1. How Being Southern Made Me A Better Catholic. As humbling as it is to admit that the most read post of the past year (and of all time) on this blog is from a guest writer, I can’t think of someone better to be able to make the claim than The Ironic Catholic. One of my goals this year was to find ways to promote the writing of others I admire for both their content and skill as writers. Little did I know that my first invitation would be so well received. It made very happy when Susan agreed to take time from her busy schedule to write this post on Southern Catholicism. It is a great description of my experience growing up Catholic in the South.

2. How to Celebrate Holy Days of Awesome. There are now several posts on why I feel we should consider doing away with Holy Days of Obligation in favor of Holy Days of Awesome. It seems that more than a few of you agree. That’s awesome!

3.God’s Men Versus the Yes Men. It made me happy that our annual diocesan priest retreat could be of benefit to many Catholics who were not with my brother priests and I at Lake Junaluska. Sister Timothea Elliott provided us with great food for thought and prayer in her presentations on the prophets. I am looking forward to another set of talks with her this coming month as she speaks to us about this year’s Lenten readings.

4. Patron Saints of the Roller Derby. I must admit that before writing this post, I was unaware of just how many people there are today who, like myself, love both the saints and the roller derby. It has also given me two new saints to add to my list of favorites.

5. The Man in Black on the Man in White. My fellow blogger and neighbor, Frank Weathers, suggested I check out a novel by Johnny Cash on the Apostle Paul. Since I like both Cash and Paul, this was a no brainer.

6. 234. Because whether it is Texas, or any other place, the life of every person has value. Yes, even criminals and terrorists are made in the image and likeness of God.

7. Onward Christian Soldiers. Each day in the life of the Christian is a battle against the forces of evil. Do you have your weapons ready?

8. Call No Man Father. Have you ever wondered why Catholics call their priests father? This is the post for you.

9. It’s Football Time in Tennessee. This post celebrates pre-game rituals at Neyland Stadium and the New Roman Missal. Who would have thought that those two things went together?

10. Women in the Church. The only podcast to make it into the top ten is on the topic of women in the Church. It surprised me that for the most part the feedback I received was that my commentary was not traditional enough. My guess was that the podcast would be criticized for not being sufficiently progressive. Oh well, shows you what I know.

Once again, thanks to all the readers of this blog. I am humbled by your continued support and ask for your prayers for the new year.

As a seminarian, I was sent for a summer to Mexico to be immersed in the language and culture there. It was part of my preparation for serving in a diocese where immigrants from Spanish speaking countries was on the rise. The man who ran the school repeatedly shared with us his rule for speaking the language: Claro, Fuerte, y con Entusiasmo! We were to speak Clearly, and with Strength and Enthusiasm. It is my hope that more and more Catholics will learn to do the same when it comes to sharing our faith. One person who gives us an excellent example of what this looks like is Archbishop Fulton Sheen. You can see this for yourself at a website devoted to his message. Check it out here.

For the Children’s Sake, These Stereotypes About Priests Must Stop

That Question

Tales From Alabama: Protecting Us From Illegals?

For The Faith And Witness Of Stan Musial

The Way I See It: Peace

Carnac the Magnificent visited St. Thomas this morning. Here’s what he had to say.

Loving Father,

Amen.

Do you feel that God is calling you to proclaim the Gospel in the same way he called saints like Peter and Paul? If so, you might want to check out the resources available to you at Dynamic Catholic.

It’s time again for Elizabeth Esther’s Saturday Evening Blog Post. Each month Elizabeth invites fellow bloggers to share their favorite post of the month and gives us the opportunity to meet new bloggers. This edition of the post includes the months of both July and August since Elizabeth spent much of July in Bolivia. The posts included from this blog are Having An Arrogant Faith and How to Celebrate Holy Days of Awesome.