Justin Catanoso
Author
“My Cousin the Saint: A Search for Faith, Family and Miracles”
Monday, March 15, 2010
Ballroom, Nittany Lion Inn, 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Speakers have been announced for the 2009-10 Penn State Forum Speaker Series. The series features several luncheons, modeled after the National Press Club Speaker Series, which include a presentation by an invited speaker, followed by audience questions. The luncheons are held from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Nittany Lion Inn or the Penn Stater on the University Park campus of Penn State.

Co-sponsored by the Penn State Bookstore and the offices of the Executive Vice President and Provost and the Senior Vice President for Finance and Business, the Penn State Forum Speaker Series is open to the general public. Tickets for the Penn State Forum are $15. To purchase tickets for any or all of these events, contact the ID+ Office, located at 103 HUB-Robeson Building, University Park, call (814) 865-7590, or visit http://www.idcard.psu.edu/forums/ online for more information.

St. Valentine’s Day, yes. But also the birthday of a saint far more appealing to me — Gaetano Catanoso.

Happy birthday, cuz.

I’m happy to say that the story I delivered at The Monti in Carrboro, NC, in September has been nominated for the ridiculously prestigious and coveted Hippo Award as a finalist in the Best Overall Story category. The competition is steep, so I’m thrilled to be among the final four (my book-related story about my Uncle Tony and his search for his Aunt Maria in Italy during WWII was a Hippo finalist last year).

To check out all the finalists, click here. To vote, click here.

I’ve heard from many readers since my book came out in May 2008. Several have been kind enough to tell me they believed it was the best book they ever read. It’s wonderful to hear. I don’t doubt them. But I wonder if they ever read The Catcher in the Rye.

So long, Mr. Salinger. Your books are the best I ever read.

On Sunday, Jan. 24, at 5 p.m., my interview with NC Bookwatch host D.G. Martin will be rebroadcasted on UNC-TV. The 30-minute interview with me about my book originally aired last July. Tune in!

Found today on a message board:

I loved My Life With the Saints and My Cousin the Saint (completely unrelated books, just similar titles). I love, love, love saint biographies!

__________________
Nancy in MD. Mom of ds (17) & dd (11); 24-year Navy wife. Writer and dance mom.

Thank you, Nancy. Being in the same company at Father Jim Martin’s mega-bestseller is pretty nice. Both books are available on Amazon and a Barnes & Noble near you.

VATICAN CITY (AP) — A woman jumped the barriers in St. Peter’s Basilica and knocked down Pope Benedict XVI as he walked down the main aisle to begin Christmas Eve Mass on Thursday, a Vatican spokesman said.

Story here.

The NY Times reports today:

“ROME — In an effort to calm growing tensions with Jewish groups, the Vatican said Wednesday that Pope Benedict XVI had not moved the wartime Pope Pius XII closer to sainthood as an “act of hostility” against those who believe Pius did not do enough to stop the Holocaust.”

…This pope seems to have a difficult time avoiding controversy, from provoking Muslims to giving Holocaust-deniers a free pass to advancing the canonization cause of one of the most controversial popes of modern times. One has a right to ask: Why?

Research for my book revealed that Pius XII was not nearly the monster his critics accused him of being, nor was he the Nazi sympathizer he was charged with being either. The historical record seems to argue that Pius took great risks to hide and protect Jews in Italy during WWII in Vatican-owned property. That’s all good. But what, we must ask, is the purpose of canonization? Is it to simply honor the church’s best-known figures? Or is it to honor those who truly lived lives of heroic virtue, and whose lives can be an  inspiration to the faithful — role models for emulation? If Pius can truly pass the test of the latter, he deserves his shot at Catholic recognition. If, on the weight of the evidence, he cannot, than this cause should die and be done with.

But for a German pope to push this cause forward, it seems another case of the Vatican’s blindness to perceptions.

NYT reports here:

ROME — Pope Benedict XVI moved two of his predecessors a step closer to sainthood on Saturday, confirming the “heroic virtues” of John Paul II and, in a surprise move, those of Pius XII, the pope during World War II.

Posted recently on the online bulletin board of CapeMayHerald.com: “This isn’t a commercial but I must tell you I just finished reading a very wonderful book called “My Cousin The Saint” by former North Wildwood resident writer, teacher, Justin Catanoso. Honest, a beautiful read.  —Wildwood”

Thanks!