EWTN's Bookmark today!

Talking about my books "Angels For Kids" and "My Confirmation Book" on EWTN's Bookmark this morning: http://www.donnacooperoboyle.com/blog/2015/03/21/tomorrow-ewtns-bookmark/

God bless!

Catholic Mom's Cafe won an award from the Catholic Press Association

My book Catholic Mom's Cafe: 5-Minute Retreats for Every Day of the Year was recently awarded Third Place in the "Family Life" category by the Catholic Press Association.

You can see an article in Publisher's Weekly here. And an article mentioning it in the National Catholic Register here.

God bless!

A review in the National Catholic Register

Here's a review of my book Bringing Lent Home with Saint Therese of Lisieux from the National Catholic Register:

Go on Thérèse’s Lenten Retreat

Book review of Bringing Lent Home With St. Thérèse of Lisieux

by Jean M. Heimann, Register Correspondent Saturday, Mar 22, 2014 8:55 AM Comment

Feel free to order here: www.donnacooperoboyle.com

Bringing Lent Home With St. Thérèse of Lisieux

Prayers, Reflections and Activities for Families

By Donna-Marie Cooper O’Boyle

Ave Maria Press, 2013

96 pages, $2.95

To order: avemariapress.com

During Lent, Catholic parents have the valuable opportunity to catechize their children about the true meaning of this beautiful liturgical season and offer their children — and themselves — opportunities to grow in holiness.

In Bringing Lent Home With St. Thérèse of Lisieux: Prayers, Reflections and Activities for Families, popular author and EWTN host Donna-Marie Cooper O’Boyle leads families on a retreat, using St. Thérèse of Lisieux as a spiritual guide to anchor domestic churches in prayer, fasting and almsgiving this Lenten season.

The wisdom of St. Thérèse guides families through each day of Lent — all the way through to Easter Sunday. Each day’s devotional reading offers a quote from the Little Flower and a brief excerpt from her life, as well as fasting and almsgiving suggestions, points to ponder and a simple yet poignant prayer.

The parent reflections in the book are particularly moving. Here is one example:

"The Blessed Mother has much to teach us. She remained with her Son, Jesus, to the bitter end and witnessed every drop of blood he shed on our behalf. While in his agony on the cross, Jesus gave his Mother Mary to all of us to be our Mother.

While Mary won’t always perform miracles for us as she did with St. Thérèse the day she was cured of her illness, Mary will work miracles in our hearts and will indeed bring us closer to her Son. We need to ask her to guide us."

Calling to mind important Catholic truth and saintly wisdom, this booklet offers both spiritual depth and practicality of format. The saint’s spirituality is shared in an easy-to-understand manner, even for children. The short devotions are perfect for busy families’ schedules, and the suggested activities for fasting and almsgiving are creative and doable.

As a doctor of the Church whose spiritual doctrine consists of the "Little Way," St. Thérèse is an excellent spiritual guide and model of holiness for both children and adults, especially for Lent.

This booklet is a beautiful spiritual companion for your family this Lent — and Lenten seasons to come.

Jean M. Heimann blogs at CatholicFire.blogspot.com.

Read more: http://www.ncregister.com/site/article/go-on-thereses-lenten-retreat/#ixzz2wnlH3C99


God bless you and yours!

Imitating Mary: Ten Marian Virtues for the Modern Mom

I recently had the pleasure of speaking with author and speaker Marge Fenelon about her newest book, Imitating Mary: Ten Marian Virtues for the Modern Mom.

I endorsed her beautiful book and this is what I had to say:

“Lovely and relevant–Imitating Mary is food for the mother’s soul! Marge Fenelon unpacks Mary’s virtuous role in Scripture and Church tradition and brilliantly puts it in language that modern-day mothers can identify with and readily apply to their lives. Simply beautiful!” 

Marge, would you share with us the inspiration behind writing this book?

I've been very close to the Blessed Virgin Mary since childhood. I was raised in the spirituality of the Apostolic Movement of Schoenstatt, a Catholic lay movement of renewal with a marked Marian charism. From the movement's founder, Fr. Joseph Kentenich, I assimilated an understanding of Mary as a real Mother with an active interest in even the tiniest details about me and my life. When I studied for my Certificate in Marian Studies from the International Marian Research Institute at the University of Dayton, I learned a fascinating method of studying Mary that instilled in me an insatiable hunger to find out everything possible about her. Mary's been a special help to me as an example for my own motherhood, since I didn't have quite that experience from my birth mother growing up. She's always been there for me, and I'd like others to know that she's always there for them, too.

What are your hopes for this book?

What I hope - what I pray for - is that Imitating Mary becomes a valuable tool and inspiration for women who either haven't had a positive mothering experience, underestimate the fine job they're

already doing as mothers, are uncertain of their ability to be wonderful moms, are simply feeling defeated and washed out, and those who want to develop a genuine relationship with Mary as Mother. I hope even guys - particularly those married to, or working with, women in a counseling/pastoring relationship - will read this book in order to help them understand more about Mary and her Motherhood. The gentlemen who have reviewed the manuscript have benefitted from it.

Why is important for a Catholic to develop a relationship with the

Blessed Mother?

The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches that Mary is our mother "in the order of grace," meaning that, when she said "yes" to becoming our Lord's mother, she also said "yes" to becoming our mother. At the moment Mary conceived Jesus in her womb, she gave birth to us spiritually, and she's never reneged on that responsibility, nor will she ever.

Additionally, Mary plays an essential role in God's plan of salvation. Her consent allowed the Son of God to become incarnate and subsequently redeem us. That was just the first step. She has and

always will remain by Christ's side as Helpmate, Mediatrix, Benefactress, and Co-Redemptrix. In her perfect discipleship and privileged position among mankind, she is the model for the Church, which includes all of us. That's why people often refer to the Catholic Church as Holy Mother Church.

To put it simply: We need her because she is our Mother and will go to any length to help secure our salvation, if only we open our hearts and allow her to enter in.

When did you begin praying to Mary?

All growing up, there was a picture of the Blessed Mother hanging in our living room, which is now the one we have hanging in the Fenelon Clan prayer corner. That planted the seed of interest in Mary at a fairly young age. I'm the product of a Catholic grade school, so the formal prayers to Mary began in first grade and continued from there. Each phase of my life - high school, college, wife, mother, and author - gave my prayers a new dimension.

Where can we get your book?

You can get personally inscribed copies from my website at www.margefenelon.com. Or, you can check out your local Catholic bookstore. You also can order online at Ave Maria Press, Barnes & Noble, or Amazon.

Thanks so much, Marge. I pray that your book will inspire countless hearts to come closer to Mary and because they do, come closer to Jesus too. 

God bless!

Never a dull moment!

When I opened the door to my office yesterday, my little furry friend looked up at me for half a second and then dashed out of the room, trotting down the stairs to his food dish. Hmm, how did my cat get trapped in my office? I wondered. I didn't see him in there when I closed the door before going to bed. He does have a habit of hiding though. But there was zero time to think about that.

The terrible burning stench in my office was what I needed to focus on. It was definitely not what I expected to discover (more like hit me in the face!) upon opening the door. It smelled like wires were burning--somewhere. But, where? I wondered if electrical wires could be burning in the walls and opened the window as I pondered.

The phone man was outside my house checking my phone wires because I called in a report of no dial tine. Could what he was doing cause the atrocious smell in my office? I didn't think so, but I found it a little peculiar that a technician was at my house and then suddenly something smelled like burning wires.

I had to get to the bottom of the dilemma and quickly, because it could potentially be very dangerous. The smell alone was enough to keep the problem first and foremost on my mind.

I got down on my hands and knees to examine the carpet. Was it wet? I was checking for something my cat might have left behind in case you didn't figure that out. But, how could cat pee smell like that anyway? I had to figure it out and was investigating any possibility.

I crawled closer to my desk and upon further inspection I saw a little puddle behind the power strip for my computer. Oh no! Cat pee? Did my cat pee directly into the electrical outlets on the cord? What are the odds of that? He had the whole room in which to relieve himself!

I then realized that each outlet was scorched with black and the terrible burning stench was permeating the power cord which was indeed the source of the problem. I promptly unplugged the power strip from the wall. Mystery solved--but was my computer with all of my writing work dead or damaged?

I cleaned up the mess, tossed the cord into the trash, wiped the black char off each prong of my computer cords and plugged them into a different power cord to test out my computer. Thank God it was still working.

Phew, never a dull moment. But, honestly who would think that this could happen? It was a good thing my cat didn't electrocute himself or cause further damage to the house!

Yes, that wet area at the top (which I didn't bother cleaning) is cat pee!

Now, each night before closing the door to my office (previously to prevent my cats from knocking down my papers off my desk and now to prevent a catastrophe!) I will be sure that both of my cats are accounted for!

The culprit here on the left looking oh, so innocent!

Do you know where your furry friends are?

God bless!

Bringing Lent Home with Mother Teresa

I hope you enjoy this Webinar which I presented last year. The link to the Webinar just became available now since there were technical difficulties at the time of the Webinar and it was thought that the file was damaged. Thanks to the wonderful folks at Ave Maria Press, the file has been restored! I hope that you will enjoy it.

In it, I talk about meeting Mother Teresa and my friendship with her as well as Mother Teresa's amazing holy wisdom I learned from her which I feel so compelled to share.

God bless you and yours!

Father, all powerful,

your gifts of love are countless

and your goodness infinite.

On Thanksgiving Day we come before you

with gratitude for your kindness:

open our hearts to concern for our fellow men and women,

so that we may share your gifts in loving service.

We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,

who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,

one God, for ever and ever.

(opening prayer Thanksgiving Day Mass)

Enjoy the day! God bless you and yours!

Everyday Blessings for Catholic Moms

A Mother's Study Guide

By the way, my daughter illustrated the cover!

Pope John Paul II wrote that the little domestic church, like the greater Church, needs to be constantly and intensely evangelized: hence its duty regarding permanent education in the faith. The home is a center of living faith, a domestic church, and motherhood is a vocation. This book offers a systematic course for mothers that is equally useful for groups and individuals. The leader's guide contains helpful suggestions for women on how to begin a study group in their parish or neighborhood, a format for weekly sessions, how to create a comfortable, inspiring atmosphere, and tips for leading each lesson. 

"Though an individual would benefit from reading, this book is arranged as a study guide for a group, with discussion questions at the end of each section. (And, pssst ... don't worry, busy moms -- the answers are there, too! So don't worry about passing class.)
The Domestic Church, like all of Donna-Marie's books, backs up its exhortation with solid sources such as quotes from Scripture, encyclicals and saints. I love Donna-Marie's realism, too. In this book, she includes a beautiful quote from Blessed Teresa of Calcutta:
"A living love hurts. Jesus, to prove His love for us, died on the Cross. The mother, to give birth to her child, has to suffer. If you really love one another properly, there must be sacrifice."

And she honestly addresses temptations to abandon the heart of the home," noting that mothers can get discouraged, or feel unrecognized and unappreciated. She writes: "A mother who is fighting this interior battle may feel, or even state that she is 'just' a mother. I have heard this so often, and I will tell the mom that she is 'not just a mother!
This is the heart of Donna's message, and this is her mission: to help other moms realize that their work is a vital, vibrant, holy vocation.

I highly recommend Donna-Marie's books to newly married women and new mothers, and to moms of any age who seek encouragement and affirmation in their vocation.
And so, dear moms, if you have any doubts about the worth of your daily struggles, sacrifices and joys, dig into these books. When you've finished, you'll close them with a contented sigh, knowing that someone out there understands your worth and knows what you're going through...that you are storing up treasures in heaven."~Author and blogger, Karen Edmisten

Thank you for your beautiful review, Karen Edmisten!
Autographed copies available at: www.donnacooperoboyle.com Discounts available on bulk orders for group studies. Inquire at: DMCOBoyle@aol.com

Releasing in the spring!

Releasing in March 2013!

More information will follow as we get closer to the release date. For now, I thought I'd share the cover image and release date!

Becoming holy in our domestic church

Blessed Mother Teresa's birthday

Today is the anniversary of Blessed Mother Teresa's birthday. If time allows, I'll write a post about her later on but for now I'll leave you with some very simple yet poignant words with which she instructed me: 

"Keep the joy of loving Jesus ever burning in your heart and share this joy with others by your thoughtful love and humble service."

This is something we can all strive to do.

My son Joseph as a baby with Blessed Mother Teresa

Here is a radio segment which was recorded some time ago (Live at that time) in which I spoke with Teresa Tomeo about Blessed Mother Teresa and the interior struggle she experienced which St. John of the Cross had coined as a dark night of the soul. I hope you enjoy it. 

http://www.donnacooperoboyle.com/press/Donna-Marie-09-07-07.mp3

God bless you and yours. May your day be abundantly blessed!

Are we "salt and light" to the world?

A Mom's Call to Holiness

Do you feel called to holiness?

Death, peace, and my sister

Barbara Janet Cooper Schonert

I just returned from Texas after rushing down one week ago when my sister Barbara called me from the Intensive Care Unit at the hospital. As she lie there in bed waiting for answers, she told me that she was at the hospital due to a sudden onset of very serious health issues.

Barbara had previously beat lung cancer and had been in remission. We had been counting our blessings because Barbara was doing so well. Then, suddenly, last week Barbara faced this new set of devastating complications. After a few days and much testing, Barbara was told that she now had acute Leukemia.

I quickly tied up lose ends at home and jumped on a plane to go to Texas to be with my sister. Before leaving I begged many prayers from so many prayer warriors I know, including Cardinal Dolan, Cardinal Burke, Fr. Benedict Groechel, folks at EWTN, the Sisters at EWTN, and many others too, including the Missionaries of Charity Sisters (Mother Teresa's Order).

A Missionary of Charity Sister told me over the phone that she and the other Sisters would be praying for Barbara and us all. We both prayed that the blessed relic of Mother Teresa that Sister said she would send me to bring to my sister would arrive on time. It did.

She also blessed me (over the phone and in a letter) with beautiful poignant words from Mother Teresa to take to my heart and which can speak to all of our hearts.

Sisters!
This photo was taken very soon after I arrived last Sunday evening

This is what the MC Sister shared with me: "Death is nothing except going back to God, where He is and where we belong...Death is the most decisive moment in human life. It is like our Coronation: to die in peace with God."~Blessed Teresa of Calcutta

My sister was so happy to receive the relic of Mother Teresa and told her visitors about it. I also gave her a blessed Miraculous medal that I had touched to the medal Blessed Mother Teresa gave me that I always wear. I had previously placed the medal I gave Barbara on Blessed Pope John Paul II's tomb and on Mother Teresa's bed (where she stayed at the convent when visiting her Sisters in Rome). Barbara had me put the blessed Miraculous medal on the chain around her neck. 

Barbara was a dear sister and also my best friend. She was a mother, a daughter, grandmother, sister, aunt, niece, cousin, and caregiver to many. Speaking of being a caregiver, as I sat by her bedside attempting to take care of her, Barbara reminded me (more than once!) to make sure I had something to eat. 

She loved life and her family. She enjoyed inspiring others with her writings. Barbara was a fighter. Her life was not an easy one--she endured much hardship, yet she moved forward in faith.

A beautiful soul!

All throughout her fight with lung cancer she possessed an incredible positive and prayerful outlook. She showed up for her chemo and radiation appointments with a contagious smile and uplifting words. She amazed her doctors. Then, faced with her new devastating illness, she continued on each day with a hopeful heart, questioning doctors, but resigned to God's holy will. 

Barbara and her daughters

Last week was filled with many blessings amid the tears and struggles. I'm very happy I was able to spend some time with Barbara and chat with her in between her naps.

Barbara passed on to her Eternal reward on Friday surrounded by loved ones.

Barbara was and is an inspiration.


I know in my heart that my sister, my best friend, Barbara is at peace. As sorrowful and painful as it was to witness my dear loved one suffer intensely and then leave us all much too quickly, my heart is at peace and I pray for those whose hearts are not at peace. Of course, I am extremely saddened by her passing, but I am thankful for God's peace. Times like this are never easy, but God is always near, granting us graces for the asking.

I love you, Barbara. I always will!

Barbara loved the following quote and posted it on her blog (http://www.wordsofhopeforcaregivers.com/) some time ago and also on the back cover of one of her books:

                                                                       
                                                                      Be at Peace

"Do not look forward in fear to the changes in life; Rather, look to them with full hope that as they arise, God, whose very own you are, will lead you safely through all things; And when you cannot stand it, God will carry you in His arms.

Do not fear what may happen tomorrow; the same understanding Father who cares for you today will take care of you then and every day.

He will either shield you from suffering or will give you unfailing strength to bear it. Be at peace, and put aside all anxious thoughts and imaginations."~Saint Francis De Sales

I think God must be carrying me in His arms right now. He was carrying me all last week even as I couldn't "stand it."

A Cooper Reunion many years ago--all 8 "kids" are here. It was on the Fourth of July
(hence the American flag shirts). Barbara is in front on left. My brother Gary
on the far right has also gone to his Eternal reward.

Please live each day as it was your last and prepare your hearts and souls for Eternal life. I welcome prayers for Barbara's soul and for her whole family and her friends. 

Thank you, everyone for your prayers. May God bless you all in great abundance.

Embracing Motherhood review

EMBRACING MOTHERHOOD

Servant Books: St. Anthony Messenger Press, Cincinnati, Ohio, 2012; $13.99.

When I gave birth to my first child I lived more than 200 miles from my mother. Frequent phone calls were neither part of our tradition nor feasible in my new family’s budget, so I didn’t have many opportunities to ask my mother for advice. I read Dr Spock, but his book was not my gospel.
My best resource was a friend with one child a year older than mine and a second child on the way. She and her husband belonged to our parish and our Christian Family Movement group, so we exchanged not only child-rearing wisdom but also faith.

As I opened the pages of “Embracing Motherhood,” by Donna-Marie Cooper O’Boyle, I wondered who today’s busy young mothers go to for advice. Few connect via church groups or neighborhood coffees. Do they find wise women via Facebook or search engines? Does anyone use a printed book anymore for parenting advice?

Who is likely to read “Embracing Motherhood”? After finishing the book’s final pages, I concluded that the typical reader of this book is apt to be a faithful Catholic woman seeking support, encouragement and ideas for raising children in a devout household.

Donna-Marie Cooper O’Boyle liberally cites Pope John Paul II, especially from his writings about the family. In “Familiaris Consortio,” the late Holy Father’s 1981 seminal document on the family, he calls the family a “church in miniature” (“ecclesia domestica”), a domestic church in communion with the diocesan and universal church. John Paul II calls families to “become what you are,” an “intimate community of life and love.”

Throughout his pontificate he exhorted family members to fulfill their fourfold mission, a “specific and original” expression of the church’s mission. Pope John Paul II noted in “Familiaris Consortio” that respect and love for the family includes giving back “its reasons for confidence in itself, in the riches that it possesses by nature and grace.”

While Cooper O’Boyle’s message is predominantly encouraging, and she says her book is not about the perfect family, at times she seems to indicate that being church depends upon parents, especially the mother, carrying out “shoulds,” “oughts” and “musts.”

Given the title, it is obvious that “Embracing Motherhood” has a positive outlook. Its basic concept is excellent, acknowledging that motherhood is not a condition to be endured or perfected but to be embraced, as one embraces a beloved with both arms. Motherhood is a vocation, a sacred calling and a privilege.

Cooper O’Boyle addresses issues important for mothers and explores them from multiple angles. A chapter called “First and Foremost Educator” is a good example. Its 16 pages address parents’ responsibilities to educate their children, contemporary temptations, parental unity, prayerful example, cultural influences and relationships with adult children. As with all the other chapters, this one concludes with a few simple reflection questions and a brief “homespun” prayer.

At times while reading this book I sensed a tone characterized by a comment opening the book’s second chapter. There the author refers to her own domestic church as “an oasis to retreat to from the craziness of the world.” Is not the church “ín” the world rather than apart from it, striving to influence society rather than withdraw from it? So also the domestic church, the family, lives in the world and does not retreat from it.

A sheltering home and caring relationships are essential for family health and children’s well-being, which Cooper O’Boyle emphatically conveys in her book. She also states that she is not advocating a return to “some outdated style of human living” but to “the roots of human development and human happiness.”

Nurturing a family in this world while fostering our children’s ability to deal successfully with the world’s perils is an art, or what Cooper O’Boyle refers to as “power and grace.”
[from: http://foryourmarriage.org/embracing-motherhood/]

available: www.donnacooperoboyle.com

The Pain of Miscarriage

Are you a "Martha" or a "Mary"?

Here's the link to my recent show, "Food for the Family's Soul" speaking about whether or not we should be more like Martha or more like Mary in our housekeeping and spiritual lives.

I hope you enjoy it. http://www.donnacooperoboyle.com/audio/sbh-20120416.mp3 Let me know what you think.

God bless you in your domestic church!

Donna-Marie

How's your Lent going?

So, how is Lent going so far in your domestic church? Would you like to share some of what you're doing to foster the spirit of almsgiving, fasting, and prayer?

I think Bl. Mother Teresa can help us on our Lenten journeys. So, I offer this video of my recent appearance on Fr. Benedict Groeschel's show on EWTN, "Sunday Night Prime." In it Fr. Benedict and I chat about dear Mother Teresa. I hope you enjoy it.

Inspiration for your family this Lent!

"Can you imagine spending Lent with Mother Teresa? A chance of a lifetime! Donna-Marie's book will do that exactly for you. Enjoy!"~Fr. Benedict J. Groeschel, C.F.R.
Available at my website and only $2.50 each! www.donnacooperoboyle.com