American Catholic: Franciscan Media: Catholic News Magazine Books Videos

Free E-NewslettersSaint of the DayFriar Jack's E-spirationsCatholic SAMPlerCatholic GreetingsMore e-newsletters

Sign-up for a FREE E-Newsletters From St. Anthony Messenger Press
Free e-mail newsletters for Catholics about spirituality, Catholic e-cards, Catholic saints, free Catholic product samples, Catholic catechetics and Catholics on the Internet.

Enter your email address:

Enter your full name:

Saint of the Day	Catholic Greetings Premiere	Minute Meditations
Friar Jack's E-spirations	Faith Formation Update
Franciscan Radio	Catholic Sampler

Minute Meditations
Peaceful, spiritual reflection that comes to your inbox at no cost. Drawing upon short, inspired thoughts from the popular books and periodicals of St. Anthony Messenger Press, the online edition of Minute Meditations brings directly to you a chance to take a moment from the daily hurry and worry to focus on the place of God in your life. Sign up!

Franciscan Radio
A radio ministry of the U.S. Bishops' Catholic Communication Campaign and the Franciscans, designed to help Catholics know their faith and grow in their faith, American Catholic Radio airs weekly throughout the country on Catholic radio stations. It also can be found at www.FranciscanRadio.org. Our bi-weekly e-newsletter highlights content from coming shows, two weeks out. Host Father Greg Friedman discusses his topics in his blog and alerts listeners and radio station staff to future projects. The e-newsletter is free and comes to your inbox every other week. Sign up!

Faith Formation Update
Help plan your religious-education and RCIA classes with our monthly free e-newsletter aimed at religious educators. Timed to work within the liturgical calendar, this newsletter will bring you ideas gleaned from experienced teachers. Sign up!

Web Catholic
Improve your Web ministry with this free monthly e-newsletter exploring how Catholics use the Internet. Webmasters and communications professionals can keep up with what's new on the Web for Catholics and learn from their colleagues whose sites are featured. View past "Sites of the Month."

The Mystery of Faith An Introduction to Catholicism
What About the Trinity?
Related Products
	Article Trinity: To Let the Symbol Sing Again
	Article Divine Dance: Exploring the Mystery of the Trinity

Saturday, November 21, 2009

Haitians Cross Dominican Border to Escape Dire Poverty

OUANAMINTHE, Haiti (CNS)—During the afternoons before market days, strangers begin showing up in town. Twice a week, like clockwork. They congregate in small groups in the city park, at taxi stops, on street corners. They eye the streets, looking for ways to blend in. But the residents of ...
FULL STORY

A worker outside the Jano Sikse Border Network in Ouanaminthe, Haiti, Oct. 24.

MORE CURRENT NEWS

Students Learn How to Keep Peace in a World of Two Cultures
MAO, Dominican Republic (CNS)—Yolanda Noesi knows the path to peace is getting along with the people who ...

Boy Shines Shoes to Keep From Falling Victim to Child Traffickers
SANTIAGO, Dominican Republic (CNS)—His towel whips silently around the back and over the top of a customer's ...

Dominican Town Unites to End Exploitation of Children
BOCA CHICA, Dominican Republic (CNS)—Sixteen-year-old Doralin Pulio Valerio knows she could easily be working on the beach, ...

More Top Catholic News

Thanksgiving

Celebrating Gratitude
We give thanks for God's abundant gifts to us as we gather with loved ones and reach out to the needy.

Send a Thanksgiving e-Card.

Pray for a loved one.

Find a meal prayer.

Feast of the Presentation of Mary: Mary’s presentation was celebrated in Jerusalem in the sixth century. A church was built there in honor of this mystery. The Eastern Church was more interested in the feast, but it does appear in the West in the 11th century. Although the feast at times disappeared from the calendar, in the 16th century it became a feast of the universal Church.
<p>As with Mary’s birth, we read of Mary’s presentation in the temple only in apocryphal literature. In what is recognized as an unhistorical account, the <i>Protoevangelium of James</i> tells us that Anna and Joachim offered Mary to God in the Temple when she was three years old. This was to carry out a promise made to God when Anna was still childless.
</p><p>Though it cannot be proven historically, Mary’s presentation has an important theological purpose. It continues the impact of the feasts of the Immaculate Conception and of the birth of Mary. It emphasizes that the holiness conferred on Mary from the beginning of her life on earth continued through her early childhood and beyond.</p>

Why are divorced/remarried Catholics treated differently from other sinners?

There’s nothing more important I can do in my day than take some time to be with my Lord.

PICK OF THE DAY

	Saints at the Dinner Table
	CPA 2009 Award Winning author Amy Heyd cooks up delicious meals and dedicates each chapter to a saint.

Successful Inclusion of Abortion Ban Spells Success for Health Bill

'Nation's Parish' Celebrates 50 Years of Prayer, Pilgrimage

Masses Worldwide to Recall Sheen's Life, Promote Sainthood

Married priests? For the Vatican, still an exception to the rule

Jesuit: Joy an Essential Element for Good Spiritual Health

No CCHD Funds Go to Groups That Oppose Church Teaching

CATHOLIC COMMUNITY SPEAKS

	Help Wanted America—Rising unemployment and the stalled creation of new jobs are dampening morale on Main Street ...
	Principles, Not Prizes Our Sunday Visitor—What the world needs now is more than sentiments and high-sounding rhetoric. It ...
	We Should Celebrate Darwin St. Anthony Messenger—Across the globe this year, people are commemorating the 200th anniversary of the ...
More Catholic Community Speaks

	Having an Impact
	The Price of Death
	Dorothy’s Gift
	We Need to Name More Married Saints
	Health Care: What's a Catholic to Do?
	"For I Was Ill and You Cared for Me"

WEEKLY POLL

Do you pray in the name of Jesus?

	Yes No Occasionally

Last week's results

This week's results

CATHOLIC GREETINGS

	Christ the King
	Our liturgical year ends as it begins, focusing on our hope in the eternal majesty and mercy of God.

ENTERTAINMENT

Planet 51
It's "Ozzie and Harriet" with an alien twist on "Planet 51" ...

The Blind Side
An inscription over the entry gate of the Memphis, Tenn., school ...

	New Movies
	Eye on Entertainment

Planet 51 (CNS photo/Ilion Animation Studios)

Scene from the animated comedy "Planet 51."

American Catholic is for Catholics, all Christians and seekers. Find Roman Catholic Saints, Catholic Church Questions and Catholic News. Post Prayer Requests and send Catholic e-cards. Discover Catholic Books, Catholic Audio Books, Catholic Videos, and a leading Catholic Magazine.