It was kind of a “holiday” today. We had school and the center was open but the government was off, as we many schools. I had the 11:00am, then I went to Southern Maryland and met Sr. Kass and visited her parish. I also saw Terry and Hal McConnell. Terry was my secretary at St. B’s and is now the CCD secretary at Our Lady of Perpetual Help, where Kass is the Pastoral Associate. I had a nice visit. Then I met Maggie and JoAnn in Prince Frederick for a nice crab salad. I got home and have spent the evening doing Sudukos and relaxing.
Below is an excerp from a story in NCR. I think it is worth reading:
John Allen is a very good reporter, specializing in church news. He was asked by a reporter from the secular press: “What do you think the Catholic church does best and doesn’t get much credit for?”
Here’s what he answered:
“Fundamentally, I don’t think the Catholic church gets enough credit for being a hell of a lot of fun. There’s great warmth and laughter in most Catholic circles, a rich intellectual tradition, a vast body of lore, an incredible range of characters, a deep desire to do good, an abiding faith against all odds, an ability to go anywhere and feel instantly at home, and even a deep love of good food, good drink, and good company. All that is part of the tapestry of Catholic life, but it rarely sees the light of day in commentary and reporting that focuses exclusively on crisis, scandal, and heartache.”
I say: “Ditto!!!”
I enjoy John Allen’s writing. He is quite balanced and sure knows the church inside and out…
Boy does John Allen have it right. I’ve sent this to many of my co-workers. Thanks for sharing.