Feels Like Home: A book for every Catholic bookshelf

(Photos provided)

By Sister Beth Murphy, OP | 
Communications director of the Dominican Sisters of Springfield

Though I’ve been quite aware of the shortage of Catholic sisters in the United States for some time, an experience last year took me by surprise. Our vocation director Sister Denise Glazik and I were at my alma mater—Eastern Illinois University—for a Busy Persons Retreat at the Newman Center where my religious vocation was nurtured 40 years earlier. It was Catholic Sisters Week, and I had a brilliant idea: We’d invite the students to create selfies for social media with posters that included a shout-out to their favorite Catholic sisters.

“I’m not sure that will work,” Sister Denise calmly remarked. “I don’t think the students have much contact with sisters.” She was correct. An informal poll that day uncovered two students among 30 or so who had a relationship with a Catholic sister. Two.

Catholic author’s values shine in suspenseful sci-fi read

(OSV News/courtesy Thomas & Mercer Publishing)

By Mike Mastromatteo | OSV News

Since publishing his first book in 1968, bestselling author Dean Koontz has been described as a horror genre specialist, a sci-fi writer with a yen for the paranormal and a master of the suspense novel. More recently, critics have recognized a subtle but persistent Catholic flavor in his work.

Koontz’s latest release, “The House at the End of the World,” might be categorized as “any or all of the above.” Catholic readers are certain to pick up on such faith-related themes as the salvific power of suffering, and the need to stay vigilant against the forces of evil.

“The Beast of Bethulia Park”: A Catholic tale for summer

(OSV News photo/courtesy
Gracewing Publishing)

By Elizabeth Scalia | OSV News

A few years ago, while musing on the Catholic imagination and the deep need for Catholic literary fiction that goes beyond pious themes with predictable outcomes, I encouraged creative Catholics to expose the faith to an increasingly jaded world by branching out into comics, or cartoons, song lyrics, games and puzzles. 

I made an especial appeal to writers, noting that every Catholic novel needn’t be the equal of Walker Percy’s or Graham Greene’s work — that indeed, regard for such literary luminaries may be intimidating some Catholic writers who believe they have a story worth telling, but fear comparisons to those greats. “It needn’t be world class, you know, to move a soul, somewhere,” I had written, concluding, “As Chesterton himself wrote, ‘Anything worth doing is worth doing badly.’ Let’s do our badly best.”

By my lights, any resurgence in marketable Catholic creativity should certainly be permitted to embrace more populist fare, including the sort of summer beach reads meant to be consumed lightly — enjoyably picked up and put down as leisure permits.

Easter and baseball and Duncan's 'The Brothers K'

(Photo/Goodreads)

By Kenneth Craycraft | OSV News

Baseball is the only major team sport in which “sacrifice” is an official statistic. Other sports may have occasions in which a player will be called to subordinate his statistical interest in favor of a team goal, but only in baseball is a player sent onto the field of play for the purpose of sacrificing his opportunity for the greater good. 

Batters only get about four chances per game to get a hit; to give up one of those chances is no small matter.

I thought of this as I revisited David James Duncan’s 1992 novel, “The Brothers K” — a story about baseball, God and politics, in no particular order. 

Catholic literary novel may shock and satisfy

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By Elizabeth Scalia | OSV News

“To love, it is the most creative and godlike act of all.”

In Anthony Mancini’s “Ashes,” the line is uttered by Concetta, a Sicilian woman living in post-war Taormina. It is 1949, and she has spoken those words to a German Jesuit priest, Father Anton Weiss, who has recently retired from ministry and moved into a rectory in this picturesque town with plans to “write and meditate.”

Though uncertain of what he will write, Father Weiss — who spent decades producing scripts for Vatican Radio in Rome — has faith that something will come out of his journaling.

Irish migration, faith tracked in thorough history book

(CNS photo/ courtesy Basic Books)

By Daniel S. Mulhall | OSV News

The Catholic Church throughout much of the world was shaped by the Irish diaspora, the migration of 8 million Irish men and women that took place (mostly) between 1760 and 1960.

As the Irish left their native soil to escape poverty and find new opportunities, they were followed by priests and bishops, and religious sisters and brothers who provided the sacraments, taught in their schools, provided health care and nurture, and cared for those who were poor and indigent.

The story of this great migration of Irish men and women and the faith they brought with them is told in Sean Connolly’s captivating new book, “On Every Tide: The Making and Remaking of the Irish World.”

Travel books offer insights on American Catholic sites

(CNS photo/ courtesy Ave Maria Press)

By Mitch Finley | OSV News

The Catholic Church in the United States is nothing if not loaded with history. New books provide marvelous and weighty resources for any who would travel in pursuit of historical insights into Catholic history.

These books provide a wealth of information for even the most amateur of armchair travelers.

Historian Kevin Schmiesing’s “A Catholic Pilgrimage through American History” is designed to give the reader many insights into Catholic individuals and events that have had a profound impact on American history.