Melanie Rigney's Blog, page 102

The Gifts Tourists Bring

It’s true. Most people who live in the DC area, including me, complain about tourists. You stand on the left side of the Metro escalators. You think the National Mall is a place to shop. You gripe about the high cost of everything.

But in our heart of hearts, we love you. We love sharing this wonderful place that is our–all of our–national capital. And tonight, I was reminded anew of the gifts tourists share with us.

An older gentleman and two women, one who appeared to be his wife, the other t...

Returning Catholics FAQs: Resurrection

On Mondays, I answer questions frequently asked by those considering a return to the Catholic Church. How do I know this stuff? I was away for more than 30 years myself, and am the co-author of When They Come Home: Ways to Welcome Returning Catholics , a book for pastors and parish leaders interested in this ministry.

I get that Jesus was an important teacher and that he died a horrible death. But do I really have to believe that he came back to life after he was crucified?

It is historical fact...

Full of Grace

Note: On Fridays, you can find me at Your Daily Tripod , owned by my friend TonyD. A longer version of the post below appears there.

Who’s your Mary?

For years, mine looked like the one who stood in the dining room nook in my childhood home, a sort of Lladro knockoff with a blue cloak and a halo. My parents weren’t the churchgoing type, but family lore has it that when Mary’s halo got broken off, Mom cried and Dad yelled at my sisters and brother and me. The Mary of my childhood was like that sta...

Wednesday’s Woman: St. Jane Frances de Chantal

The Basics:Born January 28, 1572, in France; died December 13, 1641, in France; canonized July 16, 1767, by Pope Clement XIII; feast day, August 12. Mother, wife, and woman religious.

The Story:She was attractive, intelligent, and fun to be around. But Jane’s life came crashing down around her at age twenty-eight when her husband of seven years died in a hunting accident, leaving her with four children. The transition was made even more difficult by her father-in-law’s insistence that she and...

Returning Catholics FAQs: Is the Pope Perfect?

On Mondays, I answer questions frequently asked by those considering a return to the Catholic Church. How do I know this stuff? I was away for more than 30 years myself, and am the co-author of When They Come Home: Ways to Welcome Returning Catholics , a book for pastors and parish leaders interested in this ministry.

Why do Catholics believe the pope is perfect?

We don’t believe the pope is perfect. People often don’t understand what papal infallibility means, so let’s start there.

We recognize a...

Want to Save Your Life–Really?

Note: On Fridays, you can find me at Your Daily Tripod , owned by my friend TonyD. A longer version of the post below appears there.

Do you want to save your life?

I’d imagine most of us would give a quick “Of course!” to that question. But do we, really?

If we really want to save our lives, would we continue to look the other way when we pass the homeless, the mentally ill, and others who make us uncomfortable?

If we really want to save our lives, would we continue to skip any sort of regular pray...

Wednesday’s Woman: St. Mary of the Cross MacKillop

The Basics:Born January 15, 1842, in Australia; died August 8, 1909, in Australia; canonized October 17, 2010, by Pope Benedict XVI; feast day, August 8. Woman religious.

The Story:Australia’s first saint was one of the founders and first mother superior for the Sisters of St. Joseph of the Sacred Heart, and established havens for women and schools for children regardless of their ability to pay in some of Australia’s poorest areas. However, she ran afoul of Church authorities, in particular a...

Returning Catholics FAQs: About Non-Christians

On Mondays, I answer questions frequently asked by those considering a return to the Catholic Church. How do I know this stuff? I was away for more than 30 years myself, and am the co-author of When They Come Home: Ways to Welcome Returning Catholics , a book for pastors and parish leaders interested in this ministry.

What about people like the Dalai Lama or Gandhi? They knew about Jesus, but chose to pursue non-Christian faiths. Do Catholics believe they’re going to hell?

Christ told us that the...

On the Nightstand: August

Last weekend, I was purging my personal library, and ran across this book by JoanChittister.

I loved two of her earlier books (In Search of BeliefandScarred by Struggle, Transformed by Hope) and am not sure why I didn’t get around to this one, which was a gift, earlier. Chittister calls happiness “is an organ of the soul that is meant to be nourished.” Isn’t that lovely?

What’s on your nightstand?

After the Move

Note: On Fridays, you can find me at Your Daily Tripod , owned by my friend TonyD. A longer version of the post below appears there.

The U.S. Census Bureau estimates nearly 12 percent of Americans move every year. And whether that move is across the country or across town, it’s an opportunity to start fresh. We can arrange the furniture and the cupboards as we like, find new friends, discover new restaurants, restart our faith lives as members of a different congregation, and perhaps leave behin...