, having faith is so much better than not believing in anything. After a very reluctant chat with my mother in the morning, I trudged over to get my H1N1 vaccine at a student clinic on campus. My doctor said his grandkids had gotten it, and as a medical professional who has seen me for 18 years, he recommended I get vaccinated, too.

Ironically, I had just left my Online Journalism class, and said to my professor on the way out that I'd see him Tuesday, assuming I didn't have a reaction, oink oink.

Next time, I won't jinx myself. They asked me to wait around for ten minutes following my vaccination, just to be sure that I would be okay. Well, about five minutes into the observation period I felt like someone had shoved cotton in my ears. Weird. A minute later, I was lightheaded. Weirder yet. I went over to the nurse who had vaccinated me and told her that I wasn't feeling well. The next thing I knew, I was on the floor of the health center surrounded by a half dozen nurses.

Oops.

I'm fine now, but the recovery process was certainly scary--I had never blacked out before in my life, and I was shaking when I regained consciousness. (This is likely because of a muscular condition I've had since I was born--it acts up when I'm super stressed or weak.) As soon as I realized what was going on, I turned to prayer. I got a text message right after that from one of the girls at CCM: "Are you okay? I'm right here."

Talk about guardian angels! Lisa had coincidentally been vaccinated just as I lost consciousness at the other side of the room. She stayed with me after I was stabilized and brought into a back room to wait for my parents.

Thanks be to God, I'm doing just fine today; they think it was a combination of nerves and not having enough to eat that day. But as someone who doesn't do well at all under emergency situations, I learned two important lessons from the experience:

1) Faith in God's presence in our lives can be an incredible comfort when we are alone, afraid, and have no one to turn to. I probably would have had a complete meltdown without prayer to keep me alert and focused.

2) The Christian community is more than just a group of people that share religious beliefs--we are family because we share the same Father. Family is called to look out for and support one another, even when it's scary or inconvenient.

I'm just glad to be doing okay. My dad joked last night that it would be hilarious to find out next week that The Whit had covered the clinic--I work as a features reporter and copy editor for them. Of course, there would be a photo of the nurses vaccinating students, with yours truly blacked out in the background. I've got to admit, he cracked me up. :)

Monday, November 02, 2009

Saints among us...

It's a common Catholic tradition that everyone has a patron saint, usually the saint who is recognized on his or her birthday. When people ask me who my patron is, I love the looks on their faces when I laugh and say, "All of them!"

Yesterday, I celebrated my 20th birthday on the Solemnity of All Saints, a holy day in the Church's calendar. This means that I technically have every single person in heaven as personal advocates. Not too shabby!

So many people are under the impression that saints are these incredibly holy people that lived sinless lives. Even I struggle with that at times, and I was raised in the Church. Let's set the record straight right now, though: saints aren't perfect. Far from. If God had desired a bunch of perfect robots, He would have never created us with free will.

How would you react if I said that among our list of recognized saints, there are repentant murderers, prostitutes, thieves and rapists? St. Paul (who wrote many of the letters in the New Testament) personally tortured and oversaw the murder of many Christian martyrs; St. Francis of Assissi was an aristocrat known for his love of liquor and partying; St. Augustine struggled with lust, and the term "ladies' man" is a bit of an understatement here--he even fathered a child out of wedlock. One of the first saints we informally recognize is Dismas, the thief who was crucified with Jesus and begged for His forgiveness. There is a whole book of these stories called Saints Behaving Badly. It's a lot of fun, so check it out.

Saints aren't just those that the Church recognizes publicly for some heroic deed. With every decision we make to do good for someone else or avoid temptation, we are a little bit closer to heaven and sainthood. So many of the saints are ordinary, and that's beautiful. When we receive the Sacrament of Confirmation and become fully initiated members of the Church, we often take the name of a saint who we want to make our role model. My Confirmation saint is Maria Goretti, a 12-year-old girl from a small town in Italy who was stabbed 14 times after refusing to have sex with her father's apprentice. The apprentice (who, after a vision of Maria from prison years later, repented) said that Maria refused because she wanted to protect him from sin. Two days later, on her deathbed, she forgave him, telling her mother that she wanted him to join her in heaven someday. It was this instant, unprompted forgiveness and commitment to purity from such a young girl that inspired me to choose her when I was confirmed at 13.

Just as we ask our friends and family to pray for us, we believe that those in heaven (including Mary) continue to love and care about those of us still alive, and are always praying to God for our needs. In essence, they are our friends and allies that have already reached the goal we on earth still strive for. In great or small ways, they are our success stories. Armed with that knowledge, we can be assured that we're never alone in the journey. I think that's pretty awesome.

Max Kolbe (patron of journalists), pray for me!

Thursday, October 29, 2009

St. Mary's of Providence in Photos

And here, as promised, is a selection of some of my best photos from the trip. Trust me, you really don't want to look at a hundred pictures of us acting like goofballs at one in the morning.

Thanks so much to John Higginbotham for tech support, and Phil Wagner for helping to expedite the repair process as the entire slideshow managed to explode. It's working now. I do believe in miracles!!

The embedded slideshow looks disproportionate on the blog, so click the link below to view it. Pause button is on the left--I recommend you use it for ease of viewing.

Enjoy! Have a great weekend--I'm going to spend it at home, celebrating my birthday. :D

Finding Peace

Wow. What an amazing weekend I had.

As you're probably well aware by now, this past weekend I went on retreat with a group of people from Rowan's Catholic Campus Ministries. I'm going to split the story into two posts for this week--one for a personal reflection, and the other for pictures.

We stayed at the St. Mary of Providence Center in Elverson, PA, grounds that are cared for by the Daughters of St. Mary of Providence, a community of nuns. I can say with confidence that I've never seen a place quite so beautiful (or to be frank, so huge). As soon as we walked in, I looked up at the ceiling, and literally felt breathless. My friends weren't kidding when they said I would be amazed! The best part is that it's only about an hour and a half from Rowan.

The first thing we did on Friday night was set a basket in the middle of the conference room floor. We were instructed to write down any private prayers or goals we had for the weekend, and as a song played, each of us put our papers in when we felt ready. These were burned at the conclusion of the retreat, which I thought was freeing--a physical sign of what God had already done.

There were discussions and Bible studies throughout the weekend which focused particularly on how our faith affects our experience as college students. While the discussions were mostly open-ended, I noticed that they continued to drift back to distractions, and how often our busy lives and relationships can impede us from growing in our relationship with God. It was agreed by the whole group that the weekend would be used to rekindle that relationship, to find that silent place inside ourselves to "be still, and know that [He is] God" (Psalm 46:10).

Perhaps one of the most personally powerful experiences for me was our quiet hour, where we were free to do as we pleased, providing it was spiritual and we spent most of the time on our own. It hadn't started to rain yet, so I headed outside to walk to grounds. I was amazed at how much you miss in the busyness and noise of city life. I became fixated on the rhythm of my stride for some reason, and as I walked, a line from Scripture came to me: "Trust in the Lord with all your heart; on your own intelligence rely not. In all your ways be mindful of him, and he will make straight your paths" (Proverbs 3:5-6).

I've just recently come out of a wonderful three year relationship, and while we remain best friends, I'm now left wondering what the future holds. This weekend, I remembered that God is the sort who loves us and will never lead us wrong. During a private conversation with our chaplain, he used a simple card trick to show me how, regardless of what decisions I make that take me down the wrong path, God will always give me the tools I need to get back on track.

It can be difficult to forget the past. It can be even more difficult to forgive, especially when we need to forgive ourselves. But if we can let go and realize that God has already forgiven and forgotten our pasts, we can move forward. By the time we left St. Mary's on Sunday, the healing was finally beginning, and not just for me. I'm now closer to my CCM family than I ever was, and am starting to regain my peace. It was a long time coming, and I'm definitely grateful.

Thursday, October 22, 2009

Catholic Culture: A Photo Essay

After spending way too much time figuring out how to make Flickr work, here's a collection of photos that I hope will illustrate that Catholicism isn't just about religion, but family and community, too. (Again, have mercy on me: taking photos in church without a flash, I've discovered, is super difficult. All things considered, I think this came out pretty well.)

Thanks so much to Cathy Pagden, who assisted me in the planning process for this project, and Fr. Larry Polansky, for being an able confidante and willing guinea pig for me.

I'm off to retreat in Elverson, PA tomorrow afternoon with CCM. Minus an annoying cough, I'm feeling much better, and am beyond ready for this weekend. Peace!

Please note, captions are available in full screen mode. The button is in the bottom right corner of the slideshow. If you still can't see them, click "Show Info" at the top right. The pause button is on the bottom left. It's so much better than staring at nameless people, I promise.

Wednesday, October 21, 2009

The English are crossing the Tiber!

Edit, 28 Oct. 2009: It has been brought to my attention that, as I predicted, I did botch some key details of this story. First and foremost, the group at the center of this potential conversion is the Tradtional Anglican Communion (TAC), which is not to be confused with the Anglican Communion. The TAC is based worldwide, and not just in England, so the post title of "English" is a misnomer. Furthermore, negotiations for conversion were initiated by those within the TAC, and not the Pope; he only responded to a request from them, and before that was not involved in any sort of intervention. Again, thanks for the information. That's what you all are here for, after all. I appreciate it. ~MLP

I would be remiss as a Catholic blogger (and really, as a journalist) if I didn't cover yesterday's bombshell from the Vatican. In a history-making move, Pope Benedict XVI has made provisions for traditional Anglicans to convert en masse to Catholicism, if they so choose.

I haven't yet found anyone willing to break down the release in layman's terms, so I guess this laywoman will give it her best shot. Bear with me. (I know I have at least one priest reading--COUGH--and he is free to correct me if I botch this.)

First, some background: the Anglican Communion (the Church of England in Britain and the Episcopalian Church of the USA) have been rocked by splits and infighting for a solid decade now over the decision to ordain both women and openly gay men and women as clergy. (Tradiotional Anglicans and Catholics believe, in a nutshell, that only men should be priests because Jesus and His twelve Apostles were all men--He could have chosen women, and had plenty as friends to choose from, but didn't.) Conservative members who disagreed with this progressive move formed other churches under the jurisdiction of bishops in North Africa.

The situation has only gotten worse since, and people on both sides of the debate have been holding their breaths, wondering if the entire Communion will crumble. That was when the Pope stepped in. The conservative side of the Anglican Communion has been in negotiations for an unspecific amount of time about being received into the Catholic Chuch. Benedict has "bent the rules" to ease the transition of these groups by allowing them to retain their unique rituals and hymns while under the leadership of Anglo-Catholic bishops. The new converts would become their own "floating diocese," bound by background instead of geographic location (we do the same thing for the Military Diocese).

Opinions are mixed about the decision, with liberals accusing the Vatican of overstepping their bounds or deepening divisions, but for conservatives in both Churches, this signifies hope for healing.

Jesus founded one Church--not 35,000 separate denominations and churches (according to the Barna group). We're now one huge step closer to seeing that unity made reality again. Regardless of opinion, I think we'll all be praying.

Thomas Peters over at the popular blog American Papist has tons of commentary and resources on the issue. There's also this collection of opinions from the New York Times, compliments of my Online Journalism professor, Mark Berkey-Gerard.

Suffering

I feel dead.

Okay, maybe I shouldn't be such a drama queen, but only I would be lucky enough to get sick the week of midterms. God's idea of humor and mine are apparently two very different things--I guess that's what it means when Scripture says "My ways are above your ways, and my thoughts are above your thoughts." Ha.

I've heard a few Christians voice disapproval about the way we Catholics tend to dwell on suffering, and I guess I can see where they come from; from where I sit at the Newman house, I only have to look up to see a large, wooden crucifix on the wall. That crucifix is a staple in every single Catholic church worlwide; each one hangs a crucifix in a prominent place behind the altar.

Well, why? In other non-Catholic churches, almost all display an empty cross, and the rationale makes sense. That business--the Crucifixion--is done with, right? Even we proclaim that at Mass when we sing, "Christ has died, Christ is risen, Christ will come again."

Wrong. It doesn't stop there. If the Crucifixion was a one time deal (and it was, in reality), only the people alive in Jesus' time would have been saved. But because the one dying was God Himself, the event transcends time. That one sacrifice continues now, and will continue until the end. That's why Catholics wear and display crucifixes--without suffering, we'd have no hope. We never want to forget that.

That's why in times of sickness or trouble we "offer up" our sufferings in prayer for ourselves and others. Anything is possible for God, and if we humbly give Him ourselves in weakness, it's amazing how we'll be blessed in return. It also helps to remember as I go through a whole box of tissues that He suffered much worse. It puts things in perspective.

So, as some old school folks say, I guess I'll just "quit complaining and offer it up!" :P

The best way to keep your peace of heart is to accept everything as coming directly from the hands of the God who loves you.

Thursday, October 15, 2009

Things to Come

Midterms are coming like a bullet train, and in the interest of not failing my four other classes, I thought I'd take a step back and do some hardcore studying. In the meantime, here's a quick teaser of what I'm working on for the next few weeks.

* Pro-Life night: The Catholic Church has remained consistently committed to the protection of the most weak and vulnerable among us, particularly the unborn and infirm. God, we say, is the author of all creation, and we are therefore obligated to defend that life "from conception to natural death." That said, abortion, genocide, and euthanasia are some of the most cutting issues to faithful Catholics, and we are always praying for a return to a defense of life. We couldn't mark the nationwide Pro-Life Sunday on October 4, but CCM will be holding several events and devotions this Wednesday that I'll cover and post soon.

* St. Mary of Providence retreat: The people at CCM who have been around for a while tell me that our fall retreat next weekend will provide ample opportunities for great photos. I'll be bringing my camera and an open mind...I've never been on retreat of my own free will, so I'm pretty excited. A lot has been going on in my personal life lately, and I'm looking forward to recharging my batteries. (They also tell me the nuns are fantastic cooks. I'm not complaining.)

* Speaking of photos, keep your eyes open this week...let's just say I have a rather large photo project in the works with my church at home. It will be experimental and a bit nerve-racking, so wish me luck! I've never been much of a photographer, but it's time to learn. Hopefully I won't disappoint. (It's too bad I won't be taking Photojournalism until next semester.)

* Immaculee Ilibageza- On November 10, Assumption Parish in Atco, NJ will be hosting Immaculee Ilibegeza, a Catholic who survived the genocide in Rwanda. We heard last week about how Immaculee's faith allowed her to persevere through almost a year of horror, and now I have the opportunity to hear her in person.

Keep checking back regularly--these are only the big features! If you're anxious for more, offer it up in prayer for my good grades next week. ;) I'll be back!

Peace.

By the way...

I just want to mention that this blog is now a part of a huge Catholic blog site called St. Blog's Parish,* and I'm thrilled to be included as one of the newest bloggers in their directory. When visiting, you'll find Catholic blogs by all sorts of people from every state of life. Check it out. You can find me in the Resources section! :)

*There's actually no actual saint named St. Blog, nor an actual parish (church community) of that name. Hehe. 

The Challenge to Love

In my intro post, I mentioned that I'm a member of Catholic Campus Ministries here at Rowan, and have been blessed more times than I can count since transferring here and finding them six weeks ago.

Our Wednesday night meetings often feature guest speakers, and we were joined last night by Andres Arango, the Director of Campus Ministries for our diocese. (A diocese is a geographical area used for Church government; they're headed by a bishop.) After opening the meeting with prayer, Arango told us a little bit about himself; originally from Colombia, he was an industrial engineer who moved to the United States in 2001. Eventually, he left his engineering position behind to pursue his real love: serving Jesus and His Church. It was that love he planned to discuss with us that night, and the conversation took us in directions we would have never expected.

"Who is Jesus? Go on, just say what you think," he told us encouragingly. There were a few minutes of silence, then words came from around the group. Confidante. Savior. Security. Inspiration. The list went on this way.

After a while, he stopped us, throwing out a second question: "How do you know Jesus is God?"

We all stared at him. "How do you know He's real?" Clearly, this wasn't going to be a normal meeting. We went on to talk about how God isn't some sort of far away deity who remains detached from our lives, but rather one who wanted to be so involved that He became man. While present on earth, Jesus shared every pain and temptation that we experience today. After His resurrection and ascension into heaven, we were sent the Holy Spirit to dwell within us; this means that God is always with us, and alive in us. It also means that we act as instruments of God's love to others.

Andres told us of an interesting encounter he had about five years ago that exemplifies this perfectly. Out late after a long day, he stopped at his favorite Mexican place and found a homeless woman there who called to him. Guilt-ridden, he tossed her a few dollars and started to walk away, feeling very holy and righteous. For a second time, the woman called to him. "Hey. Can I...have a hug?"

"The ten seconds I spent thinking felt like ten hours," he told us, laughing. "You know, a million things went through my head. 'Does she have a gun? Is she gonna take my wallet? I wonder when was [sic] the last time she took a shower...what got me to do it had nothing to do with me. It was the Holy Spirit. It was the love of Jesus alive in me. As soon as I hugged her, she started to cry--it was probably the first time in a long time she felt connected to someone. But, you know, that moment changed both our lives."

There were more stories like this one, and perhaps I'll retell the other in a future post. What we learned tonight was that we need to get out of our comfort zones and allow God to use us to reach the poor in both body and spirit. "The challenge tonight is to believe that Jesus is here, right now, in us...and to develop a personal relationship with Him," Andres said.

That's a challenge, for sure. But "nothing is impossible for God" (Luke 1:37).


Andres Arango with Ann Polo, director of the Newman house.
Photo courtesy of Dana Douress.

Thursday, October 08, 2009

Alive again...


Faith is rarely ever easy, and it shouldn't be. The truth is hard to take, too, at times. My friend V once told me when I was struggling with adjusting to my new lifestyle (which involved giving up a few sweet vices), "We should never seek after what makes us happy, but rather what's True."

Admittedly, I resented that comment for a long time. Yet, as I hung on, God continued to console me, to keep me strong, and say "Yes, I am still here." He used a lot of things to do that--friends, books, and long talks with (very patient) priests all included. However, the single biggest thing that kept me going, and still does today, is music.

It was Victor Hugo that said, "Music expresses that which cannot be said and on which it is impossible to be silent." I may sound like a typical college student saying this, but hearing a song that speaks to my situation, and promises hope in the midst of struggle, does wonders for me in my wearier moments.

So, as I cook up my next (actually newsworthy!) post this weekend, here is one song that has been close to me lately.

Matt Maher is one of the only Catholic musicians who has successfully broken into the mainstream Christian contemporary music scene, and with good reason. This song, "Alive Again," is the first single off his new album of the same name. It comes from St. Augustine, a man who went from living a life of promiscuity to the priesthood, eventually being named both a saint and a "doctor of the Church."

Here's an excerpt from the full quote of Augustine's:

Late have I loved you, O Beauty ever ancient, ever new, late have I loved you! You were within me, but I was outside, and it was there that I searched for you. In my unloveliness I plunged into the lovely things which you created. You were with me, but I was not with you. Created things kept me from you; yet if they had not been in you they would not have been at all. You called, you shouted, and you broke through my deafness. You flashed, you shone, and you dispelled my blindness. You breathed your fragrance on me; I drew in breath and now I pant for you. I have tasted you, now I hunger and thirst for more. You touched me, and I burned for your peace.

And a live acoustic performance:


Tuesday, October 06, 2009

Saved!

Last winter, my baby cousin Cameron was baptized at my church by one of our deacons. While my family doesn't typically go to church, weddings, funerals and baptisms bring them out in droves. I remember in the parking lot seeing one of the baby's relatives that hadn't been at the ceremony.

"Hey!" my mom called out, glad to see him. "Why weren't you at church?"
"Oh, I'm not a...I'm a Christian," he told us, a little aggressively.

I bristled; this wasn't the first time I had encountered something like this. I was going to let it go, but to my surprise, Mom replied without hesitation, "Yeah, so are Catholics."

For a while after my reversion in 2007, comments like this hurt and confused me. Where did people hear some of the things they would tell me? Why did they think they had the right to tear me down? Last spring, it even happened during a Sociology lecture without me saying a word to invite the criticism. It took some time before I realized that this happens because people don't know what we're really about. Our rituals are ancient and often solemn; we offer respect to Mary, saints, and priests who act as our guides. But are we saved? Do we Catholics have a living and vibrant relationship with Jesus?

The answer is the same one that can be given for any other church or religion: sometimes. Sure, there are many Catholics who practice the faith without believing it, but there are just as many others who do "love the Lord . . . with all their strength" (Mark 12:30).

The primary difference between Catholics and other Christians is that there is usually a concrete moment where a Christian repents and accepts Christ into their life from that point forward. Some believe that nothing you do, no matter how horrendous, can cause you to "lose your salvation." Catholics believe that while we are saved through faith, it is a process that takes our entire lives, and does not occur in an instant. If we sin, we can be separated from God until we turn to Him and confess our sins in the Sacrament of Confession (more on this later). While doing good things cannot save us, neither can faith alone. Our faith is only alive if we live it out. Without works, our faith is dead.

Put simply, our view of salvation looks like this:

[Living faith] + [Obedience to Jesus' teachings] + [God's grace (free mercy and love)] = [Heaven]

I've been saved (Rom. 8:24, Eph. 2:5–8), but I’m also in the process of being saved  (1 Cor. 1:8, 2 Cor. 2:15, Phil. 2:12), and I have the hope that I will be saved at the end of my life (Rom. 5:9–10, 1 Cor. 3:12–15). [Those verses used as references were from Catholic.com, a handy site that explains a lot about the faith.]

It may seem difficult, and honestly, it really can be. But, as my pastor put it once, all good things are worth working for in the end...

Tuesday, September 29, 2009

Credo

Credo means 'I believe' in Latin, traditionally the official language of the Church. (Today, most Masses are held in the vernacular, though.)

It can be surprising sometimes to hear some of the things that people say Catholics believe. I've had people tell me that I worship Mary, the Pope, statues, a piece of bread...the list goes on. Actually, none of that is true, and these next few posts will be dedicated to setting the record straight.

First, take a look at the Nicene Creed. This statement of belief was developed in the 4th century, and is professed by Catholics at every Sunday Mass. (Note: 'Mass' is what we call a worship service.) I'm going to use the creed as a reference point for explaining our core beliefs in a simpler way. So, without further delay:

The Quick and Dirty Creed

We believe in one God who made everything, both concrete and abstract, like heaven and angels. There is no other God beside Him. However, God is present in three forms, or persons. The three persons all make up one God. They are:

Father- Yahweh, all-powerful, all-knowing, present everywhere, creator and judge. He is the God of the Jews in the Old Testament.

Son- Jesus (Christ), the savior of all mankind. God the Father formed Jesus from Himself ("begotten, not made" means they're the same in essence, just separated). After the fall of man from grace, we needed a redeemer to heal our shattered connection to the Father. Scripture explains what happened next: "For God so loved the world that He gave his only Son, that whoever believed in Him would not perish, but have eternal life" (John 3:16). Jesus came down from Heaven, and was born of a human woman (making Him both fully God and fully man, like us in every way except imperfection) to suffer and die for our sins/failings. Jesus is God, and in dying, He took our place before the Father so that we don't have to experience eternal punishment (Hell). After three days, however, Jesus miraculously rose from the dead, defeating death and suffering while promising all those who believed in Him the same--Heaven, eternal paradise with God, after we die. (Those who don't accept Jesus will still go to Hell.)

Holy Spirit- Wisdom, comforter, inspirer. The Holy Spirit is the drive in us to do good, to be moral, and to follow God faithfully.

We believe in only one Church that is protected by God; it is universal and has descended from Christ through his disciples and those who became leaders after them. We believe that baptism--a washing in water with prayer--washes away the original sin of Adam and Eve and gives us the strength to fight temptation. We believe that all the dead that accepted Jesus while alive will be given new life at the end of time.

Amen--"this is true"--this is what we believe.

Saturday, September 26, 2009

The Story So Far

I suppose that before I get into the soul and substance of this blog--the lives of others--I should probably talk a little bit about myself, where I've been, and what I'm doing now.

While I was born into an Italian Catholic family and attended CCD (Sunday School) for eight years, we never went to church. Sometimes, Catholicism can be a simply cultural part of one's heritage where the religious side is almost completely absent, similar to non-religious Jews. Since it was made clear to me that I was being raised in the faith to continue tradition and make the family happy, I didn't really care about what I was taught, especially when it came to the more difficult elements. By the time I got into middle school, I learned to tune out and gossip with my friends instead of paying attention. A few times, I was almost even kicked out of the class for being noisy or contrary--I was always that smartass kid that had to rebuttal everything. (I think that same stubbornness is what keeps me going today when I face opposition; I was once in the same place and defended the same anti-Catholic arguments).

Nevertheless, I was too close to "the end of the road" to stop catechism, so at 13, I received my Confirmation, became an adult in the eyes of the Church, and didn't show up again for another 4 1/2 years. During that period, high school started, and I eventually got into the New Age movement. When the initial "I'm being spooky and rebellious" streak wore off, I discovered that the Pagan umbrella of faiths were very peaceful, beautiful, and offered me the spiritual independence I was looking for.

I called myself Pagan off and on for the next two years, but deep down, it felt empty and showy. Odder yet was the actual power my friends and I experienced, something very real and tangible that was downright unnerving at points. One night, two of us got simultaneously sick in the middle of a "ritual" as they call it, and as I laid dizzy and nauseated in cold sweat on my best friend's floor, I knew that this was no longer fun and games. Coincidence or not, it scared me enough to convince me to walk away.

Almost a year later, I stumbled onto a Christian website for former Pagans, and I once again began railing against everything I found wrong with the religion. That year was hard on me, though, and I often struggled with feelings of loneliness, apathy, and depression. By New Year's Day of 2006, I knew I needed a centering point, something to be guided by, in my life. I had never stopped believing in God, and in the early hours of that morning I reluctantly reconciled with Him and began the rocky journey as a non-denominational Christian.

That, too, was lacking for a variety of reasons, and despite my hatred of it, I was continually pulled closer to Catholicism. Many of my new Protestant friends insisted this was a bad idea, but I could no longer just push my feelings aside. It took me over a year and a half of research and prayer, but to my horror, I realized that I could no longer refute the truth I never let myself see in the Catholic Church. Just after Easter in 2007, I went and made the first honest confession of my sins (I used to lie to their faces as a kid, then brag about it afterward) to a priest who was challenging but very good to me, and rather than finding condemnation and shame, I found real mercy.

Since then, I've been making up for lost time. That's only the abbreviated version, and I'm going to make it a point to discuss some hairy topics in the future, like Confession and what is (in my humble observation) lacking from other Christian denominations.

Let me make it very clear here that I'm not out to offend anyone. I have many "brothers and sisters" that are Protestant who have encouraged and challenged me throughout the years, and I love them wholeheartedly for their passion. I'm also not directly trying to win converts to Catholicism, but I would like to invite those of you who are curious or no longer Catholic to keep an open mind and an open heart while you read. Again, do comment here with anything you're interested in or confused about. Part of the new age of journalism is the aspect of community, so "come, let us reason together."

This week, we start the real fun. I'm ready; are you?

Thursday, September 24, 2009

Hello, world!

When starting a new blog, I always feel like I should say something...groundbreaking. This time, however, words are escaping me, so I'll keep it simple:

Welcome to Abide With Us, potentially the coolest Catholic blog on the web. ;) Well, that's my plan, in any case.

The majority of Americans are familiar with Catholicism in some way--there are nearly 68 million registered Catholics in the United States according to the National Council of Churches--but I've found that most are fuzzy on the details. In the past few years, I've heard a number of erroneous and misleading claims about the Church and our beliefs, both from other Christians and from those of different faiths. Sometimes, misinformation even comes from fellow Catholics.

As an amateur journalist, I find that disturbing, and so clearing up those errors is my first goal in creating this blog. It was said once that millions of people hate the Church, yet only hundreds understand her (I'll return with the actual quote later). I hope to be able to present the Catholic faith with honestly, fairness, and joy. If I'm lucky, someone out there will learn something. Any lessening of confusion or hostility toward the Church because of this blog will make the whole endeavor worth it.

Beyond that, I was absolutely floored when I moved up to Rowan a month ago to find a vibrant and faithful community of Catholics on campus. Considering only 25% of American Catholics go to Mass on a regular basis, and many of that percentage are older, this was certainly a surprise. I'm going to cover these college Catholics in detail over the next ten weeks, highlighting what they do, why they do it, and how it ties into the college experience.

We're not stereotypical, and we're not doing this because our parents force us. We're not what you likely expect, and I hope you'll be surprised (and impressed!) by what you see.

Of course, as a Catholic myself, I'll be coming along for the ride and occasionally writing about my personal experiences. Feel free to leave me a question, comment, or suggestion. I'll do my best to respond as quickly as I can. Thanks in advance for reading and sticking with me--I promise to make it worth your while.

Peace be with you!
Melissa