Catholic Women's Book Group

Meeting Time and Location
The book group meets the first Tuesday of each month from 2-3:30pm in the large conference room. For more information, contact Sue Andzik (719-359-2471 or sandzik@gmail.com).

2020 Book List

January Letter to a Suffering Church by Bishop Robert Barron
February Flame of Love by Elizabeth Kindelman
March Breathing Underwater: Spirituality and the 12 Steps by Richard Rohr
April No Greater Love by Edward Sri
May How to Pray Like Mary by Sonja Corbitt
June You Are Enough: What Women of the Bible Can Teach You About Your Mission and Worth by Danielle Bean
July The Fisherman's Tomb by John O'Neill
August Salvation by Michael Patrick Barber
September He Leadeth Me by Fr. Walter Ciszek
October Literature: What Every Catholic Should Know by Joseph Pearce
November Rediscover the Saints by Matthew Kelly
December The Mystery of the Magi: The Quest of the Three Wise Men by Dwight Longenecker

2020 Book Reviews
Ratings 1–5 †

January 2020
Letter to a Suffering Church, A Bishop Speaks onthe Sexual Abuse Crisis by Bishop Robert Barron (†††††)

Synopsis: (parts taken from reviews on “goodreads.com” and “reddit.com”
In response to the sexual abuse scandal that has gripped the Catholic Church for the past thirty years with many Catholics asking, “Why should I stay?” Bishop Robert Barron explains why this is not the time to leave, but the time to stay and fight. Reading the current crisis through the lenses of Scripture and Church history, Barron shows that we have faced such egregious scandals before; that the spiritual treasures of the Church were preserved by holy men and women who recommitted themselves to fighting evil; and that there is a clear path forward for us today. Though some may contest that Barron does not go far enough in discussing issues of homosexuality in the seminaries, for most all Catholics this book will offer reasons to stay and fight for the Body of Christ.

Comments from the group’s discussion:

I thought Bishop Barron was so honest and straight forward in his approach. He did not sugarcoat what’s been going on and is totally outraged. I liked his strong conviction about staying with the Church and how it is OUR responsibility to defend our beliefs. The level of trust is so low right now with the younger generation and we need to fight for what we believe, not just believe.
At first I thought the book would be downcast but found it to be rather uplifting and heartening. We know it has been the intention of the devil to destroy the Church from the beginning and, as Barron points out, it (this scandal) seems so thoroughly thought through, so comprehensively intentional. “The devil, with the cooperation of lots of people inside the leadership of the Church, has produced a masterpiece…”. I found the book a support of why I’m still Catholic…I’m not going anywhere!
He put into words exactly how I feel. I can’t walk away from Jesus. Those priests he talks about are not the “Church”. As he said, “though you might feel the temptation to leave, the better option is to stay and fight, especially on behalf of the victims.”
I give the book 5 crosses because Barron had the courage to write the book.
I LOVED the book and will pass it on to my grown children who struggle with their faith. In John 6 our Lord asks Peter if he too would leave. This is how I feel… “Lord, to whom would we go?”
I liked his “stay and fight for the church” comments, though I thought there was too much focus on just the McCarrick debacle and the children abuse. Only 5% of the whole issue is pedophilia. He didn’t mention the homosexual issues in the seminaries and colleges. He needs to write another book addressing the whole homosexual side.
I liked his biblical references especially the story of Eli from 1 Sam.1-3 which is a lesson not only for the leaders of our Church but for all of us, especially as parents. God punishes Eli for the sins of his sons because, ‘though he knew his sons were blaspheming God, he did not reprove them.’ Barron says, “In short, it was not the crimes of Hophni and Phineas that particularly aroused the divine ire, bur rather Eli’s refusal to act when he was made aware of them.”

Quotes:

In response to Napoleon who said he would destroy the Church, Cardinal Consalvi responded, “Oh my little man, you think you’re going to succeed in accomplishing what centuries of priests and bishops have tried and failed to do?”
Catholic writer Hilaire Belloc: “The Catholic Church is an institution I am bound to hold divine—but for unbelievers a proof of its divinity might be found in the fact that no merely human institution conducted with such knavish imbecility would have lasted a fortnight.”