Love the Mac vs. PC commercials? Love your seminarians? Well, this is your lucky day. The seminarians of the Saginaw diocese decided to make today your lucky day: VOILA! A YouTube series called NFP vs. Contraception. Thanks to Mr. Miller for the heads-up!

Speaking of vocations, keep an eye out for the VocationsCast.

Speaking of Catholic podcasts, enjoy the new Perseverance Podcast.

Speaking of the Perseverance Podcast, episode 1 featured info on the new movie Bella, which is probably the most exciting movie for Catholics to come out since the Passion of the Christ. Go check it out and tell your friends about Bella.

This post is going to serve as a listing of all the podcasts I’ve been on/ been mentioned on, because the list is growing!

The Hands and Feet Show

• Episode 67 - The Good Times!
• Episode 65 - Your Bible Is Haunted
• Episode 63 - Nuns Rock!
• Episode 62 - The Spiritual Blues
• Episode 61 - Road Rage!
• Episode 59 - The Sopranos and the Tongue

The SaintCast

• Episode 63 - St. Anne 

Catholic Rockers

• Episode 47 - Chapters
• Episode 46 - 10 Pounds of Podcast
• Episode 43 - Lino Rulli
• Episode 17 - Grapevine Magazine
• more coming later

And this is sort of random: I’m a contributing writer for Grapevine magazine. My first article is in this issue. (To download the PDF issue, right-click and select Save Target As.)

Before I jump into the second half of my favorite Catholic musicians, I’d like to respond to a comment made on the first half from Sr. Nicole: Thanks for this! I’ve never heard of any of them. How did you find them… the internet? Well, regardless… thanks for this service!!!

Somehow, God decided that two years ago, I would become a Catholic music insider of sorts. After stumbling upon a website promoting quality Catholic music, I started working for the website in promotion and design, and in the process came to know Catholic musicians from all over the world! (Isn’t the Internet wonderful?) My web and graphic design ministry, angelus.tuus, grew out of that. I am currently the street team president for the Catholic Rockers podcast, a program that plays and promotes Catholic musicians.

You can find excellent Catholic music at Catholic Jukebox. Now, on to the last five!

6. Matt Maher - Probably the leading contemporary Catholic musician today

7.  Seven Sorrows - Hard rock dedicated to Our Lady of Seven Sorrows

8. Friday Mourning - Alternative rock with a Stuebenville twist (Unfortunately, the band was together for only one album.)

9. Fr. Stan Fortuna - The man does everything

10. Ceili Rain - How can I even describe it? It’s like…Holy Spirit-infused Celtic rock?
Their powerful single “Kneeling” was played on KLOVE… until the radio station giant found out that they’re Catholics.

Very honorable mention: Rich Dittus, Teresa Smith, Last Day, David Kauffman

Quite a while ago, reader Chris posted this comment: I like your 101 on Catholic music. Could you post a list of Catholic artists and or songs that you particularly like? I am trying to fill up my iPod with some good things and I do not know much about the Catholic music scene (except for occasionally listening to the Catholic jukebox podcasts, etc.). I think that a lot of the Christian music on the radio has good lyrics, but the music often sounds too slick and uncreative musically. Thanks–your blog is smart! cheers

I’m glad this was posted, because Catholic Music is constantly getting better and better, and those who make quality music deserve recognition. So, Chris, just for you, here are my top ten favorite Catholic musicians (EXCLUDING those whom I’ve already mentioned - Ryan Meyers Band and Outer Fringe) in random order.

1. The Thirsting - Richly layered rock, meaningful lyrics

2. Popple - Acoustic rock humor

3. Cheer Up Charlie -Top-notch quality rock and roll

4. Point 5 Covenant - Orthodox Catholic rap/hip hop

5. Jon Niven - Personal praise

Look for part two soon!

This is a short notice that I will be on the Hands and Feet Catholic Podcast sometime soon! Watch the website/feed.

I’m going to be organizing that long list of vocations YouTube videos that I’ve posted previously. Thanks to Marc of the upcoming Catholic Vocations Podcast for linking to it!

Finally, as per a reader request from about a month ago, I will soon be adding another CM101 section featuring a great Catholic musician.

Blessings.

Yup, that’s me, featured on episode 46 of the Catholic Rockers podcast! Check it out by clicking on this lovely link: http://www.sqpn.com/?p=1593. Enjoy!

Peace.

I recently wrote (and vented) about my parents’ lack of understanding and vocal support towards my propensity to religious life. I’d like to somewhat correct or update these observations, then discuss other topics that have come up during my discernment.

Since I went to visit the Daughters of St. Paul, I’ve become more sympathetic towards my parents. After talking with Sr. Raymond Marie, I see that they very well are supporting me, but still don’t know how they are supposed to act because it’s a new situation for them. That’s certainly something I understand. I am, after all, their firstborn.

Another discovery I’ve made during my discernment is that there’s no need for me to change myself. For someone who has never seriously discerned a vocation to the religious life, the idea of someone feeling as though they should suppress some parts of their personality to fit a certain image probably sounds horrible. But let me tell you, when you’re surrounding yourself with nuns, it really makes you feel like you have an obligation to fit the “idea” of a nun. For instance, the fact that I have yet to meet a nun who is unashamed to headbang is really disconcerting. It makes me think in horror about how my tastes could 180 and turn me into someone I’m not. It’s hard to picture yourself living in a community filled with people who seem to live in a different world from you, no matter how much they praise the Lord of the Rings and The Matrix!

But, thanks be to God, the closer I grow to the heart of Jesus, the more I see how much He loves me the way I am. So if He wants me to be His bride, He’s going to get a headbanging, loud-laughing, sharp ‘n nerdy, indie, attractive, media-savvy, somewhat demanding, dork of a bride.

Now, down to the things I have yet to do. I have yet to contact the Archdiocesan Vocations Director, Fr. Cepeda. Long have I hesitated such a meeting for a medley of reasons. One is that I honestly don’t feel all that welcome to prance down to the Pastoral Center and ask for an appointment. Seems to me like Fr. Cepeda is more concerned with meeting young men feeling the call to diocesan priesthood than girls feeling called to the consecrated religious life in an order that doesn’t really have a huge impact on the archdiocese. He certainly seems like a wonderful priest, and I know he does a wonderful job with the seminary, but again, I don’t really feel like my potential vocation is so important or of much concern to the people “running things” here.

In related news, I’ve decided that I need to visit one of the Daughters’ formation houses for a while, either in October of this year or in 2008. The problem is that my financial resources are limited. The money I make from my current summer job is going towards my World Youth Day 2008 fund, and whatever other monies I have are just enough to take care of my daily transportation needs. My dear parents offered to pay for a plane ticket, but everyone knows I absolutely hate it when they use any sum of money over $40 on me. I haven’t heard of any fund in my archdiocese for these sorts of uses, nor of any outside Catholic charity who offer monies to individuals for this reason. So for now, I’m going to play the waiting game. If Sr. Margaret, the national FSP vocations director, doesn’t know of how I could get such a scholarship, I might finally make my way down to the Pastoral Center and see Fr. Cepeda.

That’s all I’ll write for now. Take refuge in the Holy Trinity.

Pax et bonum,

angela

So I’m on my handy-dandy iGoogle homepage, and I see this link from the local TV news feed: “REACT: Pope: Other Christians Not True Churches”…

Of course, as a Catholic, I know what that link (however poorly it’s been paraphrased) will lead to. Actually…let me re-word that. As a well-informed and catechized Catholic, I know what that link will lead to.

So here’s what it said:

LORENZAGO DI CADORE, Italy - Pope Benedict XVI has reasserted the universal primacy of the Roman Catholic Church, approving a document released Tuesday that says Orthodox churches were defective and that other Christian denominations were not true churches.
Now HOLD ON a SECOND!

The document said WHAT?

Responses to Some Questions Regarding Certain Aspects of the Doctrine of the Church is the only document of two released by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith yesterday that is available in English. The other is available in Italian.

Now look, folks: I can’t read Italian. But I can read English, and in the English document, there was absolutely no statement that other Christian denominations are “not true churches.” In fact, it states: It is possible, according to Catholic doctrine, to affirm correctly that the Church of Christ is present and operative in the churches and ecclesial Communities not yet fully in communion with the Catholic Church, on account of the elements of sanctification and truth that are present in them. (Question 2) Let us continue.

Benedict approved a document from his old offices at the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith that restates church teaching on relations with other Christians. It was the second time in a week the pope has corrected what he says are erroneous interpretations of the Second Vatican Council, the 1962-65 meetings that modernized the church.

On Saturday, Benedict revisited another key aspect of Vatican II by reviving the old Latin Mass. Traditional Catholics cheered the move, but more liberal ones called it a step back from Vatican II.

Benedict, who attended Vatican II as a young theologian, has long complained about what he considers the erroneous interpretation of the council by liberals, saying it was not a break from the past but rather a renewal of church tradition.

Is there something wrong with tradition? According to this article, apparently, there is. At least, that’s what is implied.

In the latest document — formulated as five questions and answers — the Vatican seeks to set the record straight on Vatican II’s ecumenical intent, saying some contemporary theological interpretation had been “erroneous or ambiguous” and had prompted confusion and doubt. And that’s why I say, “Thank God for Pope Benedict. He’s making sure that we’re not presenting the Catholic faith ambiguously.” (That’s the media’s job.)

It restates key sections of a 2000 document the pope wrote when he was prefect of the congregation, “Dominus Iesus,” which set off a firestorm of criticism among Protestant and other Christian denominations because it said they were not true churches but merely ecclesial communities and therefore did not have the “means of salvation.” Aaaand here we go again with using quotations to our own devices. In Dominus Iesus, one of the very first sections (2, to be exact), states: …”outside of her (the Church’s) structure, many elements can be found of sanctification and truth”, that is, in those Churches and ecclesial communities which are not yet in full communion with the Catholic Church. Notice that the document does refer to Protestant and other Christian denominations as “merely ecclesial communities”. Rather, it calls them Churches and ecclesial communities - which they are (think of ecclesial communities such as The Simple Way founded by Shane Claiborne).

Further, Dominus Iesus does not altogether exclude any other Christian church/faith/etc from the means of salvation. Rather, in section 17, it makes the point that, “these separated Churches and communities as such, though we believe they suffer from defects, have by no means been deprived of significance and importance in the mystery of salvation. For the spirit of Christ has not refrained from using them as means of salvation…” (By defects, the authors mean those areas in which these Protestant/other Churches/communities have split from the Catholic Church. Apply that to the opening statement of this article.)

I think that’s all I need to do to prove to you that you just can’t completely trust the news media, especially when it comes to Catholicism. But for the sake of all fairness, here’s the rest of the article, and the link to it, along with a link to a blog that further clarifies the media’s missteps.

Peace and all good.

————————–

In the new document and an accompanying commentary, which were released as the pope vacations here in Italy’s Dolomite mountains, the Vatican repeated that position.

“Christ ‘established here on earth’ only one church,” the document said. The other communities “cannot be called ‘churches’ in the proper sense” because they do not have apostolic succession — the ability to trace their bishops back to Christ’s original apostles.

The Rev. Sara MacVane of the Anglican Centre in Rome, said there was nothing new in the document.

“I don’t know what motivated it at this time,” she said. “But it’s important always to point out that there’s the official position and there’s the huge amount of friendship and fellowship and worshipping together that goes on at all levels, certainly between Anglican and Catholics and all the other groups and Catholics.”

The document said Orthodox churches were indeed “churches” because they have apostolic succession and that they enjoyed “many elements of sanctification and of truth.” But it said they lack something because they do not recognize the primacy of the pope — a defect, or a “wound” that harmed them, it said.

“This is obviously not compatible with the doctrine of primacy which, according to the Catholic faith, is an ‘internal constitutive principle’ of the very existence of a particular church,” the commentary said.

Despite the harsh tone of the document, it stresses that Benedict remains committed to ecumenical dialogue.

“However, if such dialogue is to be truly constructive, it must involve not just the mutual openness of the participants but also fidelity to the identity of the Catholic faith,” the commentary said.

The document, signed by the congregation prefect, U.S. Cardinal William Levada, was approved by Benedict on June 29, the feast of Sts. Peter and Paul — a major ecumenical feast day.

There was no indication about why the pope felt it necessary to release the document, particularly since his 2000 document summed up the same principles. Some analysts suggested it could be a question of internal church politics, or that it could simply be an indication of Benedict using his office as pope to again stress key doctrinal issues from his time at the congregation.

This article can be found at TIME.com.

A blog entry that goes into further detail regarding the media’s interpretation of these documents may be found at AmericanPapist.com.

Oh ChurchExecutive.com, thank you for pointing this out. Unfortunately, this no longer surprises me. The bold formatting and parenthetical statements are my additions:

————————
A new Barna Group survey examined the largest religious group in the United States. With over 69 million adherents, the Catholic Church was found to be as mainstream as any people group in the nation, but much less committed to practicing their faith.

According to the survey released Monday, 68 percent of Catholics said their religious faith is very important in their life, which was also true among non-Catholic adults. But Catholics were only half as likely as others to say their faith is the highest priority in life. A majority identified family as their priority.

Only 44 percent of Catholics claimed to be “absolutely committed” to the Christian faith compared to 54 percent of the American adult population. Moreover, Catholics were less likely than average to look forward to discussing their religious views with other people, to attending church services, and to reading the Bible. However, Catholics were 16 percent more likely than average to attend a church service and 8 percent more likely to have prayed to God during the prior week.

The gap between Catholics and other Americans was also apparent in other faith-oriented behaviors. The study found that 67 percent of Catholics were less likely than the average to attend a Sunday school class; 20 percent were less likely to share their faith in Christ with someone who had different beliefs; 24 percent were less likely to say their religious faith has greatly transformed their life; and 36 percent were less likely to have an “active faith” (reading the Bible, praying and attending a church service).

Catholics differ substantially in spiritual beliefs from the typical views of Americans. They were significantly less likely to believe that the Bible is totally accurate in all of the principles it teaches; half as likely to maintain that they have a responsibility to share their faith with others; more likely than average to say that Satan is not real, to believe that eternal salvation is earned, and to contend that Jesus Christ sinned while on earth. (??!??!?!???)

The study also found the moral convictions of Catholics differ from that of non-Catholic Americans. Catholics were twice as likely to view pornographic content on the Internet and more likely to use profanity, to gamble, and to buy lottery tickets. But they were more likely to not say mean things about people behind their back and were more likely to recycle. (Oh, wonderful. We’re saved.)

When it came to behaviors outside of faith and morals, Catholics were found to be strikingly similar to people aligned with other faith groups. Catholics were just as likely or similarly likely to adopt the terms “independent thinker,” “seen as a leader,” “loyal and reliable,” “stressed out,” and “clear about the meaning and purpose of my life.”

The only difference was adopting the term “evangelical Christian.” Catholics were 39 percent less likely to accept that label.

Although one out of every four Catholics is born again (based on their beliefs), making Catholics the second largest denominational grouping of born again Christians in the nation behind Baptists, they are 37 percent less likely to be born again than are adults not associated with the Catholic faith.

“The history of American Catholics is that of a pool of immigrants who have successfully blended into the native culture. They have done well at adapting to their surroundings and emerging to become a backbone of the community and the national economy,” said George Barna, who directed the study.

Catholics have become a slightly more affluent group and the current Catholic population has a disproportionately low number of blacks, who make up one out of every seven Americans but only one out of every 25 Catholics, and high number of Hispanics, according to the Barna Group.

The study noted that while immigrant groups have a tendency to work hard to adapt to their new culture, the group often loses its religious distinctive, as in the case of American Catholics over the past century.

“Today, they are a large and vibrant group, but one that is faith-aware rather than faith-driven,” the report stated.

American Catholics are more similar to non-Christians than Protestants are to the non-believers, the survey showed.

“[T]he cost of that struggle to achieve acceptance and legitimacy is that Catholics have largely lost touch with much of their substantive spiritual heritage,” Barna stated. “They retain an appreciation for tradition and consistency, but have much less of a commitment to knowing and practicing the commands of Christ. For instance, the data show that some of their long-held distinctives, such as being champions of social justice, are no longer a defining facet of their community.

“The trail of Catholicism in America is a clear example of culture influencing faith more often than faith influencing culture.“

Results from the study are based on telephone surveys with 4,014 adults, aged 18 and older, conducted between August 2006 and January 2007. Among those interviewed, 876 were self-identified Catholics.

Audrey Barrick
Christian Post Reporter

Last night, while my family and I were watching Miss Potter (a five-star film that I highly recommend, by the way), the phone rang. It was Sr. Raymond Marie of the Daughters of St. Paul, calling to schedule our first meeting. We talked for about five minutes and set the appointment. When I came back downstairs, I apologized for having interrupted our movie time, then said, “On Sunday, I’m going to visit the Daughters of St. Paul.” “Where are they?” my mother asked. And that was all. No look of encouragement on their faces, no look of discouragement. Just blank expressions, as if I hadn’t said a word.

We’ve all heard that good Catholic homes are the birthplace of religious vocations. I certainly would agree with that. My parents have lived out their marriage vocation well, making sure that my sister and I are brought up in a healthy Catholic atmosphere. Our spirituality is a combination of Irish- and Mexican-American Catholicism: traditional, but not “rad-trad”. My parents are very Catholic because they’ve grown up in Catholic environments. I wouldn’t say that they’re “the daily Mass type”. My grandparents, however, are very much so.

Even if the reason why I’ve grown up with a strong connection to my faith was my parents, I don’t think I would attribute my interest in a religious vocation to my parents. Never have my parents verbally encouraged me to the consecrated life. However, they have never explicitly discouraged it. Fr. Thomas Nelson, O. Praem. of the Institute on Religious Life believes that ignorance about the consecrated life is the reason why many strong Catholic families do not have children who consecrate their lives to Christ. I believe that is somewhat true for my own family.

Both of my parents went to Catholic schools and were taught by nuns; my mother by School Sisters of Notre Dame at St. Benedict’s Catholic School, and my father by the Salesians at St. John Bosco. My father is still in contact with the Salesians, and took me to visit them when I was younger. But it is unclear to me whether my parents truly understand what a vocation to the consecrated life means. Although their upbringing has instilled respect for consecrated persons in their hearts, I believe their minds lack the understanding. 

Lord, Am I Alone? 

In his talk Myths & Misconceptions Concerning Vocations, Fr. Nelson cites a study conducted under the Knights of Columbus which found that seventy-five percent of all young people who have seriously considered a religious vocation were never encouraged.

What are the sources of that encouragement? Fr. Nelson points out that teens and young adults won’t find it among their peers. Contemporary culture glorifies a sexually promiscuous lifestyle, material riches, and moral relativism. To be sure, I’d agree with Fr. Nelson that the majority of people my age won’t find their peers cheering them on to consider religious life. However, God has blessed me with a great exception. My best friends are all considering religious life themselves – one of them is in his second year at seminary, another is actively pursuing the priesthood. I’ve found some of the greatest encouragement from them.

The second possible source of encouragement that Fr. Nelson mentions is the body of men and woman already living out the consecrated life. I know that many nuns could name another nun who they say inspired them to consider the religious life. For me, I don’t think that was the case. No living sister has ever caused me to more seriously consider religious life. I’d say the two nuns who have ever truly inspired me to pursue a religious vocation are Sts. Teresa of Avila and the Little Flower of Jesus. Their love affairs with Jesus are enough to inspire wonder in any girl. Beside them, the body of consecrated people that I find most encouraging is Fraternidad Mariana de la Reconciliacion (the Marian Community of Reconciliation). These are young consecrated laywomen from Peru and Brazil whom my archbishop invited to the archdiocese. One of them has been my youth minister for the past two years. Those two years were when I decided to take my vocational discernment more seriously. 

Parents 

If peers and the consecrated religious are not where the encouragement is found, parents are where a person considering religious life needs to find support. In this case, parents are a problem. It may sound a bit horrible, but I believe it’s quite true. Face it: No one would argue against the statement that most Catholic parents do not vocally encourage their children to consecrate their lives to God and His Church.   

Assuming that most parents aren’t vocally discouraging their children, what are the others doing? “Many of our Catholic parents,” Fr. Nelson says, “would be delighted if their son became a priest or their daughter entered the convent. Yet they fear to encourage them. They are afraid that support might be perceived as pressure…” That is precisely what I think is happening with my parents.

“And then,” continues Father, “for their part, children – and teens and young adults – are often uncomfortable in bringing up the idea of a possible vocation because of their parents’ reaction.” As Fr. Nelson later says in his talk, everyone ends up tiptoeing around the subject of religious life because of fear. When I was seventeen years old, I first heard the call to religious life, but it wasn’t until a year later that I mustered up enough courage to explain to my parents why I was suddenly receiving mail from religious convents. That explanation was met with a lack of any kind of emotional expression. I didn’t talk to them again about religious life until I was eighteen, and now at nineteen, I hardly say a thing, because I don’t know what they think of my discernment. Are they at all happy that I’m thinking about it? How much are they disappointed? There’s no doubt in my mind that at least my father is a little disappointed; my whole life, he has spoken to me about “your future career” “in the business world” and “being your own boss”. (That’s a whole ‘nother blog entry in itself.) In all fairness, he has said, “Let us know if you need to go anywhere to visit” religious communities. But I remember him saying that same thing about rock concerts I wanted to attend.

Concerts I never attended. 

Ignorance Ain’t Bliss 

It’s not hard to be ignorant about religious life, even in a thoroughly Catholic environment. I’ll admit that, before my discernment began and I started to study the religious life, I had a hard time speaking to consecrated religious as real people. There was some sort of perception in my mind that they weren’t living in the same world as I. And even after I began discerning that life for myself, there were several nights I cried after picturing myself as a celibate! How, I wonder, could my parents see their “baby” living this life? To hear the myths and misconceptions about religious life dispelled, I’d encourage you to listen to Fr. Nelson’s talk here.

I wish my pastor would speak to the parents of my parish about the dignity of a religious vocation. Whether I am called to the consecrated life or not, someone in my parish is bound to have children who are called. I’d hate to think that they’d fail to hear or respond to God’s call simply because of ignorance or fear. 

This post is written in fond memory of Rev. Dr. James Sauer, my first philosophy teacher, and the first adult to see the face of a consecrated person in my own. I suspect that few Catholic sisters could say that a Presbyterian pastor encouraged them to consider religious life. He is greatly missed.