Tuesday, October 19, 2010

A Newman evening...

...in the local parish, with an excellent illustrated talk on John Henry Newman's life and message. Beautifully presented, and it had everyone gripped. There was a good atmosphere as people came into the parish centre after the evening Mass: the evening was planned as part of a whole series of events aimed at following up the visit of the Holy Father. Newman's life makes for a wonderful unfolding story, and there were elements I had not thought about before as we learned the drama of his working through the implications of the message of the early Fathers...

Next event to continue the follow-up is the premiere of the new film about the Papacy. Come and join us! Friday 22nd Oct - details here...

1 comment:

Sheila A. Waters said...

It sounds like the October 17 illustrated talk on Blessed John Henry Newman that you attended was fascinating. Ignatius Press in Colorado (www.ignatius.com)has been issuing new editions of Newman's writings and sermons to coincide with the beatification. They also have a DVD of "Mary MacKillop," the new saint from Australia who is now St. Mary of the Cross. Australians affectionately call her "the little Aussie battler," and she sounds like a spunky saint to learn about. St. Andre Bessette of Montreal, Canada's new saint and the first Canadian male to be canonized, is known and loved thanks to EWTN programming.
The leaves are finally starting to turn colors here in Westchester Co., NY, perhaps delayed by our warm weather known as "Indian Summer." Families are already decorating their front doors for Halloween, Oct. 31. Catholic schools encourage their students to wear the costumea oftheir favorite saint during Halloween parades and parties at school. Younger children usually go out trick or treating during the afternoon with an adult present, as vandalism is often a problem after dark. Now, we are in the intense 2-week period prior to Election Day (Nov.2) in the U.S. Polls predict a nationwide political earthquake, but status quo is predicted for NY. Catholic voters shrug as Catholic candidates for Congress in NY embrace the Pro-Choice position on abortion; same-sex marriage, and embryonic stem cell research. It is discouraging to see New Yorkers enthusiastically quote current baseball & football statistics by the hour, but automatically vote for the same old familiar faces year after year. I'm starting to believe in term limits to shake things up. Sheila A. Waters