What about the other 6?

Where are you seeing God these days? Where do you need to see God?
Check out this Twitter-like experience from Loyola Press: Other 6

Why Are You Still Here?

This month we've been asking the Big Question at IC: why are we Catholic? We've spent the whole year of formation talking about how we are called to Go Make Disciples, upon Jesus' command to do so. But of course, it'd be pretty difficult to be a disciple who makes disciples in a Church if we don't know why we, ourselves, are here.

So at Generations of Faith last month, and at the doors of the Church, we have made available buttons with this challenge: Ask Me Why I'm Catholic. The first part of being able to wear that pin out in public and answer the question for those who ask us, is to know for ourselves what our answer is.

And it can't be denied that this is a trying and discouraging time in the recent history of the Church, considering the allegations and bad news that seem to be flying everywhere around the world. Maybe there is no better time to answer the B.Q. for ourselves. Why am I Catholic? Why am I still Catholic?

Here, BustedHalo.com offers interviews with young adult Catholics in New York on their opinions about the Scandal and about why they still come to Mass. They ask:

• Why are people still here?
• How do you feel about how the Church has handled the situation (the sexual abuse Scandal)?
• How has this effected your feelings about the Pope and the Church hierarchy?
• What can Catholics do to help resolve the situation?
• Why do you continue coming to Church each week?

They invite you to view the interviews and share comments on their Youtube page, and we welcome them here. What are your thoughts?

Greetings from Sunny Las Vegas!

Your intrepid blogger is away in beautiful, warm, Catholic Las Vegas at the conference for the National Conference of Catechetical Leadership, a wonderful organization. Fr. Mehm, Elaine Connelly, and Scott and Margo Morin are your reps here at this great (so far!) conference. Our week was kicked off with a fantastic keynote from Fr. Allen Figueroa Deck, S.J. This afternoon our workshops begin, and on it goes. So far so good! We will try to update you from here when possible (wifi is $13.00 a day! What the heck?!) but we appreciate your prayers for our learning and safe travel. We miss IC when we're away, but we promise to come home with knew knowledge and exciting ideas to pass on!

We hear it's cold in Massachusetts... (snicker snicker!)

-MM

Another Great Weekend!

It was a great weekend at Immaculate Conception, with Generations of Faith on Friday and Sunday asking the Big Question: Why are you Catholic? Some great "volunteers" answered that question for us in the large-group opening.

Sunday we welcomed Trent Jonnathan Rodwell-Willis into the Church through Baptism and his family was presented with a beautiful hand-made blanket from our knitting group!

So... why are you Catholic?

Have you seen the buttons?
At Generations of Faith this past weekend, we all were given a chance to come up with the answer to the question: Why am I Catholic?
Then, we were given nifty blue buttons that boldly challenge the world. They say:
Ask Me Why I'm Catholic
If you were wearing a pin like that, and someone asked you the Big Question, what would your response be?
Here are two responses to this question that reflect the news of our times: Here, one from Timothy Radcliffe in the British journal - The Tablet, and one from Elizabeth Scalia, featured on National Public Radio.

Here, too, is the video shown at this weekend's GOF gatherings, from Catholics Come Home:

What are your thoughts?

Easter Vigil Photographs

Photographs from our beautiful Easter Vigil can be viewed by clicking on the picture above!

Easter is here!

Happy Easter to all! Christ is risen indeed! From all of us at Immaculate Conception Parish to you and yours, may this Easter season be a blessed and happy one.

Pictures from our beautiful Easter vigil will be posted here soon. Anyone have pictures from Easter Sunday Masses? Please forward them to us!

Thank you to everyone who made Holy Week a beautiful and holy time at IC.