Catholic Exchange

Worst Book Ever (At Least, That I’ve Read)

• Archives
• Saturday, September 18th, 2010
• Mary Ellen Barrett

I have a love hate relationship with movies. I enjoy a good movie but my tastes are fairly specific and I rarely venture out of my little bubble. My husband and I don’t often go to the movies together since… Read More

Grief and Joy

• Archives
• Wednesday, January 6th, 2010
• Mary Ellen Barrett

After searching for three days, Mary and Joseph find the twelve-year-old Jesus sitting in the Temple discussing the law with the learned doctors (Luke 2:42-52).
I have some experience now with the kind of fear that dwelled within the hearts… Read More

Knights? Not These Guys

• Archives
• Thursday, October 30th, 2008
• Mary Ellen Barrett

The Knights of Columbus has been a beacon of light in the pro-life movement since the very beginning. They are an organization of Catholic men that are both nationally and locally passionately devoted to the cause of the unborn.  I… Read More

A Candidate for Our Daughters

• Archives
• Monday, September 1st, 2008
• Mary Ellen Barrett

Governor Sarah Palin of Alaska is now the Republican candidate for Vice-president. This news made the women I know — pro-life, fiscally conservative, desperate to have a good female role model in politics for our daughters — extremely happy and… Read More

NFP — It Ain’t Your Momma’s Rhythm

• Archives
• Monday, August 18th, 2008
• Mary Ellen Barrett

“Are they all yours?”
I get asked that question at least twice a week these days.  It doesn’t bother me very much since I realize that having seven children makes me a bit unique by societal norms. I can’t imagine… Read More

Movie Review: Kit Kittredge: An American Girl

• Archives
• Thursday, July 3rd, 2008
• Mary Ellen Barrett

In a movie landscape dotted with such heavy-on-the-boy themes as Iron Man and Speed Racer, the first American Girl feature film looms as a breath of fresh girl-powered fun. The first feature film based upon the popular American Girls book… Read More

Modesty Matters

• Archives
• Saturday, June 28th, 2008
• Mary Ellen Barrett

Summer is just such a wonderful time of year. The weather is warm and inviting, the birds are chirping and the flowers are blooming. Unfortunately with this lovely warm weather comes a barrage of skin both attractive and unattractive. In… Read More

A Vocation for Ryan?

• Archives
• Thursday, April 3rd, 2008
• Mary Ellen Barrett

Since he was old enough to articulate it, Ryan has wanted to be a priest. He has played Mass in the most reverent way possible since he was six years old. For a long time he had, permanently, set up an altar on my coffee table using pieces from his sister's tea set, a stack of white handkerchiefs from his father's drawer and my crocheted table runner. He would express his great displeasure whenever I walked past my own coffee table and did not genuflect.

I had the holiest coffee table in town.

When he got a little older, I purchased the lovely Mass Kit from Our Father's House and I taught him the proper names of all of the pieces. He used his First Communion robe as an alb and I had one happy kid. Other boys dream of becoming a short stop for the New York Yankees. My autistic son dreamed of conferring sacraments. He wanted to assist at Mass, even though he was too young to serve. He wanted to sing hymns all day and his favorite outdoor activity was to walk around the perimeter of our large yard praying the Divine Mercy Chaplet.

Families that Pray Together …

• Archives
• Monday, March 24th, 2008
• Mary Ellen Barrett

Catholics and the rosary.  They go together like ham and cheese, love and marriage, salvation and redemption.  OK, so that was a little off-beat but then, so are a lot of rosaries.

Every Friday night will find my family here at my house or at the home of one of four other families consuming pizza and praying the rosary.  This rosary group has existed for about fifteen years and my family has been a member for about nine.  We gather in the evening and the hosting family provides pizza while the other families contribute soda, juice, wine and, when not in Lent, desserts.  We eat and then settle down to pray together.

Families that Pray Together….

• Archives
• Monday, March 24th, 2008
• Mary Ellen Barrett

Catholics and the rosary. They go together like ham and cheese, love and marriage, salvation and redemption.  Ok, so that was a little off-beat but then, so are a lot of rosaries.
Every Friday night will find my family here… Read More