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worth noting . . .
MARY AND LIFE … Our Blessed Mother is at the heart of the present cultural struggle to develop a civilization of love in place of the current culture of death. By her fiat she accepted the gift of Infinite Life and gave him to us as our Savior and Lord. In this issue Fr. Stephen F. Brett, S.S.J., who teaches moral theology at St. Charles Borromeo Seminary in Philadelphia, reminds us of the close connection between Mary and The Gospel of Life which was promulgated by Pope John Paul II in 1995. Just as Jesus bears witness to the dignity of human life so also does Mary who always directs us to her Divine Son.
THE NEW SEMINARIANS … A new wind is blowing in American seminaries and it is producing a new breed of seminarians. These young men are looking for order and direction; they love the traditions of the Church, her liturgy, her devotions, and especially the Pope. In this issue I am happy to be able to offer you a refreshing article on the important changes taking place among many seminarians. The author is a convert to the Church from Presbyterianism, Mr. Carter H. Griffin, who is now in his third year of formation at Mount Saint Mary’s Seminary in Emmitsburg, Md. You may find this upbeat article on current seminarians different from what you have read elsewhere.
CHILDREN AND THE OCCULT … Children love fairy takes and stories about dragons and young people who can do fantastic things. Until recently most such stories were God-friendly and usually good triumphed over evil. Virtue was praised and evil was overcome. Not any more. In this issue Mrs. Elizabeth A. Wittman presents a brief analysis of current trends in Children’s books. She offers a useful analysis of the popular Harry Potter books by J.K. Rowling. Priest could make good use of this in a homily and parents will be helped in making decisions about what books to allow their children to read.
IS THE NEW MASS A SUCCESS? … The official word coming from the Vatican and Bishops’ Conferences, at least in the Western world, is that the New Mass is a big success. The people love it, we are told, and it has led to a deepening of faith. That may be true for the few who still go to Mass weekly, but where are the majority of Catholics on Sunday? In this issue Professor James R. Lothian of Fordham University examines the numbers and finds them not at all encouraging. Everyone knows that Mass attendance in the USA is down dramatically; if it were not, we would be building churches instead of closing them. The author cautiously traces the decline to the rapid and unprepared introduction of the Novus Ordo Missae over thirty years ago. – K.B.
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