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Book cover titled "Designed To Fail: Catholic Education in America" by Steve Kellmeyer. Features a black cover with a photo of two people embracing, and an illustration of St. Peter's Basilica in the background."

Plugged into the System Catholic Schools and Compulsory Education: Book review of Designed to Fail: Catholic Education in America By Steve Kellmeyer Bridegroom Press, 2005 (221 pages)

Think the education system is merely limited by funds? Maybe there was a problem from the beginning causing our kids to fail. Stephanie Block analyzes whether Steve Kellmeyer’s book Designed to Fail hits the nail on the head or slips off the mark.

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Bellarmine Forum Podcasts titled "Footnote" by Dr. Christopher Manion. Features a stylized illustration of St. Peter's Basilica with red lightning bolts above it, on a beige background."

Footnote 38: Upside Down Catholics

Upside Down Catholics: Isn’t it curious that many Catholics who insist that the Church adopt their left-wing political agenda are the same dissidents who refuse to embrace the Church’s magisterial teachings?

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Two brochures titled "Saving Christian Marriage" with a gold cross and wedding rings on a blue background. The text is in black and brown, set against a beige border."

Same Sex Marriage: When Two Can Never Be One

The term oxymoron is derived for a Greek phrase meaning “pointedly foolish.” And that is exactly what the talk about same-sex “marriage” amounts to, for it contains within itself a contradiction as great, say, as the idea would be for motionless football or batless baseball [ed. note: or baseball card packs without bubble gum]. Were…

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1989 Topps Major League Baseball card pack with a white baseball, blue and red text. Features 15 stickers, gum, and a spring training ticket offer. Bright yellow and red design with the year 1989 prominently displayed.

Baseball Cards Without Bubble Gum, 20 Years On

I recall finding out, to my horror, in the early 1990s, that Topps Baseball Card packages were no longer including their trademark brittle piece of gum that had been a mainstay of American boys’ youth since the late 1940s and early 1950s.  At the time, my card collecting days were over but they were not for my…

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Text "From Under the Rubble" over a background of rough, gray and brown stones with some green moss."

From Under the Rubble…The Gibbons Legacy

American Church (Russell Shaw: Ignatius Press, 2013; $16.95) Deep in the heartland of Indiana, nestled below the main altar of Sacred Heart Basilica on the campus of the University of Notre Dame, there lies a crypt housing a small altar, a few pews, a baptismal font, and the tomb of Orestes Brownson, one of the most…

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A judge declares two people are no longer married in a divorce court scene, while an illustration of Jesus says they are still married to each other. The judge is at a bench, and the couple sits in front of him. The background is red with black outlines. Text: "You are no longer married to each other." and "You are still married TO EACH OTHER."

If that was yesterday… Marriage catechism needs updated

From the old Baltimore Catechism… My how times have changed… That’s not even scratching the surface of Our Lord’s words: Have ye not read, that he who made man from the beginning, Made them male and female? (Matt. xix. 4). Yet, people have hinged all their happiness on the idea that marriage is something different….

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A man and woman in a bar setting, smiling at the camera. The man is wearing a white shirt, and the woman has on a plaid dress. Shelves of bottles are visible in the background.

Needed: Catholic Cab Drivers and Bartenders

Some years back–in an interview on EWTN–Francis Cardinal George, Archbishop of Chicago, was addressing some of the pressing needs of the Church.  He said–and I paraphrase–“we need Catholic cab drivers and bartenders.”  It was a comment that elicited a chuckle, but the truth of it was very serious and speaks to the way the Church understands…

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Bellarmine Forum Podcasts titled "Footnote" by Dr. Christopher Manion. Features a stylized illustration of St. Peter's Basilica with red lightning bolts above it, on a beige background."

Footnote 37: Negotiating With the Church

Negotiating With The Church: When people challenge the magisterial teachings of the Church and offer views that are diametrically opposed, should the Church meet them halfway in the spirit of “Consensus”?

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Religious icons of Jesus and John the Baptist in a church setting with incense burner, featuring text: "REPENT!!! I MUST DECREASE THE HE MAY INCREASE." The icons are colorful with gold halos, and the text is bold."

Some People think ‘Losing Their Head’ is the Way to Imitate John the Baptist

Was John the Baptist a mere political activist, speaking truth to power? Why did St. john the Baptist survive death threats when Peter wilted at mere questions from bystanders? How and what can we learn from St. John the Baptist on his feast? What does he tell us about religious liberty?

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A person walking in a desert landscape with text overlay: "Acrobats, Daredevils, and... 'Thank you, Jesus?'". The scene is live with a time stamp of 04:24. The person wears a blue shirt and green vest, with rocky terrain in the background."

Acrobats, Daredevils, and … “Thank You, Jesus”?

This evening, Discovery Channel aired a two hour special wherein Nik Wallenda walked across the Grand Canyon on a tightrope, with no fall protection. The Wallenda family is several generations deep of acrobats, and tight wire performances. They aren’t amateurs at this sort of performance, but I was taken aback by something different. Besides Joel Osteen being…

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