A.J. Cattapan

Antony Barone Kolenc is the author of “The Harwood Mysteries,” an exciting historical-fiction series for youth published by Loyola Press. He is a long-time member of the Catholic Writers Guild (CWG), and his novels all have the CWG Seal of Approval. He retired as a Lieutenant Colonel from the U.S. Air Force Judge Advocate General’s Corps after 21 years of military service. He is a law professor who has been published in numerous journals and magazines, and he speaks at legal, writing, and home education events. He and his wife, Alisa, are the parents of five children and three wonderful grandchildren.

In this second book in “The Harwood Mysteries” series, Xan and Brother Andrew leave the abbey and travel the perilous road to Lincoln, accompanied by a dangerous prisoner. Struggling with doubt and unable to forgive, Xan must face his greatest challenge yet–but will it come from within himself or the dark cathedral rumored to be haunted?

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In my latest video on combating teacher burnout, I share some new approaches to an ancient practice! 😉

Please share these videos with an educator you love!

If you missed Tips #1 and 2, check out my YouTube channel here.

Author Maddie Evans has lived in three New England states for over two decades. When she’s not spending time with her family, she’s running or doing things with yarn.

A few months ago, I brought you the first book in Maddie Evans’s Castleton String Quartet trilogy.

In the final book of this series, first violinist Lindsey struggles to keep her quartet going in the face of disaster, while her second violinist fights her at every turn.

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Fr. Edward Looney is a priest of Green Bay, a radio personality, host of the podcast How They Love Mary, the Vice President of the Mariological Society of America, and author of several best-selling Catholic devotionals.

Fr. Edward Looney’s Meditations after Holy Communion guides your prayers during those intimate moments with the Lord following Holy Communion, elevating your soul and mind and leading you into a deeper relationship with Christ.

Inspired by the work of Fr. Daniel Lord, S.J., Fr. Looney offers here a method of prayer that is sure to renew within you the practice of fruitful Eucharistic prayer. He will guide you through each Sunday of the year with meditations tied to the liturgical seasons, ensuring that you are aligned not only with Advent, Christmas, Lent, Easter, and Ordinary Time, but also with the universal Church, now and throughout the ages.

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Erin Broestl is the Editor of Perpetual Light Publishing, and the author of God Made the Moonlight. She is a Catholic wife and homeschooling mother of 8. She loves reading, skiing, and playing music with her family.

In this read-aloud for ages 0 to 5, children embark upon on a journey steeped in the magical wonder of the moon and its Creator. A young girl travels from the city to the country, describing phases and aspects of the moonlight with a heartfelt understanding of beauty. “God put it there for all to see, but especially because He loves me.” Jean Schoonover- Egolf’s watercolor illustrations delight on this journey of simple faith and family life.

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In this week’s teacher survival hack video, I tackle how to stay positive when we’re drowning in self-pity, especially as we’re contemplating what to give up for Lent!

I mean, hasn’t this pandemic forced us to give up enough already? Do we really need to give up stuff for Lent, too?

And what’s so special about the week of February 14-20?

I answer all those questions in today’s video!

Please share these videos with an educator you love!

Mary Kathleen Glavich is a Sister of Notre Dame from Chardon, Ohio. She is the author of more than eighty books on spirituality and religious education for children and adults. Formerly, she taught every grade from first to twelfth and served as a vocation director for the Diocese of Cleveland. She enjoys giving talks and retreats, playing the piano, and crocheting baby blankets.

G.K. Chesterton said, “Let your religion be less of a theory and more of a love affair.” Humans exhibit certain characteristics toward a loved one, for example, constantly thinking of them and delighting in being together. When you are involved in an intimate relationship with God, these characteristics hold true for God and you. In A Love Affair with God, twelve of them are explained. Each chapter presents how God shows one trait toward you and how you reciprocate if you are love God. It is a goldmine of ways to express love for God. Scripture verses, quotations, and stories are woven through the book. Questions for reflection are included. This book promises to make you more aware of the immense love God has for you and to stir you to love God back with all your heart. This love affair is for time and eternity. It makes life worth living.

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After a bit of a hiatus from writing book reviews (thank you, dissertation), I’m so excited to share with you The Haunted Cathedral, Book #2 of Antony Barone Kolenc’s Harwood Mysteries series.

In book 1, Xan becomes an orphan when his village is attacked, and he ends up living in the care of the Benedictine monks at Harwood Abbey. In this second book, Xan has settled in at the Abbey and made friends with a number of people, including Brother Andrew, fellow orphan Joshua, and Lucy, who lives at the nearby convent.

When book 2 opens, several problems confront Xan. First, his friend Lucy has been called away from the convent to travel with her father for a while. Then, a bailiff from his old village of Hardonbury arrives at the monastery to inform Xan that he is still a serf of Hardonbury, even though he’s an orphan. He must either pay the head money to become a free peasant or return to Hardonbury as a serf.

Xan has one chance to escape that. He must find his long-lost uncle and convince him to either adopt him or pay his head money. But finding his dad’s brother means traveling to a distant city in a wagon with the criminal responsible for his parents’ death.

I enjoyed this second book even more than the first. There are really two mysteries for Xan to solve. First, he must find his uncle. Second, while he’s in the town where his uncle is believed to reside, he discovers that the local cathedral is rumored to be haunted, and Xan wonders if the ghost could reconnect him with his dead parents.

Like the first book in the series, I’d recommend this for middle grade students who enjoy both adventure and mystery. A love of history doesn’t hurt either, as Kolenc bases part of his story on two actual buildings, Lincoln Castle and Lincoln Cathedral. A nice addendum at the end of the book shares the history of these two structures and what actually happened there.

Looking forward to the next adventure with Xan and his friends!

In anticipation of my upcoming book Sweet Jesus, Is It June Yet?: 10 Ways the Gospels Can Help You Combat Teacher Burnout and Rediscover Your Passion for Teaching, I’m creating a series of videos with “teacher survival hacks.”

The winter months are always a challenging part of the school year, especially February. One former principal used to call the month of February, “the armpit of the school year.” As I’m typing this, I’m looking at the week ahead and realizing that the temps are going to be so dangerously cold that the kids probably won’t get much, if any, outdoor recess time this week. Cabin fever is about to set in big time!

Thus, I’ve plucked out a few of my tips from my upcoming book, plus some bonus ideas, and am sharing my hacks for making it through this challenging part of the school year.

I’d be so grateful if you’d consider sharing these videos with any teachers or principals you know. Trust me, they could all use a little pick-me-up right now. 🙂

Patrick O’Hearn grew up in the Midwest and spent close to three years in a Benedictine Monastery before discerning the call to marriage. He graduated with a master’s in education from Franciscan University of Steubenville and a bachelor’s in marketing from St. Ambrose University. He founded Contemplative Heart Press to lead readers to a deeper union with God.

Discover the hidden heroes behind Sts. Faustina, Giana Molla, Josemaría Escrivá, Pope John Paul II, Maximilian Kolbe, Padre Pio, Thérèse, and countless others. Learn how over 100 parents formed their children into great saints by way of their virtuous lives, namely their seven hallmarks: sacramental life, surrender, sacrificial love, suffering, simplicity, solitude, and the sacredness of life. Each chapter of this book examines a particular hallmark in depth.

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