Melanie Rigney's Blog, page 75

Returning Catholics FAQs: A Woman’s Body

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.

As a returnee, I struggle with why Catholics are so anti-abortion. Why shouldn’t a woman have the right to do what she wants with her own body?

Catholics believe in a culture of l...

Wednesday’s Woman: St. Brigid of Kildare

Note: To observe the Jubilee Year of Mercy (which runs through November 20), for several weeks I am featuring women who exemplify one of the corporal or spiritual works of mercy. Today: Give drink to the thirsty.

The Basics:Born 451 in Ireland;died 523 in Ireland; canonized pre-congregation; feast day, February 1. Woman religious.

The Story: Brigid was no slouch when it came to hospitality. The patroness of Ireland is said to have turned water into beer for lepers to whom she was ministering,...

Of the Ordinary and Extraordinary

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.

Thud.

Here we are in the first week of ordinary time of the new liturgical year and the second full week of the calendar year. Sure, we know intellectually that “ordinary” refers to ordinal, as in counting. Sure, we know that another of our special seasons, Lent, is less than a month away. But right now, it’s ordinary time, and let’s be honest: o...

Returning Catholics FAQs: Let’s Go to the Movies

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’m trying, I really am, to be a faithful Catholic again. But I could use a little more guidance when it comes to popular culture. Specifically, how do I know how the Church regar...

Returning Catholics: Let’s Go to the Movies

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’m trying, I really am, to be a faithful Catholic again. But I could use a little more guidance when it comes to popular culture. Specifically, how do I know how the Church regar...

Wednesday’s Woman: Blessed Angela Salawa

Note: To observe the Jubilee Year of Mercy (which runs through November 20), for several weeks I am featuring women who exemplify one of the corporal or spiritual works of mercy. Today: Feed the hungry.

The Basics:September 9, 1881, in Poland;died March 12, 1922, in Poland; about 399 in Italy; beatified August 13, 1991, by John Paul II; feast day, March 12. Laywoman; nurse.

The Story: Angela was the youngest or one of the youngest children in a very large family and completed two years of sch...

Love Amid It All

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.

The day after Christmas, a friend and I watched a few episodes of a series on the 1960s. She’s a bit older and

By Tonybove (Own work) [CC BY 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/
licenses/by/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

came of age during that decade; I turned thirteen in 1969 and while I did a protest march or five, volunteered for political candi...

Returning Catholics FAQs: Baby, I’m Back

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’m really excited about being back with the Church. Now what do I do?

First, welcome home.

In Matthew 28, after the resurrection, Jesus instructs the eleven to “make disciples of...

On the Nightstand: January 2016

I got a slew of great books for Christmas, but this one, I bought for myself. I became a fan of Lisa M. Hendey of CatholicMom.com when I read her A Book of Saints for Catholic Moms, and I’m really looking forward to diving into her The Grace of Yes: Eight Virtues for Generous Living. For me, saying no in particular is a virtue I need to practice more often! What’s on your nightstand?

Wednesday’s Woman: St. Fabiola

The Basics:Birthdate unknown in Italy;died about 399 in Italy; canonized pre-congregation; feast day, December 27. Laywoman; philanthropist.

The Story: It was a complicated life, full of twists and turns. Fabiola, born into a noble family, first was married to a man who proved to be so violent that she sought and was granted a civil divorce. She then married a second time before her ex-husband died, something that was against Church conventions of the time. On the Holy Saturday following the...