Catholic Fire

St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church, Wichita, Kansas Welcome to Sunday Snippets--A Catholic Carnival! We are a group of Catholic bloggers who gather weekly to share our best posts with each other. Be sure to visit RAnn at This, That and the Other Thing to check out the great posts from other bloggers participating in Sunday Snippets this week. Here are my posts from the past week: Seven Quick Takes St. Paula Montal Fornés: A Saint to Emulate this Lent Conquered by Love Exploring Lenten Themes in Art Fr. Robert Barron: Thomas Merton, Spiritual Master St. Walburga, Benedictine Nun and First Woman Author in England and Germany Blessed Thomas Mary Fusco: The "Don Bosco of Southern Italy" St. Polycarp: Bishop of Smyrna, Staunch Defender of Orthodoxy, Martyr

Please join me and other Catholic bloggers at RAnn’s Place for Sunday Snippets , where we share posts from the previous week. Here are my posts from this past week: St. Peter Damian: Monk, Bishop, Cardinal, Reformer, and Doctor of the Church Seven Quick Takes St. Conrad of Piacenza, Holy Hermit and Healer Ash Wednesday Seven Holy Founders of the Order of Servites Book Review: From the Hub to the Heart St. Gilbert of Sempringham: Man of Charity, Humility, and Piety What are you doing for Lent? Lenten Activities 2015

Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception -- Wichita, KS Please join me and other Catholic bloggers at RAnn’s Place for Sunday Snippets, where we share posts from the previous week. Here are my posts: The Presentation of the Lord (Candlemas) Novena to Our Lady of Lourdes Begins Today St. Blaise and the blessing of the throats Best Catholic Books for Lent 2015 Pope approves martyrdom of Oscar Romero St. Agatha, a patron for those with breast cancer St. Paul Miki and Companions: Martyrs 7 QT: Lenten Ideas 2015 St. Colette: Abbess, Mystic, Reformer

Please join me and other Catholic bloggers at RAnn's Place for Sunday Snippets - a Catholic Carnival where we share posts from the previous week. Here are my posts: Fr. Barron on Atheism and Philosophy Sts. Timothy and Titus: St. Paul's Companions and Co-workers in Evangelization Novena to St. Blaise Begins Today Pope Francis: women first and foremost in transmitting faith St. Angela Merici: Founder of the Urusulines, Religious Educator of Women Book Review -- Practical Theology: Spiritual Direction from Saint Thomas Aquinas St. Thomas Aquinas: "Angelic Doctor" St. Gildas the Wise: Monk and Missionary Four saints in one family? Beatification Process of St. Therese of Lisieux's sister, opens Saint John Bosco: Hero of Youth

March for Life 2015 -- Rally on the National Mall Go HERE for More Photos. Please join me and other Catholic bloggers at RAnn’s Place for Sunday Snippets, where we share our blog posts from the previous week.  My posts from this past week include the following:  St. Francis de Sales: Model Evangelist 7 QT: The Saint, the March, and the Book Top Twelve Ways to observe the Day of Prayer for the Legal Protection of Unborn Children St. Agnes: Model of Chastity The Top Three Reasons to March for Life St. Fabian, Pope and Martyr Prayer to End Abortion (English and Spanish) St. Canute: King of Kindness, Wisdom, Charity, and Courage

Happy Sunday! Meet Jasmine Marie, aka Jazzy, who supervises all my work, whether it be cooking or writing, she is right there beside me. Welcome to Sunday Snippets--A Catholic Carnival! We are a group of Catholic bloggers who gather weekly to share our best posts with each other. Be sure to visit RAnn at This, That and the Other Thing to check out the great posts from other bloggers participating in Sunday Snippets this week. My best posts for this week include: St. Cecilia: Patron of Poets and Musicians St. Catherine of Alexandria: Patroness of Single Women The Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary Papal Quote of the day: Holiness Who was St. Bernward? Humanum 2014: A New Affirmation of Marriage Novena to Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal begins today St. Agnes of Assisi: Co-founder of the Poor Clares Papal Quote of the Day: Call to Conversion for Christians of Appearances Saint Rose Philippine Duchesne: The "Woman-Who-Prays-Always...

The First Snow has arrived! The view from my front door. ♪ It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!♫ Welcome to Sunday Snippets--A Catholic Carnival! We are a group of Catholic bloggers who gather weekly to share our best posts with each other. Be sure to visit RAnn at This, That and the Other Thing to check out the great posts from other bloggers participating in Sunday Snippets this week. My posts for this week include: Book Review: Praying Made Me Catholic St. Albert the Great: Patron of Students, Scientists, and Medical Technicians Novena to Christ the King Grieving Father sings to his dying newborn son after the death of his wife Seven Quick Takes: Why I love Fall St. Lawrence O'Toole: Pious Peacemaker Novena to St. Cecilia starts today Pilgrimage to celebrate the 500th anniversary of St. Teresa of Avila's birth unveiled American Bishops publish a new online version of the Catechism of the Catholic Church St. Francis Xa...

Welcome to Sunday Snippets--A Catholic Carnival! We are a group of Catholic bloggers who gather weekly to share our best posts with each other and answer a question. Be sure to visit RAnn at This, That and the Other Thing to check out the great posts from other bloggers participating in Sunday Snippets this week. Question of the Week: Share a family sacramental memory--the cute thing the kid said, the cake at the party, your in your wedding dress, the family gathered around the baby--anything is fair game as long as it at least sort of involved a sacrament. This is a photo of our wedding on June 27, 1992 -- 22 years ago. The deacon is standing directly behind me and the pastor, who married us, is directly behind my husband. For my women readers Here is a close-up look at my wedding dress and bouquet: My posts for this week include: Who was St. Bruno -- the Patron against Diabolic Possession? Fifteen Favorite Rosary Quotes for the Feast of Our Lady of the Rosa...

Welcome to Sunday Snippets--A Catholic Carnival! We are a group of Catholic bloggers who gather weekly to share our best posts with each other and answer a question. Be sure to visit RAnn at This, That and the Other Thing to check out the great posts from other bloggers participating in Sunday Snippets this week. Question of the week:  What is your favorite formal (memorized) prayer? My Answer:  Anima Christi Here are my best posts from this past week: On the Feast of Our Lady of La Sallete, A Message of Hope St. Andrew Kim Taegon and St. Paul Chong Hasang and their companions, Korean Martyrs St. Joseph of Cupertino: A "Stupid" Man or a Spiritually Gifted Saint? St. Robert Bellarmine: Theologian, Cardinal, and Doctor of the Church Our Lady of Sorrows: Feast Day and Devotions

Welcome to Sunday Snippets--A Catholic Carnival! We are a group of Catholic bloggers who gather weekly to share our best posts with each other and answer a question. Be sure to visit RAnn at This, That and the Other Thing to check out the great posts from other bloggers participating in Sunday Snippets this week. Question of the Week : What is your favorite hymn or song you hear at Mass? Answer : I have a lot of favorites, but I believe my all-time favorite is Let All Mortal  Flesh Keep Silence.  Here are my posts for the past week: Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta: Fifteen Favorite Quotes Who are you video-chatting with? Oh, just with Pope Francis St. Rosalia, Hermitess Pope St. Gregory the Great, Early Church Father and Doctor of the Church September is the month dedicated to the Seven Sorrows of Mary Pope Francis quote of the day: the Holy Spirit Martyrs of September Labor Day Special: The Saints Speak out on the Grace ...

Welcome to Sunday Snippets--A Catholic Carnival! We are a group of Catholic bloggers who gather weekly to share our best posts with each other and answer a question. Be sure to visit RAnn at This, That and the Other Thing to check out the great posts from other bloggers participating in Sunday Snippets this week. Question of the Week:  This week's "question of the week" isn't really a question, it's a request:  Go back at least a year and link us to one or more old posts that you'd like to promote or encourage us to read again.   My Oldie but Goodie Posts: The Patron Saint of the Grouchy BREAKING NEWS: U.S. CATHOLIC BISHOPS AGREE TO RESIST MANDATE Devout Catholic Couple die within hours of one another after 65 years of Marriage Blessed Elizabeth of the Trinity: Striving Toward Mysticism Book Review: Why God Matters (by Karina Lumbert Fabian and Deacon Steve Lumbert) Book Review: Mother Teresa's Secret Fire "What...

Dome of the Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis     Photo copyright Jean M. Heimann Welcome to Sunday Snippets – A Catholic Carnival, where a group of Catholic bloggers meet up at RAnn's blog to share their posts for the week and answer a question. This week's question: Introduce yourself. Answer: I am a freelance writer and author of three books, a retired school psychologist (who has worked with both children and adults, ages 2 - 82 in schools, social service agencies, and private practice settings), and a retired educator (elementary through college age). I have a Master of Science degree in School Psychology and a Master of Arts degree in Theology. I am an oblate with the Community of St. John, a parish and diocesan presenter, and have served as a leader in adult education formation for twenty-three years. My areas of specialty include: saints, spirituality, sacraments, and moral theology. I am also a trained crisis pregnancy counselor, a trained sidewalk co...

Welcome to Sunday Snippets--A Catholic Carnival! We are a group of Catholic bloggers who gather weekly to share our best posts with each other and answer a question. Be sure to visit RAnn at This, That and the Other Thing  to check out the great posts from other bloggers participating in Sunday Snippets this week. Question of the week: What did you do during summer vacation?  Actually, I am hoping to have a vacation sometime in the future, as I spent my summer writing, blogging, and promoting my new book, Seven Saints for Seven Virtues , which will be released on October 24, 2014. In the meantime, you can pre-order it online at Amazon or at Barnes and Noble . One fantastic activity that I participated in this summer was the annual Midwest Catholic Family Conference in Wichita, Kansas. I highly recommend this conference for everyone. It just gets better and better each year! My best posts on Catholic Fire this week include: Book Review and Giveaway: Trus...

Welcome to Sunday Snippets -- A Catholic Carnival--where Catholic bloggers meet each week and share our best posts of the week and answer a question.To join us, just link up at RAnn's blog. Question of the Week:   School will be starting this week in many places (and may have even started last week).  Do you think school should start this soon, or would you rather see it last longer in the spring? Answer: I would like to see it start a little later, as it still seems like summer and the children are returning to school, without an opportunity to enjoy their summer vacation. Summer is the hottest month here, with temperatures typically soaring in the 90's and 100's. It would seem more logical for them to return closer to Labor Day. My eleven-year-old calico cat, Jazzy, and I celebrated our birthdays on August 8th. Above is a recent photo of her and below is a photo of her when she was six. Isn't she photogenic? My best posts for the week include the...

L'Angelus with younger siblings  Learn more by reading my post below  (Highlights from the Midwest Catholic Family Conference). Welcome to Sunday Snippets: A Catholic Carnival! We are a group of Catholic bloggers who share our best posts with one another. To participate and to read the other blogger's posts, go to RAnn's blog, This, That, and The Other Thing. Question of the week : If someone asked you about starting a blog, what advice would you give? My Answer: I could write a book on this! My advice would be to pray first to discern if God actually wants you to blog and what He wants you to blog about. Blogging is not for everyone. If you are called to it, you need to take it seriously and do it for the right reasons. Here are my best posts for the week: Highlights from the Midwest Catholic Family Conference Fifteen Favorite Quotes from St. Alphonsus Liguori St. Ignatius of Loyola: Knight for Christ St. Peter Chrysologus Saint Quotes on Joy ...

Welcome to Sunday Snippets--A Catholic Carnival! We are a group of Catholic bloggers who gather weekly to share our best posts with each other. To join us, go to RAnn's blog, This That and The Other Thing. Question of the week: Do you use Facebook?  Do you promote your blog on Facebook?  Why or why not? My Answer: I have been on Facebook since 2008. When I first joined Facebook, I did so with the intention of connecting with family and friends, as well as promoting my blog. It was a very effective way of getting new followers! I continue to promote my blog there and am still getting new followers daily as a result. I plan on posting a fan page there soon to promote my writing and my new book, Seven Saints for Seven Virtues . My posts this week include the following: St. Lawrence of Brindisi, Doctor of the Church Fr. Barron on Intentional Discipleship St. Mary Magdalene: "Apostle to the Apostles" Caryll Houselander: God's Giving Hands St. Bridget ...

It's Sunday! It's time to share our posts and to answer the question of the week. You, too, can join in the fun at Catholic Carnival by linking up at Ryann's Place.  Question of the week:  Were there any religious sisters in your parish when you were growing up?  Are there any now?  Which community (ies)? Sister of the Congregation of Notre Dame When I was attending our parish parochial school, the Sisters of the Congregation of Notre Dame (founded in Montreal in 1652 by St. Marguerite Bourgeoys) taught there and they continue to teach there today.  At that time, they wore full habits, with full length skirts (covering the ankles) and rosaries around their waists. You can view the older habit here . Today, they dress in modern, but conservative clothing -- shorter skirts, blouses, and blazers. Here is a sampling of my blog posts for this past week: Known as the "Lily of the Mohawks" and the “Geneviève of New France,” St. Kateri Tekakwitha's ...

This week, I’m joining up with other Catholic bloggers at RAnn’s place for Sunday Snippets where we share our posts from the previous week and answer a weekly question. Question of the Week :  Any nun (sister) stories to tell? My Answer : I attended Catholic schools for twelve years where I was taught by the Sisters of the Congregation of Notre Dame. Our Sisters were formally addressed as "Mother." They were a wonderful community -- so dedicated to their work. I remember my freshman homeroom and religion teacher -- Mother St. Madeline -- who was so full of energy and enthusiasm and loved to do fun things. I should mention that the first year of high school, I attended an all-girls school, which became co-institutional the following year. One day, in homeroom, she decided to have a hairdo contest and asked the class to vote on who had the most improved hairdo in the classroom. I secretly thought she did this for my benefit, as I had just gone to the beauty parlor to...

Although I have been blogging for 10+ years, I don't recall participating in Sunday Snippets. I remember hosting Catholic Carnival many years ago, so welcome to those who are visiting for the first time. Thank you, This That and The Other, for the wonderful opportunity to participate in this beautiful Catholic blogging community. This That and the The Other shares other Catholic blog posts HERE . Saturday was the feast of Mary, Help of Christians. Learn more HERE . One of my favorite Catholic fiction authors has a new book out which I review HERE. Fr. Barron presents the fascinating background and theology of the controversial  20th century Catholic theologian Hans Urs von Balthasar. Watch it HERE . Thursday was the feast of St. Rita of Casica, the patron of desperate, impossible causes and situations. She is also the patron saint of abuse victims, difficult marriages, infertility, parenthood, sterility, and widows. Many us can relate to her story HERE ...