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!

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.