Chicks A and B

In fact, we will be there again this year on Friday night, June 4, helping our friend Allen Hunt sell copies of his new book: Confessions of a Mega Church Pastor- How I Discovered the Hidden Treasures of the Catholic Church.  Come see us, get Allen’s book, and be inspired by his journey of conversion and joy at having been received into the Church.

For more information and details on the Eucharistic Congress, visit www.archatl.com

Chicks A and B

Thanks to a tip from Friend of the Chicks (FOC) Marcia Kelley,  we wanted to let everyone know about an interesting workshop taking place in north Atlanta this Thursday, April 29th.  Check it out!

Chicks A and B

]]> http://southerncatholicchicks.com/2010/04/27/get-in-touch-with-your-adolescent-chick-courtesy-st-brigids-catholic-church/feed/ 0 http://southerncatholicchicks.com/2010/04/20/take-time-out/ http://southerncatholicchicks.com/2010/04/20/take-time-out/#comments Tue, 20 Apr 2010 18:27:35 +0000 2scc http://southerncatholicchicks.com/?p=697 Amidst sports tournaments, end of the year recitals, school exams, vacation planning, business trips and everything else that keeps us so busy at this time of year, it might be worth it to take time out – time out to listen to stories of conversion and evangelization that remind us of the bigger world of our Christian faith.  In the next six weeks, for example, EWTN will be broadcasting the stories of a former Methodist pastor, Episcopalian priest, and Lutheran seminarian who all “came home” to Catholicism.  Tune into The Journey Home on Monday nights to be inspired by their journeys and discovery of the riches of Christ and his Church.

In addition, just this week in Atlanta, the President of Catholic Exchange will be giving a lecture at Holy Spirit College entitled “Awakening the Sleeping Giant- the Catholic Laity.”  A convert to Catholicism, Mr. Harold Fickett is sure to inspire the audience with his motivating and encouraging words to those of us “in the pews” on how we can best use our gifts and talents to proclaim the Gospel in our daily lives.  For more information, visit the Holy Spirit College website.

Chicks A and B

The folks at Andalusia farm, the peaceful and simple home of Flannery O’Connor from 1951-1964, just conducted a contest to name the 3 peafowl (collective name for both peacocks and peahens, in case you were wondering) that live on the property.  As a stipulation, the names had to come from characters in O’Connor’s stories.  For the one male and two female birds, the winning names were as follows:

Manley Pointer for the peacock

Joy Hulga and Mary Grace for the peahens

You can follow the happenings at Andalusia Farm on their website and blog.  In addition, Atlanta resident Lorraine Murray has written a terrific book, The Abbess of Andalusia, about Ms. O’Connor’s faith and its influence on her writing and worldview.

Chick B

The Chicks just returned from a lecture by Cardinal Walter Kasper- a friend of Joseph Ratzinger, an accomplished theologian, and a man dedicated to ecumenical dialogue with non-Catholics worldwide.  His talk entitled “The Timeliness of Speaking of God” was brilliant, I think.  I say that because, quite frankly, Chick A and I admitted to only understanding about 40% of what he said.  Laced with a heavy German accent, some of the words were hard to decipher.  In fact, it was only after 15 minutes into his remarks that I could begin to understand some of the main points of the lecture.  (Pope Benedict, if you are reading this, thank you for speaking slowly when delivering your messages.  I probably understand about 95% of what you are saying).

Sponsored by the Aquinas Center of Theology at Emory University and Candler School of Theology, a Methodist-founded seminary, the Kasper event was sold out.  The Aquinas Center recently hosted an astronomer from the Vatican speaking on the relationship of faith and reason, and they are soon to host a program on Latino immigration and its effect on our church populations.  Who knows whether the Vatican astronomer was hard to understand…..I wasn’t there.  I can tell you with certainty, though, that it is a great feeling to be Catholic and a member of the universal Church that is being led by astute, compassionate, accent-laden leaders like Cardinal Kasper.

Prost!!

Chick B

You’ve heard the expression “I wasn’t born in the South, but I got here as fast as I could…”  Well in the Catholic world, this saying may no longer apply only to people.  Friend of the Chicks (FOC) Fr. David Dye, the pastor at Mary Our Queen Catholic Church in Norcross, GA has been doing some cutting edge Catholic thinking lately.  His idea – to move an entire church building from Buffalo to the Atlanta area – is getting the attention of Catholics and non-Catholics who are interested in preservation, history, and the vibrancy of the Church in the United States.  A beautiful church structure that no longer houses a thriving Buffalo congregation may get new life in the South, where the Archdiocese of Atlanta is growing by leaps and bounds.

There is much grim news about the health of Catholic parishes north of the Mason-Dixon line.  An aging population, poorly catechized parishioners, and young adults who are lured away by emotionally charged experiences in non-denominational mega-churches have left Catholic congregations ravaged in many areas.  But the St. Gerard project that Fr. Dye is spearheading may begin an important trend.  Perhaps these beautiful church structures, which in the past have blessed thousands of the faithful, can  continue to be used as originally intended.  Above the portals of St. Gerard’s is the latin inscription “Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit” followed by “Here is the House of God and the Gate of Heaven.”  By the grace of God, we in the South will be blessed to worship in this beautiful house of the Lord.

To learn more about the St. Gerard church move, visit Moved by Grace and follow the project as it gains momentum.  You might find it interesting, as I do, that a priest from a church named Mary Our Queen was led to St. Gerard’s which contains an impressive painting of Mary, Queen of Heaven as the centerpiece of its beautiful interior art.  In addition, it just so happens that the physical structure of St. Gerard’s is eerily similar to the architectural renderings of the proposed church for the Norcross congregation, drawings done years ago before anyone ever thought to move an entire church from one part of the country to another.

Mere coincidences?  I think not.

Chick B

Some inspired educational entrepreneurs are taking Catholic education to a whole new level, quite literally.  On the campus of Atlanta’s Holy Spirit Prep- an independent  Catholic school that has been named one of America’s Top 50 Catholic High Schools for two years running-  a new college has been formed.  Students who enroll can earn a Bachelor of Philosophy degree (B. Phil) in just 3 years.

In addition, the college offers an on-going lecture series open to the public.  Just this week, Dr. William Sessions of Georgia State University will be delivering a talk on Georgia gem Flannery O’Connor and her life as a Catholic in the heart of the Bible belt.  Check out the Holy Spirit College website and look for opportunities to broaden your intellectual horizons!

Chicks A and B

The Chicks like to travel, take in Catholic sights, and hear great speakers. Really, we like to attend any event to deepen our faith, grow closer to Christ, and learn more about His Church.  There is a big Catholic world out there, and we love to explore it!

2009 was full of great Catholic experiences. By far the number one most meaningful was the mass and veneration of the relic of Saint Mary Magdalene, which we have affectionately named the “traveling tibia” since it is the relic of her tibia bone.  Please don’t be fooled by our little catch phrase that may sound irreverent to some.  It caught these two former Protestants off guard as the most meaningful and unexpected experience in our time as Catholics thus far.  We were initially drawn to attend by a curiosity to witness something considered eccentric in Protestant circles.  However, to be in the presence of a part of someone who was physically present with our Lord during His ministry here on earth, His crucifixion, and His resurrection was so incredibly moving.  It was an indelible stamp that God is real – that faith is not a fairy tale. This is a real bone of a real person who knew Jesus and was transformed by His grace.  To be able to have Mass with our Lord present and His beloved disciple Mary Magdalene – well, it was a little piece of heaven on earth!!  So, if the “traveling tibia” makes it to your parish, we highly recommend taking the time to venerate it.

On with our top ten list – be sure and add yours in the comment section.

Advent Day of Reflection at St. Ignatius House

Summer Apologetics Series at Christ the King

EWTN filming of Life on the Rock

Preview of the Catholicism Project and meeting Father Robert Barron

Dr. Peter Kreeft’s talk on what makes up Catholic identity

Trip to Washington, DC for the Inside Catholic fundraiser

Road trip to St. Augustine, Florida to tour America’s first parish

Annual 3 day silent retreat

Easter Vigil Mass

and……..

1.       Mass and Veneration of the Relic of Saint Mary Magdalene

Chicks A and B

The Reliquary of Saint Mary Magdalene is currently on tour in the Southeast.  In other words, the container which holds the relic of a piece of Mary Magdalene’s tibia (leg bone) is on a journey through many parishes in our region until late November.  Discovering this has intensified my thought process about Catholic body parts.

It’s one thing, I suppose, to buy into the whole idea of the Communion of Saints.  Catholics and main-line Protestants alike have been reciting the Apostles’ and Nicene Creeds as part of their order of worship for years, and in those creeds we all profess belief in the communion of saints.  After all, it’s biblical (see 2 Kings 13:20-21; 1 Corinthians 12:12-21, 26; Ephesians 2:19-22; Hebrews 12:1-2; and Revelation 8:3-4, among others).   Christians through the centuries have taken God at His word when He says that He is the God of the living, not the dead.  So, it is an easy jump to accept the idea of our brothers and sisters in Christ to include those faithful witnesses and saints that have come before us and who stand as that great cloud of witnesses described in the letter to the Hebrews.  By virtue of being Christian, we are members of a much larger “family” of faith.

However, when you are getting acquainted with the Catholic family, you eventually are introduced to the world of incorruptibles and relics- whole bodies, parts of bodies, and things that have touched parts of bodies of saints, and it can be a strange world, indeed.   Once on a trip to Paris, I made my way to the Chapel of the Miraculous Medal, only to find out that it was closed due to renovation.  A very nice nun thought I might enjoy seeing the Chapel of St. Vincent de Paul close by, so off I went.  When I entered that church, I couldn’t help but notice a gold leaf casket high and off in the distance above the altar.  About 10 minutes later I found myself standing in front of St. Vincent de Paul’s incorruptible bones encased in his body which apparently has been preserved with some wax.  Later, I found out that his heart was down the street at the Chapel of the Miraculous Medal.  I hate that I missed THAT.

All this to say that there is quite a bit of veneration toward the remains of the saints.  I’m beginning to get it, though, as I spend more time in the Catholic world.  Just this morning I was thinking about some items that I cherish-  Michael Jordan’s autograph, my father’s Air Force ID bracelet, my mother’s letters to me, my great grandmother’s china- and I realized how much I venerate things that belonged to people I admire or love.  I went a little crazy for a few years when I thought I had lost Michael Jordan’s autograph during a move. If I can feel that way about something that identifies him, then I certainly can muster up some respect and veneration for relics that identify those who have died for the faith that has become my own.

If you’d like more information on the practice of venerating relics, please read this well written piece by a priest in Atlanta here.     For Mary Magdalene’s itinerary, visit the schedule published by the John Paul II Center.    Maybe I’ll see you at one of the stops!

Chick “B”