Modern-day White Shadow Comes to Boston Catholic School
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This book was a fast, contemporary read that surprised me by being quite deep about spiritual issues and big questions within the context of the Catholic Church and parochial schooling. The main characters faced serious issues that were handled within a strong moral and ethical framework. The story revolves around a religion teacher, his students and his family in a down-trodden Boston area Catholic school. He captures situations, families and dogma in a very real way. I highly recommend this book and hope to see it as a Netflix series someday!
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It will be a super addition to use in the classroom for religion class. The boys will love the graphic novel design. It will hold their interest and has great dialogue.

I bought several and my niece and nephew love theirs!! They take time to share it.
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The storytelling in Florence Grende's book is as if it is within the shifting light at twilight, where what was shadowed comes into a bright light for just a few seconds before dusk. In the elegant and spare way she uses words, her characters and story briefly illuminate a path darkened by fear and peril. The Holocaust was a time of such immense dehumanization and evil; this book lifts a veil from the readers' eyes and provides a keener lens into the heart of a Jewish family. This is a book to remind us that family is precious, our ancestral blood can be surprisingly resistant and wise, and that hope is a resource to value and protect.
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For recreation and diversion from the oppressions and petty discipline of Catholic School, Francis Dole and his fellow alter boys have created Sodom vs. Gomorrah '74--a very explicit series of comic books featuring the priests and nuns of Sacred Heart engaging in extreme violation of the 7th Commandment.  Unfortunately, a copy falls into the hands of Father Kavanagh.
The scheme they devise to extricate themselves from this mess is as creative as it is tragic.
The book eloquently conveys the nature-and frustrations-of parochial school life in a more intolerant and authoritarian church environment than usually exists in such institutions today (chiefly, I suspect, because of the dearth of priests and nuns available to staff the places) for folks like me who endured the experience.  It will also remind you of some of the characters of that time and the misadventures they got into.
Some aspects of the story are a bit out there, but this isn't really an issue while you are reading the book.  It embroils you in the concept, scheme and plotting quite effectively, even if the plan is so cockamamie that even adolescents should know better than try this scheme.
Equally moving and depressing, but well worth reading.
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Pope Francis has captivated the world since being announced as Pope in one of the world's most exclusive and fascinating vote processes.
His climb to being Pope and the affect it has had on Catholics all over the world is captured in this fantastic portrait book. As captured by the official Pope photographer Rodolfo Felici, The pictures are stunning and tell the story of this humble man's rise to the most powerful Church position in the world. The pictures really capture the essence of the man and delivers all the pomp of the Vatican. I will treasure this book and pray that while Christians are getting their throats slashed around the world simply for proclaiming their faith that this Pope will inspire millions to share theirs. Pope Francis is coming to Philadelphia in September and I surely hope to see him. I remember seeing Pope Paul II in New York CIty and it was a life changing event.
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Today many ask, "What will become of the people in our world?" More specifically, author Carl Anderson asks, "What kind of people are we becoming in our world?" With the way the world is headed, many wonder what can be done to turn things around. We have perhaps heard various names used to describe our world as it stands today - the culture of death, the clash of civilizations, the dictatorship of relativism - but the leader of the international men's fraternal organization The Knights of Columbus, Carl Anderson, chooses to focus his new book on the theme of building a world of hope and love.
Anderson states that his new book, A Civilization of Love: What Every Catholic Can Do to Transform the World, is "a call to active hope." Practical hope is the reason I think this book succeeds, because it is about the hope and means of building a civilization of love; and this book truly inspires hope, but more - while offering a clear and engaging theological treatise on the social doctrine of the Church it is also a practical guide to making such a hope a reality. This book is for anyone who is looking to be part of the revolution of love that has already changed both individual hearts and sectors of society through organizations like the Knights of Columbus.

Mr. Anderson, a first-class theologian in his own right, has written a how-to book that appeals to Catholics of all backgrounds. The author does for Catholic social teaching what Lee Iacocca did for American corporate business - he first leads a revival within his own social enterprise at the Knights of Columbus and then calls the rest of us to follow his success, to transform the world with love.

Anderson weaves his chapters with thematic discussions that focus on various ways to build the civilization of love - topics that include the power of Christ, the domestic church, globalization, business ethics - while filling in the gaps with illustrative examples of people and successful projects that demonstrate the practical possibility of making his plan, which is ultimately the plan of the Church and the Holy Spirit, a new world-wide reality. From Fr. Michael McGivney who founded the Knights of Columbus, which is today a 1.7 million volunteer Catholic men's organization that gave $143 million to charity in 2006, and who was recently regarded by Pope Benedict for his heroic virtue, to Lt. Dan O'Callaghan who died at the World Trade Center on 9-11 and was found holding his Knights of Columbus rosary, to Karol Wojtyla (John Paul II) who found his vocation to become a priest while learning the "Gospel of work" in a rock quarry in Nazi-occupied Poland. In this way, Anderson's book offers the best of both Church social teaching and inspiring examples of modern witnesses of love.

Pius IX once said that if there were one million families praying the Rosary every day, the entire world would be saved. After reading this book, I would add that if there were a million people who would read this book and attempt to put its principles into action, the entire world would be changed... into a renewed civilization of love. Outlining how we can build our contemporary culture with an authentic spirit of progress, Anderson's book gives his readers an invaluable resource on how to become living stones in the building of a global civilization of love. And this is the kind of people Christ is calling us to become in building our world of tomorrow.

Kelly Bowring, STD, is dean of spiritual mission and associate professor of sacred theology at Southern Catholic College in Georgia.
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In the late 1970s and early 1980s, photographer Robert Flischel was busy photographing weddings and religious services in Ohio and Northern Kentucky. As he did so, he felt an increased desire to examine the beautiful spaces and share that beauty with others with a goal of telling a clear and meaningful story. The result of that goal is the breathtaking coffee table book, Messages of Glory: The Narrative Art of Roman Catholicism.

The striking images of stained glass, sculpture, paintings, and mosaics take center stage, with the text serving to augment the story rather than dominate it. The Ohio/Kentucky area is a microcosm of America and the immigrant wave that took place between 1840 and 1950. As Anne Husted Burleigh shares in the preface, these images are a testament to the devotion of generations of Catholics who established these memorials, and as a repository of a priceless and irreplaceable collection of sacred art that reflects the richness of our Catholic culture.

The images are divided into categories, beginning with angels, then moving to saints, beatitudes, sacraments, symbols and icons, the stations of the cross, the life of Mary, mysteries of the rosary, the holy family, and the life of Christ. All serve to teach and inspire. All could be a source for meditative prayer.

From an artistic perspective, the craftsmanship of these pieces is amazing, and something we often take for granted. We walk into a Church and expect to see beautiful windows and statues and give little thought to the artists and craftspeople who put so much of their heart and time into creating them so that they might give glory to God.

One story worth sharing in this text concerns the Angels of Cincinnatti. They are two European sculptures brought to Cincinnatti in the 1840s for St. Peter in Chains Cathedral. In the 1850s, they were moved to St. Teresa of Avila Church. In the 1960s, it was decided that they no longer fit the style of the church and were relegated to life behind a curtain in the parish bingo hall. In the 1990s they were rediscovered when the diocese requested an art inventory. They are now on loan to the Cincinnati Art Museum and getting the attention such fine pieces of sculpture deserve.

Messages of Glory is inspiring. It would be wonderful if other photographers took on the challenge of preserving the art of other dioceses. Much of this liturgical art is at risk due to parish closings and the simple passage of time. It is worth recording from a historic, artistic, and spiritual perspective in order that future generations may also benefit from it.
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Tessa Dawson enters a Christian college known for being solidly Biblical in its teaching but soon discovers this isn't the same college her grandfather attended.  Requred to take a class in "spiritual formation", she is introduced to the writings of Teresa of Avila, a 16th century nun who practiced "Christian mysticism".  As Tessa is drawn deeper into the spiritual practices taught by her spiritual formation professor, she finds herself in a real spiritual battle between Biblical truth and new-age spirituality that threatens to draw her into a demonic world she didn't expect.  She reaches out for help from her grandfather and a young man who recognizes the teaching for what it is.

Castles in the Sand is "fiction with a message" that tells a composite story of how contemplative spirituality is impacting Christian colleges and universities, churches, and seminaries worldwide.  While the book features fictional characters, it is based on the real life and teachings of Teresa of Avila which are embraced today in the Christian contemplative spirituality movement.

The topic itself was of interest to me but this is also a well-written story with all the components of a good suspense novel that I read in one evening because I couldn't put it down.  I felt it gave a realistic account of the dangers people may unwittingly open themselves to when they delve into the spiritual practices and teachings of lectio divinia, contemplative prayer, visualization, centering, sacred space, desert fathers, kundalini, labyrinths, spiritual formation, and "the silence."

I think anyone who enjoys Christian suspense fiction will like this book, as will anyone who has questions about what is at the foundation of contemplative spirituality.  I also think it is a good book for parents and students to read just to be aware of the ways contemplative spirituality may be represented on college campuses.

I received a copy of this book for review from the publisher but the opinion of it is my own and was not solicited, nor was a positive review required.
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When the Archdiocese of San Francisco announces that it intends to close the historic St. Brigid Church, the parishioners are initially stunned.  But they quickly rally to defend their church, a fight that would drag on to become the longest running parish protest in the United States.  This is the story of that parish and of the parishioners devoted to saving their landmark church.  Their battle takes them to the Vatican, to city hall and to the state capital, all while the Catholic Church finds itself plunged into the chaos of the sex abuse scandal that was coming to light at the same time.  The members of the Committee to Save St. Brigid come to understand themselves and their faith more deeply and strongly through their long struggle, and in the end learn that as important as the church building might feel, the real strength of a parish is the people who form the body of the parish.

While some might consider this book heavily biased against the Archdiocese, the book is generally well written and provides quite an intimate look at the motivations and beliefs of those who struggled to save St. Brigid.  It is especially powerful in showing how these people's faith actually grew through the conflict, even in the face of the resistance of the Church leadership and the growing sex abuse scandal that enveloped the Church.  It is clear that through all the disappointments and disillusionment, these people still found something in the Church that was worth holding on to and fighting for.  That they have been largely unsuccessful in achieving their goals does not necessarily mean that they have failed.
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A Gift for my son who is in the media department at school. These have been an added addition to his web sight. Now the lighting is much better and you can actually see his face.
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This is a marvelous and timely book of family lineage, discovery and empathy that pays close attention to modern culture, political theatre and disfunctional world events that have cause from ancient times. These unique revelations reach into long forgotten origins of the Roman Catholic church and a marvelous few seeking for hidden records and codes that lay in art, records and our physic abilities. Codes that depict an alternative spiritual legacy that still lay hidden through antiquity. The story of this family legacy and formative period when Jesus was walking the earth and not only with his apostles.
This is a story of hidden legacy and of probable cause and consequences for spiritual imbalance in faith based religions of the world today. Herein is an epic of richly crafted human his-story that accurately depicts the patriarchal origins and impacts of a Church/ State merger at the hight of the Roman empire when the Catholic Church and Constantine of Rome made alliance in 150AD. Then accurately weaves a story of of systemic consequences and an alternative Jesus life example that could help unite all faiths. There are many church secrets built for power and control, that have caused humanistic imbalance and continue to result in frightening ecocide and global terrorism for western society. This  fine story, though fictional is made up of timely true to life revelations, modern discoveries and codes depicted in ancient art and mythological records. A fact finding expose about dedicated families close to the church yet armed with their own empathy toward injustice in today's digital and media savy world. Then, most compellingly, at this dawn of the age of Aquarius, a earnest reader can also experience what's true, as multidimensional capabilities blossom in the characters and give rise to intuition. This sleuthing process for the truth calls upon it's readers to ask for oneself, what is real from fiction, what feels right and sacred. The core beliefs of Judeo-Christian- Muslim, patriarchal system that continues to cause war and mayhem feels to have grown so very obsolete. This book helps to weave a revolutionary energy into these times of transition. The story of one family missing from world his-story. A story of Correction.
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Saint Brother Andre (Albert) Bessette, canonized by Pope Benedict XV on October 17th, 2010, was a simple and unassuming man who attributed his success as a healer to Saint Joseph, the husband of Mary, the mother of Jesus. His biographer, Brother Laurent Boucher, has written a biography of his co-religious and canonized Brother in the religious Order of the Holy Cross in a simple and unassuming manner. Both came from devout French-Canadian families. Albert Bessette grew up in Quebec, not far from the state of Vermont, and Laurent Boucher was raised on a farm in the border town of Highgate, in Franklin County, Vermont.

The short sections in each chapter give the reader a sense of the life of Brother Andre in small doses as if the Saint Joseph oil of Brother Andre is being gently rubbed for the reader to absorb in the moment. The book may be read, left for a while, and picked up again much like conversations with an old friend. The photographs of Brother Andre from his First Communion to the summer of 1936 at a Bessette family gathering in Montreal are worth the price of the book. The captions accompanying the photos contain information that is useful for anyone who wants to know more about Brother Andre, his remarkable life and faith and spirituality, his friends, associates, and family members. He was a simple and unassuming man, but the book and the photographs show that Saint Brother Andre (Albert) Bessette had a great impact on those who met and knew him. Through this book he will continue to impact those who want to meet and know him.

Disclaimer: Ray Lambert is a distant cousin of Saint Brother Andre Bessette and Brother Laurent Boucher.
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Perfect contrast for the white cabinets in our recently renovated kitchen.
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Tobit's Dog presents the Book of Tobit in a more modern wrapping.  Instead of a Jewish family oppressed by the Assyrians, we find a black Catholic family living in a Depression-era south.  I think the choice to use a black family helps modern Americans to understand and relate to the realities of oppression better.  When I first started reading Tobit's dog, I was a little concerned that this would prove to be just another book "white oppressor" book with a thin disguise of the Bible and the Church to make it more appealing to an audience. I was pleasantly surprised to find that not only did the author avoid that trap, but he presents all of the characters in the book - both white and black - with a fair hand.  Characters who choose evil behaviors are not simply stamped "bad" and cast aside.  Their motives and reasons are explored, they are allowed to be genuinely and authentically human.  I was also glad to see that it avoids another common trap of authors - the "white savior" motif.  Tobit and his family do get help from the white friends that they have, but the heroes in this story are clearly Tobit and his family.  Tobit and his son, Tobias, are more often found helping out those around them than receiving help.  They may be oppressed, but they aren't victims. They aren't allowing their actions and behaviors to be dictated by those around them.  The family is Catholic, and it shows in everything they do, but the faith isn't presented heavy-handed.  I think it would benefit almost anyone who is struggling with their faith because of the troubles they've undergone either in the past or are undergoing presently to read this book and be reminded that just because we aren't seeing Him at work it doesn't mean God has forgotten us.
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These flickering, blue LED candles were a huge hit with my middle school faith formation students!  We used them in a candlelight prayer service, they accented a statue of Mary, and they incidentally helped to charge glow-in-the-dark rosaries.  The gratis, faux rose petals were a nice touch too!  Thank you!
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For many Catholics these last few years have been painful. I can't even remember the amount of nasty jokes and insults I've seen and heard in this year alone. There's a priest shortage, the news out of a number of parishes around the country is either disgusting or depressing and sometimes it all seems too much.

Cheer up! The news isn't all bad.

The kids are alright. That's the message of this book. It's a peep at todays young Catholics and guess what? It shows some remarkable, determined and hopeful people. These young adults are the future and reading about them was a little ray of sunshine. Buy this book for your gloom and doom friends and get a copy for yourself.
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My heartfelt gratitude to the Class of 57 School Sisters of St. Francis for telling their stories! Yours is but a part of the larger story of the contribution Catholic women religious have made to education, health care and social services throughout the history of the United States. Because of their selflessness, many citizens of all faith traditions have been able to move from the margins of American society to the mainstream. I am a benefactor of your largesse and will be eternally grateful!