New Television Series Teaches Catholic Singles How to Become ‘Marriage Material’

Starting in May, we will air a new television series entitled “The Road to Cana”. This series teaches single Catholics about dating, sex, finding that special someone, etc. Leading experts such as Fr. Benedict Groeschel offer their insight into dating, marriage, and preparing for marriage.

“What is the secret to a happy marriage? Am I too picky? Did I miss Mr./Mrs. Right already?” The Road to Cana attempts to answer these questions from a Catholic perspective. The series is unique in that it focuses on life BEFORE marriage rather than during marriage. In the series, Father Groeschel suggests that “marriage prep should start when you are single”.

Series themes include:

* The Perfect Person
* Do Looks Matter?
* What Women and Men Want
* Choosing Wisely
* Approaching Dating
* Internet Dating

The series “The Road to Cana” can be viewed at the following times (EST).

*Wednesday- 1:30PM
*Thursday- Noon
*Friday- 4:30AM & 11:00PM

CatholicTV streams at http://www.catholictv.com/ in full-screen and free of charge.

Commission for Women Members and Monastery Prioress to Appear on "This is the Day"

Catholic singer, publisher, and editor Susan Bailey will make an appearance on the CatholicTV talk show “This is the Day” on Friday, May 1st. Also featured on the show will be Marie Fusaro Davis. Both Susan and Marie are from the Commission for Women of the Diocese of Worcester. The Commission is a consultative group for the Bishop Robert J. McManus of Worcester, focusing on issues affecting women in the church and in society. The commission is preparing for the November "Gather Us In" Conference which will be held in November.

Mother Mary Anne Noll

Also on “This is the Day” will be Mother Mary Anne Noll, O.S.B. Mother Mary Anne is the Prioress of St. Emma Monastery. St Emma Monastery is in Greensburg, Pennsylvania. Mother Mary Anne has been a sister for 46 years. She is in charge of a monastery that welcomes about 2,000 visitors throughout the year. Donations from visitors and retreatants are the sisters' main source of income. The sisters gather six times each day to chant The Liturgy of the Hours in English using simplified Gregorian chant melodies.

These guests can be seen on Friday, May 1st live at 10:30AM (EST)

‘THERESE’ MOVIE PRODUCER FEATURED IN TELEVISION INTERVIEW

Brian Shields, producer of “Therese” the motion picture about Saint Therese of Lisieux, is featured in an interview on the CatholicTV talk show “This is the Day”. Brian discusses a new series he is working on called “The Altar Gang”. Also featured on the show will be musician Michael John Poirier.

CatholicTV is a nationally-broadcasted television station headquartered near Boston.

Brian Shields, a loving husband and father of four children, has 20 years of experience working in the motion picture industry. He has been intricately involved in a number of independent films. He was in the Emmy Award-winning series, “From Earth to the Moon” and has shared the screen with the likes of Rita Wilson, Montel Williams, and Michael Jordan.

After an awakening to his Catholic faith, Brian changed course and toured the country portraying St. Francis in a one-man drama. He produced the motion picture “Therese”, and a number of radio dramas for children. The great need for quality faith-based entertainment for children led him to start Lumen Entertainment. Lumen Entertainment is a non-profit (501-c3) made up of professionals in the entertainment industry who share a common vision of using art to evangelize the culture with the truths of the Catholic faith. Soon they will complete production on a video series The Altar Gang to promote the "Value of Life Project"

Also featured on the CatholicTV talk show “This is the Day”, will be Michael John Poirier. Michael is a travelling musician, husband, and father. He is one of 12 children. He has composed more than one-hundred songs, released ten music CD’s, a storytelling CD, and an Advent CD. Michael’s music can be purchased at World Library (www.wlpmusic.com). Learn more about Michael and his ministry at his website: www.michaeljohnpoirier.com

Michael once learned a powerful lesson in forgiveness after his grandmother was murdered. He spoke to Mother Teresa about the terrible incident and she insisted that he and his family forgive the killer. “(It is) not enough not to hate.” Mother Teresa told him, “Tell them to forgive this man from the heart and their pain will be lifted.”

The show will can be viewed at www.CatholicTV.com and is available on the site’s archives starting Tuesday night. All videos at the website are viewable in full-screen.

St. Gerard Majella Parishioners at CatholicTV

The presider at today's Daily Mass was Father Bob Deehan who works at the Pastoral Center of the Archdiocese of Boston. Pictured from left are Julia, Catherine, Father Bob, PJ, Jane and Jim.

Triathlete to Discuss Love and Sex On "This is the Day"

Brad Seng a triathlete, coach, and professional speaker will be featured in a live interview on the CatholicTV talk show “This is the Day” on Friday, April 24th.

Brad Seng taught high school English and coached high school for nine years. After witnessing firsthand the emotional and physical turmoil his students/athletes were experiencing from their misguided decisions about sexual intimacy, Brad recognized a need to provide today’s youth with a healthy message about dating, love and life. Brad is the former director of a crisis pregnancy center located in metropolitan Detroit and he has spoken to thousands of teens and young adults about the benefits of being physically & spiritually "buff". He is an Ironman for Christ, and a member of Catholic Athletes for Christ.

“This is the Day” is a weekly talk show on CatholicTV. It airs live twice each week and is then rebroadcast. Each episode of “This Is The Day” includes interviews of Catholic guests. Guests have included celebrities such as Boston Red Sox legend Johnny Pesky, musician Ray Herrmann (played with Chicago, Santana, Whitney Houston etc), Tarek Saab (from the Apprentice) and others. Bishops, clergy, and missionaries from all over the country and around the globe are also regular guests on the show. Each episode also includes Catholic Newsbreak with Kevin Nelson from around the world.

Brad Seng can be seen on Friday, April 24th live at 10:30AM (EST) on CatholicTV where available (rebroadcast at 8PM).

New Mexico Bishop Installation Mass Will Air Live on Television and Internet

On Thursday, April 23rd, CatholicTV will air a live broadcast of the Installation Mass of Bishop-elect Jim Wall as the new bishop of the diocese of Gallup, NM.

At age 44, Bishop-elect Wall will become the youngest diocesan bishop in America. The Diocese of Gallup serves about 60,000 Catholics across an area about the same size as New York State.

Two years ago, Bishop-elect Wall was appointed vicar for priests, a job requiring close contact with Bishop Olmsted. It also showed Bishop-elect Wall the important interplay between a bishop and his priests.
Bishop-elect Wall will take over as shepherd of a unique diocese. For example, the diocese does not have a single seminarian and priests commonly must travel long distances between churches.

The televised Installation Mass will feature Archbishop Michael J. Sheehan as principal consecrating bishop, along with Bishop Olmsted, who will preach, and Los Angeles Auxiliary Bishop Edward W. Clark. It takes three bishops to consecrate another.
After being installed as Bishop, Bishop Wall will travel to Rome in the fall for a two-week program for new bishops.

The Installation Mass will air at 8:00PM (Eastern) on April 23rd and will be rebroadcasted on April 24th at 12:30AM.

CatholicTV Nominated For Prestigious Award- Catholics Can Still Vote

CatholicTV has been nominated for a “Webby” by People’s Voice. The award is for “Best Religion and Spirituality Website”. The “Webby” was called the "Internet's highest honor" by the New York Times.

The Webby Awards honor excellence on the Internet. Last year, nearly half a million votes were cast and even more comments were posted to mark the biggest turnout in Webby history. Winners of Webby Awards are determined by online voting, which is open to anyone with access to the internet.

The CatholicTV.com website was mentioned in the L.A. Times and Wall Street Journal Digital Network (2-17-09). The website features “advanced streaming video technology, social features to engage a community of viewers, and an updated design that reflects the organization’s philosophy.”

Winners will be announced on May 5th, 2009 and honored at a star-studded ceremony in New York City on June 8th hosted by Seth Meyers. Winners will be able to share one of the Webby's famous five-word speeches with the world. Past Webby Award winners - and their speeches - include Al Gore ("Please don't recount this vote."), Beastie Boys ("Can anyone fix my computer?"), and Stephen Colbert ("Me. Me. Me. Me. Me.").

Votes can cast by visiting http://pv.webbyawards.com/. At the time of this writing, CatholicTV is in 2nd place behind the Religion and Ethics Weekly website.

Developer of Theology on Tap to Appear on "This is the Day"

Fr. John Cusick, the founder of the very popular “Theology on Tap” young adult gatherings will appear in a television interview on Tuesday, April 21st. Also on the show will be Shannon McNerney, the Executive Manager of Events at Oregon Catholic Press.

You can now follow this blog by clicking on the "follow" button on the right. Basically, it will help you meet others who have similar reading interests, learn about other blogs, and tell others what blogs you are reading. Perhaps one of your friends will see that you are reading a Catholic blog and will follow you here...

Theology on Tap is the name given to lectures sponsored by a number of local Roman Catholic dioceses. The lectures, which are often given by noted spiritual leaders and religious academics, address current topics in religion and theology, and are notable and sometimes controversial for their venue, which is normally a parish center, a bar or restaurant. The series was cofounded by Father John Cusick (a resident of Old St. Patrick's Parish, and director of the archdiocese's Young Adult Ministry) and Father Jack Wall in June 1981 in Arlington Heights, Illinois.

Since 2007, RENEW International has had responsibility for servicing and expanding THEOLOGY ON TAP in parishes and dioceses around the world.
Theology on Tap has exploded in popularity since its founding and has spread to more than 180 parishes and at least five other countries, including Canada, Italy, Taiwan, the Philippines, Ireland, and Hong Kong.

Fr. John Cusick is the Director of Young Adult Ministry for the Archdiocese of Chicago. Fr. Cusick is an author who wrote a book on encouraging young men to consider the priesthood and also coauthored “The Basic Guide to Young Adult Ministry”. Fr. Cusick has designed a number of programs, such as retreats dealing with work life, marriage for young people, and young adult Masses among others.

Also featured on the show will be Shannon McNerney, the Executive Manager of Events at Oregon Catholic Press. She will be discussing The OCP Reading Sessions which are scheduled in areas across the United States. These sessions are designed to assist liturgical musicians and choir directors to learn more about the spiritual aspects of the music Catholics pray during liturgy.

These guests can be seen on Tuesday, April 21st live at 10:30AM (EST)

50-Year Old CatholicTV Uses Twitter and Other New Technologies To Spread 2000-Year-Old Faith

Over 50 years ago, CatholicTV began broadcasting the Low Mass with then-Archbishop Richard J. Cushing. CatholicTV used to rely solely on word-of-mouth marketing. Now the 50-year old television station uses modern social media such as Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube.

On October 12, 1964, CatholicTV became the first full-time Catholic television station in the world. Since then, old technologies have been replaced by new. For instance, the original Mass was filmed in a chapel in the Archbishop’s residence. Nowadays, the Mass is filmed in a Chapel dedicated to St. Therese in a multi-million-dollar television station.

When most Catholics think of priests, they picture black and white collars, vestments, plain black shoes, and bibles. But Father Robert Reed, the Director of CatholicTV is anything but the stereotypical priest. In a typical day, he uses his Blackberry to tell Twitter followers exactly what he is doing, down to mundane things like sitting in the airport.

Not long ago, CatholicTV was using “old-school” 16 millimeter film and huge black cassettes for broadcasting. Nowadays, CatholicTV broadcasts 24 hours a day and is already filming many programs (like the Rosary) in high-definition.

All of this has emerged after facing years of adversity such as the 1970 incident in which the TV station was burnt down by an arsonist. CatholicTV is viewer-funded, so sometimes funding can be hard to come by, but viewers have faithfully responded with donations.

In 1999, the station began broadcasting its programming online via the station’s web site, http://www.catholictv.org/- making Boston the first Catholic diocese in the world broadcasting online. Since then, CatholicTV has gone national and the website has been redesigned and upgraded, using the latest media technology for online viewers. These enhancements have culminated in the website’s nomination for a “Webby” Award for 2009 Best Religion and Spirituality web site. Supporters can vote at http://pv.webbyawards.com/

In April, CatholicTV exhibited at “The Cable Show”- an elaborate trade show featuring names such as ESPN, FOX, and NBC, among others. Interestingly, the trade show proved to be a spiritual battleground with religious and pornography stations on the same floor. The “Cable Show” is just another example of how the 50-year old television station is using modern technology and means to evangelize. Jay Fadden, General Manager of CatholicTV recently said, “As Catholics, the faith is part of our lives and today’s technology allows us to share the faith, discuss it, and pray together in a very different but community-orientated way.”

President of Catholic Relief Services and Bishop Richard Malone To Be Featured on "This is the Day"

On Friday, April 17th, Ken Hackett, President of Catholic Relief Services (CRS) will be featured on the CatholicTV talk show “This is the Day”. Also featured will be Bishop Richard Malone from Portland, Maine.

As President of CRS, Ken Hackett oversees operations in more than 100 countries, with a global staff of nearly 5,000. Despite a large number of dedicated employees, CRS puts 93% of donated money into programs and spends only 7% of donations on administration, fundraising, and awareness.

Ken Hackett graduated from Boston College in 1968. Upon graduation, he joined the Peace Corps and was assigned to serve in Ghana. Mr. Hackett joined CRS in 1972, starting his career in Sierra Leone. Mr. Hackett has led CRS since 1993. He has received honorary doctorate degrees from several colleges. In 2004, Mr. Hackett was named a Knight Commander of the Papal Order of Saint Gregory the Great, one of the highest Papal honors.

Also featured on “This is the Day” will be Bishop Richard Malone. Bishop Malone is the Bishop of the Diocese of Portland, Maine. He earned a Doctorate in Theology (Th.D.) at Boston University and a Licentiate in Sacred Theology (S.T.L.) at Weston Jesuit School of Theology, Cambridge in 1990. He has been the Boston archdiocesan liaison with the local Jewish community; and has lectured nationally on Catholic education. He has worked in education for years and will discuss faith formation for adolescents on the show.

These guests can be seen on Friday, April 17th live at 10:30AM (rebroadcast at 8PM). The show will also be streamed live at http://www.catholictv.com/ and will be available on the site’s archives starting Friday night.

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