We do indeed need to show joy as Catholics. My motto — “Be happily and uncomplicatedly Catholic.”
Michael J. Sheehan, Archbishop ofSanta Fe
– The Joyful Catholic has been added to the select list of Catholic Blogs.
– The British government is planning to end the current ban on religious ceremonies for same-sex marriages, but churches would not be required to perform such ceremonies.
– Regarding where your charity dollars go, Catholic Charities and Salvation Army have the smallest administrative expenses. Those who eat up most of your charitable dollars before they reach recipients are: 
UNICEF ($1,200,000 for CEO Careel Stern); American Red Cross ($652,000 salary for President Marsha Evans), The United Way ($375,000 for President Brian Gallagher).
– The World Bank reported that surging food prices have pushed 44million people worldwide into extreme poverty. This increases the number of undernourished people to 1 billion.
– In his Easter message, Rowan Williams, Archbishop of Canterbury, endorsed (though not specifically) us Joyful Catholics when he said, “We are officially told it is good to be happy. Politicians have started talking about happiness rather than prosperity and there is even a research programme on the subject… Let a thousand street parties blossom!”
Today’s Martyrs
Qamar David, a Catholic businessman inPakistan, who was imprisoned for life for blasphemy against the Koran, was tortured and murdered in jail on March 15.
My favorite priest, layperson, breathing saint or organization
Tom Crowe recommends Father Michael Scanlan at the Franciscan University of Steubenville. “In 1974 when he took charge of the failing college, Father Scanlon re-invigorated it with the person of Jesus Christ, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, trying in every way to make the person of Christ the center of College activities. In getting to know the students, to solve the major problem of loneliness he launched the faith household system in which, today, 60 % of the student body participate. Under his guidance, the school grew from a few hundred students to over 2,400.
“He initiated summer youth conferences which last year had 35,000 teens participating in 18 locations across the U. S.and Canada. On the local level, he was a champion of civil rights and personally integrated the local public swimming pool.
“Father Mike, though his devotion to the Holy Spirit and his dedication to education has done as much as any single person in this country over the past 50 years to rebuild this Church. He is moving on to the next phase of his life. We are all better, much better, for his work at the tiny college in this post-industrial rust belt town, because from it emanates a spirit, an energy that can set the world on fire.
(Now, tell me about your favorite Catholic priest, layperson or organization that is making a difference.)
Interesting sayings
As I sit here, the beating of my heart, the ebb and flow of my breathing, the movements of my mind are all signs of God’s ongoing creation of me. I pause for a moment and become aware of the presence of God within me.
Sacred Space: The Prayer Book 2009
If the secular, scientific culture behaves like a rabbit, leaping across vast areas of discovery and invention, the Catholic Church too often behaves like a turtle, crawling up from behind, hesitant to accept new scientific discoveries.
Ilia Delio, O.S.F.
In Eugene O’Neill’s play, Lazarus Laughed, a witness standing by the tomb, half dead with fright, tells how Jesus and Lazarus looked at each other for a long time. Then Jesus smiles and Lazarus begins to laugh and cries out, “There is no death! There’s only life!”
Patricia Livingston
Communiqués
– I congratulate your for your blog which fecundates our Catholicism.
Roger Wentworth,Cambridge,MA
– Your continuing to report on today’s Christians martyrs puts a dampener on the concept of respect for other religions.
Rezar Johnson, New York, NY
– How can I suggest a topic for one of your future blogs?
Helen Ellis, Miami, FL
(Please be my guest and send your suggestions to me at aljagoe@comcast.net)
Chuckle time
The bishop went into the church office and handed several pieces of paper to a young volunteer standing next to the shredder, “Please help me,” he said. “I don’t know how to work these different machines.”
After the volunteer inserted the papers and pressed the button, the bishop said, “This is tomorrow’s homily I have been working on for two weeks. I only want one copy.”
Special Intentions List
As you pray with a broad brush, please include these loved ones, who have been submitted by our readers. You, too, are invited to send me names of your special persons who are in need of prayer. My address is aljagoe@comcast.net. They will be on the list for 60 days. At the end of that time, if prayers are still needed, you merely have to renew the name.
Juanita Caldwell, Isola Todd, Jill Todd, David Abbey, Linwood “Skip” Williams, Roseanne Somlock, Nicholas Gallagher, Tom Lewis, Donald Whitcomb, Violeta Zepeda, John Aylor, Rev. Joseph Marini, Enrique Portillo,
Sharon McPike, Tom Ryan, Joseph Normile, Jim Quimby, Russell Edwards,
Rev. Stephen Huffstetter, Hugh Cannon, Eric Moore, Joan Barrett,
8-year-old Michael Fotta and his parents, Lolita Alvarez,
Camilus Musselman, Ed Block, Isobel Milligan, Peter Bartkiewiez and his family, Joe Toles, Camilus Musselman, Ed Cole, Bishop Thomas Olmsted,
Jay Parker, William Stephenson, Roger Stoven, Bob Abbott, Denny Kline, Lois Pinkin, Larry Mannino, Cheryl DeSantis, Lenore Sommers
Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, Laura Marsh, Marie Lyons, John Vaughey,
Christian martyrs in the Middle East, those in refugee camps throughout the world, the Japanese victims of their recent calamity.
The Joyful Catholic 