Today We Became Engaged

Today We Became Engaged

Today We Became Engaged

by Dianne Ahern

A thoughtful, romantic, faith-centered, keepsake book for couples discerning marriage. Discusses the power of love, the importance of shared values and more. This is a marriage planner…not a wedding planner! Allows couples to record their courtship and engagement stories for years to come.

Price: $22.95 hardback gift edition





THE BOOK

A thought provoking, romantic, faith-centered book for young adults and couples discerning marriage.

This book explores:
– The power of love
– The importance of shared values — commitment, fairness, courage, compassion, honesty, respect, and forgiveness
– History of betrothal and engagement
– Entertaining stories of proposals, engagement rings, and acceptances

“Something magical happens when two people decide they want to spend the rest of their lives together. They stand on the threshold of being totally committed to one another for as long as they both shall live, regardless of health or wealth. It is the time to revel in the mystery of what lies ahead — soon a wedding and a honeymoon, then a home, children, mingling of families and friends, sharing joys, sharing sorrows, and most importantly, the two becoming one through marriage,” excerpt from Today We Became Engaged.

It’s also a keepsake book for the engaged couple to record
– The story of how we met
– Our courtship
– Our Engagement
– Family traditions we want to keep
– Promises to each other
– Our future together
… and more

 

TESTIMONIALS

The Catholic Post
(Diocese of Peoria), February 10, 2002
What to do before ‘I do’?

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — There is no shortage of guidebooks for engaged couples seeking answers to questions such as who should pay for their wedding reception, what are the current fashions in wedding attire and how soon thank-you notes must be sent for gifts.

But when it comes to the ultimate questions engaged couples face — is my fiancée really the right person for me? Do we really love one another? Would I make a good spouse or parent? — few publications in the secular market have addressed them.

That is, until Dianne Ahern decided to change that

Ahern, a native of Sacred Heart Parish in Campus, recently published “Today We Became Engaged,” a combination keepsake book and compendium of advice to help engaged couples know if they are truly in love, approach marriage as a vocation, and discern whether or not they are really called to it.

“I wanted it to be romantic, yet thoughtful, and to bring God into it in a friendly manner, not ‘lecturey’ or preachy,” Ahern, 58, told The Catholic Post in a telephone interview from her office in Ann Arbor this week.

“When people are in love, they are very excited and looking to the future,” she said. She believes her book celebrates and fosters that spirit, while also “bringing to the fore things they (the couple) should think about.”

“Today We Became Engaged,” published in December, is the second in her planned series of books focusing on the sacraments and other rites of passage. Ahern’s first book, “Today I Was Baptized,” was published in June of 2000, and her third book, “Today I Made My First Communion,” is due out later this year.

The 56-page engagement book, illustrated by Katherine Larson, includes sections on wedding and engagement customs and pages for couples to preserve photos and record memories of how they met, how they proposed and their favorite shared or individual activities. It is available through both secular and religious outlets, including several Catholic bookstores in the Diocese of Peoria.

Through anecdotes and personal stories, the book also demonstrates that a relationship is more likely to last when based on shared values such as commitment, fairness, courage, compassion, honesty, respect, and forgiveness, rather than on outward appearance or attractiveness.

“A lot of material published (for engaged couples) covers how to execute a wedding or how to cope with a spouse’s idiosyncrasies,” Ahern said. “But it doesn’t get into what I think is the key to the period of engagement — which is a period of discernment and making sure this man or woman is going to be your lifelong soul mate.”

Ahern, the youngest of four children of the late Vernon and Mary Ahern, grew up in rural Livingston County near Campus. She graduated from Dwight High School in 1961 and from Marian College in Indianapolis in 1965 with a degree in biology. She worked in the medical laboratory field before completing a master’s degree in healthcare administration at Indiana University in 1975.

Currently she is vice president of Elan Systems, an international healthcare consulting firm based in Ann Arbor. In the mid-1990s she worked with OSF Saint Francis Medical Center in Peoria to complete a needs assessment for new laboratory facilities that were completed in 1998.

Her interest in writing books began several years ago with a burst of what she now considers divine inspiration.

“I was walking to work one day, having my morning talk with God, and wondering if I was doing the right thing with my life,” she said. “The idea then came to me, why not write little keepsake books on events in your life?”

As a Catholic she immediately thought of the sacraments as natural subjects for her writing. She started with baptism, since it is a sacrament common to all Christians and because christening celebrations bring generations of family together. She then wanted to do a book on marriage, but felt something was lacking in most of the existing guidebooks on wedding planning and marriage relationships.

“I thought something is not hitting the right spot, because there are still so many divorces and bad marriages” despite all the pages of advice, Ahern said. “I thought people needed to focus more on why they are getting married.”

While Ahern is not married herself, she said she is familiar with both the good and bad sides of couple relationships from her own experience and those of her loved ones.

“My parents were a wonderful example” of a good marriage, she said, noting in the book that they prayed with the family every night before bed. “Until I got out into the world, I didn’t realize how strong a marriage they had. Very few people have the kind of happiness they did.”

She said the spiritual content of the book is “subtle” and designed to appeal to couples who might not otherwise think about the role of God or moral values in their relationship.

The book encourages couples to respect traditional moral convictions regarding premarital sex and cohabitation. It notes that couples who do not live together or have sex before marriage are less likely to divorce.

“Being soul mates first, having a relationship steeped in mutual trust, honesty, commitment, respect and fairness, will guarantee that life together and sex will be totally fulfilling in the marriage covenant,” Ahern writes. “The opposite is not true.”

Because she is known to her nieces and nephews as Aunt Dee, and because she has many childhood memories of exploring her parents’ attic, Ahern named her publishing company Aunt Dee’s Attic.

“You can explore and have an imagination and pretend there,” she said. An attic represents “a creative space” full of personal and family history, she added.

Ahern said all her Aunt Dee’s Attic projects will emphasize strong family values, respect for life and belief in God. Other projects she is planning include books on confirmation, careers or vocations in religious life, dealing with illness and death, becoming grandparents, a child’s first day of school, and welcoming a new baby into the home.


AMSNews
(Archdiocese of Military Services), Vol 2 No 3, 2003
“Spreading the Faith” a letter from the Archbishop
“I was especially taken by a series of colorful, highly informative and attractive gift books ($19.95 each), ‘Today I was Baptized’, ‘Today I Made My First Communion’, and ‘Today We Became Engaged’, each solid, amazingly comprehensive and bound to appeal to the whole family.” Edwin F. O’Brien, Archbishop for the Military Services, USA.

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Dianne Ahern grew up on a farm in Illinois, has traveled extensively for business and pleasure, and now resides in Ann Arbor, Michigan.  She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Biology and Medical Technology from Marian College (University), and a Master’s degree in Healthcare Administration from Indiana University.  After rewarding careers in laboratory medicine, hospital administration, and healthcare consulting, Dianne found a new love: researching and writing about the events that shape our lives.

It was after her first Vatican visit in 1999, when Dianne looked into the eyes of Pope (Saint) John Paul II, held his hand, and kissed his ring, that she felt called to write books for Catholic children and their families.  Already a successful businesswoman, Dianne formed her own publishing company, Aunt Dee’s Attic, to support her new calling.

Beginning with the sacrament of baptism, Dianne outlined a series of books on the sacraments designed to prepare families for these most important events.  Her books’ formats merge storybook, reference book, and memory book elements into beautiful keepsake books. The sacrament books feature the imprimatur of the Catholic Church to assure families that the contents are true Church teachings.

 

In addition to her books on the sacraments, Dianne has developed a series of adventure/mystery books for young readers subtitled Adventures with Sister Philomena, Special Agent to the Pope. The Adventure books place fictional characters in real settings to teach about the Church, saints, and holy places.  Her books have won accolades from retailers, readers, clergy, teachers, grandparents, and moms and dads.

THE DIANNE AHERN COLLECTION

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Faith in Crisis: Critical Dialogues in Catholic Traditionalism, Church Authority, and Reform edited by Andrew Likoudis

Faith in Crisis: Critical Dialogues in Catholic Traditionalism, Church Authority, and Reform edited by Andrew Likoudis

Cardinal Cristophe Pierre, Papal Nuncio to the US, likes Faith in Crisis! You should, too! Get your copy today! 

Faith in Crisis: Critical Dialogues in Catholic Traditionalism, Church Authority, and Reform

edited by Andrew Likoudis

Faith in Crisis equips Catholics to navigate today’s fiercest ecclesial debates. With a foreword by philosopher-statesman Rocco Buttiglione, the volume unfolds in three sections:

  • Traditionalism — exposes the roots of fundamentalist rigor, private-revelation subcultures, and reactionary dissent.
  • Church Authority — outlines papal primacy, collegiality, and the distinction between the ordinary and extraordinary Magisterium—showing how trust erodes and how to rebuild it.
  • Reform — revisits Vatican II and the postconciliar reforms, synodality, ecumenism, and interreligious dialogue, showing that legitimate change is always a reform in continuity.

Amid a polarized media atmosphere and doctrinal fog, these essays offer the clarity and pastoral realism Catholics need to remain anchored in a Faith ever ancient, ever new.

Paperback: $29.95 | Kindle: $9.99

TESTIMONIALS

“I welcome initiatives such as this volume, Faith in Crisis, which seeks to reaffirm ecclesial communion and the authentic meaning of the liturgy. There is only one ‘Mass of the Ages’: the one regulated by the Church’s living Magisterium. The rite of the Eucharistic celebration is neither eternal nor immutable. It belongs to the Church, through the authority of her living Magisterium, to establish the rite of the Eucharist. To deny the Second Vatican Council is to deny the Catholic faith in the Church itself. From denial of the Council, one proceeds to denial of the Pope’s legitimacy and, from there, to chaos in the Church. The saints and the faithful, in communion with the Church past and present, have celebrated and continue to celebrate the Mass according to the liturgical rite in force in each age.” — † Odilo Pedro Cardinal Scherer, Archbishop of São Paulo, Brazil

“For some time, I have thought that the resistance, criticism, and attack of some ultraconservative sectors toward Pope Francis responds not so much to love for Tradition as to a subtle but efficient “moralism,” that is, the merely ethical reduction of the Christian event. In this context, the book Faith in Crisis: Critical Dialogues in Catholic Traditionalism, Church Authority, and Reform seems to me to be a providential initiative that allows us to appreciate, through different voices, how much we need to overcome pharisaical attitudes and rediscover, with simplicity, the most elementary thing: Christianity is not a set of values—however correct they may be—but a living Person encountered in the Church. The Church remains Catholic when she learns to live with joy and humility the path that means being educated and corrected in the faith by Peter and his successors throughout history.” Rodrigo Guerra, PhD, Secretary of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America; Ordinary member of the Pontifical Academy for Life; Ordinary member of the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences; Professor at the Pontifical Lateran University

Faith in Crisis is a vital and timely contribution to understanding the challenges and opportunities facing the Church in the modern era. With intellectual rigor and clarity, this volume explores the complex questions of tradition, ecclesial authority, and reform, offering a nuanced and theologically constructive exploration of the crises that have emerged since Vatican II. This book is an indispensable resource for anyone seeking to grasp the theological, cultural, and pastoral implications of these pressing issues. Its thoughtful analysis goes beyond critique to propose constructive pathways toward dialogue, Church unity, and renewal. Whether you are a scholar of history, theologian, clergy, or layperson, this volume challenges and equips readers to engage with the critical questions of our time. Faith in Crisis is essential reading for all who are dedicated to safeguarding the Church’s sapience while courageously embracing its future.” Ines Angeli Murzaku, PhD, Professor of Ecclesiastical History; Founding Chair of the Department of Catholic Studies; Director of Catholic Studies, Seton Hall University

“It is important as Catholics that we not lose sight of the fact that the divine genius of the Church is its uncanny ability to retain doctrinal and liturgical integrity in the midst of the vicissitudes and contingencies within the wide range of cultures, political systems, and nations in which the Church must proclaim the Gospel. Faith in Crisis is an important contribution to our better understanding and appreciation of that genius.  The book’s editor, Andrew Likoudis, should be commended for drawing in such a diverse group of contributors, all of whom are sons and daughters of the Church.” — Francis J. Beckwith, PhD, Professor of Philosophy & Church-State Studies, Baylor University

“While Catholic tradition is good and beautiful, fundamentalism disguised as traditionalism is false and can be downright ugly. Faith in Crisis has assembled an excellent team of authors to show where this fundamentalism goes wrong and how to embrace Catholic tradition authentically.” Trent Horn, MA, Host of The Counsel of Trent; Author of Why We’re Catholic

Faith in Crisis offers a much-needed resource for the Church in addressing the complex challenges surrounding tradition, authority, and authentic reform that have resurfaced with heightened intensity in recent years. With an exceptional selection of leading Catholic voices, the volume deftly confronts the symptoms of division that so often hinder the Church’s mission of evangelization. Developing a theological and pastoral framework for renewal and unity, Likoudis’ team emphasizes the substantial continuity of Christian doctrine across the ages while demonstrating the importance of respecting the distinction between definitive and non-definitive elements of Church teaching. Even if some perspectives do not fully align with the reader’s own views, the book will offer profound support for those seeking to unite truth and charity in navigating the most pressing issues facing the Church today.” Matthew J. Ramage, PhD, Professor of Theology; Co-director, Center for Integral Ecology, Benedictine College

“As a pastor, you see good and faithful believers struggling with questions about tradition and authority in the Church almost every day. After decades of very difficult times for the Church and its believers, those who continue practicing the faith are not only committed and invested, but also desire the gifts of clarity and hope; clarity regarding how to think about the life of the Church today, and hope for a vivified and dynamic future for the Church, our parishes, our families. The essays collected in Faith in Crisis give the reader these gifts of clarity and hope. The reader walks away with a better understanding of how to think about the life of the Church today, with a better sense of what really matters, and with a deeper conviction that together, and by the grace of God, the future is filled with possibility.” Brendan Fitzgerald, Rector, Basilica of the National Shrine of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary—America’s First Cathedral; Executive Director, Source of All Hope

“My students need to read this book! I am excited about it because it so well addresses confusion among the contemporary generation over authority, tradition, and reform in the Catholic Church. It alerts us to the important role of historical development in our faithfulness to the Gospel that is ever ancient and ever new. This book shows how properly understanding the authority of the Church as a gift from the Lord frees us from existential anxiety and constant suspicion of everyone and everything.” Joseph T. Stuart, PhD, Professor of History; Fellow in Catholic Studies, University of Mary

“For Catholics—and not only Catholics—seeking a proper understanding of the Catholic Church and its teachings, no recent collection of essays better serves that need than Faith in Crisis. Bringing together the writings of many of today’s leading Catholic thinkers, on the swirling debates inside the Church, Faith in Crisis is exceptional in its comprehensiveness, fairness, orthodoxy and charity. This book deserves a place on everyone’s religious bookshelf and will remain a priceless source of knowledge and insight about Catholicism for many years to come.” William Doino Jr., Catholic writer and speaker

Faith in Crisis proves itself to be a collection of essays born from the minds and hearts of those who have their fingers on the pulse of the Church. Of the many theological and pastoral needs facing her today, this book seeks to address those issues that are the most inflammatory and polarizing. More than sixty years since the Second Vatican Council, the Church in the West now finds herself simultaneously in need of deescalating the understandable anger of those who perceive a loss of the sense of the sacred, deepening and clarifying her teachings concerning Tradition and church authority, and undertaking a reform that is truly in conformity with the documents of the Council itself. Given the complex nature of the problem itself and the multifaceted approach needed to remedy the situation, these essays bespeak careful reflection and due diligence to nuance, in order to start a path toward unity and healing. My prayer for the church is that what is born of such times as these is a truly organic reform—one that retains all that is beautiful, good, and true about the Latin Rite, while embracing the dynamism needed for effective evangelization. All of this, of course, begins by contemplating the face of Jesus Christ through docility to the Holy Spirit and obedience to Holy Mother Church.” Jason Bulman, ThM, MPAS, Deacon of the Diocese of Orlando

“There is a need for mature, sober, thoughtful discussion about the trends that are affecting the Catholic Church today, some of which threaten her doctrinal and ecclesial unity. Though I agree with most of it, I don’t agree with everything in this anthology. And I think that’s the point. Each essay is serious and insightful and contributes to a conversation that needs to happen. I am grateful for Faith in Crisis and believe that it will be a blessing for Catholics who love the Church and wish her to thrive in our unsettled times.” Carter Griffin, Rector, St. John Paul II Seminary, Washington, DC

Faith in Crisis is a godsend for our times. In the post-conciliar Church, it seems there is a need to get back to basics when it comes to defending the Faith. It used to be the so-called ‘liberals’ in the Church who were known for their refrain, ‘That’s not infallible, so I don’t have to believe it.’ Today, we find those words coming from some calling themselves traditionalists who are really not traditional at all. These have become Catholic Fundamentalists who have a stunted understanding of what ‘tradition’ truly is. The ‘living tradition’ of the Magisterium as championed by Vatican II, the Catechism, and all of the post-conciliar popes, has been misconstrued as a dead and static understanding that seems to challenge nearly every nuance and development of thought that comes from the Magisterium of the Church post-1962 (cf. CCC 639; 113; 2663, etc.). Andrew Likoudis has done the Church a great service by presenting the teaching of the living Magisterium, that can serve as a guide for all to truly ‘listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches’ specifically for the Church and our world today (Rev. 2:7; 11; 17; 29; 3:6; 13; 22).” Tim Staples, Senior Apologist, Catholic Answers

“This is a splendid collection, and one that can be fruitfully consulted not only by Catholics seeking a way past the ecclesial impasses of the present, but by Christians in every communion who value tradition but want to resist the rigorism and frequent truculence of “traditionalism”. The richness of Catholic thought and practice is enormous in its capaciousness. Attempts to limit it to a narrowly defined and inflexible set of standards that have more to do with the anxieties of the present than the genuine inheritance of the past are a sad impoverishment. More to the point, they come not infrequently with a severe dearth of charity. And this is what is most important about this volume: it is a call to remember that the deepest and most essential resource of Catholic tradition is the law of love, given by him who laid down his life for his brothers and sisters.” — Dr. David Bentley Hart, collaborative researcher, University of Notre Dame; Author, All Things Are Full of Gods (Yale, 2024)

Faith in Crisis is an important and timely work that helps readers engage difficult questions with faith, courage, and humility.” — Dr. Anne DeSantis, Executive Director, Raymond Nonnatus Foundation, and author of The Virtue of Affability or Friendliness and its Relevance in Modern Evangelization

ABOUT THE EDITOR

Andrew Likoudis is a Catholic scholar and entrepreneur with degrees in Communication from Towson University and Business Administration from the Community College of Baltimore County. He has served as a fellow at Johns Hopkins University and at Goldman Sachs’ 10,000 Small Businesses initiative. His professional experience includes a role as a business development administrative assistant at the Cathedral of Mary Our Queen. Additionally, he has nearly a decade of experience providing hospitality hosting with Airbnb.

In the summer of 2025, Andrew served as a full-time summer intern at EWTN, where he wrote long-form commentary and analysis for the National Catholic Register, with a particular focus on the post-conclave Church and reform. He is currently a graduate student at Franciscan University pursuing a Master of Arts in Catholic Studies.

Andrew is the founder and president of the Likoudis Legacy Foundation, a research institute dedicated to ecumenism and interreligious dialogue, and serves as editor-in-chief of its journal, The Kydones Review. He has written for Catholic Review, Where Peter Is, Catholic World News, Fellowship and Fairydust Magazine, and Philosophy Now. His academic interests focus on the sociological intersection of faith and culture, also hosting a column, Nature and Grace, at Patheos.com. He has edited six books on Catholic ecclesiology and the papacy, and has compiled and edited over ten volumes in total.

Andrew is a member of the International Marian Association, and an associate member of the Fellowship of Catholic Scholars, the Mariological Society of America, and the Society for Catholic Liturgy. He additionally serves as a young adult community representative on the Lay Pastoral Council of the Archdiocese of Baltimore and is a dedicated parishioner at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, America’s First Cathedral.

One of nine siblings from New York’s Finger Lakes region, Andrew is the grandson of Catholic apologist and President Emeritus of Catholics United for the Faith James Likoudis, and the nephew and godson of Paul Likoudis, longtime editor of The Wanderer. During school, Andrew balanced academics, athletics, and the performing arts—appearing in two plays, singing for several years in chorus and talent shows, and even auditioning for The Voice. He later sang Gregorian chant at the National Shrine of St. Alphonsus and, later, polyphony at the Baltimore Basilica.

Outside of his professional endeavors, Andrew enjoys kayaking, cooking, basketball, dancing bachata, and playing chess.

ABOUT THE CONTRIBUTORS

Jimmy Akin is an internationally known author and speaker. He is a senior apologist at Catholic Answers and has more than twenty-five years of experience defending and explaining the Faith. Jimmy is a convert to the Faith and has an extensive background in the Bible, theology, philosophy, canon law, and liturgy. He is a weekly guest on the national radio program Catholic Answers Live, a regular contributor to Catholic Answers Magazine, and a popular blogger and podcaster. His personal web site is JimmyAkin.com. He is also the author of Teaching with Authority, and The Bible is a Catholic Book, from Catholic Answers Press.

Henry Matthew Alt, MA, is a freelance writer with a Masters degree in English from Southern Illinois University. His writings have appeared in notable publications such as Patheos Catholic, Epic Pew, Aleteia, The National Catholic Register, and Catholic World Report. Formerly a writer and managing editor at Catholic Stand, Henry converted to Catholicism in 2011. He is a Third Degree Knight of Columbus and Benedictine Oblate of St. Meinrad Archabbey. Henry has taught college composition and literature, and shares insights on Catholic issues at ToGiveADefense.com.

Dave Armstrong is a veteran apologist, and editor or author of over fifty books who lives in southeastern Michigan with his wife, Judy, and their children. His conversion story was published in the bestselling book Surprised by Truth (Ed. Patrick Madrid, 1994). His books include The One-Minute Apologist (2007), Proving the Catholic Faith is Biblical (2015), and his most recent, The Word Set in Stone (2023), from Catholic Answers Press.

Mike Aquilina is author of more than seventy books on Catholic history, doctrine, and devotion. He is co-founder, with Scott and Kimberly Hahn, of the St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology, based in Steubenville, Ohio. Mike serves as contributing editor of Angelus News and general editor of the Reclaiming Catholic History series published by Ave Maria Press. He has hosted eleven television series on EWTN and is past editor of New Covenant magazine and The Pittsburgh Catholic newspaper. He is also a songwriter, whose works have been recorded by Dion, Paul Simon, Van Morrison, Bruce Springsteen, Jeff Beck, Amy Grant, Carlene Carter, Peter Frampton, and many others. He has been married to Terri since 1985, and together they have six children and a rising number of grandchildren.

Fr. Matthew Mary Bartow, MFVA, is a priest with the Franciscan Missionaries of the Eternal Word, currently serving as an Assistant Chaplain at EWTN in Birmingham, Alabama. He was the former Director of Pilgrimage at the Shrine of the Most Blessed Sacrament. Fr. Matthew pursued his higher education at Mount St. Mary’s University, where he completed his BA in philosophy. He completed his Master of Sacred Theology in Sacred Scripture at Mount Saint Mary’s Seminary.

Andrew J. Boyd, STL, is Senior Programme Manager at the King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz International Centre for Interreligious and Intercultural Dialogue (KAICIID). He previously taught at the Pontifical Beda College, Assumption University, and other institutions in Rome. His focus areas are ecclesiology, ecumenism, and interreligious dialogue, with particular interest in the diaconate and non-ordained professional ministry. He came to Rome as a Russell Berrie Fellow in Interreligious Studies and worked as Assistant Director of the John Paul II Center for Interreligious Dialogue. 

Rocco Buttiglione is a distinguished scholar of political philosophy and personalism. He studied under renowned philosopher Augusto Del Noce and was a collaborator of Pope St. John Paul II, of whose philosophical anthropology he is considered an authority. Buttiglione has held positions at numerous universities, including the Instituto de Filosofia Edith Stein, the University of Rome, and the Pontifical Lateran University, where he held the John Paul II Chair for Philosophy and History of European Institutions. Buttiglione also served as Acting Rector of the International Academy of Philosophy in Liechtenstein. Author of over a dozen books and more than 130 scholarly essays, he has received honorary degrees from the Catholic University of Lublin (1994) and the Francisco Marroquín University (2005). He served as a member of the Italian Parliament for over two decades (1994–2018), holding positions as Minister for European Affairs (2001–2005), Minister of Culture (2005–2006), and Vice President of the Italian Chamber of Deputies (2008–2013), as well as a Member of the European Parliament (1999–2001). Buttiglione is a Distinguished Fellow of the Hildebrand Project, and an Ordinary Member of both the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences, and the Pontifical Academy of St. Thomas Aquinas.

Gavin D’Costa, PhD, is Invited Professor of Interreligious Dialogue at the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas, Rome, and Emeritus Professor of Catholic Theology at the University of Bristol. In 1998 he was Visiting Professor at the Pontifical Gregorian University, Rome. He advises the Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue and the Catholic Bishops of England and Wales. His publications include Catholic Doctrines on the Jewish People (2019), Vatican II: Catholic Doctrines on Jews and Muslims (2014), Christianity and World Religions: Disputed Questions (2009), and other books, including a volume of poetry along with four other Christian poets: Making Nothing Happen (2014).

Luis Dizon, MTS, is a PhD candidate in Near and Middle Eastern Civilizations at the University of Toronto, specializing in Ancient Near Eastern Studies, Biblical Languages, and Comparative Abrahamic Religions (especially Islam). He is a regular at the Reason & Theology podcast, and also works as a lay pastoral associate and catechist in the Archdiocese of Toronto.

Richard G. DeClue, Jr., SThD, is a systematic theologian and Professor of Theology at the Word on Fire Institute. He earned degrees in theology at Belmont Abbey College (BA) and The Catholic University of America (STB, STL, and SThD). His scholarly interests include the ecclesiology of Henri de Lubac, the debate over nature and grace, and in developing a rapprochement between Communio theology and Thomism. He has published articles in Communio, Nova et Vetera, and Evangelization & Culture, and is the author of The Mind of Benedict XVI: A Theology of Communion (Word on Fire, 2024).

Gregory J. Downs, MATS, is a novelist-turned-theologian with a history of participating in a wide variety of ecclesial ministries, especially teaching. He was previously Director of Information Services at Catholics United for the Faith. He is dedicated to defending orthodox Catholicism and to the fostering of genuine reform in the Church, but most of all to the increase of Charity, for “Charity, by which we love God and our neighbor, is in secure possession of the divine promises in all their breadth and magnitude (St. Augustine, Sermo 350, 2–3).”

R. Michael Dunnigan, JCD, JD, is Associate Professor of Canon Law at Saint Meinrad Seminary, having previously practiced both civil and canon law. His research interests include the rights of the faithful, comparative law, and doctrinal development. He is the author of Religious Liberty and the Hermeneutic of Continuity: Conservation and Development of Doctrine at Vatican II (Emmaus Road, 2023).

Robert Fastiggi, PhD, holds the Bishop Kevin M. Britt Chair of Systematic Theology and Christology at Sacred Heart Major Seminary. He is a former president of the Mariological Society of America; a member of the theological commission of the International Marian Association; a corresponding member of the Pontifical Marian Academy International; and co-editor of the 43rd edition of the English translation of the Denzinger-Hünermann Enchiridion Symbolorum, published by Ignatius Press. He also served as the executive editor of the 2009-2013 supplements to the New Catholic Encyclopedia and revised and updated the translation of Ludwig Ott’s Fundamentals of Catholic Dogma for Baronius Press in 2018. Dr. Fastiggi and his wife, Kathy, have been married since 1984 and have three adult children: Mary, Anthony and Clare.

Pedro Gabriel, MD, is a Portuguese internet journalist having received a diploma with Honors from the London School of Journalism in 2021. He is currently residing in Portugal with his wife, Claire. He is a co-founder of Where Peter Is, where he remains as one of its main contributors. He also won First Prize of the 2023 Catholic Media Awards in the category “Pope Francis” for his apologetics book The Orthodoxy of Amoris Laetitia (Resource Publications, 2022). Currently, he is taking classes in moral theology at the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross. He is also a medical oncologist, a parish reader, and a published writer of Catholic novels.

Mike Lewis, MA, is a Catholic writer, editor, and podcaster, serving as editor-in-chief of Where Peter Is, a site he co-founded in 2018. A Washington, DC-area native, he holds a BA in English and Literature from the University of Maryland and an MA in Publishing from the University of Baltimore. Mike’s professional background includes work in biotechnology and medical communications, before working in the Communications Department at the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and as Director of Operations at the Catholic Climate Covenant. At the USCCB, he contributed to projects such as the Catholic Campaign for Human Development, Respect Life Month, and on the reception of papal documents, closely observing U.S. responses to Pope Francis’s pontificate. His writing has appeared in America Magazine, Catholic Outlook, The Synodal Times, and Exaudi. Mike enjoys reading, lifelong learning, and spending time with his wife, Stephanie, and their four children: Stephen, Peter, Elizabeth, and Lucy.

James Likoudis, DD (h.c.), was an internationally recognized apologist, theologian, and lecturer. He was regarded as a leading authority on ecumenism, liturgy, the papacy, catechetics, family life, and the role of the laity. He earned his BA studying history and philosophy at the University of Buffalo, held a master’s degree in education from Elmira College, and was a former College Instructor in History and Government with over 20 years of teaching experience in public and private education. Dr. Likoudis converted to the Catholic Church in 1952 from Eastern Orthodoxy and wrote several books dealing with the ecclesiology of the Eastern Orthodox churches, and co-wrote the highly acclaimed book, The Pope, the Council, and the Mass, dealing with Vatican II’s reforms. In 2020, he was awarded an honorary Doctorate of Divinity from Sacred Heart Major Seminary for his contributions to ecumenism, Catholic morality and for his defense of the Faith. He was the father of six and had 35 grandchildren and 45 great-grandchildren.

Michael Lofton, MA, is an Adjunct Professor of Magisterial Studies at Catholic Polytechnic University and a ThD Candidate with Pontifex University, writing a dissertation on the Magisterium of the Catholic Church. He is a graduate of Christendom College Graduate School of Theology where he received his Master of Arts in Theological Studies (Cum Laude) in 2018. Michael is the founder and host of Reason & Theology, where he has interviewed many of the leading figures in contemporary theology. He has also worked with Catholic Answers as an affiliate apologist and appeared on EWTN, SiriusXM Radio, and Radio Maria. He is also Founder and Director of The Maximus the Confessor Institute. His most recent book is Answering Orthodoxy from Catholic Answers Press.

Rafael Luciani, SThD, is a Venezuelan lay theologian. He is a member and a co-coordinator of the Intercontinental Seminar Group Peter & Paul and is an Expert of the XVI Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops on Synodality. He serves as Expert of CELAM (Latin American Episcopal Council) and Member of the Theological Advisory Team of the Presidency of CLAR (Latin American Confederation of Religious). He holds a Doctorate in Theology from the Pontifical Gregorian University; and conducted postdoctoral research at the Julius Maximilians Universität. In recognition of his theological and pastoral contributions to the global Church, he was awarded an honorary Doctor Honoris Causa in Theology from the Aquinas Institute of Theology (USA). He is Full Professor at the Universidad Católica Andrés Bello in Caracas and has been Extraordinary Professor at Boston College School of Theology and Ministry. He teaches Ecclesiology, Latin American Theology, Vatican II, and Synodality in the Church.

William Masur, MS, is a husband, father, creator of the Men of Character Conference, and author of The Book of Uncomfortable Truths: A Guide to Navigating the Modern World & Forging Your Own Destiny. He is a revert Catholic who began to fall into the errors of traditionalism, but by the grace of God discovered the true teachings of The Church.

Tyler McNabb, PhD, is an Associate Professor of Philosophy at Saint Francis University in Loretto, Pennsylvania. Previously, he has held an Associate Professorship at The University of Saint Joseph in Macau, China, as well as an Assistant Professorship at Houston Baptist University, and a Postdoctoral Fellowship at the University of Macau. He is the author of several well-regarded books, including Religious Epistemology (Elements in the Philosophy of Religion). He is also the co-author of Classical Theism and Buddhism: Connecting Metaphysical and Ethical Systems (2023) and Plantingian Religious Epistemology and World Religions (2018). He is the co-editor of The Cambridge Handbook of Religious Epistemology (2023) and Philosophy and the Spiritual Life (2023).

Andrew Mioni grew up among traditionalists during his involvement with four different groups. He was raised in the Society of St. John (SSJ) and the Fraternal Society of St. Peter (FSSP), he attended a high school run by the Society of St. Pius X (SSPX), and as a young adult he attended Mass with the Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest (ICKSP). He earned a BA in English from Kansas State University and lives with his family in upstate New York. Andrew is the co-founder of TradRecovery.com, a support network and resource center for recovering traditionalists. He is also the author of Altar Against Altar: An Analysis of Catholic Traditionalism (2024) from En Route Books.

Father Bernard Mulcahy, OP, PhD, is Associate Professor of Theology and a spiritual director at the Pontifical College Josephinum in Columbus, Ohio. He is the author of Aquinas’s Notion of Pure Nature and the Christian Integralism of Henri de Lubac: Not Everything Is Grace. He belongs to the Province of St. Joseph of the Order of Friars Preachers.

Timothy O’Malley, PhD, Professor of the Practice, is the Director of Education at the McGrath Institute for Church Life and Academic Director of the Notre Dame Center for Liturgy. He holds a concurrent appointment in the Department of Theology at the University of Notre Dame. He earned his undergraduate degree in theology and philosophy, as well as an MTS in liturgical studies, from the University of Notre Dame, and completed a doctorate in theology and education from Boston College, focusing on Augustinian liturgical formation. His research and teaching covers liturgical-sacramental theology, marriage and family, Catholic higher education, catechesis, preaching, and spirituality, adapting Romano Guardini’s approach to modern liturgical formation. O’Malley has authored nine books on liturgy, RCIA, the Eucharist, and related topics, and he is also a senior contributor and editor of the McGrath Institute’s Church Life Journal. Prof. O’Malley is married with two children and is originally from Knoxville, TN.

Emmett O’Regan, PhD, completed his doctoral thesis, “The Indefectibility of the Apostolic See: The Nature and Scope of Divine Assistance for the Ordinary Exercise of the Papal Magisterium” at the Loyola Institute, Trinity College Dublin. After graduating with First Class honors in 2006, he won the theology prize scholarship at the Institute of Theology at Queen’s University Belfast. He also won the Sean O’Riordan scholarship at the Loyola Institute, Trinity College Dublin in 2019, and the Loyola Trust PhD scholarship in 2020. His writings have appeared in publications including Nova et Vetera, Theological Studies, Vatican Insider, and the Catholic Truth Society. He is the author of Unveiling the Apocalypse: The Final Passover of the Church, and The End of the World: What Catholics Believe.

James L. Papandrea, MDiv, PhD, is an award-winning author and Professor of Church History and Historical Theology, as well as the host of the Catholic Culture Podcast, “The Way of the Fathers,” and the Theological Consultant for the EWTN Television series, The Heresies. Jim has an MDiv from Fuller Theological Seminary, and a PhD from Northwestern University in the history and theology of the early Christian Church, with secondary concentrations in New Testament interpretation and the history of the Roman Empire. He has also studied Roman history at the American Academy in Rome. He is on the faculty at Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary, and is a senior fellow of the St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology. He was named a “Springtime Ambassador” by the Springtime of Faith Foundation. Jim is also a member of multiple professional organizations, including the Academy of Catholic Theology, the North American Patristics Society, and the Society of Biblical Literature.

Adam Rasmussen, PhD, is a Religious Studies teacher at Our Lady of Good Counsel High School in Olney, Maryland. He has a PhD in Theology and Religious studies from The Catholic University of America, specializing in historical theology and early Christianity. He is the author of Genesis and Cosmos: Basil and Origen on Genesis 1 and Cosmology (Bible in Ancient Christianity 14; Brill, 2019).

Cardinal Robert Sarah was born in Guinea, West Africa. Made an Archbishop by Pope St. John Paul II and a Cardinal by Pope Benedict XVI, he was named the Prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments by Pope Francis in 2014. He is the author of God or Nothing, and many other books.

Steven J. Schloeder, PhD, AIA, is a theologian, architect, and author. He received the Bachelor of Architecture cum laude from Arizona State University and completed the Master in Architecture degree at the University of Bath, studying under Prof. Michael Brawne. His thesis, The Architecture of the Vatican Two Church, was published as Architecture in Communion (Ignatius Press, 1998). Schloeder received the Presidential Fellowship at the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, CA, where he attained the PhD in theology, working under Rev. Dr. Michael Morris, OP. His architecture firm Liturgical Environs serves Catholic church projects for new build, and remodel and design.

Suan Sonna, MTS, currently serves as the Director of Apologetics for the Diocese of Bridgeport, CT. Having completed his New Testament studies at Harvard Divinity School, Suan is currently pursuing an MAR in Second Temple Judaism at Yale. He runs the YouTube channel and podcast “Intellectual Catholicism.”

Michel Therrien, STL, SThD, is the President and CEO of Preambula Group. Before founding Preambula Group, he was the President of the Institute for Pastoral Leadership and Director of Evangelization for the Diocese of Pittsburgh. He previously taught and served as Academic Dean at the Augustine Institute in Denver and at Saint Vincent Seminary in Latrobe, PA. Michel holds a BA in Theology from Gonzaga University, an MA in Theology and Christian Ministry from Franciscan University of Steubenville, a Licentiate in Sacred Theology from the International Theological Institute, and a Doctorate in Fundamental Moral Theology (SThD) from the University of Fribourg. He has authored The Catholic Faith Explained (2020) and Wounded Witness (2023).

Very Reverend Canon, Francis J. Tiso, PhD, is a distinguished Catholic priest and scholar known for his work in interreligious dialogue, particularly with Tibetan Buddhism. He holds an AB from Cornell, an MDiv cum laude from Harvard, and a PhD from Columbia and Union Theological Seminary. A canon of the Cathedral of St. Peter the Apostle in Isernia, Italy, he serves as Director of the Diocesan Office of Ecumenism and Interreligious Dialogue, Regional Coordinator for Dialogue with Islamic Communities in Abruzzo and Molise, Diocesan Chaplain to Migrants, and Associate Pastor of Ave Gratia Plena Parish in Gallo Matese (CE). Fr. Tiso has taught Tibetan Buddhism at the Pontifical Gregorian University and is known for translating early biographies of the Tibetan yogi Milarepa, and for his research on the rainbow body phenomenon in Tibet. In 1995, he accompanied Cardinal Francis Arinze, then head of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue, to a major dialogue with Buddhist leaders in Taiwan. From 2004 to 2009 he was Associate Director of the Secretariat for Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs at the USCCB. He also serves on the Board of Directors of Mind and Life Europe, is a musician, and paints in acrylics and watercolors.

Laura Vander Vos is a lifelong Catholic, wife, mother of 4 (so far), sacred musician of 17 years, author, and host of the Misshappycatholic YouTube channel and podcast. She is the co-founder of TradRecovery.com, a support network and resource center for recovering traditionalists. She loves her family, their home state of Montana, studying Liturgy, and reading G.K. Chesterton.

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Talking to Myself: Spiritual Musings and Inspirations in Verse and Reflections by Teresa Arthur

Talking to Myself: Spiritual Musings and Inspirations in Verse and Reflections by Teresa Arthur

Talking to Myself: Spiritual Musings and Inspirations in Verse and Reflections

by Teresa Arthur

Talking to Myself is a deeply personal collection of spiritual poetry and reflective prose by Teresa Arthur. Written in the wake of a cancer diagnosis, this book is a testimony of faith, resilience, and divine intimacy. Drawing strength from Scripture, the author explores themes of suffering, trust, healing, and hope. Each poem and meditation invites readers into a sacred dialogue with God, encouraging spiritual renewal and introspection through life’s trials and triumphs.

Full-color Paperback: $14.95 | Kindle: $9.99

TESTIMONIALS

“In Talking to Myself, Teresa Arthur crafts a luminous tapestry of verse and reflection. Her spiritual resilience and poetic insight uplift the soul and inspire a profound encounter with the mercy of God.” – Dr. Sebastian Mahfood, OP, author of The Narrative Spirituality of Dante’s Divine Comedy

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Teresa ArthurTeresa Arthur, abandoned a career as a doctor, not wanting to risk a burning flame of love in Bombay melt away while studying medicine in a city 600 kms away. A science graduate at the time, she, instead, taught science and chemistry, first in India, later in the United Arab Emirates and lastly in Canada. An ardent reader of history and fiction and a culinary wizard in multi -ethnic cuisine, she had never made known her secret passion for poetry, her soul’s freedom and her heart’s mouthpiece. So, in time, verses poured out on the pages of her journals every time beauty and truth would awaken her. But when in July 2018, a cancer diagnosis came down on her like a ton of bricks, she sharpened her pencils and her verses shifted focus to thoughts on faith, the mystical, creation, human suffering and above all, the gospels of Jesus Christ. She and her husband Robin live in Halifax. They have three children and seven grandchildren.

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Donum vitae: Instruction on Respect for Human Life in Its Origin and on the Dignity of Procreation–Replies to Certain Questions of the Day by The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith

Donum vitae: Instruction on Respect for Human Life in Its Origin and on the Dignity of Procreation–Replies to Certain Questions of the Day by The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith

Donum vitae: Instruction on Respect for Human Life in Its Origin and on the Dignity of Procreation–Replies to Certain Questions of the Day

by The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith

Donum vitae (“The Gift of Life”) addresses moral questions surrounding human life and procreation in light of advancements in biomedical technology. Issued by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith on February 22, 1987, it emphasizes the sanctity of human life from conception and the dignity of procreation within marriage. The document critiques practices like in vitro fertilization and embryo experimentation, asserting that such interventions must respect human dignity and align with moral law. It serves as a guide for ethical considerations in reproductive technologies.
 
Paperback: $9.99 | Kindle: $9.99

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Dignitas personae: On Certain Bioethical Questions by The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (Dec. 8, 2008)

Dignitas personae: On Certain Bioethical Questions by The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (Dec. 8, 2008)

Dignitas personae: On Certain Bioethical Questions (Dec. 8, 2008)

by The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith

Dignitas personae (“The Dignity of the Person”) addresses contemporary bioethical issues in light of Church teaching. Issued by the Vatican’s Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith on September 8, 2008, it reaffirms the sanctity of human life from conception to natural death and evaluates new biomedical technologies, including in vitro fertilization, stem cell research, and genetic engineering. The document emphasizes that scientific advancements must respect human dignity and moral law, providing ethical guidance for Catholics navigating modern reproductive and genetic technologies.
 
Paperback: $9.99 | Kindle: $9.99

SUPPORTIVE QUOTES

“Christian faith and ethics do not wish to stifle love but to make it healthy, strong and truly free: this is the exact meaning of the Ten Commandments, which are not a series of “noes” but a great “yes” to love and to life.” – Pope Benedict XVI, Address to the Participants, at the Ecclesial Convention of the Diocese of Rome (5 June 2006)

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