Visit Where the Church Thrived, Where It Was Persecuted

TO UNDERSTAND YOUR CATHOLIC FAITH,
YOU NEED TO UNDERSTAND
WHERE IT GREW UP
AND WHERE IT WAS PERSECUTED.

Dear Fellow Catholic:

I invite you to join me this summer on a 12-day Northern European cruise that will deepen your faith, increase your knowledge of Catholic teachings and history, and widen your circle of Catholic friends.

I'm referring to Catholic Answers' "Christian History Cruise."

On it you will learn about the Church's past, present, and possible future from top Catholic speakers.

What's more, your faith will be deepened immeasurably ...

You will learn not only what the Church teaches but why ...

You will see how Catholic teachings have fared throughout history (sometimes up, sometimes down), and ...

You will get a good sense of Catholic prospects, both in Europe and in our own country.

(To go straight to our special web site about this and our other cruises, please visit http://www.catholicanswerscruise.com.)

THIS WILL BE A "CAPITAL" TRIP!

You will visit all the Scandinavian capitals--Helsinki, Stockholm, Copenhagen, Oslo--and you will spend two days in St. Petersburg (Russia's one-time capital).

You also will spend time in Germany's capital, Berlin, and in Estonia's capital, Tallinn.

In addition, there will be an optional pre-cruise event in London!

AN IMPRESSIVE SHIP ...

For our Christian History Cruise we will sail on the ms Rotterdam, the flagship of the Holland America Line.

This is a truly beautiful ship, recently retrofitted, very comfortable, and an ideal setting for our at-sea talks.

Our cruise will depart London on August 21 and will end in Copenhagen on September 2.


... AND AN IMPRESSIVE LINE-UP OF SPEAKERS

Here are the speakers:

THOMAS HOWARD is a convert to the faith and popular writer. His Evangelical Is Not Enough has brought many people into the Church--and that's just one of about a dozen books he has written.

Tom is a brilliant lecturer, noted for his gentle wit, deep knowledge, and clarity of expression.

CHRISTOPHER CHECK is the executive vice president of The Rockford Institute and is an expert in Catholic history.

Catholic Answers recently issued his audio CD set about the all-important Battle of Lepanto. This was the 1571 battle that prevented the Turks from overrunning Europe.

People who have listened to these CDs have told us they think Chris is one of the most thrilling speakers they've ever heard. (I concur: He makes Catholic history come alive in a marvelous way.)

JAMES AND JOANNA BOGLE live near London and are the leading orthodox Catholic lay couple in England. James leads the country's top lay-Catholic organization, and Joanna is interviewed frequently by the BBC and other media to get the "orthodox Catholic side" of major issues.

Between them, they have more than a dozen books to their credit, including the popular Come on In, It's Awful, a witty invitation to join the Catholic Church.

KARL KEATING (that's Yours Truly) is founder and president of Catholic Answers, the author of five books, the publisher of This Rock magazine, and altogether a pretty nice chap, if I do say so myself.

WHAT WE WILL DISCUSS WHILE SAILING THE BALTIC

Northern Europe is not strongly Catholic today, but it once was.

1.    How did it first become Catholic?

2.    Why did it cease to be Catholic?

3.    How can it become Catholic again?

These are the questions that will underlie not just our on-board talks but also our on-shore excursions.

As we attempt to answer them, we will come to know better not only the tenets of our faith but also the thinking of those, both present and past, who have opposed Catholic teachings.

SEE LONDON THROUGH CATHOLIC EYES

Preceding the cruise will be an optional pre-cruise event in London. The dates are August 18-20.

Most of us have had, for many years, a keen interest in the aftermath of the English Reformation because that event had big consequences for the colonies that became the U.S.A.

We will learn about Catholic and Reformation England (and about the Catholic Church in modern England) under the expert guidance of Joanna Bogle.

She will guide us at such sites as Westminster Abbey, Westminster Cathedral, St. Paul's Cathedral, the Tower of London, the Tyburn Shrine to Martyrs, and even Speaker's Corner in Hyde Park.

(Over the years, Speaker's Corner has been the site of many apologetics talks by apologists such as Frank Sheed, by his wife, Maisie Ward, and by other members of England's Catholic Evidence Guild.)

During this pre-cruise event we will stay at a top hotel in central London, within easy walking distance of most of the places we'll visit.

A TALK BY A TOP PARLIAMENTARIAN (WHO IS A CONVERT!)

One evening, at our hotel, we will have the privilege of being given a private talk by ANN WIDDECOMBE, Member of Parliament and convert to the Catholic faith. She has written several books (some of which she will have on hand to autograph).

Miss Widdecombe is an accomplished speaker (you have to be, to rise as high as she has in Parliament) and, more importantly, a dedicated convert to the Catholic faith.

WHY YOU OUGHT TO JOIN US!

During this cruise we will enjoy one another's company in a beautiful and historically important part of the world.

We will spend 12 days in the company of friendly people who share our faith and who want to live it well.

For most of us, this will be a vacation as well as a learning experience. I presume you intend to take a vacation this summer. Why not take it with Catholic Answers?

Our cruise in the Baltic Sea is not that far off. I hope you will pray about joining us--and I hope the answer to your prayer is a resounding "Yes!"

If it is, I ask you to make your reservations right away.

Best wishes in Christ,

Karl Keating
President, Catholic Answers

P.S. You can learn all about our Christian History Cruise--and all about the other cruises we are sponsoring in 2008--by going to http://www.catholicanswerscruise.com.

You also can sign up for any of our cruises online.

If you have questions not answered by our web site, please telephone our agent, The Cruise Authority, at 800-707-1634, between 9:00 A.M. and 6:00 P.M. Eastern Time.

P.P.S. Let's talk about money for a moment.

The bad news is that the dollar is weak against the euro.

The good news is that you pay for your place on our cruise ship (which serves as your European "hotel" and "ground transportation") in dollars, not euros--and the dollar prices were locked in a long time ago.

There's no way you could spend so much time in Europe at such a reasonable cost if you had to pay in euros instead of dollars.

Decent hotel rooms in the cities we'll visit are running $300+ per night. Then you have to add in expensive restaurant meals and car rental fees or train tickets. You'd end up paying twice as much if you traveled that way!

The bottom line: This Catholic Answers cruise is a particularly affordable way to see Europe right now. I invite you to investigate our very reasonable rates at http://www.catholicanswerscruise.com.

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To Go on Our Cruises, You Must Pass This Tough Test

A SIMPLE TEST TO SEE
IF YOU'RE ELIGIBLE TO JOIN
A CATHOLIC ANSWERS CRUISE

(47% of Catholics fail this test.*)

Dear Potential Cruiser:

Which of these describes you and your faith?

1.    You're pious and dutiful but not very knowledgeable about your Catholic faith.
2.    You know your faith well but have trouble answering questions about it.
3.    You don't give a hoot about your faith.

If you chose either 1 or 2, read on.

If you chose 3, stop reading here. Please accept my apology for sending this note to you. I must have gotten your e-mail address by mistake.

DO YOU HAVE THE QUALIFICATIONS I'M LOOKING FOR?

I hope so.  I'm pretty particular.

I'm looking for Catholics who love their faith, want to know it better, and want to be able to share it with others.

I'm looking for Catholics who know that their faith is a gift from God and who want to make the most of that gift.

I'm looking for Catholics who want to do this while having the time of their lives with upbeat folks just like them.

Does this sound like you? If it does, then you're someone I want to have aboard a Catholic Answers cruise.

PICK A CRUISE, ANY CRUISE

This year we're offering you three cruises to choose from. You can't go wrong no matter which cruise you sign up for.

Here they are:

1.    APOLOGETICS CRUISE TO ALASKA

Dates: June 8–15
Departs: Seattle
Ends: Seattle
Visits: Glacier Bay, Juneau, Sitka, Ketchikan in Alaska and Victoria in British Columbia
Speakers: Tim Staples, Jimmy Akin, Jim Blackburn, Mark Shea
Benefits: Learn your faith like never before and have all your questions answered

2.    BALTIC CHRISTIAN HISTORY CRUISE

Dates: August 21–September 2
Departs: London
Ends: Copenhagen
Visits: Oslo, Berlin, Tallinn (Estonia), St. Petersburg, Helsinki, Stockholm
Speakers: Thomas Howard, Christopher Check, James Bogle, Joanna Bogle, Karl Keating
Option: 3-day pre-event in London
Benefits: As above, plus learn Catholic history and where the Church goes from here

3.    BIBLE LANDS PILGRIMAGE AND CRUISE

Dates: October 2–16
Departs: Athens
Ends: Rome
Visits: Cairo, Jerusalem, Nazareth, Rhodes, Ephesus, Santorini, Tunisia, Malta, Sicily
Speakers: Steve Ray, Jimmy Akin, Karl Keating
Option: 3-day post-event in Rome
Benefits: As above, plus walk where our Lord walked and see our G.H.Q. in Rome

IF YOU MEET MY QUALIFICATIONS, HERE'S WHAT TO DO NEXT

Go to our special web site, http://www.catholicanswerscruise.com, for complete information on our three cruises. You can sign up right online.

To speak to a live person, phone 800-707-1634 between 9:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. Eastern Time.

I've given you only the basics about the cruises. I urge you to visit our web site and read about the ports we'll visit and the finely-appointed ships we'll sail on. And I urge you to do this today, before the most desirable staterooms are snatched up.

Many thanks! I look forward to meeting you on the promenade deck!

Karl Keating
President, Catholic Answers

*I made up this statistic, but it feels about right.

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NEWS: Future of the Catholic Church

Future of the Catholic Church

Updated: 04/20/2008 08:33 AM
Source: http://news10now.com/content/all_news/central_new_york/114520/future-of-the-catholic-church/Default.aspx

By: Bill Carey


Pope Benedict XVI

NEW YORK CITY, N.Y. -- A half century ago, the Catholic Church was doing well in America. There were churches on every corner and they were filled, sometimes daily. There were plenty of priests and those studying to become members of the clergy.


There was even a top rated TV show featuring a Bishop from New York City, Fulton Sheen. Even the movies had heroes in clerical collars.


But things have changed. Syracuse's Bishop took note of that fact recently.


“We were a very religious country at one time. So many of my letters from the kids that I get, they tell me their grandmother, their grandfather still go to daily mass. Well, yeah, how about their fathers and mothers, you know?” said Bishop James Moynihan of the Syracuse Roman Catholic Diocese.


Which is why church leaders point optimistically to this event for young people at a seminary in Yonkers. After more than a generation of declining attendance and involvement, there is an enthusiasm, they say, present in the next generation that shows the pendulum may be swinging back.


“It's constantly growing. The kids are excited. I see vocations. You know, I see people serving in the church. Sacrificing for it. The peer pressure. I mean everything that's there, ten times worse than it was when I was a teenager. They look to their faith as an answer to that. So that's, I would say, why it's more important now to them than ever,” said Bob Walters, Syracuse Diocese Youth Ministry.


“I think that it’s very much alive. All these people here, 20,000 people here and I think with the youth involved, it’ll bring it back alive,” said Sophie Ilacqua of Utica.

“We were talking about it before. You’re in your hometown, you have your youth group and that’s maybe 30 kids, maybe. You get here and you see so many people, especially a lot of youth,” said Sean Bates of Corning.


“Belief, faith and God. And there’s all these people here supporting that and I think other people are supporting that and I think other people notice that we really do believe in God,” said Natalie Alibrandi of Fayetteville.


Church leaders say events like this will have an impact, strengthening a movement back to the church, which they say is already growing.


“No one will walk away from this thing unchanged. They'll be different for the rest of their lives. It will change their life,” Walters said.

On his stops in Washington and New York, the Pope has stressed a message of hope. In a country where the Catholic Church has often had its share of challenges, leaders see a sign of hope here for the future.


There are close to half a million Catholics living in the Syracuse, Ogdensburg and Rochester diocese.

Instaurare omnia in Christo, Romeo K. Escuyos Jr. Totally Mesmerized Phone: +63 (46) 572-3272 http://totallymesmerized.googlepages.com qualitysingers@gmail.com View my Profile     We are a chamber choir and we specialize in weddings. We can also sing at birthdays, wedding anniversaries, official functions (to sing the national anthem or doxology), or perhaps we can serenade the person you love. For rates and other inquiries please contact: Diane: +63 (915) 697-4374 (Strictly SMS only) Shiela: +63 (910) 475-0311 Or send an email to qualitysingers@gmail.com View More...

Prayers for My Mom

+JMJ+

April 20, 2008
Fifth Sunday after Easter

Friends in Christ,

My mom, Lucia K. Escuyos has passed away on the early morning of April 14th (PDT) due to 'metastasized lung cancer" at the LA County/USC Medical Center, Los Angeles, California. Her remains will arrive at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport on April 22 at 8:55 pm and will proceed directly to the Loyola Memorial Chapels, Dr. A. Santos Ave, Sucat, Parañaque where she will remain in state for the next 3 - 4 days.

I wish to extend my deepest gratitude to those who offered their prayers, kind words and generous gifts. May Our Blessed Mother continue to bless and protect you and your family.


"... the Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away: as it hath pleased the Lord, so is it done: blessed be the name of the Lord." - Job 1:21 (Douay Rheims Version)

Instaurare omnia in Christo, Romeo K. Escuyos Jr. Totally Mesmerized Phone: +63 (46) 572-3272 http://totallymesmerized.googlepages.com qualitysingers@gmail.com View my Profile     We are a chamber choir and we specialize in weddings. We can also sing at birthdays, wedding anniversaries, official functions (to sing the national anthem or doxology), or perhaps we can serenade the person you love. For rates and other inquiries please contact: Diane: +63 (915) 697-4374 (Strictly SMS only) Shiela: +63 (910) 475-0311 Or send an email to qualitysingers@gmail.com View More...

CFC News: Vatican Corrects CFC's GK Focus

Inquirer.Net
Inquirer Headlines / Nation

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/nation/view/20080418-131127/Vatican-corrects-Couples-for-Christs-GK-focus

Vatican ‘corrects’ Couples for Christ’s ‘GK’ focus By Jeannette Andrade Philippine Daily Inquirer Posted date: April 18, 2008 MANILA, Philippines—The Vatican merely intended to guide and correct Gawad Kalinga’s “overemphasis on social work” when it sent a letter to Couples for Christ (CFC) chiding it for its “erroneous steps,” according to an official of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines. Antipolo Bishop Gabriel Reyes, chair of the CBCP Episcopal Commission on the Laity, Thursday told the Philippine Daily Inquirer that the Vatican had the authority and duty to remind and guide lay groups. He said he did not think that the letter from the Vatican referring to Gawad Kalinga—a social action group that was founded by the CFC and which has become hugely successful in building homes for the poor—was an admonition. “It is more of a guidance, a correction. It is merely correcting the overemphasis on social work. It is correcting receiving funds from pharmaceutical companies [who support or manufacture contraceptives]. It is saying, stop acting like that,” he said. The bishop was asked to comment on a report on the ABS-CBN website that said the CFC had been chastised by the Vatican’s Pontifical Council for the Laity in a March 11 letter to the CFC president, Jose Tale. In that letter, the Vatican noted Gawad Kalinga’s purported shift of focus from the spiritual to the social, as well as its willingness to receive donations from companies that promoted artificial family planning. Giving ‘too little’ According to Reyes, the letter carried a quote from Pope Benedict XVI that said: “Whoever does not give God, gives too little.” “That’s before the part where it says CFC should counterbalance the overemphasis on social work,” the bishop said, adding: “Overemphasis on social work is not good when you are already neglecting your relationship with Christ.” Reyes further said the CFC had always been against artificial family planning but that Gawad Kalinga had been receiving funds from companies manufacturing contraceptives. “If you do that, you are forgetting Christian values,” Reyes said. “You can always work with everyone—Muslims, Buddhists—but still not forget Christian values. We can remain Christians. We should not forget our Christian values,” he said. He added that when he discussed the letter with some CFC leaders, they assured him that they would abide by the Vatican guidance. Asked if the Gawad Kalinga had placed the CFC in a bad light, Reyes answered in the negative. Split He said the letter was probably intended to prevent a similar conflict from occurring in other CFC organizations in other countries. That conflict had actually resulted in a split between Antonio Meloto and his group and the breakaway group led by CFC founder Frank Padilla. The letter from the Vatican appears to be taking the side of Padilla’s group, which had protested Meloto’s style of managing Gawad Kalinga. Together with Padilla, Meloto, received the 2006 Ramon Magsaysay Award for Leadership. He said his organization would continue to serve the poor and the country. “Our work is nation-building,” he said, adding that Gawad Kalinga had the support of more than 350 partner-corporations. “We do not judge politicians as corrupt. We engage them in our work. We are a divided country already in terms of politics, religion. We want to unite everyone through our work,” he said. Meloto stressed that he was a devout Catholic and remained an active member of the CFC. “But I am more focused on nation-building, in our work at Gawad Kalinga,” he said. Asked to comment on the letter from the Vatican, CFC president Jose Tale cut short a phone interview with the Inquirer, saying: “We (CFC officers and members) are preparing a statement … We will be discussing that … We already came out with a paid ad on April 7.” That advertisement merely reiterated the mission of the organization and its four core values—pro-God, pro-family, pro-life, and pro-poor. It stated: “We will continue to pursue the work for the poor through Gawad Kalinga and our social ministries. Gawad Kalinga is an integral part of our life and mission resulting from our spiritual growth and our commitment to God to love the poor. “We will continue to defend, protect and promote life in accordance with the guidelines set by the hierarchy of the Catholic Church. We sincerely apologize for any scandal that the Couples for Christ leadership, past or present, may have caused among the faithful with our previous partnerships.” “We will do our mission in full communion with the hierarchy of the Catholic Church and in observance of the statutes of Couples for Christ as a private international association of the faithful as approved by Pontifical Council for the laity.” Limit on donations “We will continue to welcome back our brethren who have left the community and help promote the spirit of our brotherhood and reconciliation.” Asked whether the CFC would move to impose limitations on the donations to be received by Gawad Kalinga, Tale merely said the matter was part of the discussion among CFC officials.

^ Back to top  ©Copyright 2001-2008 INQUIRER.net, An Inquirer Company

Instaurare omnia in Christo, Romeo K. Escuyos Jr. Totally Mesmerized Phone: +63 (46) 572-3272 http://totallymesmerized.googlepages.com qualitysingers@gmail.com View my Profile     We are a chamber choir and we specialize in weddings. We can also sing at birthdays, wedding anniversaries, official functions (to sing the national anthem or doxology), or perhaps we can serenade the person you love. For rates and other inquiries please contact: Diane: +63 (915) 697-4374 (Strictly SMS only) Shiela: +63 (910) 475-0311 Or send an email to qualitysingers@gmail.com View More...

Last Call for Catholic Answers' Cruise to Alaska!

YOUR CRUISE SHIP TO ALASKA
IS ABOUT TO DEPART
(without you on it)


You have only a few days left to sign up
for Catholic Answers' Apologetics Cruise.

(And I'm not kidding.)

Sad but true.

We're getting close to closing bookings for our June 8–15 Alaska Apologetics Cruise.

We have to.

Holland America Line is taking back the staterooms we reserved but have not yet had bookings for. The staterooms will be made available to people who aren't part of our event, and I expect all the staterooms to be snatched up in short order.

That means that if you want to join us on this cruise, you need to sign up within the next few days.

To do so, please go to our special web site: http://www.catholicanswerscruise.com.

There you can learn all about this cruise (and about the other cruises we're hosting this year). You can register right online.

If you prefer to talk with a Real Live Person, call our friends at The Cruise Authority: 800-707-1634. Their Atlanta office is open between 9:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. Eastern Time.

There are four preeminent reasons to sail with us. Their names are:

    Tim Staples
    Jimmy Akin
    Jim Blackburn
    Mark Shea

They are four of the top Catholic apologists in the country. From them you'll get a deeper understanding of your faith, and you'll learn how to share Catholic truths with others: your family members, your co-workers, even that busybody down the street.

During our cruise you'll see some of the most impressive scenery in the U.S., with port visits to Juneau, Sitka, and Ketchikan in Alaska and Victoria in British Columbia. You'll gawk at glaciers (with a chance to walk on one, if you like), see historic churches, and have a chance to enjoy the freshest salmon you've ever tasted.

But none of this can happen unless you sign up now.

Let me repeat that web address: http://www.catholicanswerscruise.com.

And the phone number: 800-707-1634.

Please don't let our ship sail without you!

Best wishes in Christ,

Karl Keating

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Queen Elizabeth Can’t Join Us, but a Future Prime Minister Can!

ALAS! WE WILL NOT HAVE A CHANCE
TO MEET QUEEN ELIZABETH,
BUT WE WILL MEET ANN WIDDECOME,
A CATHOLIC M.P. TOUTED
AS THE NEXT FEMALE PRIME MINISTER!

Dear Fellow Catholic:

I invite you to join me this summer on a 12-day Northern European cruise that will deepen your faith, increase your knowledge of Catholic teachings and history, and widen your circle of Catholic friends.

I'm referring to Catholic Answers' "Christian History Cruise."

On it you will learn about the Church's past, present, and possible future from top Catholic speakers.

What's more, your faith will be deepened immeasurably ...

You will learn not only what the Church teaches but why ...

You will see how Catholic teachings have fared throughout history (sometimes up, sometimes down), and ...

You will get a good sense of Catholic prospects, both in Europe and in our own country.

(To go straight to our special web site about this and our other cruises, please visit http://www.catholicanswerscruise.com.)


St. Petersburg

THIS WILL BE A "CAPITAL" TRIP!

You will visit all the Scandinavian capitals--Helsinki, Stockholm, Copenhagen, Oslo--and you will spend two days in St. Petersburg (Russia's one-time capital).

You also will spend time in Germany's capital, Berlin, and in Estonia's capital, Tallinn.

In addition, there will be an optional pre-cruise event in London!


Tallinn

AN IMPRESSIVE SHIP ...

For our Christian History Cruise we will sail on the ms Rotterdam, the flagship of the Holland America Line.

This is a truly beautiful ship, recently retrofitted, very comfortable, and an ideal setting for our at-sea talks.

Our cruise will depart London on August 21 and will end in Copenhagen on September 2.

... AND AN IMPRESSIVE LINE-UP OF SPEAKERS

Here are the speakers:

THOMAS HOWARD is a convert to the faith and popular writer. His Evangelical Is Not Enough has brought many people into the Church--and that's just one of about a dozen books he has written.

Tom is a brilliant lecturer, noted for his gentle wit, deep knowledge, and clarity of expression.

CHRISTOPHER CHECK is the executive vice president of The Rockford Institute and is an expert in Catholic history.

Catholic Answers recently issued his audio CD set about the all-important Battle of Lepanto. This was the 1571 battle that prevented the Turks from overrunning Europe.

People who have listened to these CDs have told us they think Chris is one of the most thrilling speakers they've ever heard. (I concur: He makes Catholic history come alive in a marvelous way.)

JAMES AND JOANNA BOGLE live near London and are the leading orthodox Catholic lay couple in England. James leads the country's top lay-Catholic organization, and Joanna is interviewed frequently by the BBC and other media to get the "orthodox Catholic side" of major issues.

Between them, they have more than a dozen books to their credit, including the popular Come on In, It's Awful, a witty invitation to join the Catholic Church.

Rounding out the list of speakers aboard the ship is, ah, YOURS TRULY. (The less said about me, the better, I suppose. But, if you need to know more about me, please visit our web site.)


Copenhagen

WHAT WE WILL DISCUSS WHILE SAILING THE BALTIC

Northern Europe is not strongly Catholic today, but it once was.

1.    How did it first become Catholic?

2.    Why did it cease to be Catholic?

3.    How can it become Catholic again?

These are the questions that will underlie not just our on-board talks but also our on-shore excursions.

As we attempt to answer them, we will come to know better not only the tenets of our faith but also the thinking of those, both present and past, who have opposed Catholic teachings.


Westminster Cathedral

SEE LONDON THROUGH CATHOLIC EYES

Preceding the cruise will be an optional pre-cruise event in London. The dates are August 18-20.

Most of us have had, for many years, a keen interest in the aftermath of the English Reformation because that event had big consequences for the colonies that became the U.S.A.

We will learn about Catholic and Reformation England (and about the Catholic Church in modern England) under the expert guidance of Joanna Bogle.

She will guide us at such sites as Westminster Abbey, Westminster Cathedral, St. Paul's Cathedral, the Tower of London, the Tyburn Shrine to Martyrs, and even Speaker's Corner in Hyde Park.

(Over the years, Speaker's Corner has been the site of many apologetics talks by apologists such as Frank Sheed, by his wife, Maisie Ward, and by other members of England's Catholic Evidence Guild.)

During this pre-cruise event we will stay at a top hotel in central London, within easy walking distance of most of the places we'll visit.

One evening, at our hotel, we will have the privilege of being given a private talk by ANN WIDDECOMBE, Member of Parliament and convert to the Catholic faith. She has written several books (some of which she will have on hand to autograph).

Miss Widdecombe is an accomplished speaker (you have to be, to rise as high as she has in Parliament) and, more importantly, a dedicated Catholic. She has been touted by some as the next female Prime Minister of the U.K.


Oslo

WHY YOU OUGHT TO JOIN US!

During this cruise we will enjoy one another's company in a beautiful and historically important part of the world.

We will spend 12 days in the company of friendly people who share our faith and who want to live it well.

For most of us, this will be a vacation as well as a learning experience. I presume you intend to take a vacation this summer. Why not take it with Catholic Answers?

Our cruise in the Baltic Sea is not that far off. I hope you will pray about joining us--and I hope the answer to your prayer is a resounding "Yes!"

If it is, I ask you to make your reservations right away.

Best wishes in Christ,

Karl Keating
President, Catholic Answers

P.S. You can learn all about our Christian History Cruise--and all about the other cruises we are sponsoring in 2008--by going to http://www.catholicanswerscruise.com.

You also can sign up for any of our cruises online.

If you have questions not answered by our web site, please telephone our agent, The Cruise Authority, at 800-707-1634, between 9:00 A.M. and 6:00 P.M. Eastern Time.

P.P.S. Let's talk about money for a moment.

The bad news is that the dollar is weak against the euro.

The good news is that you pay for your place on our cruise ship (which serves as your European "hotel" and "ground transportation") in dollars, not euros--and the dollar prices were locked in a long time ago.

There's no way you could spend so much time in Europe at such a reasonable cost if you had to pay in euros instead of dollars.

(Decent hotel rooms in the cities we'll visit are running $300+ per night. Then you have to add in expensive restaurant meals and car rental fees or train tickets. You do the math!)

This means this Catholic Answers cruise is a particularly affordable way to see Europe right now. I invite you to investigate our very reasonable rates at http://www.catholicanswerscruise.com.


To unsubscribe from this email, click here

Sorry, no Queen or Putin on Catholic Answers’ Baltic cruise!

SORRY! WE WILL NOT SEE
QUEEN ELIZABETH OR VLADIMIR PUTIN,
BUT WE WILL SEE
NORTHERN EUROPE
THROUGH VERY CATHOLIC EYES!

Dear Fellow Catholic:

I invite you to join me this summer on a 12-day Northern European cruise that will deepen your faith, increase your knowledge of Catholic teachings and history, and widen your circle of Catholic friends.

I'm referring to Catholic Answers' "Christian History Cruise."

On it you will learn about the Church's past, present, and possible future from top Catholic speakers.

What's more, your faith will be deepened immeasurably ...

You will learn not only what the Church teaches but why ...

You will see how Catholic teachings have fared throughout history (sometimes up, sometimes down), and ...

You will get a good sense of Catholic prospects, both in Europe and in our own country.

(To go straight to our special web site about this and our other cruises, please visit http://www.catholicanswerscruise.com.)

THIS WILL BE A "CAPITAL" TRIP!

You will visit all the Scandinavian capitals--Helsinki, Stockholm, Copenhagen, Oslo--and you will spend two days in St. Petersburg (Russia's one-time capital).

You also will spend time in Germany's capital, Berlin, and in Estonia's capital, Tallinn.

In addition, there will be an optional pre-cruise event in London!


AN IMPRESSIVE SHIP ...

For our Christian History Cruise we will sail on the ms Rotterdam, the flagship of the Holland America Line.

This is a truly beautiful ship, recently retrofitted, very comfortable, and an ideal setting for our at-sea talks.

Our cruise will depart London on August 21 and will end in Copenhagen on September 2.


... AND AN IMPRESSIVE LINE-UP OF SPEAKERS

Here are the speakers:

Thomas Howard is a convert to the faith and popular writer. His Evangelical Is Not Enough has brought many people into the Church--and that's just one of about a dozen books he has written.

Tom is a brilliant lecturer, noted for his gentle wit, deep knowledge, and clarity of expression.

Christopher Check is the executive vice president of The Rockford Institute and is an expert in Catholic history.

Catholic Answers recently issued his audio CD set about the all-important Battle of Lepanto. This was the 1571 battle that prevented the Turks from overrunning Europe.

People who have listened to these CDs have told us they think Chris is one of the most thrilling speakers they've ever heard. (I concur: He makes Catholic history come alive in a marvelous way.)

James and Joanna Bogle live near London and are the leading orthodox Catholic lay couple in England. James leads the country's top lay-Catholic organization, and Joanna is interviewed frequently by the BBC and other media to get the "orthodox Catholic side" of major issues.

Between them, they have more than a dozen books to their credit, including the popular Come on In, It's Awful, a witty invitation to join the Catholic Church.

Rounding out the list of speakers is, well, Yours Truly. (The less said about me, the better, I suppose. But, if you need to know more about me, please visit our web site.)

WHAT WE WILL DISCUSS WHILE SAILING THE BALTIC

Northern Europe is not strongly Catholic today, but it once was.

1.    How did it first become Catholic?

2.    Why did it cease to be Catholic?

3.    How can it become Catholic again?

These are the questions that will underlie not just our on-board talks but also our on-shore excursions.

As we attempt to answer them, we will come to know better not only the tenets of our faith but also the thinking of those, both present and past, who have opposed Catholic teachings.

SEE LONDON THROUGH CATHOLIC EYES

Preceding the cruise will be an optional pre-cruise event in London. The dates are August 18-20.

Most of us have had, for many years, a keen interest in the aftermath of the English Reformation because that event had big consequences for the colonies that became the U.S.A.

We will learn about Catholic and Reformation England (and about the Catholic Church in modern England) under the expert guidance of Joanna Bogle.

She will guide us at such sites as Westminster Abbey, Westminster Cathedral, St. Paul's Cathedral, the Tower of London, the Tyburn Shrine to Martyrs, and even Speaker's Corner in Hyde Park (the site of many apologetics talks by luminaries such as Frank Sheed and Maisie Ward).

During this pre-cruise event we will stay at a top hotel in central London, within easy walking distance of most of the places we'll visit.

WHY YOU OUGHT TO JOIN US!

During this cruise we will enjoy one another's company in a beautiful and historically important part of the world.

We will spend 12 days in the company of friendly people who share our faith and who want to live it well.

For most of us, this will be a vacation as well as a learning experience. I presume you intend to take a vacation this summer. Why not take it with Catholic Answers?

Our cruise in the Baltic Sea is not that far off. I hope you will pray about joining us--and I hope the answer to your prayer is a resounding "Yes!"

If it is, I ask you to make your reservations right away.

Best wishes in Christ,

Karl Keating
President, Catholic Answers

P.S. You can learn all about our Christian History Cruise--and all about the other cruises we are sponsoring in 2008--by going to http://www.catholicanswerscruise.com.

You also can sign up for any of our cruises online.

If you have questions not answered by our web site, please telephone our agent, The Cruise Authority, at 800-707-1634, between 9:00 A.M. and 6:00 P.M. Eastern Time.

P.P.S. Let's talk about money for a moment.

The bad news is that the dollar is weak against the euro.

The good news is that you pay for your place on our cruise ship (which serves as your European "hotel" and "ground transportation") in dollars, not euros--and the dollar prices were locked in a long time ago.

There's no way you could spend so much time in Europe at such a reasonable cost if you had to pay in euros instead of dollars.

(Decent hotel rooms in the cities we'll visit are running $300+ per night. Then you have to add in expensive restaurant meals and car rental fees or train tickets. You do the math!)

This means this Catholic Answers cruise is a particularly affordable way to see Europe right now. I invite you to investigate our very reasonable rates at http://www.catholicanswerscruise.com.


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