Hello! Welcome to the FRieNDS of St. Paul Book and Movie Club, starting this year for the diocese of Austin. My name is Sarah Pedrozo. I am the FRieNDS coordinator, and I will be the moderator for the club.
Please allow me to introduce myself. I earned a B.A. in English from the University of Dallas, and an M.A. in Language and Literature at St. Mary’s University. Currently, I am working towards a Master’s of Theology at Franciscan University, in Steubenville, Ohio. As the mother of 5 young children, it is my great joy to pass on our Catholic faith to them by explaining the meaning of stories. Children can easily understand spiritual values, if they’re explained in stories. But not just children can benefit from meditating on books. People of all ages can reap the benefits of good literature. That’s why we started this book club. But in our world today, stories are not just passed on through the written word. Many of our stories are told visually, through the television and movies. Since the stories told by a culture reflect it’s deepest held values, it makes sense for us to include discussions of popular movies. But before we get into the Book and Movie Introduction, let me tell you a little about FRieNDS.
What is FRieNDS?
You’re probably asking yourself “What is the FRieNDS of St. Paul?” FRieNDS is a movement for women that grew out of the popular MOMS workshops. MOMS is an 8-week parish course of reflection and growth for women in their journey of motherhood, offered through the Benedictine nuns. FRieNDS, which is an acronym for “Friends Returning for Nurturing, Development, and Spirituality,” started as a continuing education program for young mothers coming out of MOMS, but we quickly realized there is a need for Nurturing, Development, and Spiritual growth for women of every age. FRieNDS is open to women from all walks of life, and we strongly believe that every woman has an abundance of talents and wisdom to share.
Our motto is “Women Meeting Christ at the Well.” When the Samaritan woman encountered Christ at the well, her life was transformed. Not only did she turn away from her old life, shown when she “left her water jar,” she also became a missionary, when she ran back to the village to tell everyone about Jesus. Like Christ, we recognize that every woman is unique, special, and worthy of an individual relationship with God. From a pre-born baby developing in the womb, to teenagers beginning to address the world, to young adults dealing with raising a family and managing new responsibilities, to older women with much to share, every woman has a place in the plan of God, and the right to learn, to serve, and to grow in love.
Why “St. Paul?”
But why are we called the FRieNDS of St. Paul? For three reasons. First of all, we started at St. Paul’s parish, in south Austin. Secondly, we wanted to recognize the leadership and talents of the Benedictine Sisters of St. Paul, in St. Paul, Minneapolis, who provided the inspiration for FRieNDS. Finally, we feel called to follow in the footsteps of St. Paul himself, who took the good news of Christ into the pagan world. We believe that western civilization, in spite of our Christian heritage, in many ways imitates the world of St. Paul’s times. Because of this, FRieNDS focuses particularly on integrating the Gospel into a secular society.
How do we do it?
Through hosting workshops, special events, and ongoing gatherings, FRieNDS helps women of today discover, develop and proclaim their authentic, true voice. By drawing on our rich Catholic heritage to provide continuing education and inspiration, we hope to imitate Mary’s fiat, as well as the life-changing responses of the Samaritan woman at the well and Mary Magdalene. Through active inculturation, in the manner of St. Paul and St. Patrick, we seek to provide an authentic, Catholic lens to many of the symbols, stories and rituals common in our society. Finally, we celebrate the cultural diversity that adds so much richness to our common, Catholic family life.
Since the overall perception of “woman” in our society today is so distorted, we hope to offer some insights into her true nature. That being said, we also know that the final revelation of “woman” ultimately rests in God, in the bride He is creating for his Son. Even though, in this world, we may never reach a definitive answer, still we ask our Lord the question, “Who is woman? And how am I called to be her?”
May the Lord bless us, and open our hearts and minds to receive His spirit, as we continue in our journey towards Him!
Books as Pilgrimage
Have you ever considered that reading a book is like going on a pilgrimage? But what exactly is a pilgrimage? Isn’t that just when you go on a trip to visit a special church?
We usually think of a pilgrimage as a journey to visit a shrine or other sacred place, often to give thanks for blessings received. This is one aspect of a pilgrimage, but it is much more than that.
A pilgrimage is about making a journey, but not just an exterior one. The tradition of pilgrimages, retold in books like the Canterbury Tales, is a long-established custom. But Dante Alighieri, a famous medieval author known for his Inferno, Purgatorio, and Paradisio trilogy, is closer to the truth. Here, Dante relates the soul moving through Hell, Purgatory and finally ascending into Heaven. This movement reveals what a pilgrimage really is – an attempt to move closer to God, through meditation and prayer, in real time. The physical traveling corresponds to the interior change.
We are always on a pilgrimage. The cycling of the years, as well as each month, each season, and each age that we go through, all represent various stages of our own journey. From the moment we are born, we are traveling.
Paul Elie writes, in his book The American Pilgrimage, “Pilgrims often make the journey in company, but each pilgrim must be changed individually; they must see for themselves, each with his or her own eyes. And as they return to ordinary life, the pilgrims must tell others what they saw, recasting the story in their own terms.”
This is the job of all great literature. The authors have seen a glimpse of “the Great Thing,” as one of my literature professor put it, and, like Mary Magdalene and the woman at the well, are duty bound to report it to other seekers.
Reading a book is not an activity for the tame. Like going on a physical journey, it can change you. It can reveal things you did not know before. It can open your eyes. It can move your heart. No one can read the Bible, for example, and not emerge unchanged. Reading the Bible, of course, is the primary example of an internal pilgrimage. But the books we will journey through can also evoke an interior movement towards God, if read in a spirit of charity and love. More importantly, they can help create a real dialogue with the world today, and deepen our understanding of our faith, as we see the teachings of the Church played out in the lives of the characters, and compare them to the life and teachings of Christ.
Our journey will take us through such noted authors as Flannery O’Conner, and popular author Bud McFarlane. We’ll also read directly from the Autobiography of St. Therese, the Little Flower. In the spirit of pilgrimage, our book club will be called The Book Pilgrimage, and will meet every 4th Thursday of the month. The fall schedule for the books, times and first meeting place is listed below.
For the young, and young-at-heart, Fairy Tale Talk will be on the 2nd Thursday of each month. We’ll discuss common tales like Sleeping Beauty, the Little Mermaid and Aladdin, as well as works for older kids like the Shadow Children series, and Harry Potter. This is a great meeting for moms with young kids, grandmothers who read bedtime stories, and any woman who wants to learn more about the symbolism of some of our most beloved stories.
The Movie Review
One of the primary storytelling methods in our culture today is the movie. This is one of the most powerful ways of conveying values and ideas that has ever existed. Just think of the millions of people who watched Titanic, or Independence Day, or the generations of viewers who have seen It’s a Wonderful Life.
Like a good book, a good movie has the power to change minds and broaden horizons. In fact, all good stories have the ability to shape their audience. But with its deeply personal nature, seen on a huge screen, in a darkened movie theater, a movie is especially effective at delivering a message.
The reason movies can be so powerful is because of a language called “pictology.” But what is that?
Pictology is really “visual thinking.” In our modern society, we tend to think of language in a linear, or Alphabetical, way. Words are written down, or spoken, but they are not, until now, visually represented. But the writings of every culture began as picture writing. Over time, a series of shifts occurred, in which experiences were communicated more and more through representational, or abstract, thinking, and less through visual thinking. The novel in particular emphasizes linear thinking.
Interestingly, with the advent of the advertising age and consumer culture, visual thinking has made a big comeback. When an ad flashes on TV, for example, we all intuitively “read” its symbolism. Some scholars think that the new re-emergence of visual thinking is really part of a larger phenomenon, known as “visual literacy” – or how visual information is processed and stored in the mind. With the rising percentages of people with ADHD/ADD, autism, and other similar dispositions, it makes you wonder if what we are really witnessing is a new way of processing information, which reflects the new way in which we receive information. Teachers now tell me that there are in fact, at least 5 different types of learners, not just the two (left brain or right brain) that I grew up with.
Good movies are able to bypass many of the obstacles in our minds, and convey information, relationships, emotions and memories, all in a series of seconds. The great movies, those which eventually become classics, come out of and speak directly back to, our unconscious collective, identifying needs and understandings we weren’t really aware of. Therein lies the power, but also the danger, of the movie medium.
However, those powerful stories need to be discussed and understood in their proper context. That’s why we are starting our movie club, The Movie Review; to start understanding what we see.
Whatever the future holds, we may be fairly certain that visual thinking will continue to grow. It is unlikely that ads, iPods, DVDs, television, computers, or the Internet, which are all examples of visual communicators, are going to disappear. No, it is far more likely that, instead, we will need to become highly visually literate.
But Catholics can take heart. God really does know what He’s doing! The Church has always insisted on keeping the physical, visual aspects to our faith. From the priest’s vestments, to the incense, bells, church architecture, and even the Eucharist Itself, we are surrounded by the visual. Increased visual literacy can only lead to a deeper understanding of our faith, the dignity of each person, and the role of creation. Who knows? Maybe for our children, who grow up speaking this language, understanding the deep nuances of our faith may become as easy as breathing. Or watching a movie.
Fall Schedule
Fairy Tale Talk meets on the 2nd Thursday of each month.
The Movie Review meets on the 3rd Thursday of the month.
The Book Pilgrimage meets on the 4th Thursday of each month.
All meetings will be from 10:30am– 12:30pm, on Thursdays.
Join us for coffee, tea and refreshments.
A binder with schedule and study guides will be available for a donation of $5.00.
Month Fairy Tale Talk Place Date
(Fairy tales are listed first, the underlined book is the selection for older children)
Sept. Snow White and the 7 Dwarves/ St. Paul’s Sept. 13
Among the Lost, by Margaret Peterson Haddix
Oct. Aladdin & the 40 Thieves/ tba Oct. 11
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, by C.S. Lewis
Nov. The Little Mermaid/ tba Nov. 8
A Spell for Cameleon, by Piers Anthony
Dec. The Three Little Pigs/ tba Dec. 13 The Secret Garden, by Frances Hodgson Burnett
Jan. Little Red Riding Hood/ tba Jan. 10
The Magician’s Nephew, C.S. Lewis
Month The Movie Review Place Date
Sept. Titanic St. Paul’s Sept. 20
Oct. Spiderman 3 tba Oct. 18
Nov. White Christmas tba Nov. 15
Dec. no meeting
Jan. The Staircase tba Jan. 17
Month The Book Pilgrimage Place Date
Sept. Short Stories of Flannery O’Conner St. Paul’s Sept. 27
Oct. Autobiography of St. Therese tba Oct. 25
Nov. Pierced by A Sword, by Bud McFarlane tba Nov. 29*
Dec. no meeting
Jan. Against An Infinite Horizon: The Finger of God in our Everyday Lives,
by Fr. Ron Rolheiser, O.M.I. tba Jan. 24
* November’s meeting is moved back a week, to the 5th Thursday, due to Thanksgiving.
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