Mary Valle
Mary Valle lives in Baltimore and is the author of Cancer Doesn't Give a Shit About Your Stupid Attitude: Reflections on Cancer and Catholicism. She blogs on KtB as The Communicant. For more Mary, check out her blog or follow her on Twitter.
Recent Posts by Mary
It’s Personal, LePage
In another salvo by government against organized labor, Governor Paul LePage of Maine has recently seen fit to singlehandedly (and quite possibly illegally) take down a mural in Maine’s Department of Labor building depicting the history of Maine labor. It was taken down secretly and is currently hidden in an undisclosed location. Apparently images of…
Possible Future Child-Slavery Plans
“… minutes after witnessing the marriage of his 15-year-old daughter in Nevada, the 41-year-old Oler collected a 15-year-old bride of his own and took her home to Bountiful.” (source) Warren Jeffs, under fire for his part in a possible Canadian girl-smuggling operation, may have had other plans as well, as revealed by notes in his…
A Crime Against Fertility
Dearest Daughter, I can only hope this message reaches you safely. After the Government tossed me into an Unmarked Van I was taken to this Place. I know not where it is, only that it’s rather Old-Fashioned and the People are Garbed Accordingly. They said I am guilty of a Crime Against Fertility. I am…
coughRome!cough
He wants to shepherd a flock of God’s people but can’t, ’cause he’s single. *Ahem.* “Those collars are kind of cool.”
Alles Gute zum Geburtstag, Rudolf
A truly magical mystery tour is about to leave Cologne, travel through Croatia, and end up in Vienna. It’s a train journey celebrating the 150th birthday of Rudolf Steiner, who is probably best known in this country as the founder of the Waldorf schools. Do you know any children who are not allowed to watch…
Nuns are People Too
I am rarely moved to tears by prose. Put on The Umbrellas of Cherbourg or cue up “Space Oddity” by David Bowie and you will be guaranteed a few of them, if that’s what you want. You probably don’t. But when reading does cause me to cry, it’s somehow more real. It hurts. I can…
Whither Thou, Reconciliation?
Maureen Dowd and NPR report on a new iPhone app which is supposed to provide a “cheat sheet” for confession. Ideally, this app will get Catholics back in the box. It asks you questions according to your gender, age and state of life: for example, if you are a woman, have you had an abortion…
Marian Apparition Research Trip
Dear Buddha-Killers in Charge, I need a ticket to Wisconsin to investigate the first validated Marian apparitions in the United States, at Our Lady of Good Help in Champion, WI. Oddly enough, there’s an unofficial Marian shrine at the site of some discounted Marian sightings in Necedah, Wisconsin. There’s something here, but I don’t think…
Mortician or Priest
What kind of exorcist do America’s movie theaters really need?
Buddha-Killing on Network TV
My good husband brought this to my attention. In this recent episode of Fringe, Pacey from Dawson’s Creek gives the book If You Meet the Buddha on the Road, Kill Him! to the Nordicly blond FBI agent he works with on supernatural cases, and, apparently, does not have sex with for some stupid TV-reason. You…
Communicant’s Friday Roundup
10:15 am, Charles Street Marian blue is so pretty in the snow 2 pm, Roland Avenue Two young priests leave Starbucks I hope they are discussing Evil 6:15, Greenspring Avenue Going to pick up meds I almost plow down many groups of Jews
Steelers/Ravens Playoff Religion Update
This weekend’s Steelers/Ravens playoff game in Pittsburgh will feature more than the two teams, bitter rivals, representing formerly glorious postindustrial American cities. We will also witness the athletic feats of two serious religious practitioners. For the Steelers: safety Troy Polamalu, a devotee of the Greek Orthodox monk Elder Ephraim, with whom he has met in…
Mother/Daughter Chat: Catholic School
“What was that kind of school you went to, Mom?” asked my seven-year-old daughter, Margaret, the other day. “Catholic, honey.” “And what were those things—those outfits?” “Uniforms?” “I’m glad I don’t have to wear those. And what else did you have to do?” “Go to church, learn about God, line up a lot, I don’t…
Doing Good Made Easy
I have this thing about “helping” other people, but it doesn’t always work out the way I imagine it will. For example, I read that Courtney Love had taken up Buddhist chanting. Great! I thought. I’ll ask her if she wants to do an interview, via Twitter. I began sending her encouraging bits from the…
Aharon Friedman: Messiah Stopper
What’s stopping the Messiah from coming? It’s you, Jewish husbands who refuse to give your wives “gets” and thus create agunots—women who are legally divorced but cannot marry again in the Jewish faith—at least according to Rabbi Shmuel Herzfeld of Washington. Regarding the refusal of Aharon Friedman, a Republican tax counsel on the House Ways…
Jesus in Space
Mormon astronauts: take me with you!
Schedule Change
From the Desk of the Principal The Very Special School 11 Leafy Lane East Coast, USA Dear Parents, As you all know, our middle school Divinity Club has worked really hard this year raising money to bring a musical show from Ireland to TVSS for our traditional Second-Semester Convocation. Unfortunately, the much-anticipated “All Priests Show”…
The Christmas Tree Conundrum
I heard a radio commercial recently singing the praises of locally-farmed Christmas trees. Eco-friendly, ’cause a bunch of trees are planted for each farmed tree. Natural, not full of plastic. Supporting local farmers. Smells good and all that. Sure. But, to me, it’s still a dead tree which gets dolled up like a corpse, laid…