|
 CATHOLIC HIGHER EDUCATION: A Culture in Crisis, by Melanie M.
Morey and John J. Piderit, S.J. Oxford
University Press. 450 pp. $39.95.
Reviewed by LAWRENCE S. CUNNINGHAM,
who is the John A. O’Brien Professor
at the University of Notre Dame. He
teaches systematic theology and culture,
Christian spirituality and the history of
Christian spirituality. A Brief History of
Saints is his 17th book. He co-authored St.
Anthony Messenger’s 2003 column on
saints.
BASED ON EXTENSIVE interviews and
in-depth research with senior administrators
at 33 Catholic colleges and
universities in the United States, this
volume has the word crisis in its subtitle
in the ancient sense of posing a
moment of opportunity as well as a
moment of danger.
The pessimistic part of this report
orbits around two fundamental findings:
Catholic components in not a
few of the schools studied are understated
to the degree that they can be
overlooked, and many senior administrators
(by necessity, almost always laypeople) “know little about the Catholic
tradition they so enthusiastically champion.”
The cautiously optimistic part of the
report, by contrast, is based on what
needs to be done to avert the full consequences
of the pessimistic part; such
optimism is aspiration and not a reality
to date.
The crisis in Catholic higher education
is not hard to explain. Most
Catholic schools were founded by religious
communities who provided those
schools with a cadre of dedicated religious
who were not only conversant
with the Catholic tradition but also,
by their very lives, committed to it and
shaped, through their formation, by
it. As those religious declined in number,
their lay counterparts were appreciative
of this tradition but had little
formation in it. They could not articulate
the Catholic vision or give direction
in its implementation in terms of
curriculum and, more generally, in the
culture of the college community.
Added to that fundamental problem
was the corrosive effect of trying to follow
the model of sectarian or secular
models of education, the
need (especially for tuition-driven
schools) to attract
students to keep the place
going financially, and the
neglect in the hiring of
Catholics committed to the
Catholic intellectual life.
Father Piderit is president
of the Catholic Education
Institute, taught economics
at Fordham, was vice president
of Marquette University
and president of Loyola
University Chicago from 1993 to 2001.
Morey is senior director for research
and consulting at NarrowGate Consulting,
which has advised many
Catholic institutions.
Of course, as these authors point
out, there are Catholic colleges and
there are Catholic colleges. In fact,
these authors use a fourfold model to
categorize the range of schools from
the “immersion” schools where the
Catholic component is paramount and
highly visible to those schools where
the Catholic component is minimal,
the instruction in matters Catholic is
perfunctory, and Catholic liturgical and
spiritual life is peripheral. Morey and
Piderit do not name names, but I could
supply them in a trice.
A cynic once said that sociology is
just slow journalism. In my frequent
travels to Catholic campuses around
the country, I have noted impressionistically
what these authors in their
researches set out in more empirically
exacting (and rather repetitive) detail.
The plain truth is that some Catholic
colleges are only marginally Catholic.
Not a few of them, especially the
smaller ones, will find it difficult to
survive in the future or, if they do, will
bear few traces of their Catholic heritage.
To have these facts set out nakedly,
as these authors do, is valuable in its
own right, but they are merely a
launching pad for studies
that cry out for further research
and, equally importantly,
some kind of action.
In the final part of their
book, Morey and Piderit
propose some action plans
(most of which I have heard
of in the interminable discussions
we have had on
this campus about Catholic
identity), but more needs
to be done.
At least three issues they
address are of critical importance: 1)
how the Catholic intellectual tradition
can be shared with the university
administrators of the future; 2) the
value of a Catholic education as a countercultural
stand against today’s secular
culture; 3) realistic strategies for the recruitment
and retention of faculty who
are committed to the Catholic intellectual
tradition.
The day of an integrated Catholic
curriculum based on the old Jesuit ratio
studiorum and its scholastic underpinnings
is long gone. The best we can
hope for is that a new generation of
Catholic intellectuals will rethink the
whole idea of Catholic higher education.
Pope John Paul II’s Ex Corde Ecclesiae has been an impetus for such
rethinking, but it is only a starting
place.
All of these issues are profoundly
difficult in their own right, but Morey
and Piderit have shown us abundantly
that they are critical for the future of
Catholic higher education—lest this
precious resource fade into irrelevancy.
You can order CATHOLIC HIGHER EDUCATION: A Culture in Crisis from St.
Francis Bookshop.
LOURDES: Font of Faith, Hope, and Charity, by Elizabeth Ficocelli. Paulist
Press. 181 pp. $16.95.
THE HEALING TOUCH OF MARY: Real Life Stories From Those Touched by Mary, by Cheri Lomonte. Divine
Impressions. 210 pp. $19.95.
Reviewed by BARBARA SONNENBERG, a
retired public librarian who was privileged
to visit Lourdes on November 7, 1999.
THE YEAR 2008 marks the 150th
anniversary of the Blessed Mother’s
appearance to Bernadette Soubirous in
a remote grotto outside of Lourdes. A
poor, sick, uneducated peasant girl of
14, Bernadette describes the initial February
11, 1858, apparition as beginning
with a gust of wind. Then a bright
light in the niche revealed an extremely
beautiful young woman clad in a long
white dress with a blue sash, a white
veil and a yellow rose on each bare
foot. A golden rosary hung from her
arm and her hands were clasped in
prayer.
Bernadette later wrote: “I wanted to
make the Sign of the Cross....I couldn’t
raise my hand to my forehead...the
vision made the Sign of the Cross. Then
I tried a second time, and I could. As
soon as I made the Sign of the Cross,
the fearful shock I felt disappeared. I
knelt down and I said my Rosary in
the presence of the beautiful lady. The
vision fingered the beads of her own
Rosary, but she did not move her lips.
When I finished my Rosary, she signed
to me to approach; but I did not dare.
Then she disappeared, just like that.”
Bernadette’s sister Toinette and friend
Jeanne Abadie were with her that day
but saw only a shaken Bernadette.
Toinette informed their mother of the
strange occurrence and Bernadette was
forbidden to return to the grotto; her
story was thought nonsense.
Three days later, with grudging permission
from her parents, Bernadette
returned with her friends and, as was to
be the pattern in the 17 remaining
appearances, bystanders saw only her
reactions. Eventually, sympathetic relatives
and other villagers began to
accompany her, then town authorities,
the police, and physicians who examined
her during her ecstasies.
The first miracle occurred on March
1 when water from the spring which
Mary had directed Bernadette to
unearth cured a woman. On the following
day, Bernadette received the
directive to tell her parish priests that
Mary desired a chapel to be built and
processions to take place. The pastor
was not pleased with these relayed
orders, but Mary’s revelation that she
was the Immaculate Conception was
the unmistakable sign that he had
demanded. (How else would this illiterate
young woman know this title for
Mary proclaimed by the Church only
four years earlier!)
Catholic convert and prolific author
Elizabeth Ficocelli concisely and competently
brings together the history of
the sanctuary at Lourdes from the biography
of the seer to the Church’s role
in enabling pilgrimages, to plans currently
in process for future improvements
for Lourdes.
Also included is a detailed description
of the facilities, the protocol for
declaring physical cures and the vital
role of volunteers. Intriguing sections
treat the difficulty of validating spiritual
healing and plans for international promotion
of the Lourdes devotions.
This should be required reading for
anyone who is contemplating a trip to
Lourdes—either in body or in spirit.
Of the over 50 individuals touched
by Mary who share their stories in
Cheri Lomonte’s book, 22 credit the use of Lourdes water for the miraculous
events in their lives, although only one
actually bathed in the spring water
there. Obviously, Mary is not limited by
geography! While not officially recognized
as intercessory miracles by the
Catholic Church, these individuals felt
called to request Mary’s intercession
and feel that they have received it.
The author’s own story recalls being
asked by a Jewish lady to secure some
Lourdes water for a grandson born with
physical defects. She readily agreed but
had no idea how to obtain the water. At
Mass the following day, the celebrant
asked that any special intentions be
requested aloud, and she mentioned
needing the water. Upon exiting the
church, a man announced he would be
glad to share the water his brother had
just brought from Lourdes.
Stories like these edify, inspire and
bring to our attention the power of
intercessory prayer. The text is greatly
enhanced by the addition of 40 color
photos of artwork depicting the Virgin
on good-quality paper, but the rather
unusual format makes holding the
book difficult.
Lamonte’s book is an excellent introduction
to personal Marian devotion.
You can order LOURDES: Font of Faith, Hope, and Charity and THE HEALING TOUCH OF MARY: Real Life Stories From Those Touched by Mary from St. Francis Bookshop.
THE SCRAPBOOKING JOURNEY: A Hands-on Guide to Spiritual Discovery, by Cory Richardson-Lauve.
Skylight Paths Publishing. 176 pp.
$18.99.
Reviewed by SUSAN HINES-BRIGGER, an
assistant editor of this publication and
avid scrapbooker (when she can find time).
I LOVE PICTURES. Just ask my husband
and kids. And when I’m not taking
pictures, I’m busy putting them
into scrapbooks. I’m always excited by
any new resources to add
to my scrapbooking supplies.
So I gladly agreed
to review The Scrapbooking
Journey. The book exceeded
even my greatest expectations.
In the Foreword, author
Cory Richardson-Lauve
writes: “There is something
deep within scrapbooking
that fulfills us
even beyond our artistic
sensibilities. It stirs something
in the soul. When I scrapbook, I
feel empowered and connected and
hopeful. I feel grateful and content and
stimulated. In the process of scrapbooking,
I feel the closest to my essential
self, and to God.”
Richardson-Lauve is a scrapbooker,
designer, teacher and artist. Her scrapbooking
layouts have been featured in
a number of idea books, magazines and
Web sites. So she obviously knows what
she’s talking about—and it shows.
The beauty of this book is that
Richardson-Lauve knows how to get
to the heart of why scrapbookers do
what they do. Then she challenges
them to take it one step further. The
book contains eight scrapbook journal
projects, such as “Seeking Balance” and
“Expression: Finding Your Voice.” Each
project, complete with questions to
ponder, is designed to help readers
explore and grow in their spiritual life.
Throughout the book, Richardson-Lauve also addresses issues scrapbookers
face, such as the temptation to have
all the latest and greatest supplies: “Don’t allow the shopping to eclipse
what scrapbooking is really about.”
And she gently encourages readers to
convey real life in their scrapbooks—what she calls “Living in the Mess.”
“Sometimes we need to stop trying
to make the world look beautiful and
instead live with its brokenness for a little
while,” she writes.
She also offers touching reminders
throughout the book for scrapbookers: “Remember: As you express yourself
through color, shape and texture on
the scrapbook page, you are honoring
your individual uniqueness and reflecting
the image in which you were made.
When you create, you are
joining hands with God.”
Each chapter begins
with a reflection by fellow
scrapbookers about
what the hobby means to
them. These “Voice Along
the Journey” reflections
add a nice personal touch
to the book.
As nice as it is to be reminded
to stop and think
of the bigger picture, I
would be lying if I didn’t
say that what most scrapbookers want
is ideas. And this book doesn’t disappoint.
There are black-and-white pictures
of various layouts throughout the
book and a small bonus section of color
layouts tucked in the center. Many of
the layouts are Richardson-Lauve’s own
creations.
The book’s Appendix lists techniques
and supplies.
This book has definitely earned a
place on my scrapbooking table.
You can order THE SCRAPBOOKING JOURNEY: A Hands-on Guide to Spiritual Discovery from St.
Francis Bookshop.
INTO THE DEEP: One Man's Story of How Tragedy Took His Family But Could Not Take His Faith, by Robert
Rogers with Stan Finger. Focus on
the Family. 226 pp. $13.99.
Reviewed by MARY JO DANGEL, assistant
managing editor of this publication who
has buried two of her three children.
THE ONLY MEMBER of his family to
survive a flash flood, Robert Rogers
writes a vivid account of his experience.
He begins by describing family
life before the tragedy in which his
wife, Melissa, and their four children
died. During the nearly 12 years of
their marriage, Melissa gave birth to
three of their children, including one
with Down syndrome. Then they
adopted a child from China in 2003.
That same year, while driving home
in their van from a wedding during a
heavy rain, the Rogers family was
caught in a flash flood. The usually tranquil Jacob Creek in Kansas had
grown to “a torrent later estimated to
be 1,000 feet wide,” he writes. When
Robert kicked out one of the windows
of the stalled van, he was instantly
sucked away. “I could feel myself being
tossed up, down, left, and right—like a
rag doll tumbling in a washing
machine.”
Although Robert miraculously survived,
he longed to know the fate of the
rest of his family. First, the
overturned van with the
bodies of the three
youngest children (Zachary,
Nicholas and Alenah) was
found. Then the body of
Makenah, the oldest child,
was located. It took three
days until Melissa’s body
was discovered.
Robert recalls the trauma
of identifying each of their
bodies and being asked to
donate their organs. “The
opportunity to donate tissues that
could save other lives was the first glimmer
of hope to pierce through this
tragedy,” he writes.
This book is so descriptive that it
may be too overwhelming for some
people who are grieving. I started to
read it near the first anniversary of my
youngest son’s death and had to put
the book down for a while before I
resumed reading it because it brought
back too many memories. I found
myself wishing Robert hadn’t given so
many details.
I lost both of my sons within a five-year
period, due to the ravaging effects
of cystic fibrosis. I can’t imagine the
trauma of losing five family members
at once, and the multiplication of
responsibilities including funeral
arrangements and legal issues.
Robert Rogers describes the emotional
trauma of going home to an
empty house that still had signs and
scents of his wife and children. “I
didn’t feel guilty for surviving. But I
did feel guilty for not adequately protecting
my family,” he recalls of his
emotions at the time.
After describing the tragic event that
changed his life, Robert’s story flashes
back to his Catholic upbringing, career
and married life with Melissa. He recalls
“a pivotal moment” of his faith journey
when he was a teenager and attended
an interdenominational church with a
friend. Before God and the congregation,
Robert declared, “I believe in Jesus,
I receive His gift of salvation, and I want
to live the rest of my life for Him.”
The evangelical tone of this book
may sound alien to many Catholics.
But Robert’s deep, unfaltering faith as
a Christian rings true as he
describes “Jesus as my sole
Savior, my sole Provider,
my sole Redeemer and my
sole Healer. His grace sustained
me through the
fiercest storm.”
Over 700 people attended
the funeral for the five
members of Robert’s family,
where he gave a eulogy
and performed a song he
had written. “The best way
I found to cope was to help
others who hadn’t yet tasted this bitter
grief,” he recalls. “I slowly released my
sorrow through the act of caring for
others. I knew I had to pour myself out
or else I might drown in the well of my
own tears.”
In 2004, Robert resigned from his
career as an electrical engineer and
formed Mighty in the Land Ministry,
(www.intothedeep.org), a nonprofit
dedicated to “teaching others to live a
life of no regrets.” Mighty in the Land
Foundation is dedicated to advance
adoption and care for orphans and
special-needs children worldwide. A
portion of the sale of this book’s proceeds
will care for orphans at Melissa’s
Home, a Russian orphanage.
A happy footnote to this story is
Robert’s marriage to Inga in 2006 and
the recent birth of their son, Ezekiel.
You can order INTO THE DEEP: One Man's Story of How Tragedy Took His Family But Could Not Take His Faith from St. Francis Bookshop.
| 
