I'm sitting here looking at proofs of tomorrow's Religion pages and wondering why people are so quick to say that newspapers in general, or The Blade in particular, only print bad news.
The stories in the religion section tomorrow include interviews with two men, one 90 years old and the other 86, who are "totally in love" with Rosary Cathedral. I have to thank the Rev. Charles Singler for hooking me up with nonogenerian Alex Rapp and his younger sidekick, Joseph Schira, a mere 86 years old.
These two guys have been working as ushers, leading tours, and fixing broken furniture at the magnificent Catholic cathedral for more than 50 years. Their enthusiasm for the cathedral is infectious. And indeed, it is an incredible edifice and one that I wish more people in Toledo were aware of. I hope this article inspires some people to visit the building, at 2535 Collingwood Blvd. You'll forget you are in Toledo and feel like you just stepped inside a historic European cathedral. It truly is majestic and awe-inspiring.
A second article I wrote is about a professor of ethics and an ordained minister who will be lecturing on the morality of war and peace and the Christian tradition at a Sylvania church on Sunday.
The third article I wrote is a column about religious humor, from comedians to magazines.
I threw in a brief mention of Billy Graham's 89th birthday and a note that Jimmy Swaggart is playing piano in Cleveland tomorrow night to honor his cuz, Jerry Lee Lewis...
It's been a busy week -- including spending most of Tuesday working on the sensitive story of the funeral for a defrocked priest -- with a lot of running around, much fretting and hand-wringing, and some real deadline writing...
As one of my old editors used to say, it's "a miracle every day" (that the newspaper comes out).
All in all, I think readers will get a lot of enjoyment and, it is hoped, some helpful information from tomorrow's religion pages.
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CBS News is editing the video for its piece on Toledo's Muslim community... Scheduled to air on the afternoon of Sunday, Dec. 9. This will showcase the local Muslim community in the wake of 9/11 as being productive members of society, dispelling stereotypes and misinformation.
Toledo, Ohio
Nov. 9, 2007
And it's all "good news."