Melanie Rigney's Blog, page 60

Returning Catholics FAQs: Boring Homilies

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 returned to Catholicism about six months ago, and MAN! are our priest’s homilies long and boring. I haven’t fallen asleep during one yet, but a lot of other people do. I’m a spe...

“May It Not Be Counted Against Them!”

Note: On Tuesdays and some Sundays, you can find me atYour Daily Tripod, owned by my friend TonyD. A longer version of the post below appears there.

I think of St. Paul as a whirlwind or tornado, storming through towns, attempting to set people on fire with the Good News, not always being as tactful or diplomatic as he could have been because that wasn’t his nature and besides: There. Just. Wasn’t. Time. There just wasn’t. There was always another town on the horizon, more evangelization to b...

Wednesday’s Woman: St. Juliana Falconieri

The Basics:Born 1720 in Italy; died June 19, 1341, in Italy; canonized June 16, 1737, by Clement XII; feast day, June 19; woman religious and social worker.

The Story:Juliana realized her life’s mission early, perhaps because of the example of her pious parents, who were part of the nobility, and her uncle, regarded as among the founder of the Friar Servants of Mary, or the Servite Order. Juliana was drawn to the concept of a vocation that included a dedication to both prayer and service to t...

Returning Catholics FAQs: Friendly Inquisitions

O n 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’ve been back at Church for a few months now, while I don’t know people by name, I generally sit in the same place so know a few by sight. I’ve been traveling for work the past...

Wednesday’s Woman: St. Mary of the Cross (Jeanne Jugan)

Note: For the next few weeks, I’ll be featuring women who were beatified or canonized in the 20th or 21st centuries.

The Basics:Born October 25, 1792, in France; died August 29, 1879, in France; canonized October 11, 2009, by Benedict XVI; feast day, August 30; woman religious.

The Story:Sometimes our crosses and sacrifices are writ large–martyrdom and torture, for example. And sometimes, they come in personal injustices that we are called to shoulder and soldier on.

From the outside, Jeanne’...

Of Checklists

Note: On Tuesdays and some Sundays, you can find me atYour Daily Tripod, owned by my friend TonyD. A longer version of the post below appears there.

Checklists are wonderful, aren’t they, when they’re manageable? Get 10,000 steps in each day. Get the oil changed in the vehicle every X number of miles. Replace the furnace filter every X number of months. Keep up with your lists, and you reduce the likelihood of a heart attack, a malfunctioning vehicle, or a high energy bill. We like

By Phillip...

Returning Catholics FAQs: Scripture and Our Lives

O n 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’m not setting myself up as any sort of expert, having been away from Catholicism for a long time, but I often find myself with a totally different takeaway from the Sunday read...

Wednesday’s Woman: St. Maria Cristina of the Immaculate Conception

Note: For the next few weeks, I’ll be featuring women who were beatified or canonized in the 20th or 21st centuries.

The Basics:Born May 1, 1856, in Italy; died January 20, 1906, in Italy; canonized May 17, 2015, by Francis; feast day, January 20; woman religious.

The Story:The woman born as Adelaide Brando knew from an early age she was meant for religious life. Finding the right place took some time, however. Her father was concerned about her desire to join a community devoted to perpetual...

Believing in Change

Note: On Tuesdays and some Sundays, you can find me atYour Daily Tripod, owned by my friend TonyD. A longer version of the post below appears there.

A parish council meeting that had gone on and on and on finally seemed to be ending. Then someone piped up randomly with: “Father, do you think people can change?” She was off to the races with complaints about someone who had done something egregious, someone who always was committing the same offense, over and over again. Others joined in with...

Returning Catholics FAQs: All That Artwork

O n 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 went to Rome with some other lapsed Catholic friends. We all thought the amount of artwork on the Vatican tour was obscene. Why doesn’t the Church sell some of it to help the p...