The Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate (CARA) at Georgetown University is a non-profit research center that conducts social scientific studies about the Catholic Church. CARA has conducted a significant amount of research on the long-term effects (throughout life) of attending a Catholic higher education institution, with some interesting results:

Catholics who attended a Catholic college or university are more likely than Catholics who attended a non-Catholic college (public or private) to:

• Attend Mass every week (34 compared to 19 percent)
• Register with a parish (75 compared to 55 percent)
• To agree that "I seriously consider the Church's statements, such as those of the Pope and U.S. Bishops on social, political and moral issues" (55 percent compared to 38 percent)
• To agree that "all human life, from conception to natural death, is sacred. For this reason, the taking of life-whether through abortion, the death penalty, or assisted suicide-is wrong" (53 percent compared to 35 percent)
• To oppose the death penalty (51 compared to 33 percent)
• To disagree that "a woman should have the right whether or not to abort an unwanted pregnancy" (44 percent compared to 24 percent)
• To oppose "making it legal for a physician to help a dying person commit suicide" (53 compared to 43 percent)
• To agree that "Catholics have a duty to close the gap between the rich and the poor" (54 percent compared to 38 percent)
• To agree that "society has a responsibility for helping poor people get out of poverty" (76 compared to 59 percent)
• To agree that "the United States has a responsibility to take the lead in global peace-building (i.e., non-violent solutions to conflict)" (73 percent compared to 60 percent)
• To agree that "It is important to me to do what I can do to help poor and needy people in countries outside of the United States" (71 percent compared to 54 percent)
• To say that, when making political choices, they draw on their Catholic faith either "very much" or "somewhat" (70 compared to 55 percent)
• Among men, those who have attended a Catholic college are more likely to say they considered becoming a priest or brother (43 compared to 23 percent)
• Among women, those who have attended Catholic college are more likely to say they considered becoming a sister or nun (39 compared to 20 percent)

"Across the board, Catholics who have attended a Catholic college or university are more likely than those who attended a non-Catholic college to respond in a manner that is more consistent with Church teachings and practice," says CARA in reporting on its research.

What is your own experience? What is your opinion of Catholic colleges and universities and their role in faith development?

In a recent holiday message from Moscow, Sister Roberta Christine, F.S.P., a Daughter of St. Paul from Virginia, wished everyone a blessed Christmas and happy new year—or, more precisely, С Рождеством и новым годом!—and described some of her activities in the Russian capital.

Moscow's Catholic Cathedral

At a reception following the monthly meeting the bishop of the Catholic diocese of Moscow has with young adults, Sister Roberta said she found herself explaining in Russian the Pauline mission and a something about media literacy. “It was quite entertaining,” she said, “as I groped for words in Russian. But the young people were patient and very interested.”

Sister Roberta’s efforts led to an invitation from the Salesian Oratory Youth Group at the cathedral to give a talk on Pauline life and mission, which she did with the help of two other sisters, a PowerPoint presentation in Russian, and youth translators when necessary. “We started the evening with ‘tea’ and ended the evening with the ‘tea’—a very Russian thing to do,” she said. Some of the young people have even started stopping by the Pauline book center.

As for the weather: “We have had -23 C, -20, -16 so that 0 C feels like summer,” Sister Roberta reported. “But at -15C’’—that’s 5 degrees Fahrenheit—“your nose hairs and eyelashes actually freeze. The trick seems to be dressing like an onion.”

The Oakland A's Grant Desme, a former second-round pick and one of Oakland's top outfield prospects, announced Friday morning that he is retiring from baseball to become a Norbertine priest at St. Michael's Abbey in Silverado, CA.

The slugging 23-year-old, who won Arizona Fall League MVP honors in 2009, said he knew he was likely done with baseball when he finished his stint in Arizona two months ago.

"I do love the game, but I have no regrets," Desme said in a media conference call reported by Danny Wild at MinorLeagueBaseball.com. "I called yesterday to inform [A's general manager Billy Beane] of my decision, knowing I'd be done with baseball for the rest of my life after that call. I was able to experience a great amount of peace because of it--it reconfirmed my decision. I think I'd detached myself from baseball a while ago."

Desme enjoyed a breakout season in '09, batting .288 with 31 home runs and 89 RBIs in 131 games between Class A Kane County and Class A Advanced Stockton. His 40 stolen bases made him Minor League Baseball's only 30-30 player in '09.

"Last year before the season, I had a really strong feel of calling and strong desire to follow it," said Desme, who began the season in the Midwest League. "I guess in a way I fought it. God blessed me, I had a better year than I could have ever imagined. It reconfirmed my desire even more. I wasn't at peace with where I was at, I felt I was called to more."

The outfielder said he'd been contemplating his career as a priest for over a year. A separated shoulder in 2008 limited him to just two games, but more important, it gave him time to reflect on his life and goals. "My injuries were the biggest blessings that God's ever given me," he said. "For my entire life, baseball's been my life. I've defined myself as a baseball player. When it was taken away, it was kind of an eye opener, a real shock. Either way, if I played in the big leagues and became a Hall of Famer, you never know when it's going to end. I started doing some soul searching about who I was, and this is where its led me."

The slugger visited St. Michael's Abbey of the Norbertine Fathers and Brothers in Silverado, Calif. following the AFL season, and that's where he'll begin what he hopes is a 10-year journey to becoming a Catholic priest.

"Grant Desme performed far beyond his experience during his six weeks in Arizona this fall," AFL director Steve Cobb said in November. "For a young man who has yet to face Double-A and Triple-A competition, his success against an array of the game's top prospects was remarkable."

Despite his success on the field, Desme said he never considered trying to stay in baseball while dedicating himself to his faith. "I wanted to give my life completely to God for love, for everything he has done for me," Desme said. "I'm very thankful for that. Something like this is very little in comparison to what he has done for me. "It's about 10 year process of studying, so in reality, this is kind of a comparison," he added. "It's like I'm re-entering the Minor Leagues."

Gathering reports from the National Religious Vocation Conference's February Newsletter, and Fides, the news agency for the Ponitifical Mission Society, the earthquake in Haiti has had a devasting effect on many religious communities even as many religious men and women are in the forefront of relief efforts. Here is what is being reported to date:

From the NRVC:

Sister Brigitte Pierre, DC, a Haitian member of the Daughters of Charity was found dead January 17. Remaining members of the Daughters of Charity were unharmed, although their homes were destroyed, and they have been living in tents as they reach out to assist their neighbors. An international team of 8 Daughters of Charity has arrived to assist with the relief effort.

Sister Mary Finnick, GNSH of the Grey Nuns of the Sacred Heart is a nurse and has been treating the injured at Matthew 25, a Port-au-Prince hospitality house she runs. She and a doctor have been using the dining room of the partially damaged house as an operating room.

Sister Judy Dohner, HM, a Humility of Mary sister suffered broken ribs and a concussion. She lives with the Sisters of St. Antoine of Fondwa, a Haitian community that lost a novice sister and a 2-year-old orphan in her care, along with its convent. The community’s orphanage and school also were damaged, forcing

The funeral service for Archbishop Joseph Serge Miot, outside the ruins of Cathédrale Notre-Dame de l'Assomption, in Haiti on Jan. 23, 2010. Miot and many parishioners were killed when the cathedral collapsed during the earthquake Shawn Thew / EPA Read mor

members to sleep outdoors with the orphans.

The Marist Brothers report that since their works are far from Port-au-Prince, they withstood the earthquake without any serious damage.

Two seminarians of the Oblates of St. Francis de Sales were killed; five others were seriously injured but expected to recover. Two of the community’s three houses were completely destroyed. The community’s three priests and seminarians are living out in the open.

The 11 Sisters of Providence serving in Haiti survived the earthquake, although their homes were damaged. The sisters are sleeping in the street but continue to serve the poor by caring for the injured in a make-shift clinic set up on the grounds of a demolished church. Meanwhile the international congregation of the Sisters of Providence has launched a fundraising campaign to help Haiti rebuild and has pledged that its sisters will remain for the long term.

Sister Odlinè Morcy, SSA of the Sisters of St. Anne was killed, and another sister was injured. The community also lost a dispensary, a school and two residences.

The Society of the Sacred Heart reports that the three RSCJ sisters based in Port-au-Prince are safe, but their house was destroyed. They express gratitude to the Daughters of Mary who extended hospitality to Sister Josefa Corrada, RSCJ after she escaped a building. The RSCJs will move to Verrettes, Haiti where the community offers educational programs.

At least five employees at the Viatorians’ principal building, Villa Manrèse, were killed when the building was destroyed. One Viatorian, Jean-Michelin Cadet, injured his leg when the Viatorian community house and parish church in Grand Goâve were destroyed. Several Viatorians have opted not to take refuge in the community’s intact house in Cazeau neighborhood near the airport but to remain in Grand Goâve and Villa Manrèse, ministering to the people as best they can. The Superior General of the Viatorians has launched an international fundraising campaign to help rebuild and continue its mission in Haiti.

The two Xaverian Brothers who run the Maison Fortuné Orphanage in Hinche, Haiti are safe. They are moving forward with plans to take in children from Port-au-Prince orphanages that have been destroyed. The Xavierian Brothers also sponsor Sant Zveryen, a house for young men attending college in Port-au-Prince. The house was damaged, but all nine student-residents survived.

The Sisters of Charity of St. Hyacinthe, Canada lost their convent and school in Haiti, but their 21 sisters are safe and living with other congregations.

 

From Fides:

The Missionaries of St. Jacques lost Port-au-Prince Archbishop Serge Miot.

The Montfort Missionaries lost nine seminarians and one priest.

The Congregation of Daughters of Wisdom lost three sisters. Three others are still trapped under the rubble.

Oblates of Mary Immaculate in Haiti have about 130 members. One seminarian was killed.

The Congregation of the Holy Ghost lost one seminarian.

The Christian Brothers (with 15 working in Haiti) reported no deaths or injuries. There was slight damage to its novitiate, which has been converted into a shelter for nuns who were left homeless.

None of the 41 Redemptorist fathers or brothers was killed; only one was wounded. However damage to their property estimated at $2 million.

The seven Dominican men religious also escaped unharmed. The Dominican Sisters of Charity of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin sustained one injured sister; one of their two homes was completely destroyed. One of the children of their school was killed.

The 49 Sisters of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary all survived.

The five Camillian seminarians escaped unharmed.

The Salesians reported about the collapse of a school that buried 200 students and the religious working there. The bodies of two Salesian seminarians have been found.

Jesuits reported little damage and no lives lost; just one priest was injured.

The Franciscans also reported that their 16 brothers are alive. However, an Argentinean priest of the order, who worked as a missionary in Haiti for the past two years, is among those who disappeared in the earthquake, his brother reported on a local television station.

According to the most recent statistics Haiti's capital was served by 277 priests, 387 men religious and 1,200 women religious.

The Oakland A's Grant Desme, a former second-round pick and one of Oakland's top outfield prospects, announced Friday morning that he is retiring from baseball to become a Norbertine priest at St. Michael's Abbey in Silverado, CA.

The slugging 23-year-old, who won Arizona Fall League MVP honors in 2009, said he knew he was likely done with baseball when he finished his stint in Arizona two months ago.

"I do love the game, but I have no regrets," Desme said in a media conference call reported by Danny Wild at MinorLeagueBaseball.com. "I called yesterday to inform [A's general manager Billy Beane] of my decision, knowing I'd be done with baseball for the rest of my life after that call. I was able to experience a great amount of peace because of it--it reconfirmed my decision. I think I'd detached myself from baseball a while ago."

Desme enjoyed a breakout season in '09, batting .288 with 31 home runs and 89 RBIs in 131 games between Class A Kane County and Class A Advanced Stockton. His 40 stolen bases made him Minor League Baseball's only 30-30 player in '09.

"Last year before the season, I had a really strong feel of calling and strong desire to follow it," said Desme, who began the season in the Midwest League. "I guess in a way I fought it. God blessed me, I had a better year than I could have ever imagined. It reconfirmed my desire even more. I wasn't at peace with where I was at, I felt I was called to more."

The outfielder said he'd been contemplating his career as a priest for over a year. A separated shoulder in 2008 limited him to just two games, but more important, it gave him time to reflect on his life and goals. "My injuries were the biggest blessings that God's ever given me," he said. "For my entire life, baseball's been my life. I've defined myself as a baseball player. When it was taken away, it was kind of an eye opener, a real shock. Either way, if I played in the big leagues and became a Hall of Famer, you never know when it's going to end. I started doing some soul searching about who I was, and this is where its led me."

The slugger visited St. Michael's Abbey of the Norbertine Fathers and Brothers in Silverado, Calif. following the AFL season, and that's where he'll begin what he hopes is a 10-year journey to becoming a Catholic priest.

"Grant Desme performed far beyond his experience during his six weeks in Arizona this fall," AFL director Steve Cobb said in November. "For a young man who has yet to face Double-A and Triple-A competition, his success against an array of the game's top prospects was remarkable."

Despite his success on the field, Desme said he never considered trying to stay in baseball while dedicating himself to his faith. "I wanted to give my life completely to God for love, for everything he has done for me," Desme said. "I'm very thankful for that. Something like this is very little in comparison to what he has done for me. "It's about 10 year process of studying, so in reality, this is kind of a comparison," he added. "It's like I'm re-entering the Minor Leagues."

Last night I heard Olivia Wilde, an actress from Artists for Peace and Justice, speak of Passionist Father Rick Frechette's

Passionist Father Rick Frechette, a medical doctor, at one of his clinics in Haiti prior to the recent devastating earthquake. Frechette had been in the U.S. visting his ailing mother, but returned to Haiti immediately following news of the disaster.

great work in Haiti, founding hospitals, free clinics and schools. He has received the "Hollywood Humanitarian Award" for his untiring dedication to the people of Haiti.

Here is news from him posted January 15 on the Passionists' website:

Hello Friends,

After driving by night to Kennedy Airport January 12th, and flying to the Dominican Republic January 13th, Conan and I arrived to Haiti this morning in the helicopter of the President of the Dominican Republic. This ride was due to the reputation of NPH in the Dominican Republic, NPH Italy, a reputation enhanced in the DR by Andrea Bocelli not long ago.

Our first tasks were the medical evacuation of one of our American volunteers, the medical evacuation of one of our Cuban doctors and the evacuation of the body if one of our American visitors. The search still continues in the rubble for another missing American volunteer, Molly.

We also had 18 funerals today. One for John who works at our St Luke program. We miss John very much. He often stopped to at my door to tell me the milestone of his developing baby, which delighted him no end. John ran our computerized language lab. Another was for Johanne’s mother. Joanne is one of the Directors of the St Luke program. All the others were of unknown people who were sadly rotting by the wayside. Other sadnesses…the death of Immacula, our only physician assistant, who worked at our huge outpatient side of our hospital. The death of ALL but one of Joseph Ferdinand’s brothers and sisters, the death of the husband of Jacqueline Gautier as he was visiting a school which fell and all the students (all died), the death of our ex-pequeno Wilfrid Altisme who was in his 5th year of seminary for priesthood.

Other stories of deaths of people who are dear to us keep coming in. We spent the rest of the time managing the countless people with serious and severe wounds, coming to our hospital. We are doing our best for them, under trees and in the parking lot with ever diminishing supplies. We will work throughout the night and beyond. No stores are open, no banks are open. Diesel is running out. Will be out in two days if we don’t find a solution, which will mean no power at all. The hospital is without water since there is some broken line between the well and the water tower. Structural damages to the hospital seem superficial at first glance, but about half the outer perimeter walls have fallen. The old hospital in Petionville is in ruins, and teams of workers, led by Ferel, and been digging for Molly non-stop around the clock.

WE HAVE NO INTERNET. OUR PHONES DO NOT WORK. IF A CALL DOES GET THROUGH WE CAN’T HEAR OR BE HEARD. Robin has internet access through a satellite. I asked her to send this message for me, and to read my emails and answer them as best she can for now. Please continue to pray for us. We pray for you too.

Fr. Rick Frechette

The Passsionists have the following message on their website:

Please consider a donation to help Fr. Rick help the people of Haiti:

Passionist Missionaries Inc.
526 Monastery Place
Union City NJ 07087-3398
Tel: 888/806-6606
E-mail: DLisotta@cpprov.org

Donate on-line. The link for our Donate Now will redirect you to Caring Habits, Inc. (CHI), the credit card processing company for The Passionist Missionaries website.

Born into slavery in Ralls County, Missouri to Catholic parents in 1854, Augustus Tolton was destined to become the United States' first recognized African American priest, But his road would not be an easy one.

With his mother and siblings he escaped to Illinois and freedom during the Civil War and eventually settled in Quincy, Illinois, where the family found work. Some priests and nuns encouraged and taught him, while others were hostile to his desire to become a priest. After years of rejection from U.S. seminaries, Tolton finally traveled to Rome for his studies, where he was ordained in 1886 at the age of 31. He had hoped to become a missionary to Africa, said an Associated Press story, but was assigned to parish work in Quincy, Illinois and later Chicago, at St, Monica's parish. At St. Monica's the beloved Tolton was known to parishioners at "Good Father Gus" and admired for his homilies and singing voice. Tolton died during a Chicago heat wave in 1897 at age 43.

Tolton was and continues to be a source of encouragement for African American Catholics. "Young people can look to Father Augustine's legacy—and be inspired and be able to say, 'If he could do it, so could I," said African American Deacon Harold Burke-Sivers of Portland, Oregon. Burke-Sivers wrote the introduction to a reissue of Sister Caroline Hemesath's 1973 biography of Tolton, From Slave to Priest..

Tolton's struggle continues, said Adrienne Curry, managing editor of the Black Catholic Chicago website: "We're faced with the same issues in the church—needing churches we can go to that feed our needs, and education we can afford, and still facing racism in the church," she said. "I think Father Tolton would be saddened but hopeful at the same time—just like we are."

Here's a video on the life of Father Tolton:

The book and film Dead Man Walking did a lot to get the word out about Sister of St. Joseph Helen Prejean's efforts against the death penalty. But did you know the book was also made into an opera, with music by Jake Heggie and a libretto by Terrance McNally? Heggie has also set to music Prejean's poems The Deepest Desire: Four Meditations on Love called The Deepest Desire: Four Dramatic Songs of Praise, which talk about the vocation of love and her own vocation.

The texts of the songs are below. Here's a performance:

Prelude: The Call

More is required
More is required than being swept along—
All the currents pulling me
Easy and wide in a long, slow drift—
Without rudder, floating backwards, now to the side.
What can one person do against a sucking tide?

I coil like a bow;
I gather like a fist;
I forge like a rudder
And I lean into the wide, slow drift.

I tack and veer by God's own will.
I raise my voice against the silence.
My voice alone until a chorus joins.

Love

Love is the pure energy of God: pray for it ardently.
Be grateful when it comes into your life: give of it generously.
Lavish it on others: even the undeserving ones.
Cultivate friendship with care: it is the best love of all.

I catch on fire
Long black dress to my toes—Flowing black sleeves and veil.
A walking bolt of black material.
Fourth grade religion class-Teaching full force:
The gospel according to . . .
Lit candle.

Fifty little eyes wide. Twenty-five voices shout:
"Sister! Sister! You're on fire!"

Flames shooting. Hands beating.
Silence. Breathing.

Children, this teaches us always to be careful with fire.

Now, years later, when I pray
I catch on fire.
Amen.

The deepest desire

I thought I knew my heart's desire:
To love God. To be with God in Heaven.
A bud unfolding; a dutiful, prayerful nun.
I pleased God, I thought,
By being obedient.
It made me feel holy.

But getting to heaven takes a long time.
And dwelling far below was a Voice, calling:
"Lose yourself!"
"Lose yourself upon the deeper currents!"

Then I heard cries from the heart of the city:
"Is there life before death?"
I saw. I heard. I followed.
I made my way to prison cells.
I made my way to death chambers.
I saw. I heard. I followed.
I witnessed.

A desire for justice woke in me.
A fierce desire that will not let go.
The deepest desire.
The deepest desire of my heart.
"Come home!"
"Come home!"
"Come home!"

Primary colors

I live my life in primary colors.
I let praise and blame fall where they may.
I hold my soul in equanimity
And leave the fruits of my labors to God.
At night, when I pray, I catch on fire.
And when I put my head on the pillow,
I fall instantly to sleep.

A compilation of spirited food, drink, and travel

Wisconsin journalist Madeline Scherb recently published A Taste of Heaven: A Guide to Food and Drink Made by Monks and Nuns (Tarcher, 2009), part cookbook, part travel guide.

According to her Amazon biography, Scherb, a Catholic and member of St. Bernard Parish in Middleton, WI, first came up with the idea for A Taste of Heaven while completing a journalism fellowship in 2003. Financing her efforts with her personal savings, Scherb took six years to complete the book and traveled to more than a dozen abbeys in the United States and Europe.

She offers many insights into religious life, including this observation from her introduction:

Perhaps the greatest lesson to be learned from the example of monks and nuns is that a life lived simply can be both rewarding and sustainable. Monks and nuns don't live to work, they live to pray. They work only as much as they need to, but they give it their best effort every day. They work whether they are young or old according to their abilities (an octogenarian nun was recently spotted making chocolates at Bonneval, while monks of a similar age staff the reception desk at Gethsemani).

 

Born into slavery in Ralls County, Missouri to Catholic parents in 1854, Augustus Tolton was destined to become the United States' first recognized African American priest, But his road would not be an easy one.

With his mother and siblings he escaped to Illinois and freedom during the Civil War and eventually settled in Quincy, Illinois, where the family found work. Some priests and nuns encouraged and taught him, while others were hostile to his desire to become a priest. After years of rejection from U.S. seminaries, Tolton finally traveled to Rome for his studies, where he was ordained in 1886 at the age of 31. He had hoped to become a missionary to Africa, said an Associated Press story, but was assigned to parish work in Quincy, Illinois and later Chicago, at St, Monica's parish. At St. Monica's the beloved Tolton was known to parishioners at "Good Father Gus" and admired for his homilies and singing voice. Tolton died during a Chicago heat wave in 1897 at age 43.

Tolton was and continues to be a source of encouragement for African American Catholics. "Young people can look to Father Augustine's legacy—and be inspired and be able to say, 'If he could do it, so could I," said African American Deacon Harold Burke-Sivers of Portland, Oregon. Burke-Sivers wrote the introduction to a reissue of Sister Caroline Hemesath's 1973 biography of Tolton, From Slave to Priest..

Tolton's struggle continues, said Adrienne Curry, managing editor of the Black Catholic Chicago website: "We're faced with the same issues in the church—needing churches we can go to that feed our needs, and education we can afford, and still facing racism in the church," she said. "I think Father Tolton would be saddened but hopeful at the same time—just like we are."

Here's a video on the life of Father Tolton:

What if God had texted the Ten Commandments? Jamie Quatro on the literary ezine McSweeney's has some suggestions:

1. no1 b4 me. srsly.

2. dnt wrshp pix/idols

3. no omg's

4. no wrk on w/end (sat 4 now; sun l8r)

5. pos ok - ur m&d r cool

6. dnt kill ppl

7. :-X only w/ m8

8. dnt steal

9. dnt lie re: bf

10. dnt ogle ur bf's m8. or ox. or dnkey. myob.

M, pls rite on tabs & giv 2 ppl.

ttyl, JHWH.

ps. wwjd?

Highlights from VISION Vocation Guide's first time attendance to the National Catholic Youth Conference--held last week in Kansas City, MO--included:

• Greeting enthusiastic young adults, teenagers, youth ministers, parents, chaperones among the 22,000-plus in attendance
• Watching teenagers bowl with the bishops using the Wii that VocationMatch.com sponsored
• Feeling the enthusiasm and spirit of the faith-filled crowd in and around Kansas City's Bartle Convention Center
• Eating at Lidia's restaurant--yum!

A few photos--sorry we couldn't provide more--we were glued to the booth!

Sisters at the National Youth Conference inKansas City

Franciscan Friars at their booth at NCYC

National Religious Vocation Conference (NRVC) Board Member Augustinian Father Kevin DiPrinzio, NRVC Executive Director Holy Cross Brother Paul Bednarczyk, and NRVC Associate Director Sister of St. Joseph of Philadelphia Charlene Diorka

Traditionally many religious communities devote time almost every day to what is known as "recreation," and Tyburn Convent, a cloistered monastery of Benedictine women in the heart of London, is no different. What is a bit unique is one of the sisters' recreational activities: snooker-which they also hope to leverage into some much-needed fundraising.

After a television documentary about their lives-and snooker-playing-brought international attention, the sisters decided to ask local businessmen to drop by the convent and ''put a shot in the pot''-that is, make a contribution each time they pocket a ball on the community's undersized snooker table. The donation goes to a restoration fund for their building. Constructed in the Victorian era, it was damaged by a bomb in World War II and the repairs have started to deteriorate.

''Snooker is a popular game and I think that it will appeal to a lot of people,'' Sister Simeon told the New York Times. ''I thought fundraising was a dreary business. I never knew it could be like this. This is a lot better than addressing envelopes. . . . Recreation is an important part of our day and I'm not keen on sitting down and knitting; not yet, anyway."

''Our skipping has aroused interest, too,'' added Mother Mary Xavier in reference to another of the sisters' recreations: jump-roping. ''We like to skip but it's the snooker that has taken off. If our skipping gets more popular, then we will have sponsored skipping. But right now, we must concentrate on snooker.''

Originally a home for unwed mothers, Chicago's Misericordia/Heart of Mercy today supports over 500 children and adults with mild to profound developmental disabilities. For 40 of those years the director of Misericordia has been Mercy Sister Rosemary Connelly, R.S.M.:

Talk radio host Stephanie Miller called to task by a Sister of St. Mary of Namur

Sister Carol Ann of the Sisters of St. Mary of Namur was quoted on the Stephanie Miller radio show today. Stephanie Miller,

comedienne and progressive talk radio host, apparently claimed tongue-in-cheek on an earlier show that she was "beaten by the nuns" during her time at DeSales Catholic High School in Lockport, NY.

Sister Carol Ann wrote and begged to differ. Apparently, the academy was not staffed by the sisters when Stephanie attended. Oops! Stephanie acknowledged that she had fibbed--all for the sake of a laugh. She promised Sister Carol Ann she would say two Hail Marys. 

Good for Sister Carol Ann for taking the time to set the record straight about the Sisters of St. Mary of Namur. Good for Stephanie Miller for her on-air apology. We believe detention is in order, Stephanie.

Click here and type in Keywords "of Namur" or Code 348 to read the Sisters of St. Mary of Namur VISION listing.

 

 

Looking for a scary place to visit on Halloween or for a Day of the Dead celebration? How about the Capuchin Catacombs of Palermo in Sicily featuring thousands of well-preserved corpses of the souls of the faithful departed.

Located below a Capuchin Monastery, the underground cemetery was dug in the late 16th century initially to house deceased monks. Later, the Capuchins, an order dedicated to service to the poor, opened the catacombs to the general populace and took in those who otherwise could not afford such a burial. According to recent AP story, some 8,000 mummies are stacked ceiling-high in the corridors of the catacombs, lying in open niches, or propped up in a standing position, many still dressed in their original clothes. Monks wearing dark frocks, priests in sacred vestments, aristocrats in their best Sunday dress, and the poor in rags as well as young children resting in their cribs were all buried in the catacombs.

Today, the mummies may give visitors the creeps or encourage sobering reflections on mortality, but in the cemetery's heyday they were a comforting presence for relatives and friends who could visit their loved ones, pray by their side, and care for the body.

You can find the Capuchin Catacombs at Piazza Cappuccini, 1, Palermo, Sicily. They're open daily, 9 a.m.-12 p.m. and 2 p.m.-5 p.m. Entrance fee is €1.50. More info at Sacred Destinations website.

For information of the Capuchin Franciscan Friars in the U.S., view their VISION listing by click here, and typing in keyword "Capuchin" or code 091.

When most people think of the Vatican and astronomy, they usually remember Galileo Galilei, the Italian scientist condemned for suspected heresy in 1633 for maintaining that the earth revolved around the sun (and who was "rehabilitated" in 1992 by a special Vatican commission established by Pope John Paul II).

Less well-known are the centuries-old contributions of Italy and the Vatican to astronomy. This history is the subject of a new exhibition, "Astrum 2009," running at the Vatican Museums from October 15, 2009 to January 15, 2010, said a Catholic News Service article by Carol Glatz.

The Vatican Observatory, the Italian National Institute of Astrophysics, and the Vatican Museums have pooled their collections of antique telescopes, astrolabes, celestial globes, and manuscripts. Many of the 130 items in the exhibit have never been displayed publicly.

Some of the exhibit is dedicated to the Vatican's history of astronomical research, including its participation in the 19th-century international "Carte du Ciel" ("Map of Heaven") project to catalog and map the stars. Between 1910 and 1921 the Vatican Observatory assigned three nuns to help with the map project. These Sisters of the Child Mary measured the coordinates of tens of thousands of stars reproduced on photographic glass plates.

Also on display for the first time are photographs of a papal expedition to Russia in 1887 to witness and document a total solar eclipse. Three Italian priests made the trip, which proved unsuccessful due to poor weather and viewing conditions.

There are even some Galileo-related artifacts, like his original handwritten notes detailing his observations of the moon and his publication Starry Messenger from 1610, which detailed how he perfected the telescope to magnify distant objects 30 times their appearance to the naked eye.

Galileo opened up a brand new way of doing science, which wasn't accepted immediately, said Cardinal Giovanni Lajolo, president of the commission governing Vatican City, in a written introduction to the exhibit's catalog. These groundbreaking scientific discoveries help people better understand God's creation, he wrote, and the exhibit shows how science "is an inescapable part" of the human spirit and the whole human experience.

A video about the exhibit:

All of us involved in vocation ministry lost a dear friend on Oct. 8 with the death of Margaret "Mickey" Paluch, chairman of the  board of the J.S. Paluch company and longtime promoter and supporter of Catholic church vocations. 

Margaret Paluch

In 1985 she established the J.S. Paluch Company’s National Vocation Awareness Division, which supports vocation ministry in the church and underwrites an annual national vocations seminar. In 1991 Mickey established the Endowment for the Margaret and Chester Paluch Chair of Theology at the University of St. Mary of the Lake Seminary/Mundelein Seminary, Mundelein, IL, in support of that effort.In 1995 she created the Paluch Family Foundation, which funds liturgy, stewardship, and vocation projects.

In recognition of her devotion to vocation ministry, the National Religious Vocation Conference(NRVC) presented its John Paul II Award to Mickey in 1987. In 1989 the National Conference of Diocesan Vocation Directors (NCDVD) bestowed its Stewardship Award on Mickey and later established the Margaret A. Paluch Award in her honor. In 2007 Mickey received the Pope John Paul II Seminary Leadership Award from the National Catholic Education Association (NCEA) Seminary Department in recognition of her distinguished service to Roman Catholic seminaries in the United States and Canada.

Pope Benedict XVI gave the Roman Catholic church five new saints on Sunday, Oct. 11, 2009, including Father Damien, born as Jozef De Veuster in 1840, a Roman Catholic priest from Belgium who cared for leprosy victims on the Hawaiian island of Molokai from 1873 to 1889, when the disease killed him. The other new saints are 19th-century Polish bishop Zygmunt Szczesny Felinski; Spanish faithful Francisco Coll y Guitart and Rafael Arniaz Baron, and Jeanne Jugan, a Frenchwoman described by Vatican Radio as an "authentic Mother Teresa ahead of her time." (Click here for full AP story featured on NPR).

For more information about Father Damien, read VISION's online listing for Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary (code 230).

For Jeanne Jugan, go to the VISION listing for the Little Sisters of the Poor (code 041).

Sister Patricia Lucas, D.H.M. with two of her students in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Sister Patricia Lucas, D.H.M. professed her final vows with the Franciscan Handmaids of Mary, an all-African American order, in 1965. It was while searching for a community that she encountered discrimination.
 
"As a young adult, I was told by many religious communities that the Franciscan Handmaids of Mary was my only option. I was not encouraged to join any other order," she told the Catholic Advocate. Then, while working in Chicago, she joined the Daughters of Heart of Mary, in 1985, because of that community's flexibility. The members move among the people whom they serve, with no external identification. "I chose the Daughters of Heart of Mary because I can work in any milieu I want to. There are doctors and lawyers who are also sisters," she said.

Now the director of the Office of Black Catholic Ministry for the Archdiocese of Newark, New Jersey, Lucas is also a member of the multicultural and evangelization committees for the archdiocese. In addition she is the regional director of formation for the Daughters of the Heart of Mary and has ministered in Ethiopia and the inner-city prisons of Chicago.

After joining the Daughters she was assigned as director of Nazareth School for Girls in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, where she was responsible for 1,400 young women. "At that time, the president of Ethiopia had his daughter attend Nazareth School. Everyone there valued their education and viewed attending the school as a stepping stone to England or America. The students prayed so much; they prayed for peace every morning," Lucas said.

Due to the continuing civil war in the area that ended in 1991, she relocated back to the U.S. to become president of a mostly white school. "I sent in my résumé for the job without a photo," she said. "When I was voted in, people were definitely taken aback. I didn't see overt racism, but it was racism that was covered by a smile. People don't respect you as a person with intelligence."

"My faith has made me a stronger person," she confessed. "I could not endure the racism, even within my own church, if it was not for my faith. It made me look beyond the atrocities and realize there is a God."