It’s hard enough for today’s parents to raise faith- filled children. But for the parents of kids with special needs, the challenges can be almost overwhelming; these parents’ own spirituality may suffer amidst the daily obstacles of raising a child with disabilities, and they may wonder how—or even if—their child can ever experience a meaningful spiritual life. In Faith, Family, and Children with Special Needs, David Rizzo—whose 12-year-old daughter has autism—offers great hope for parents who want to grow in their own spirituality while helping their children with disabilities experience God in a deeper way. Throughout the book, Rizzo’s abiding though sometimes tested Catholic faith is made clear as he thoughtfully explains everything from the practical, such as how parents can maintain sanity during Mass when the child with special needs becomes disruptive, to the profound, such as how parents can understand God in a way that is relevant to their predicament. At other times, Rizzo’s advice is intended to help the child grow in his or her own faith, as when he explains how kids with special needs can participate meaningfully in the Eucharist. By looking at big-picture issues of faith while also providing speci fic tips to nurture spiritual growth in parents and in their children with disabilities, Faith, Family, and Children with Special Needs will serve as a highly useful and inspiring resource for anyone in the community of faith who interacts with children with disabilities.

Many beautiful; traditional religious customs that will give Catholic homes a truly Catholic spirit year round: E.g.; blessing of children; name days; feast days; Advent and Christmas customs; etc. Great reading for all. Essential to help every Catholic family overcome secularism. Shows the religious source of even such common things as pretzels; hot cross buns; the Easter ham; Thanksgiving Day; Spring Cleaning; etc. What parts of the Christmas Tree are Catholic; and which ones came from secular influence. Very interesting and useful!

The church has much to teach and much to learn from families about the gifts and challenges of building a more just and compassionate society. Families are schools of solidarity, working each and every day to deepen relationships within the family itself and with other families both near and far. In Schools of Solidarity, Mary Doyle Roche explains how families can resist dehumanizing elements of our culture (competitive consumption, wastefulness, violence, etc.) and transform the many arenas of daily life (homes, workplaces, neighborhoods, schools, and parishes) so that they honor the dignity of all people, especially the poor and vulnerable. Doyle Roche offers questions and activities for discussion and reflection in conjunction with each of the major themes. The practical activities she suggests encourage families to explore social justice issues and ways they might transform unjust conditions in local and even global contexts.

In this collection of short pieces, drawing from sources as varied as a biography of Princess Diana and a book by Pope Benedictas well as plenty of profiles in Vanity Fair and The New YorkerKlein uses the stars of stage and screen to give us insight into our life with Christ.

In this warmhearted memoir, the author revisits growing up the youngest of six in an Irish Catholic family in post–World War II Cleveland. You’ve heard of Murphy’s Law and even the Peter Principle, but here’s a new one: Patrick’s Law. Patrick’s Law, which deserves at least equal space in the index of life, states that in large families, the youngest gets the shortest end of the stick. The youngest has certain traits that can last to adulthood: “His clothing will mark him and his position in the family strata. His socks will droop because of a lack of elasticity brought on by age and the larger ankles of his brothers. The youngest will generally never hold an original opinion for fear of being informed he is a klutz by at least one of his brothers. He will always be referred to as So-and-So’s little brother and will NEVER (a) get the Sunday funnies first, (b) go anywhere without telling at least two persons where he is going, or (c) be able to read a comic while seated on the family’s only commode.” Patrick’s Corner is a collection of stories about growing up after World War II in a world where family life, neighborhood interdependence, and nurturing environments were the norm. The author describes how one family’s steadfast devotion to each other, and their foundation of moral values helped them surmount the challenges of poverty. Told with the sensitivity of the “baby of the family,” this memoir is full of warmth, love, growing pains, and the struggles for survival. The author writes about his “comin’ up” as the youngest of six sons in an Irish Catholic family headed by a widowed mother. Like most brothers, the Patrick boys fought, but more often they were friends who talked, laughed, and shared their growing pains with each other. Even if you have never had to wear hand-me-down clothes or been referred to as So-and-So’s little brother or sister, these stories are sure to touch your heart. Praise for Patrick’s Corner “A bred-in-the-bone storyteller, the author makes this memoir a dramatic, moving and irrepressibly witty delight.” —Publishers Weekly “A nostalgic tribute from the baby of a family—life-affirming.” —Kirkus Reviews