The original edition of Growing Up Catholic, along with its sequels, struck a heavenly chord with a generation of Catholics of all persuasions. Now, to commemorate the Great Catholic Jubilee of the Year 2000, the authors bless us with an updated and expanded version of this beloved national bestseller. Filled with a witty, poignant, and downright hilarious potpourri of essays, lists, games, drawings, photos, and quizzes, it includes the best of all three Growing Up Catholic books, along with many all-new features, such as: Jubilee 2000: Not Your Average Birthday Party Father Phil: Confessor to the Sopranos Who Will Be The Next Pope?: A Handicapper's Guide Ansubstantiationtray: Can't Anybody Here Speak Latin Anymore? www.holy.com For Catholics of all ages -- from those who lived through Vatican II to those who've never seen a nun's habit except in a movie -- Growing Up Catholic celebrates in a lighthearted way the funny and sublime side of day-to-day Catholic life.

In a warm and affectionate narrative that "transports readers back to a time before cable television, cell phones, and the Internet" (Atlanta Journal-Constitution), John Bernard Ruane paints a marvelous portrait of his Irish-Catholic boyhood on the southwest side of Chicago in the 1960s. Capturing all the details that perfectly evoke those bygone days for Catholics and baby boomers everywhere, Ruane recounts his formative years donning the navy-and-plaid school uniform of St. Bede's: the priests and nuns; bullies, best friends, and first loves; and most memorable teachers -- including the miniskirted blonde who inspired lust among the fifth-grade boys but was fired for protesting the Vietnam War. Here are stories from the heart of his hardworking, blue-collar family: the good times and bad; sibling rivalries; summers by the lake; delivering newspapers in the frigid Chicago winter; the fire that destroyed the family home; and the loss of their beloved mother to cancer. And here are priceless accounts of Ruane's days as an altar boy: from an embarrassing bell-ringing mishap, to serving a strict pastor who built a magnificent church but couldn't inspire Christian spirit, to the Heaven-sent guitar-playing priest who turned worship around for a generation of youth.

A true story of a man who grew up Catholic and at thirty-eight, after a tragic event in his life discovered his faith could no longer support him spiritually. Realizing he had been going through the motions of religion he sought to find the reasons why there was emptiness where so much religion had been before.Guides you through the deep and complicated Catholic beliefs and forces you to ask the question, Am I who I thought I was? You'll step into the shoes of a married man who questioned his faith then faced the turmail and pressures that accompanies those doubts, only to discover answers that completely changed his life. He eventually left the Catholic Church and reveals the reasons why the Protestant faith completely altered his approach to life.

This volume explores the experiences of African Americans in Catholic schools through historical and sociological analysis as well as personal memoirs and reflections of former students. It challenges the theory that they are marginalised, existing in constant opposition to the dominant culture.

Are you new to Catholicism and become a recent Catholic convert? Did you grow up Catholic and return as a Catholic revert? Are you interested in becoming Catholic for the first time? If you want to learn more about basic Catholic beliefs, Waking Up Catholic: A Guide to Catholic Beliefs for Converts, Reverts, and Anyone Becoming Catholic is the book for you. The depth of Catholic theology is one of its greatest beauties, but understanding it can be one of its greatest challenges. You have questions. Waking Up Catholic has answers. Learn about: How does Catholic Tradition fit in with Scripture? Why do we have a pope? Do Catholics really worship Mary? Why do Catholics pray to saints? Is Holy Communion just a symbol of Christ? What is the purpose of Confession? Do repetitious Catholic prayers really work? And more... Waking Up Catholic answers these questions, and more, from the perspective of someone who converted to Catholicism himself. Waking Up Catholic may be the first Catholic book you've ever read, but after you're done, it won't be the last.

Born Catholic. Raised Catholic. Americans across generations have used these phrases to describe their formative days, but the experience of growing up Catholic in the United States has changed over the last several decades. While the creed and the sacraments remain the same, the context for learning the faith has transformed. As a result of demographic shifts and theological developments, children face a different set of circumstances today from what they encountered during the mid-twentieth-century. Through a close study of autobiographical and fictional texts that depict the experience, Ingrained Habits explores the intimate details of everyday life for children growing up Catholic during the 1940s, 50s, and 60s. These literary portrayals present upbringings characterized by an all-encompassing encounter with religion. The adult authors of such writings run the gamut from vowed priests to unwavering atheists and their depictions range from glowing nostalgia to deep-seated resentment; however, they curiously describe similar experiences from their childhood days in the Church.

He was the only son of an Irish Catholic mother and a Protestant Navy man. His mother frequently prayed for him to become a priest. But his father warned him, Son, never get a job where you have to wear a dress to work.