I will be joining Al Kresta tomorrow afternoon

I will be chatting with Al Kresta on his show "Kresta in the Afternoon" on Ave Maria radio tomorrow (Thursday) afternoon at 3:20 until 4:00 PM Eastern Standard Time. I hope you will join us LIVE tomorrow. I had the distinct pleasure of being a guest on Al's show earlier this year when I was signing my new saints' book, Catholic Saints Prayer Book at the Religious Booksellers Trade Exhibit (RBTE) near Chicago, IL. It was great to be with Al then and I am looking forward to conversing with him again tomorrow.

To tune in from your computer, just click here on the Ave Maria website and then click the "listen live" button at the top of the screen.

Talk to you then!

hugs,

Donna-Marie

PS Here's a bit about Al Kresta:

"Al Kresta is a broadcaster, journalist and author who is, first of all, a missionary. He draws upon his unique faith background to create what is, arguably, the most fascinating — and most spiritually constructive — talk show on radio today.

A 1976 honors graduate of Michigan State University, Al has also done graduate work in theology at both Catholic and Protestant seminaries. He became well known in the Detroit area for his program, “Talk from the Heart,” one of the top-rated Christian talk shows during the 1980s and 90s. When he began the program, Al was a Protestant pastor. The questions forced upon him as pastor, however, led him to return to the Catholic Church. His profound personal conversion to Christ and return to the Catholic Church is told in the best-selling anthology Surprised By Truth."

To learn more go to Ave Maria here and see more of his amazing Bio

Tune in Monday morning to "Mom's Corner!"

Hi, Everyone,

Tomorrow morning (Monday) as we begin Holy Week, please take a few moments to tune in to my "Mom's Corner" segment with Teresa Tomeo. At about 9:10 AM Eastern Standard Time, Teresa Tomeo, host of "Catholic Connection" and I will be discussing Holy Week, Lent, as well as our recent Vatican trip to the International Women's Congress in celebration of twenty years after Pope John Paul II penned Mulieris Dignitatem.

I hope you can tune in at Ave Maria Radio. Just go here and then click the "listen live" button and be ready about 9:00 AM. Of course, you may also tune in earlier at 8:00 to hear Teresa during other segments. Our segment will be hopefully informative and sprinkled with some good humor! :) Feel free to call in to the show if you have an opportunity. The phone number will be announced on the show.

I hope you'll join Teresa Tomeo and me tomorrow morning to learn more about this celebration and perhaps how you may fit in to it all by tuning in to "Catholic Connection" at Ave Maria Radio and perhaps call in to the show or comment here to this post with any questions or comments.

"Talk" to you tomorrow morning!

Have a BLESSED Palm Sunday!

"Mom's Corner" tomorrow for EVERYONE!

Tomorrow morning, Tuesday, January 15th at 9:15 to 9:30 AM Eastern Standard Time on "Catholic Connection" Ave Maria Radio, Teresa Tomeo and I will be discussing our upcoming trip to the Vatican! We will let you in on our roles in the International Women's congress to be held in Rome very soon.

Here's an article that I wrote about the twentieth year celebration of Pope John Paul II's Apostolic Letter, Mulieris Dignitatem, On the Dignity and Vocation of Women.

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The Twentieth Anniversary Celebration of Mulieris Dignitatem
By Donna-Marie Cooper O’Boyle

This is an exciting time for women in our world. Twenty years ago, our late Holy Father, Pope John Paul II, wrote the extraordinary letter, Mulieris Dignitatem, “On the Dignity and Vocation of Women.” The Pontifical Council for the Laity is now encouraging the lay faithful worldwide to observe a celebration of this Apostolic Letter in the coming year of the twentieth anniversary by reflecting on the meaning of the document. Each continent has its own specific theme regarding the Apostolic Letter.

Pope John Paul II’s Apostolic Letter (given on August 15, 1988) was written to encourage women in their vocations, to highlight the essential feminine genius that they provide to their families and the world, and to restore spiritual and physical motherhood to a culture that was quickly losing sight of the dignity of women and mothers.

Living in an era where the unborn baby may not be safe within his own mother’s womb, with debates raging over the nature of marriage, and confusing messages directed at women about where she should find her place in society - all point to the timeliness of this observance.

The Pontifical Council of the Laity has asked the Catholics of North America to consider the document specifically in light of one overarching theme: The Dignity of Women in a Technological and Consumeristic Society.
Interestingly, Pope Benedict spoke recently about “the materialist ideologies that say: It is absurd to think about God. It is absurd to observe God’s Commandments. It is something from a bygone era…. Only consumerism, selfishness, and fun are worth something. That’s life.” He said, “Again it seems absurd, impossible to oppose this dominant mentality with all its media and propaganda power. It seems impossible to think about a God who created man, who became a child, the real would-be ruler of the world.”

The poignant words to women at the closing of the Second Vatican Council should compel us to do something to help better our understanding of a woman’s role and dignity. “The hour is coming, in fact has come, when the vocation of women is being acknowledged in its fullness, the hour in which women acquire in the world an influence, an effect, and a power never hitherto achieved. That is why, at this moment when the human race is undergoing so deep a transformation, women imbued with a spirit of the Gospel can do so much to aid humanity in not falling.”

We know that all of salvation history depended on the faithfulness of one young woman in Nazareth and her courageous “yes” to the Lord. Our Church has held women throughout history with the deepest respect, despite what our world might have us believe. Women of the third millennium have an amazing opportunity to reap the benefit of the graces poured out on them now for a clearer understanding of their dignity and vocation as they reflect upon Pope John Paul II’s affirming and beautiful words for them. Women of our time “can do so much to aid humanity in not falling.” It’s time to open our hearts to God’s message to women and act upon it imbued with the spirit of the Gospel, spreading love, understanding, and peace with our own “yes” to a world in desperate need.

A website has been created in order to provide a comprehensive resource for those interested in ways to reflect on this timely anniversary.
Dignityofwomen.com will point to the Apostolic Letter, Mulieris Dignitatem, relevant books, speakers, study guides, and other initiatives that will bring the beauty of this document to as many people as possible, while continually integrating suggestions, additions, as well as a bulletin board of events to access over the coming year. The website suggests ways in which to get involved with this Vatican initiative including: procuring a study guide and taking time to discuss the document, compiling book lists related to the document and discuss different aspects or topics relating to the reflection of these authors, planning a day of reflection in the parish or larger community whereby talks and prayers can bring to light the beauty of the Pope John Paul II’s understanding of authentic femininity, and a larger project might be the creation of a congress or conference, in which the ordinary is invited to participate. This would reflect the collaborative nature of the Church: joining the hierarchy, or Petrine dimension, with the women, who image Marian dimension, and bear spiritual fruit by means of the spousal reality.

“Through prayer and discussion, women everywhere will reveal their feminine genius in the way they celebrate this anniversary - ultimately giving glory to God, Who delighted in creating women in His image” (from the Dignity of Women website).
You may send your suggestions or submissions of resources to the link provided at the website or to Donna-Marie Cooper O’Boyle at DMCooperOBoyle@aol.com. Please join with us in prayer so that this will be a very fruitful observance. May our Blessed Mother watch over this worldwide celebration for the dignity and vocation of women and bless us with her graces in all of our efforts to understand the richness of the feminine vocation.


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I hope you'll join Teresa Tomeo and me tomorrow morning to learn more about this celebration. Feel free to tune into "Catholic Connection" at Ave Maria Radio and perhaps call in to the show or comment here to this post with any questions or comments.

God bless you!

Grab your cup of tea or coffee on Monday morning and join us!

I hope you'll join me on Monday morning! Brew yourself a cup of tea or coffee and sit down for 15 minutes to visit with Teresa Tomeo and me. We'll be doing our "Mom's Corner" segment on "Catholic Connection," Ave Maria Radio at 9:15 AM Eastern Standard Time. Perhaps you can also tune in from your vehicle on your way out for morning Mass or to do some last minute Christmas shopping! Either way, I hope you'll join us for a few minutes of some Christmas inspiration for Moms and families. Maybe we'll throw in something for the Dads, too!

I'll look forward to spending some time with you on Monday morning! In the mean time, watch out for the black ice and slippery conditions in some places out there. Try not to get flustered over the harried shoppers running around! Keep it simple if you can, so you can enjoy this beautiful season of Advent - of preparing our hearts for the Christ Child!

God be with you!

Yours in Jesus, Mary, and Joseph,

"Mom's Corner" tomorrow...tune in about Thanksgiving!

KEEPING IT SANE AND SIMPLE

It's almost Thanksgiving day. How do you celebrate? At our house, we like to bake pies and breads together and have a nice Thanksgiving dinner, maybe take a walk, weather permitting, have a fire in the fireplace, celebrate our many November birthdays - the best part is being together with the family, for sure!

How can we keep this holiday that is meant to give thanks, sane and simple and not out of control? There's the temptation to get more and more elaborate with dinner and decorating with the added demands for perfection thrown in to the mix. This all may equal disaster or a disillusioned hostess when things don't go as smoothly as hoped.

Tune in tomorrow Tuesday, November 20th at 9:15 AM Eastern Standard Time to my "Mom's Corner" segment on "Catholic Connection" with Teresa Tomeo on Ave Maria Radio (EWTN). We'll be discussing the Thanksgiving holiday and how to keep it sane and simple while still meaningful, beautiful and enjoyable! Feel free to leave a comment here with your thoughts on the subject as well as to call in to the show. I hope you'll tune in and join us! You can listen in at this link from your computer!

God bless!

Halloween, All Saints, and All Souls day

I was on the radio this morning with Teresa Tomeo on our "Mom's Corner" segment and as usual we had a nice time chatting about our faith. We discussed Halloween, All Saints day and All Souls day coming up.

Halloween is such a controversial holiday especially for Catholics and Christians. Christian and Catholic parents may fear that they are supporting pagan rituals or superstitions if they allow their children to celebrate Halloween since Halloween stems from pagan practices way back when.

Others see no harm in Jack O'lanterns, innocent costumes, trick or treating and Halloween parties. As a matter of fact, my parish does an annual haunted house with the youth group and adult helpers. Two nights of fun are provided for the public for a small fee and the youth group usually raises a couple of thousand dollars for retreats and to give to charity!

My daughter, Mary-Catherine just recently volunteered to help run a safe Halloween party for kids in the community. She dressed up as a princess and wore a gown and tiara. The kids all had a lot of safe fun!

I have spoken with several Moms - some celebrate and some do not. Most see no harm in it when it is done in fun and safety. Some families focus on the Saints and Saint costumes and vow to not have anything scary or sexy worn by their children. One Mom said, "The reason we can enjoy Halloween is that the kids understand the difference between fairy stories and real life. and between good and evil." She also said she teaches them that through Jesus there is nothing to fear.

For Halloween safety - I feel that parties are a good idea, either private parties in your own home, or through your parish, homeschooling group, school or town. This way you know where your children are - off the streets - and what they are doing. Plus, you can help at the party as well.

One year my family participated in a progressive dinner party for Halloween in our neighborhood. The kids all dressed up and visited one house where appetizers were served, the next one where dinner was waiting, followed by another house for dessert. There were games and activities planned in advance at each home ending up with a safe movie at the last house. This was a lot of fun and you can get really creative with recipes or keep it very simple.

You can check out Catholic Culture at this link for ideas about Halloween.


I found a pattern by Simplicity for nativity costumes which you can use for Halloween or your Christmas pageant! There is an Angel. shepherds, Mary, Joseph, and the Kings. See all of the details here.

Check out the Catholic Mom.Com blog by Lisa Hendey who constantly brings great things to Catholic parents here and scroll down until you see the Simplicity pattern (picture that I have to the right) and read that post for more information.

Here is an article by Ann Ball about the Mexican celebration of Dia de Muertos (day of the Dead) which is very interesting.

Better Homes and Gardens has a very nice article about decorating pumpkins here.


The Food Network has some templates and pumpkin carving ideas here.

Also some tasty treat recipes and a family friendly Halloween party agenda here.




Costume ideas from Better Homes and Gardens are here.



Ultimately it is up to the parents to take control over their family's traditions and practices. Halloween can be celebrated with fun without paganism, but parents will guide their children in the way that best suits their conscience. Parents should naturally monitor their children and keep them safe at all times. If there is ever a question about safety - then use your best judgement and steer clear of things or parties that you are not sure of. And while enjoying your own good fun with your families, watch out for the mischief of others.

What are some of your ideas?


All Saints day

All Saints day is on Thursday, November 1st. It is a holy day of obligation so we must attend Mass. On All Saints day, the Church celebrates all Saints--canonized, beatified and also the multitude of those in heaven enjoying the Beatific vision (these Saints are only known to God).

During the early centuries the Saints venerated by the Church were all of the martyrs. The celebration was on May 13th. Later on the Popes set November 1st as the day of commemorating all of the Saints.

God our Father, source of all holiness, the work of your hands is manifest in your saints, the beauty of your truth is reflected in their faith. May we who aspire to have part in their joy be filled with the Spirit that blessed their lives, so that having shared their faith on earth we may also know their peace in your kingdom. Grant this through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Some things to do:

1) Visit a cemetery and teach your children that this practice is not scary, gloomy, or morbid. It is a good thing. While there you may want to say some prayers, clean up a headstone of a relative and add flowers.

2) Pray for the deceased during the octave of All Saints - November 1st to November 8th. By doing this, you will receive a Plenary Indulgence to be used for the souls in purgatory (on other days this would gain a partial indulgence).

3) Pray the Litany of the Saints with your family (found in many prayer books and on Catholic websites, I will post it on All Saints day).

4) Participate with your parish Mass in which the children dress up as Saints.

5) Read some Saints stories to your children or have them read them to you!

Visit Catholic Culture.org for a wealth of information on the Solemnity of All Saints.

Rev. George A. Kelly in his book, "Catholic Family Handbook" (Random House, Inc., New York, 1959) said, "On the feast of All Saints we commemorate the countless martyrs and others who cannot be honored individually because there are not enough days in the year to do so. It is an excellent occasion to discuss the possibility that all of us may achieve sainthood. Some children believe that saints lived only in ancient times; you might point out that many thousands of persons are leading lives of sanctity at this present day."

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Make a fun craft with the kids. Alice Gunther has a nice reflection about the Saints and directions for a Saints craft at Catholic Mom.

Alice begins her reflection with, "As the vibrant greens of summer give way to glints of gold, the Church has blessed us with a bounty of saints' day celebrations, each one flickering like a candle in a long procession marching ever onward toward the great feast of All Hallows on November 1."

All Souls day

All Souls day is November 2nd. This day is the designated date to pray for the departed souls in purgatory so they may soon join the other souls in Heaven. It's great that these two special days - All Saints and All Souls - are back to back. The reason for this is to express the Christian belief of the Communion of Saints or union of all of the faithful on earth - The Church Militant, the Saints in Heaven - The Church Triumphant, and the poor souls in purgatory - The Church Suffering with Christ as the Head. We are bound together by a supernatural bond and can and should help each other. We are called to pray for the poor souls on All Souls Day and EVERY day. We can ask the Saints to intercede for us on All Saints day.

On All Souls day, every priest is permitted to say three Masses on this day. The faithful are encouraged to attend three Masses if possible, offering all of the graces for the poor souls in purgatory.

Things to do:

1) Attend at least one Mass if possible (not obligatory) and three if you are able to without neglecting your family or responsibilities.

2)Remember family and friends who have died and especially for all of the souls in purgatory.

3) Visit the cemetery with parish or your family and pray for the faithfully departed.

4) Pray the Lord's Prayer and the Creed at the cemetery and you may gain a plenary indulgance (under the usual conditions--Sacramental Confession eight days prior or after plus Eucharistic Communion on that day - AND pray for the Holy Father's intentions by offering an Our Father, Hail Mary, and Glory Be.

Again - November 1st through November 8th is the special octave of prayer- pray for the poor souls, make sacrifices, teach our children that the souls in purgatory will also pray for us when they get to Heaven.

Check out Catholic Culture for tips and information on All Souls day.

Summing Up

Teach your children why you visit the cemetery on this day.

Teach then why we pray for the souls (they NEED our prayers).

Teach them about the Communion of Saints (I mentioned the three branches above) - we are all in this together!

When our kids understand these things they will be able to carry them on throughout their lives and pass them down to their own children.

Keep those precious children safe on Halloween! Make sure you know what they will be doing and where they will be. It's so important to be sure that if your children are not with you, that they are with trustworthy individuals. You can never be too careful...watch out for the mischief of others, stay safe and have fun!

"Mom's Corner" Coming Up...

Hello Everyone!

I will be on my "Mom's Corner" segment with Teresa Tomeo on her "Catholic Connection" radio show next Tuesday, October 9th at 9:15 AM Eastern Standard Time. I hope that you will tune in and perhaps call in to the show. Our topic will be "Our Culture's Pressure on Our Teen and 'Tween' Girls." Feel free to leave me a comment if you'd like to tell me anything on the subject or to let me know what you would like answered on the air. The show is LIVE. You can tune in to Ave Maria Radio any time at this link right from your computer! Just click on the "Listen live" button at the top of the Ave Maria page. On Tuesday, I hope you'll tune in at 9:15 AM EST! :)

God bless!

Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta's feast day tomorrow

I'm sure you have all heard about Blessed Teresa's dark night of the soul that she suffered through while she ministered to God's poorest of the poor. Excerpts from Mother Teresa's private letters have been brought to light which reveal her interior struggles and sufferings. Of course, the secular media has misconstrued and distorted everything suggesting that Mother Teresa had lost her faith - how ludicrous! I will be speaking about that in posts and interviews in the upcoming days.

Tomorrow is the tenth anniversary of Mother Teresa's death. It's hard for me to believe that it has been that long. I will be posting a link here at "Embracing Motherhood" to an interview with Nissa Gadbois Simple Gifts by tomorrow sometime. She will be interviewing me later on today about Mother Teresa whom I was privileged to know.

Also, I will be featured on the "Catholic Connection" show with Teresa Tomeo on Ave Maria Radio this Friday, September 7th at about 9:30 AM EASTERN time. Please tune in to that which you can do from your computer.

My book, Unlikely Saints about Mother Teresa will be out early in 2008 published by The Crossroad Publishing Company.

Additionally, I wrote a cover story for the September issue of Canticle magazine titled, Mother Teresa and Me: Remembering the Mother of All the Poor. My son, Joseph (as a baby) appears on the cover in Mother Teresa'a arms.

It begins...
Sheer sweetness filled my heart as I watched my little girl bend down on one knee to genuflect before the Blessed Sacrament while making the Sign of the Cross on herself. A Missionary of Charity nun caught sight of her too, and felt compelled to run up behind my child, lean over and wrap her arms around her in a warm embrace. How kindhearted, I thought.
It happened so quickly and then I felt like my heart stopped when I suddenly realized who that nun was. Touched to see a small child remember to reverently say "good bye" to Jesus before leaving the chapel, Mother Teresa had hugged my daughter, Chaldea! That blessed hug was the first gesture of love from Mother Teresa that would touch my family.
This beloved moment came after we attended a Mass at the Missionaries of Charity chapel in Washington, DC...

"Mom's Corner" tomorrow on Teresa Tomeo's show

I will be on my "Mom's Corner" segment tomorrow on Teresa Tomeo's show on "Catholic Connection" on Ave Maria Radio. Tune in at 9:15 AM EASTERN time right here from your computer! We will be discussing Mom things, of course! We will also discuss my latest book, Prayerfully Expecting: A Nine Month Novena for Mothers-To-Be and a bit about the very new Vatican initiative for the laity! It's exciting stuff! I hope you will tune in. :)

Radio segment describing the Vatican initiative for women

Here is the radio segment of this morning's conversation between Teresa Tomeo and Genevieve Kineke during the "Catholic Connection" show on Ave Marie Radio. In it they discuss the Vatican initiative - the Pontifical Council for the Laity asking us to meditate upon the Apostolic Letter, Mulieris Dignitatem and the worldwide celebration to be held all throughout next year around the globe.