Catholic Digest – A Little Bit of This and A Little Bit of That

I keep an issue of Catholic Digest in my purse (right along with Guideposts) and pull it out when I have a few minutes to kill. The articles are usually short and can be read in the time it takes for the line to move forward (any line – bank, grocery store). Many of the articles are condensed versions of articles from other periodicals such as Christian Science Monitor or U.S. Catholic or even Newsweek. If you enjoy reading things with a spiritual or religious tone but don’t have time to hunt up every magazine out there, this one has a nice summary of interesting stories.

Some of the articles are spiritually practical such as the series in the May issue on forgiveness. Some are nostalgic such as the ones Sean Patrick writes about Catholic schools in the 1940’s. Others are heartwarming such as the story about Padre Pio and his American cousin. Some are educational and may have absolutely nothing to do with religion such as the very well written article on arthritis.

There’s a little bit of everything in this magazine. One monthly feature is called “What Would You Like to Know?” where Father Peter Daly answers questions about the Catholic Church. “Dear June” is an advice column by Dr. June O’Conner. There is a monthly feature edited by Nicholas Cafarelli where people send in their spiritual insights. “Words for a Quiet Moment” has a short meditation for each day. There’s even a monthly trivia quiz. (Warning: I went to Catholic School K-12 and I only get about half these answers. And, yes, I did pay attention in class.) And what would a digest be without a few jokes and funny anecdotes?

The advertisements are minimal and are usually for religious products and religious orders. One of the advertisements always includes a bookmark. It’s 1” by 7” on bond paper and is sturdy enough to use through an entire month of reading books and magazines (until the next one comes). This month’s bookmark had a picture of an angel and an essay about them. Other advertisements may include one for a vitamin and one for Mother’s Day flowers. During Lent we got coupons for frozen fish. The advertisements are tasteful and do not detract from the nature of the magazine.

I would recommend this magazine to anyone who is interested in the Catholic Church for whatever reason, Catholics and non-Catholics alike. Perhaps a relative has recently married a Catholic and you’d like to find out more about Catholics but don’t even know what questions to ask. Or maybe, you went to Catholic School but you have forgotten more than you remember. Or perhaps you live in a part of the country where Catholic Schools are a viable alternative to the local public schools and want to know a little more about Catholics before sending you children there. If you are Catholic or have any interactions with Catholics you will find Catholic Digest helpful and educational.