Remembering 9/11

Today, at Faith and Family Live, we are remembering those whose lives were impacted by the tragedies of September 11, 2001. Danielle's post recalls the prayers of Pope Benedict XVI during his recent visit to Ground Zero in New York City and I posted about our experience the day the world changed forever.

All over the country, people are pausing today to remember lives lost and families impacted. Our family will be praying today for the souls of those departed and for peace in our world.

Sarah Palin

As you well know, this is not meant to be a political forum - greater minds than mine are taking on that challenge all over the web. I did, however, want to point you to a few forums where moms are discussing the Sarah Palin appointment from a Catholic perspective. The following are a few posts I've read that have interesting discussions taking place:

Sarah Palin and the Politics of Motherhood

Sarah Palin: An Extraordinary Mom

Sarah Palin: Future Mother of a Nation

A Candidate for our Daughters

Edwina Froehlich's Passing

With her usual eloquence, Danielle Bean shares a fitting tribute to Edwina Froehlich at her blog today. This co-founder of La Leche League touched countless lives.

Please visit Danielle's site and join me in praying for the repose of Edwina's soul.

Danielle Bean » Champion for Mothers and Babies

How You Can Help Iowa Flood Victims

A special thanks to Frank of St. Matthew's Parish in Cedar Rapids, Iowa for bringing to my attention some great information on how you and I can support families who have been devastated by the recent flooding. Frank shared the following with me today:

At mass this morning, Father Mark Osterhaus, our pastor, mentioned that our churches youth ministry trip to Kentucky was cancelled and the teenagers will be spending the week here helping out. Our church is asking for can goods, clothing, money, and the usual relief items. Father Mark did a terrific job of calming peoples nerves.

Parishioners at St. Patrick's Church and St. Wenceslaus Parishes have had their parish facilities and sanctuaries damaged in the flooding. The community is connecting through a wonderful website at www.2008flood.org where volunteer and material needs and offers are being exchanged. If you are able to volunteer your time or would like to make a material donation, you can check either that web site or the St. Matthew's site for specific needs. Additionally, financial contributions are greatly needed and are being accepted by Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Dubuque.

Catholic Charities (note as Cedar Rapids Flood Relief)
P. O. Box 1309
1229 Mt. Loretta Ave.
Dubuque, IA 52004

Please join me in supporting the over 25,000 people who have been displaced by this flooding. When we gather together to support one another as the Body of Christ, we can change lives and make a difference in our world. Thanks so much for your generous support!

Archdiocese of Dubuque - Office of Catholic Charities

RIP Tim Russert, Catholic Dad

CNS has a great story on Tim Russert and his ties to the Church. I feel so sad for Mr. Russert's wife and son, and for the colleagues who so clearly loved him. From the CNS story:

An active Catholic who apparently kept a promise to God to never miss Sunday Mass if his son was born healthy, Russert spoke often and fondly of his Catholic school education and of the role of the church in his life.

"Americans valued his tremendous command of the political electoral process and his commitment to discovering each aspect of the story that contributed to people having a better awareness of the issues of public life and candidates for political office," said Archbishop George H. Niederauer of San Francisco, chairman of the U.S. bishops' communications committee, who was attending the U.S. bishops' spring meeting in Orlando, Fla.

"But those of us who shared his Catholic faith and his deep love for it appreciate his sharing of the story of his own faith and his loyalty to the life of the Catholic Church in this country and the many charities to which he contributed his time and talent," the archbishop told Catholic News Service.

CNS STORY: Russert remembered for his fondness for church, faithfulness

Catholic Communications Campaign Collection Coming Soon

The following news arrived in my inbox today and I thought I'd pass it along to you. If you haven't already done so, please take some time today to check out the website of the Catholic Communication Campaign. It is absolutely packed full of resources to help you live out this wonderful faith of ours!

CATHOLIC COMMUNICATION CAMPAIGN COLLECTION
TO HELP FUND MULTIMEDIA PROGRAMS THAT SPREAD
GOSPEL VALUES

WASHINGTON, D.C., May 5, 2008 - The U.S. Catholic bishops in the U.S. have designated the third Sunday of May as the national date for the Collection for the Catholic Communication Campaign to coincide with World Communications Day. The collection will take place in parishes across the country the weekend of May 18-19.

Pope Benedict XVI has chosen "The Media: At the Crossroads between Self-Promotion and Service. Searching for the Truth in order to Share it with Others" as this year's theme of World Communications Day.

Funding provided by the donations supports an array of multimedia projects developed by the CCC, an initiative of the U.S. bishops that promotes Gospel values through the media. Half of the donations to the collection remain in the diocese to fund local communications projects such as televised Masses for the homebound, diocesan newspapers and Web sites. The other half provides funds for national projects.

Building on the popularity of the daily Mass readings featured on the USCCB Web site, the CCC now supports audio readings that can be downloaded through iTunes, Podcast Alley and other sources. Daily reflections can be viewed via streaming video at http://www.ccc-tv.org.

Most recently, the CCC sponsored a Web site dedicated to Pope Benedict XVI's Apostolic Visit to the United States that featured live streaming video, blog entries, itinerary and texts of the Holy Father's speeches, homilies, and other remarks, information on his life and ministry, backgrounders on the Catholic Church in the U.S. and more.

The annual collection for the Catholic Communication Campaign has also supported:

• the USCCB For Your Marriage campaign-television and radio Public Service Announcements and a Web site designed to celebrate marriage and provide resources and support for those living this vocation.
• the television special, Picturing Mary, airing on many public television stations since December 2006.
• Lenten radio retreats to enrich the spiritual journey of the season.
• the expansion of www.CatholicCommunicationCampaign.org with information on TV and radio programs, streaming video, movie and TV reviews, interviews, and inspiring stories of faith in action.

"As the impact of the media on family and society grows, the Catholic Church in the U.S., through the CCC Collection, has continued to find ways to use print, radio, television and the Internet to spread the good news of the Gospel," said Helen Osman, Secretary for Communications of the USCCB. "The continued generosity of parishioners in the Collection will help us reach an even broader audience through new technologies."

For more information about projects of the Catholic Communication Campaign, please contact Mar Muñoz-Visoso at 202.541.3202 or visit http://www.usccb.org/ccc.

Papal Visit Results in Big Jump in Positive View of Benedict and Church

Thanks to Deacon Tom Fox for sharing the great news about a recent Knights of Columbus poll that finds much to celebrate in the wake of Pope Benedict XVI's visit to the United States. You can find the article here.

On another note, someone asked today about finding the complete texts from the Papal Addresses that were given. You can find those online here. I'm contemplating taking one per week for the next several weeks and using it as a prompt for prayer, writing and contemplation.

The following are some of the most important elements of the Knights of Columbus article:

• 65 percent of Americans have a more positive view of Pope Benedict as a result of what they saw and heard during his visit

• 52 percent have a more positive view of the Catholic Church

• The proportion of Americans with a favorable view of Pope Benedict jumped from 58 percent prior to his visit to 71 percent afterward

• The proportion describing the pope positively as a spiritual leader went from 53 percent to 62 percent

• The proportion describing him as a good or excellent world leader went from 41 percent to 51 percent

• 56 percent see his ability to promote good relations between the Catholic Church and other religions as good or excellent, up from 40 percent prior to his visit

• More than a third (35 percent) say they are now more in touch with their own spiritual values as the result of the pope’s visit.

Even more importantly, nearly half (49 percent) now have a better understanding of the Catholic Church’s positions on important issues, and a significant proportion of Americans are prepared to change their personal involvement as a result:

• About four in ten say they are more likely to lead a moral life and make family a bigger part of their lives
• One in three are more likely to participate in elections, community activities and their churches as a result of the papal visit.

Still Praying for the Balloon Flying Priest

Have you been following the very strange story about the Balloon Flying Priest? He was attempting to set a record for flying with helium balloons and is now lost at sea. The Brazilian Air Force has scaled back the search, but his parishioners continue to pray for his return. Very strange story...