Catholic Fire

The exhibit, "Picturing Mary: Woman, Mother, Idea,"  explores the concept of womanhood represented by the Blessed Virgin Mary as well as the social and sacred functions her image has served through time. This landmark exhibition organized by the National Museum of Women in the Arts brings together more than 60 Renaissance- and Baroque-era masterworks from the Vatican Museums, Uffizi Gallery, and other museums, churches, and private collections in Europe and the United States. Related: Art Exhibit in Washington Explores the Madonna as Woman, Mother, and Idea

Pat Gohn, host of the "Among Women" podcast and author of 'Blessed, Beautiful, and Bodacious', talks about Catholic womanhood and the feminine genius. Related Post: Blessed, Beautiful, and Bodacious  (Book Review)

By Pat Gohn. Release Date: March 25, 2013, Ave Maria Press, Notre Dame, Indiana, Paperback or Kindle. Available from Ave Maria Press, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Catholic  book stores. Reviewed by Jean M. Heimann, M. A. Theology, wife, mother, freelance writer, and oblate with the Community of St. John. In 1989, a friend from my parish choir introduced me to a document that would change my life – Mulieris Dignitatem —Blessed John Paul II’s famous encyclical On the Dignity and Vocation of Women . It was this document that dispelled all my misconceptions about how the Church actually viewed the modern woman and it was John Paul II’s words which enhanced my self-esteem, altered my attitude toward the Church, and positively impacted my mission in life. Today, it is Pat Gohn’s wonderful book Blessed, Beautiful, and Bodacious: Celebrating the Gift of Catholic Womanhood that has bathed me in grace and renewed my spirit once again. In it, Pat shares her personal life exper...