The CatholiCity Message

Volume II, Number 22 – June 4, 1998

Dear CatholiCity Citizen,

The summer interns are here! The summer interns are here! You'll meet a couple today, and then, in a long, rambling item we wrote in the wee hours of the morning, you will find out exactly how and why you are like Godzilla.

1. JOE
Joe is big and tall, and just about the most good-natured and smartest seminarian in the Diocese of Cleveland. He just finished his second year at seminary. Two years ago he was the valedictorian at the University of Steubenville. Four years before that, valedictorian of nearby Parma High School. Seven years ago, he first started working for us.

2. RAISSA
Tall, blond, beautiful, Canadian, tri-lingual (French, Spanish, the King's English), and wise beyond her years, Raissa is helping online stuff this summer before returning to her Masters studies at the University of Steubenville, the Un-Official Feeder Institution to the Mary Foundation.

3. LIKE GODZILLA?
Besides pure grace, what is the secret to the phenomenal and often spectacular growth of the Mary Foundation, Saint Jude Media, and CatholiCity?

Many things, of course, but we would say the following is a key reason: In all these apostolates we've been privileged to work for, the emphasis is always been placed on asking others to do the "real" work. The "real work" consists of three things: 1.) Pray for those who hear our audios, read our books, and visit CatholiCity, 2.) Distribute the materials to others, and 3.) Contribute financially as the Holy Spirit moves you.

In CatholiCity's case, "distributing the materials" means using and participating in the many services provided in this Catholic cybercity. In fact, we don't do much here. We simply make audios, print books, program the computers, and knock stuff into packages fast as we can–and try to do all these things efficiently and with tender-loving-care. Hour for hour, dollar for dollar, prayer for prayer, your efforts are humongously, gigantically, and stupendously greater than what little we do "at the home office."

You are big. You are the secret. You are the Godzilla of these apostolates. The folks in the home office are faithful little puppies yipping around your giant feet.

For most charities, you send a donation and the charity uses the gift to do some Godly work. This is really cool–the way things are supposed to be. We love supporting our favorite Catholic charities from E5men.org to our parishes.

Yet the Mary Foundation is not, from a certain perspective, a charity. It's more like a Really Big Project. The project is simple and comes from our mission statement: "Spread consecration to the Sacred Heart of Jesus through the Immaculate Heart of Mary by giving materials to as many people worldwide as soon as possible." Once this project is completed, we plan to retire, and enjoy a world where every soul is a holy member in good-standing in the Catholic Church (our non-Catholic readers will please forgive our boldness, but that is truly our goal in life, besides owning collies).

Saint Teresa of Avila, during a mystical experience, was once shown a big room by Our Lord filled with lots of people. The Lord explained that the people in the room were all the souls that Teresa had helped merit salvation. Then He showed her another room, filled with even more people. "Who are these?" Teresa asked. "They are all the souls who will not go to heaven because you failed to cooperate fully with my grace," Jesus replied.

We all have two rooms. Let's fill up the first one. That's the goal of the Big Project. Filling up the Room in Heaven.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK
"If you want to see what children can do, you must stop giving them things."
Norman Douglas

Yours in Christ,

Your Friends at CatholiCity