For today's to-do list

Mother Teresa stamps go on sale today. I plan to buy a ridiculous quantity.

The Seven Deadly Sins of Parish Website Design

Here are 7 quick ways to absolve your parish website of some serious sins that endanger its sole purpose of leading the faithful closer to Jesus Christ and His Church.

1. Turn off the music, eliminate any cheesy animated gifs and flashing text, remove any visible visitor counters and get rid of (what you might think are) really cool animated menu thingies. They are not near as cool as you think they are. I promise. This is precisely what Jesus was talking about in scripture when He said, “and if thy right hand scandalize thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee.” Cut them off.

(continue reading at the full article at the National Catholic Register)

Stamped with Episcopal Approval

Stamps are miniature documents of human history. They are the means by which a country gives sensible expression to its hopes and needs; its beliefs and ideals. They mirror the past and presage the future. They delineate cultural attainments, industrial works, domestic, civil, and social life. In a word, these vignettes give a vivid picture of the world, its occupants, and their multifarious endeavors. –Francis Cardinal Spellman

Last weekend, I unexpectedly toured the Cardinal Spellman Stamp Museum, featuring the collections of His Eminence and President Eisenhower. I admit, I was predisposed to like the place: as a young priest, Father Spellman was pastor of my parish and I have a connection to the women's religious order that once ran the museum. Cardinal Spellman was a great philatelist; the permanent collection features his own stamps, while the exhibitions change monthly.



This postcard was sent by one Eugenio Cardinal Pacelli (who became Pope Pius XII) to Cardinal Spellman's mother. What a great piece of history!

Tis the Season: Spring Interview Season

The Church Ladies have professional experience in a number of fields including, but not limited to: parish and diocesan administration, the non-profit sector, education, the arts, and architecture/engineering. We believe that women bring a unique perspective and much needed voice to the workplace.

My job has always had a strong geographical commitment, so as a result, at less than 5 years after graduation, I have been on over 100 interviews. As spring interview season and job fairs approach, I'd like to share some tips that I've gleaned through the years (including the memorable spring break of my senior year at Our Lady's University, which seemed to be spent entirely on the Metro-North railroad).

SETTING UP INTERVIEWS:
-See if your field has a professional organization website with job postings.

-If you are looking for a job in a faith-based context, check out catholicjobs.com, the diocesan website, or the local Catholic Charities website. It might not hurt to call over to HR with the latter two; some places don't keep their websites up to date. If you are interested in education, call the Catholic Schools Office of the diocese.

-For other nonprofit jobs, check out nonprofitjobs.com

-For jobs in higher ed, I strongly recommend HERC. Smaller institutions might belong to independent consortiums, so google "independent colleges" and your area.

-Word of mouth is great. Ask, ask ask.

-Take advantage of your alumni connections. Our Lady's University is very good about facilitating networking. If you are still in school, ask if your department maintains a list of alumni and their professional connections.

-Narrowly focused job fairs, such as those set up to specifically recruit students from your school/ school's department- can be rewarding. In my experience, smaller is better, excepting fields that hire a lot of employees, like public education.

-Schedule your interviews at least 3 hours apart. I have had good interviews that lasted from 15 minutes to 2 hours and counting. You never know.

APPAREL:
-Check out my earlier post on buying a good dark suit.

-If you are interviewing at several offices over a few days, consider buying a second suit. Depending on your complexion, I'd recommend grey, navy, or chocolate brown. Pick shirts or camis that can go with both suits.

-If your interviews include trudging through spring slush, consider investing in a pair of dressier walking boots you can keep on during your interview, or trade out for your dress pumps if you would rather.

-A stylish briefcase/large purse makes a good first impression. It should be big enough to fit a ring binder inside. Interior pockets are a plus for your wallet, keys, etc.

-Lightly apply make-up and cologne.

-Unless you are interviewing at a parish or chancery, swap out your religious jewelry for the Church Lady Classic, a string of pearls. Modern HR policy forbids discrimination on religious grounds, but you can never tell what will set someone off. You can be an example of the faith- after you get the job.

-Have a small emergency kit: clear nail polish (for runs in stockings), stain stick, safety pins, umbrella, headache remedy, and gum/mints.

PUBLIC SAFETY:
-Interview season may be the first time you have been in a metro area alone. Be safe.

-Make an index card for every interview with: date/time, the name of organization, address, interviewer, phone number, and brief summary of the organization. When your GPS picks the wrong one of six highways named after Boston's Irish bishops, you'll be glad to have a direct contact. If taking public transportation, note the nearby stations and schedules. Keep this card in your coat pocket for easy reference.

-Someone should know where you are. Share a list of interview locations and times with a parent or roommate.

-Don't talk about your travel plans in public.

-Bring your charged cell-phone, but turn the ringer off.

-Sole proprietorships can offer a more flexible work week and a wider professional experience. But go with your gut here. If you feel uncomfortable with the proprietor, or the office is very remotely located, don't take the job.

BEFORE THE INTERVIEW:
-Confirm your interview a few days ahead of time.

-Print off extra copies of your resume, at least one for each interview. I know you emailed it to them already... but they misplaced it. Or gave it to a colleague for review. Their kid drew on it. The dog puked on it. Don't take it personally. Have another to hand out.

-Consider having business cards made.

-Arrange your documents in a ring binder or folio. Check that your portfolio is up to date.

-Print off the company's home-page and list of recent ventures. Talking about these expresses your genuine interest in the organization.

-Think of creative ways to describe some of your faith-based activities for the public sphere. You led a book-study? Translation: Experience facilitating small groups.

-I strongly recommend reading Drucker's "What NonProfits are Teaching Business."

AT THE INTERVIEW:
-Arrive early.

-Speak clearly and cheerfully.

-If asked about a skill you lack, express your willingness to learn.

AFTER THE INTERVIEW:
-Send a thank you note promptly. Use professional stationery.

-Follow-up as necessary. It can take longer than you think for some hiring decisions to be made.

Good Luck! The Church Ladies are praying for you.

The Official Stamp of Church Ladies

With this stamp, the U.S. Postal Service recognizes Mother Teresa, who received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979 for her humanitarian work. Noted for her compassion toward the poor and suffering, Mother Teresa, a diminutive Roman Catholic nun and honorary U.S. citizen, served the sick and destitute of India and the world for nearly 50 years. Her humility and compassion, as well as her respect for the innate worth and dignity of humankind, inspired people of all ages and backgrounds to work on behalf of the world’s poorest populations.

[full USPS press release]

As if you needed a reason...

It's never clear who makes these things up, but someone has declared today to be National Handwriting Day. We suggest you celebrate by creating a piece of hand-written correspondence, perhaps with your fountain pen. Practicing your calligraphic skills would also be appropriate.

It also happens to be the anniversary of the birth of John Hancock.

New Years Resolution: Quality over Quantity

As I reflect on the new year and feel the obligation to pick the Greatest Resolution Ever (tm), I come up with several ideas for things that I just *know* will make me a better person: I should read more, eat less, pray more, complain less, etc. As I think about it, though, a theme appears: "Quality over Quantity".

I keep thinking about a post I read over at Faith and Family yesterday about choosing a one-word resolution. The idea of having a "theme" for the year is intriguing to me. Having one word or phrase to really ingrain on my mind seems like a more sustainable way of accomplishing goals than having a few unrelated resolutions.

In the hope that perhaps one of my resolutions will spark something in your mind, here are a few areas in which I'm planning to enact that phrase this year.

Correspondence

Over the summer, I exchanged several letters with my roommate, who was several states away. Yes, we could've chatted on instant messenger, and probably would have scored a higher word count. Instead, I have a small stack of letters on beautiful stationery, filled with complete sentences, wonderful thoughts, personal confidences, and no "LOL"s or ";-)"s (which I use as much as anyone in online conversation). Not to mention the importance of having something physical. I have trouble finding blog posts I read two days ago, but I know exactly where those letters are. In a world filled with digital photos, e-books, and yes, blogs, having something tangible to keep in a box and look back upon is still important. As I wailed to my Pious Gentleman once when he was expressing his distaste for letter-writing, "But you can't put IM conversations in a pretty box in your wardrobe!"

A friend of mine wrote a letter a day, each to a different person, every day of Lent last year. I'm probably not going to be so rigorous, but I'm going to make it a point to write more letters. 44 cents and half an hour of my time is a small price to pay, I feel.

For more reading about handwritten notes, check out this post from last year.

Reading

I've come to my annual realization that I don't read nearly as much as I should. Class reading excepted, I'm certain I read less than 25 entire books this year. I would use the college student excuse of having "sooooooo much hoooooooomework," but then I realize that I spend far more time than I want to admit reading blogs all day. Obviously, I'm no enemy of blogs, but I have to wonder just what percentage of even the best blog is as edifying as a piece of classic literature or the writings of one of the saints. I'm still trying to decide on a reasonable goal for the year, but am finding it hard given the unpredictability of schoolwork and my schedule. In the meantime, I'd love to hear suggestions for things I must read. I'm open to fiction and non-fiction – anything you've found important in your own life.

Prayer

Enough of the half-hearted rosaries during which I'm just thinking about what I have to do tomorrow. This year, I'm making specific – and attainable – goals for my prayer life. What's more, I'm going to share them with someone else whom I know will keep me accountable. For myself, I find that just as important as the actual prayer time is the time I need to spend to quiet my mind beforehand. That daily rosary goes by without a snatch of actual meditation when I'm writing essays or emails in my head. Again, I have a hard time making excuses for my lack of a more dedicated prayer life when I know that I spend so much time doing far less important things.

This theme will, I hope, carry over into many more areas of my life – relationships, homework, purchases, etc. I have high hopes for this year; what are your goals?

A surprise from Church Ladies Down Under!

Your blog hostesses received a surprise in the mail yesterday from our Australian counterparts: a package containing bottles of Golden Syrup (you're right, ladies, we hadn't seen that before),

and a cookbook from the Country Women's Association of Australia,

containing such delightful-sounding recipes as "Puffaloonies", and several ingredients with strange names that we had to google (they turned out to be pretty common things like golden raisins and peppers).


The card enclosed with the package said (in part), "N.B. pages 170 & 172 for ANZAC biscuits, originally invented to sustain the soldiers of the Australia and New Zealand Army Corps." Naturally, that was the first recipe we tried, with delightful results.


Many thanks to you, Rosalind and Lucy, for your wonderful gift! It is much appreciated, and we'll be drinking a cup of tea to your health and saying a rosary for your intentions!

St Francis Xavier

"I love St Francis Xavier because of many things- his zeal, his charity, his footsore journeys across the world to bring light to the pagan. But I cherish him chiefly because his nature was so affectionate that, thousands of miles away from home and his brother Jesuits, he cut the signatures from their letters to him and pinned them inside his habit, next to his heart."
[Phyllis McGinley, Saint-Watching]

Image Source: Death of St Francis Xavier