The speakers are wafting Christmas music across the Michigan Avenue sidewalk, prompting passers-by to take a second look at the show window and its large Nativity scene. Some families stop and pray, while the parents point out "Mary, and Joseph, and the child in the manger." This year, we can also boast that all five of our Sisters' choir Christmas albums are now available for download on iTunes, to make it even easier for you to share the inspiring sounds of the season.
Friday, December 14, 2012
New Seasonal FB images for download
Visit our publishing house site to download free Facebook “cover” pictures (to use at the top of your Facebook page) and “message squares” to share inspiration with your friends. These images are designed to fit around your profile picture (which gets inset on the lower left corner) without losing any essential part of the picture or text.
Sample "Message Square" for Week 2 of Advent |
Tuesday, November 13, 2012
Time to Register for Advent Women's Retreat
Dec. 1, 9:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
St Peter's in the Loop
(Saturday noon Mass, confessions, evening Mass all available in the Church)
Pre-registration required to reserve your place!
$35 includes coffee/donuts and lunch (subs)
Call 312.346.4228
Pat Gohn, Director Host of "Among Women" Podcast |
Pre-order Gohn's soon-to-be-released "Blessed, Beautiful and Bodacious: Celebrating the Gift of Catholic Womanhood" |
Tuesday, October 23, 2012
Wednesday, October 17, 2012
Documentary Film Progress Report
Sister Helena, in between all her talks and book exhibits, has been meeting with Rob and the Spirit Juice team to get the Alberione film into its final shape. That has meant a lot of painful cuts to the narration (but I think my part is still in).
Me, getting some makeup before my interview. On location in Italy (Seminary of Alba, where Alberione was both student and professor). |
On location in Italy (October, 2010). |
If between now until November 26 (the Feast of Blessed James Alberione, the subject of the film) we receive $10,000, an anonymous donor will match that, dollar for dollar. That means that by Alberione's feast day, the film will have received all the support it needs for that "rough cut."
So watch the trailer again, share it on your blog and Facebook wall, and encourage your friends to help "Media Apostle" reach the silver screen on time!
Saturday, October 6, 2012
Year of Faith Resources
The Year of Faith runs from October 11, 2012-November 24, 2013 |
All in all, these goals come together in renewing the Church's evangelizing witness. But it starts with each and every member of the Church growing in "authentic conversion" and in "knowledge of the faith." Come and visit us for a broad selection of titles--and not only in print! There are some great audio books and DVDs to help you grow spiritually in this Year of Faith, which is also a year of grace for the whole Church.
There are also several free tools available right online:
Read the Catechism of the Catholic Church this year! It's easier than you think: Just submit your e-mail address to get a daily reading that guarantees you covering the whole CCC in the Year of Faith! If you'd rather read the Catechism the old-fashioned way, order a copy online, or come and see us downtown! Looking for the Catechism Lite? The YOUCAT (published by the Vatican as a youth version of the Catechism) is a great choice!
Sign up for "So Great a Faith," a Year of Faith resource that comes via e-mail every other week, covering issues that challenge Catholics in living the faith today.
For the family, sign up for the "J-Club Year of Faith" monthly newsletter with activities for kids as well as reflections for parents and religion teachers. (By the way, wouldn't the Year of Faith be a great opportunity for your local Catholic school to offer a J-Club Catholic book fair?)
Two Year of Faith opportunities for teens:
Teens can share some of their experiences in the life of faith--and possibly find them being published in an upcoming book! If they have served on a mission, performed service for the community, or volunteered their time, talent or treasure according to their gifts, Pauline Books & Media is accepting written reflections by teens on experiences of mission, service, and evangelization; in their local parish/school/community, in other places throughout the US, abroad, and even online.editorial@paulinemedia.com for more information and submission forms; deadline for submissions is October 31!
Teens in the Archdiocese of Chicago can also submit entries in the Digital Disciples Video Contest. Cash prizes for the best 2-minute video by teens, for teens, on the importance of Sunday Mass. Deadline is January 10.
What other Year of Faith Resources would you recommend?
Monday, October 1, 2012
Books about Media and Media Literacy
A handy starter list for your media ministry library (you can move it around with your mouse).
I included The Tipping Point because of the way it highlights the different roles communicators play. (If you think about it, it almost suggests itself as a handbook on evangelization!) Titles are listed as affiliate links, which means that I will get a tiny commission if you make a purchase from the link. (Thank you for helping to support my book habit.)
Tuesday, September 25, 2012
Social Media Starter Tools and Links
Photo: Wikimedia Commons / Rock1997, CC-BY-SA 3.0 |
Social Media Citation Guide: How to credit your sources when you found them online; MLA and APA formats.
Common Sense Media: Links to articles and videos on a number of media-related issues concerning children and families.
A note about privacy laws ("the Right to be Forgotten") in Europe.
Digital Training Institute (Ireland)
One-page articles (pdf) on aspects of social media, published by an energy company, Solari.
To Follow on Twitter
Starter list for
Catholics in ministry: by following their followers and their RT
(retweeted posts), you can find many interesting leads. Don't forget
to search for your favorite Catholic news sources, your local
diocesan Twitter feeds and any parish leaders' tweets.
Church Social Media
@chsocm Also offers a real-time Twitter chat every Tuesday
evening (8 pm)
Steven W. Anderson @web20classroom Longtime educator, now a consultant on technology and social media. Offers practical wisdom especially for the classroom.
Steven W. Anderson @web20classroom Longtime educator, now a consultant on technology and social media. Offers practical wisdom especially for the classroom.
Crux @Crux
John Allen @JohnLAllenJr
Religious Freedom Institute @RFInstitute
Father James Martin, SJ @JamesMartinSJ
AmericanCatholic (Franciscan Media) @AmericnCatholic
John Allen @JohnLAllenJr
Religious Freedom Institute @RFInstitute
Father James Martin, SJ @JamesMartinSJ
AmericanCatholic (Franciscan Media) @AmericnCatholic
NET Ministries
@netministries
Jonathan Sullivan
(Director of Catechesis, Diocese of Springfield): @sullijo
Joe Paprocki @paprockij Chicago catechetical author
Vatican News:
@news_va_en
USCCB: @USCCB
America Magazine:
@americamag
Catholic Tech Tips
@catholictechtip
Busted Halo @BustedHalo
Articles on apps, social media, technology
Don't Develop a Social Media Strategy for Your Parish! A "social communications strategy" is what you should develop, according to this article.
The End of Unplugging, by Mat Honan (Wired): Now that the grid is everywhere, discernment and self-discipline are your only recourse.
Shame with Caution, by Laura Hudson (Wired): Think twice before posting your irritation or outrage.
LinkedIn, Pinterest more popular than Twitter: The growing influence of Pinterest (and LinkedIn); demographics of Twitter
Instagram, Vine and Kik and Porn: Parents, teachers, ministers, need to be aware of popular photo-sharing apps and their link to porn culture. (This article predates Snap Chat.)
iPod, YouTube, Wii play: Theological engagements with entertainment
Appletopia (an excerpt): The authority of the printed page is now giving way to the universality of glass screens.
Social proof, online authority
Why We Can't Stop Checking our Phones
The Next Billion Internet Users (infographic)
The Hermeneutics of Texting: A resourceful teacher got the class to understand biblical hermeneutics by having recourse to their experience of interpreting text messages. The article may provide you with insights about how texts communicate!
2 Rules to Follow when Social Media and Church Culture Collide
Significant Studies and Articles
STUDIES
- Pew Research Center: Book Reading 2016 How much Americans read, and what instruments they prefer for reading books.
- Pew Research Center2017 Study on “Password-challenged Internet Users”
- The Digital DNA of Gen Z: Presentation on the social media habits of Generation Z (born mid-90's-early 2000); presentation at the 2016 Digital Citizenship Summit. Slideshare program also available.
- Nielsen 2106 Social Media Report: Gen Xers use social media more than Millennials do?
- Pew Research Internet Project: Social Media and the "Spiral of Silence": 2014 study on the way social media can actually inhibit the free expression of opinions through self-censorship
- CARA 2012 study of Catholics' use of social media (commissioned by the US Bishops)
- Digital Natives: The complete Frontline documentary.
- Common Sense Media: Social Media, Social Life: How Teens View their Digital Lives: 2012 survey of 13-17 year-olds.
- Pew Research Center: The Rise of Apps Culture (what's on your cell phone?).
- Pew Research Center: Understanding the participatory news consumer: How internet and cell phone users have turned news into a social experience.
- Pew Research Center for People and the Press: Americans Spending More Time Following the News: Where Americans are getting their news and what they're doing with it.
- Pew Research Center: The Rise of e-Reading
- Oxford Internet Surveys on the Internet Cultures in the UK
ARTICLES
- Media Ecology is Already Christian: Why McLuhan Is What the Church Needs for the new Evangelization
- Surprise: You’re the New Medium, by James Ogden Sharpe (on Snapchat, from Second Nature)
- Revel co-founder’s new startup aims to build a web of authentic identities
- Why You Need Less Noise for Work and Your Health
- How Smartphone Addiction is Affecting our Physical and Mental Health
- You Asked: Am I addicted to My Phone?
- Why We're All Addicted to Texts, Twitter and Google
- Gray Matters: Too Much Screen Time Damages the Brain, by Victoria L. Dunckley, MD
- Five Top Warning Signs of Internet Pornography Addiction
- 7 Important Reasons to Unplug and Find Space, by Joshua Becker
- How to Break the Habit of Checking your Phone all the Time
- It’s “Digital Heroin”: How Screens Turn Kids into Psychotic Junkies, by Dr Nicholas Kardaras
- Kids turn violent as parents battle ‘digital heroin’ addiction, by Dr Nicholas Kardaras (follow-up article to the above post) “Over 200 peer-reviewed studies correlate excessive screen usage with a whole host of clinical disorders, including addiction.”
- Half of teens think they’re addicted to their smartphones
- Neuroscience Reveals the Nourishing Benefits that Silence Has on Your Brain
- Don’t Ignore Clergy in Effects of Pornography (Editorial, NCR 2013)
- Yes, the Internet is Changing Your Brain, by Mark McGuinness
- What Is a Constant Cycle of Violent News Doing to Us?
- This is Your Brain on Internet: A Mindfulness Manifesto for 2016, by Joseph A. Annibali, MD
- 7 Psychological Reasons Solitude Can Make You More Successful, by Daphne Ramos
- 5 Ways Quitting Facebook Will Improve Your Mental Health, by Alice G. Walton
- How Your Cell Phone Hurts Your Relationships, by Helen Lee Lin (from Scientific American)
- Addicted to Your Phone? Try this Practice—Phone in Hand, by Mitch Abblett (from Mindful)
- Say “Hello” to the Anti-Smartphone, by Matthew V. Libassi
Friday, September 14, 2012
And you thought this was just a bookstore...
A scene from our center during the filming of the documentary film project on our Founder. We hope to have the "rough cut" in our hands for the feast of the Conversion of St. Paul. There are (ahem) a few more payments due between then and now! |
Tuesday, August 28, 2012
Bishops' Documents on Media
Pastoral Plan for Church Communication (Link to be updated, God willing the document is still available).
Other
Highly recommended, but only available in
Italian (from the Italian Bishops Conference):
(This links to a pdf file of about 200 pages.
The printed version comes with a disk featuring the content in video
format.)
Wednesday, August 22, 2012
Vatican Documents on Media
Vigilanti Cura (On Motion Pictures), Pope Pius XI
Miranda Prorsus (On Motion Pictures, Radio and Television), Pope Pius XII
Inter Mirifica (Vatican II)
Miranda Prorsus (On Motion Pictures, Radio and Television), Pope Pius XII
Inter Mirifica (Vatican II)
Evangelii
Nuntiandi, Pope Paul VI
Redemptoris
Missio, Pope St John Paul II
Letter
to Artists, Pope St John Paul II
World Day of Social Communications Messages
2017: "Fear Not, for I am with You" (Is 43:5): Communicating Hope and Trust in our Time
2016: Communication and Mercy: A Fruitful Encounter (50th World Communications Day)
2015: Communicating the Family: A Privileged Place of Encounter with the Gift of Love
2014: Communication at the Service of an Authentic Culture of Encounter
2013: Social Networks: portals of truth and faith; new spaces for evangelization.
2012: Silence and Word: Path of Evangelization (NB: Synod of Bishops on the New Evangelization was that year)
2016: Communication and Mercy: A Fruitful Encounter (50th World Communications Day)
2015: Communicating the Family: A Privileged Place of Encounter with the Gift of Love
2014: Communication at the Service of an Authentic Culture of Encounter
2013: Social Networks: portals of truth and faith; new spaces for evangelization.
2012: Silence and Word: Path of Evangelization (NB: Synod of Bishops on the New Evangelization was that year)
2011:
Truth, Proclamation and Authenticity of Life in the Digital Age
2010:
The Priest and Pastoral Ministry in a Digital World: New Media at the
Service of the Word
2009:
New Technologies, New Relationships. Promoting a Culture of Respect,
Dialogue and Friendship (on social networking)
2008:
The Media: At the Crossroads between Self-Promotion and Service.
Searching for the Truth in order to Share it with Others.
2007:
Children and the Media: A Challenge for Education
2006:The
Media: A Network for Communication, Communion and Cooperation
Messages for
1979-2005
Messages for 1967-1978
The Baragli Project
Currently in Beta (and in Italian only), the Baragli Project is a collection of any and all Church documents related to communication (not just technological communication). The list of available documents (only the pertinent section is provided from the link) goes all the way back to the Muratorian Fragment and the Acts of the Apostles!
The Baragli Project
Currently in Beta (and in Italian only), the Baragli Project is a collection of any and all Church documents related to communication (not just technological communication). The list of available documents (only the pertinent section is provided from the link) goes all the way back to the Muratorian Fragment and the Acts of the Apostles!
Wednesday, August 1, 2012
Various Online Resources
- Catholic Web Solutions: SND ministry offers solid help and guidance in navigating trends in new media and how they relate to Catholic ministry concerns. Be sure to sign up for their newsletter!
- Center for Media Literacy
- Admongo : FTC site helps children 8-12 identify the ways they are being marketed to.
- SQPN (Star Quest Production Network): "A multimedia organization specializing in the production of audio and video programs .... to respond to the Church’s call to use the media for religious information, for evangelization and catechesis and for formation and education."
- The Catholic Guy: Three-time Emmy winner Lino Rulli does radio right as Sirius Radio's Catholic Guy. His style is irreverent (and at times, you could say, unredeemed), but it's helping address a young adult audience in an effective way, showing that you do not become instantly stuffy upon entering into a sacramental life. Here's his talk to the SQPN conference in Boston (August 2010).
- Word on Fire: A great service for the evangelization of culture! Father Robert Barron's videos, articles and homilies.
ART RESOURCES
The caliber of artwork you can find and use for free from certain major museums. This image of The Annunciation was made available by The Getty. |
More and more communication is visual. If you aren't a photographer or artist, where can you find suitable images that you can use freely and without copyright worries? Several major art museums have begun to offer access to their digitized holdings, free for non-commercial use. So go ahead and put that masterpiece on your blog or institutional website. In some cases, you can download a high-quality image to use on prayer cards, vocational literature or in a scholarly work for publication. (Read the fine print, which varies from site to site.)
The Metropolitan Museum of Art (look for the OASC logo)
Thursday, July 19, 2012
SHE Speaks to You
One of our latest Pauline publications is Sr Helena's "He Speaks to You": a daily conversation starter between the young woman and Jesus. Well, now it's Sr Helena's turn. Here is a recording of a recent interview on Relevant Radio, where she speaks to you:
Saturday, July 7, 2012
Now airing...
This is what we're currently running on Relevant Radio. (Have you heard it on the air?)
Saturday, June 9, 2012
Catholic e-books for Kids
Thursday, June 7, 2012
First response to Sr Helena's book
Chicago attorney Linda Weaver (who will freely admit that she is not within the target audience of 20-30 year olds) got a hold of Sr Helena's book this week and wrote about it to her friends. With her permission, we are sharing it with the world:
I LOVE IT!!!
I – LOVE - IT!!!!
The book, “He Speaks to You,” is a daily meditation/reflection unlike any I have seen before (and I have several unused ones on my shelves from years gone by… )
Each month has a different theme (His Love, His Life, His Cross, His Will, His Family, His Majesty, His Ways, In His Image, In His Service, His Mother, For His Kingdom, and In His Arms.)
Each day's reflection begins with Jesus speaking directly to the (young) woman's heart- words that console, even as they challenge-followed by a short Scripture passage, words of wisdom from those who've walked the journey toward Christ, a "To do" section for those who prefer some practical activity (the Marthas!), and a "To journal" section for those who prefer to contemplate and write (the Marys!).
Each day's reflection begins with Jesus speaking directly to the (young) woman's heart- words that console, even as they challenge-followed by a short Scripture passage, words of wisdom from those who've walked the journey toward Christ, a "To do" section for those who prefer some practical activity (the Marthas!), and a "To journal" section for those who prefer to contemplate and write (the Marys!).
Now, it says that the book is designed for “young” women (20-30), but I don’t see why all women wouldn’t love it.
Click on the link and you can then look at the first 10 days of January. Awesome. I like the daily suggestions as to what one should journal about. I have tons of unused journals too. Maybe I’ll actually write something in them now! So, if you like what you see, walk on down to the bookstore or order online – one for you and 10 for all your best friends. They are only $10.95!
It is listed on Amazon but not available there yet. Hey, why not buy it direct from the Daughters?
Tuesday, June 5, 2012
Porn Addiction Recovery and Accountability Resources
RECLAiM
Sexual Health Combines brain science and insights from Theology
of the Body in a process of private, anonymous, online addiction
recovery for unwanted sexual behaviors. Free.
Fight the New Drug Created by and for young adults.
Truth About Porn New site featuring academic research about the harmful effects of pornography.
CovenantEyes (also provides free downloadable e-books on the brain science of porn addiction and on church-based action); CovenantEyes also sells Internet and accountability filters.
Fight the New Drug Created by and for young adults.
Truth About Porn New site featuring academic research about the harmful effects of pornography.
Internet and Accountability Resources for home
and as an accountability measure:
CovenantEyes (also provides free downloadable e-books on the brain science of porn addiction and on church-based action); CovenantEyes also sells Internet and accountability filters.
x3Watch.com
programs for accountability partners; mobile-compatible.
Summer Sale (in honor of St Paul)
In the Pauline Family, June is St Paul's month, thanks especially to the feast of Sts Peter and Paul on June 29, but also to the special-to-the-Paulines Feast of St Paul himself on June 30. Traditionally, vow day tends to be scheduled as close as possible to the Feast of St. Paul, although some years it ends up in January (Feast of the Conversion of St. Paul) or August (around the feast of St. Bernard, the anniversary of the Pauline family).
To honor St. Paul during "his" month, we have put several special titles on sale:
Paul, Least of the Apostles
Letters of Saint Paul (pocket-size edition)
Facing the Apostle: Paul’s Image in Art (an ideal gift for ordination anniversaries: take a look inside!)
and for young readers:
Saint Paul: the Thirteenth Apostle
Saint Paul: Comic Color Saints
Other titles on sale through June 30:
Beginning Contemplative Prayer
The Beauty of Mary
John Paul II: A Marian treasury
Facing illness Finding peace
Making Peace with Yourself
Paths through Grief
Angels Help from On High (about the angels; includes various prayers to the angels and archangels)
Charles de Foucauld
Anthony Words on Fire: St Anthony of Padua
Teen Prayers for Teens
For young readers:
Between You and God (prayers)
Family Matters (short stories)
Friend 2 Friend (short stories)
Family Ties (short stories)
Now You’re Cooking (stories and recipes!)
Come in through June 30 to take advantage of the discounted price on wonderful books for the whole family!
We have a winner!
The Association of Catholic Publishers (ACP – formerly CBPA) has recognized three of this year's recent Pauline releases for “Excellence in Catholic Publishing.”
In "Pastoral Resources," our children's grief journal, "I will Remember You: My Catholic Guide through Grief" won 1st Place. This title originated here in our Chicago community, when Sister Anne noticed her then seven-year-old niece reading "Harry Potter" at a family funeral. With her background as a children's editor, Sr Anne drew up a proposal for an activity-based grief journal for kids that would cover the first full year of mourning--incorporating the child's memory of the loved one into such observances as Christmas, Valentine's Day, birthdays and Easter. Kimberly Schuler, a certified school counselor with an MS in Counseling Psychology, took the idea and developed it into a comprehensive and trustworthy tool for families at a most difficult time.Then Sr. Mary Joseph Peterson added custom art and design, making this memory book truly memorable.
Under "General Interest," Pauline title "Wisdom for Living the Final Season" was awarded 2nd place. In it, hospice nurse Kathy Kalina (author of PBM best-seller "Midwife for Souls addresses the physical, emotional, and spiritual challenges experienced by those who live in the shadow of a terminal illness. (Hmmm, is there a trend here?)
Finally, in the "Inspiration" category, Father Scott Hurd's “Forgiveness, a Catholic Approach” received 3rd place.
Thursday, May 31, 2012
He Speaks to You
Sr Helena's new book! |
Actually, the message or theme written in God's name is very short. The real word of the Lord comes right after, in a snippet of Scripture. Then "Words of Wisdom" from a Sister who draws from her own community's charism, spirituality and experience; a suggestion for living the message in a practical way that day ("for the Martha" types, Sr Helena says), and a brief prayer to sum it all up ("for the Mary" types).
It's a little late, but not too late, to include "He Speaks to You" as a gift for the Class of 2012; keep it in mind for the young women--and the youth ministers--you meet!
Wednesday, May 23, 2012
The Year's Best Sellers!
Although there are 14 Pauline Book & Media centers, a publishing house, a Spanish language distribution center and an outreach ministry to the Portuguese-language communities in the U.S., you still may not have easy access to our ministry outside of our various online services. And, knowing that every book or media product our centers feature was carefully reviewed for authentically communicating the teachings of the Church, you might really miss that opportunity for browsing through a curated collection of books and other media.
What to do?
Of course, the first place you can go is our online store.
Or you can go to your fellow customers.
Here is a "customer-curated list" of the top selling titles in our top categories, from our busiest bookstores, for the current year.
Price information is from our database and may not correspond to the link (these things change); the 5-letter code refers to the publisher or primary distributor. Sorry about the "all caps" listing; that's how the data was entered!
What to do?
Of course, the first place you can go is our online store.
Or you can go to your fellow customers.
Here is a "customer-curated list" of the top selling titles in our top categories, from our busiest bookstores, for the current year.
Price information is from our database and may not correspond to the link (these things change); the 5-letter code refers to the publisher or primary distributor. Sorry about the "all caps" listing; that's how the data was entered!
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