Bible Scholar Fr. Thomas Stegman Will Be Interviewed Live on CatholicTV

On April 9th, Fr. Thomas Stegman, S.J., author of “Second Corinthians:Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture (Baker Academic, 2009), will be interviewed on the live CatholicTV talk show “This is the Day”. This is the Day airs at 10:30AM ET at CatholicTV.com and on CatholicTV. The show is rebroadcast at 7:30PM. Fr. Stegman is an Associate Professor at Boston College School of Theology and Ministry where he teaches several courses including a course on the New Testament. He studied at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, St. Charles Borromeo Seminary (Philadelphia), Marquette University, Weston Jesuit School of Theology, and Emory University, where he received his doctorate in New Testament Studies. A member of the Wisconsin Province of the Society of Jesus (the Jesuits) since 1985, he regularly presides and preaches at local parishes and has offered several Ignatian retreats throughout the country. Fr. Stegman is the author of The Character of Jesus: The Linchpin to Paul’s Argument in 2 Corinthians (Pontificio Istituto Biblico, 2005). CatholicTV airs several programs which explore scripture and the Catholic faith and some of these include (but are not limited to): The Prophets and You with Dr. John Clabeaux http://www.catholictv.com/shows/default.aspx?seriesID=152 Prayer in the Catechism with Fr. Benedict Groeschel, CFR http://www.catholictv.com/shows/default.aspx?seriesID=122 Episodes of “This is the Day” are posted on the site’s archives starting the same night of the broadcast day. All videos at the website are viewable in full-screen. Paste this URL into your browser in order to access the “This is the Day” video archives. http://www.CatholicTV.com/shows/default.aspx?seriesID=72

Jesuit and Fathers of Mercy Vocation Directors to Appear on CatholicTV

In the continuing spirit of Vocation Awareness Week, CatholicTV will feature 2 different Vocation Directors on the CatholicTV live talk show “This is the Day”. Fr. Jack Butler (pictured above), Director of Vocations for the New England Province of the Jesuits will appear on January 8th, while Fr. Tony Stephens, Vocation Director of the Fathers of Mercy will appear on January 12th.

“This is the Day” streams live at CatholicTV.com and is also viewable on CatholicTV where available, to find out what channel in your area please visit: http://www.catholictv.com/schedule/where-to-watch.aspx. The show will air live during the above dates at 10:30AM ET, will rebroadcast at 8PM the same day, and will also be added to the CatholicTV.com archives.

Jack Butler, S.J. also works as a campus minister at Boston College, where there is a center for vocational discernment called Manresa. The primary purpose of Manresa

House is to promote vocations to the Catholic Church. Every person has a specific call from God, whether it is priestly, religious, married or single life. Manresa hosts vocational discernment weekend visits to help students discover their vocation. College president Fr. William Leahy, SJ, also holds monthly discussion groups for those considering ministerial priesthood.

Fr. Jack Butler grew up in Atlanta, Georgia and entered the Society of Jesus in 1991. Fr. Butler is trained in counseling and has worked in prison ministry, hospitals treatment centers, the education apostolate, and formation within the Society.

Fr. Tony Stephens, C.P.M. was born in 1976 and is a native of Angelus, Kansas. In 1999, Fr. Tony graduated from Christendom College in Front Royal, Virginia. Discerning a call to religious life and the priesthood, he joined the Fathers of Mercy in 2000. He studied for the priesthood at the Pontifical College Josephinum in Columbus, Ohio, and was ordained a priest in 2005.

Father Tony Stephens

The Society of Jesus a.k.a. the “Jesuits” is the largest male religious order in the Catholic Church, with over 18,000 members. The founder of the Jesuits was St. Ignatius of Loyola.

The Congregation of the Fathers of Mercy was founded in 1808, originally under the title of "the Missionaries of France." It is now an exclusively American community, headquartered in Kentucky. The primary apostolate of the Fathers of Mercy is to conduct parish missions and retreats in an effort to re-evangelize and revitalize the faith of those who hear.

These episodes of “This is the Day” will be available on the site’s archives starting the same night of the broadcast day. All videos at the website are viewable in full-screen. Paste this URL into your browser in order to access the “This is the Day” video archives. http://www.CatholicTV.com/shows/default.aspx?seriesID=72

Homeboy Industries Founder Fr. Greg Boyle and Fellow Catholics Highlighted on CatholicTV

During the week beginning November 2nd, CatholicTV will air a special program which highlights Catholics putting their faith into action. The special program is called Faith Works Across the USA (Faith Works). Faith Works takes a look at numerous Catholic ministries and the lay persons, priests, and religious involved. These ministries include Homeboy Industries, which is a special organization which works with formerly gang-involved youth to help them with job placement, training, and education. Fr.Greg Boyle, S.J. founded Homeboy Industries and during the Faith Works television program, he mentions how on many occasions he’s been in the crossfire of gang shootings. Father Boyle also shares his personal experience of presiding at the funerals and burials of 134 of the kids he has worked with in his ministry.

CatholicTV is a nationally-broadcasted television network headquartered near Boston. CatholicTV streams its broadcast simultaneously, 24 hours a day at www.CatholicTV.com

Faith Works highlights several other ministries including the Youth Migrant Project; a volunteer organization which consists largely of young people from the Archdiocese of Seattle. The teens spend a week or more serving at day care centers, staffing food pantries and other service centers which support migrant workers in the area. After witnessing the impoverished living conditions of the workers, many of the young people involved with the program leave with an enhanced appreciation for their own luxuries such as having their own bedrooms and access to showers.

Another ministry featured on Faith Works is the Café Reconcile which resides in a high-crime area near downtown New Orleans. Café Reconcile was founded by another Jesuit priest named Fr. Harry Tompson, S.J. Café Reconcile also employs at-risk youths and teaches them the skills they need to gain and sustain employment.

The United States Catholic Conference of Bishops (USCCB) Communications funds projects such as Faith Works through the Catholic Communications Campaign. “ Faith Works is a collection of videos showing people, places and programs affecting faith in our everyday lives” and is produced by the USCCB to promote Gospel values. CatholicTV airs specials such as Faith Works each week. In addition to the USCCB, dioceses, religious communities, independent film makers and apostolates from all over the nation and the world produce documentary pieces which CatholicTV airs in a programming block entitled CatholicTV Presents. This programming block is established to share the Good News and works that Catholics are called to in the spiritual and corporal works of mercy.

Air times for CatholicTV Presents each week are (EST): Monday 2:00PM Tuesday 10:30PM Wednesday 4:00PM Thursday 6:30AM Friday 9:30PM Saturday 10:30AM Sunday 2:00AM


More information on CatholicTV presents is available at: http://www.catholictv.com/shows/default.aspx?seriesID=26

Toys That Promote Vocations? Creators of Vocation Dolls To Appear on CatholicTV

On January 5th, the makers of the "Wee Believers" Vocation Dolls, Steve and Joni Abdalla will be featured in a live interview on the CatholicTV Talk Show "This is the Day". Wee Believers is a Catholic toy company which is best known for the toy Mass Kit it produces. Steve and Joni were first inspired by their children to make Catholic toys which would help with the spiritual growth and formation of children.

This episode of “This is the Day” will stream live at www.CatholicTV.com and on CatholicTV where available on January 5th at 10:30AM ET. The show will be rebroadcast at 8PM the same day and will also be added to the website archives the same day.

Each Wee Believers product is accompanied by a companion booklet, written to compliment the particular toy with relevant and educational material. The vocations dolls "Sr. Mary Clara" and "Fr. Juan Pablo" dolls, are accompanied by a booklet featuring the real-life vocation stories of five priests and five religious Sisters.

“Our hope is that by playing with the Vocation Dolls™, children will grow in virtue with a deeper understanding of their Catholic faith,” says Steve Abdalla. “We pray that the Holy Spirit will use these dolls to call more men and women to the consecrated religious life..”

The Most Reverend Raymond L Burke, Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura said of the Mass Kit, “When I was in first grade, I used to like to play Mass with the participation of my siblings and the neighboring children. My parents bought for me a Mass Kit for children, which was available at the time. It has a plastic chasuble and stole and little dishes and candles, much like this kit... I can tell you that that little Mass kit played its part in fostering my vocation to the priesthood.”

During the month of January, "This is the Day" will feature several guests who will discuss vocations including the Director of Vocations for the New England Province of the Jesuits, The Vocation Director of the Fathers of Mercy, and the co-founders of Family Vocation Ministries. Each week, CatholicTV airs a special programing block entitled “The Call” devoted to promoting vocations. More information is available at http://www.catholictv.com/shows/default.aspx?seriesID=145&videoID=847