Author Archive for Patti Maguire Armstrong

New Life for <em>October Baby</em>
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New Life for October Baby

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by on Sep 05, 2012 in Contraception & Abortion, Featured, On Books, On TV and Movies
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The movie, October Baby became a successful symbol in the prolife movement. Like so many small voices refusing to be defeated against the mammoth abortion industry, neither could October Baby be defeated. This faith-based film went where Hollywood rarely ventures—into pro-life waters. It traveled another route where small films rarely go—opening #8 at the box […]

Al Kresta Celebrates Miraculous Recovery and 15 Years at Ave Maria Radio
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Al Kresta Celebrates Miraculous Recovery and 15 Years at Ave Maria Radio

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by on Aug 22, 2012 in Featured, Live in Christ, On Media
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Today, Catholic radio operates in over 200 markets in the U.S. in addition to the Internet and Sirius Radio.  But fifteen years ago, the Catholic airwaves were much quieter until a revolution of sorts began in Ann Arbor, MI. The city, home to the University of Michigan, is identified as a seedbed of learning. When […]

One Waiting for Us
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One Waiting for Us

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by on Aug 21, 2012 in Featured, Parenting
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My husband Mark and I used to make a trip to the maternity ward every couple of years.  Given our track record, it was a good idea to have an extra home pregnancy kit tucked away on a bathroom shelf.  One month, I did not really think I was pregnant but since I was late, […]

<i>Disorientation</i>: How to Go to College without Losing Your Mind
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Disorientation: How to Go to College without Losing Your Mind

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by on Aug 14, 2012 in Education, Featured, On Books
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The world of academia during the Seventies opened our minds so wide that our brains seemed to fall out. False teachings often undermined faith and morals. Yet, we came away believing we were more highly evolved than when we went in. I recall one professor warning a class of seniors: “You will be surprised that […]

The Broken Path
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The Broken Path

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by on Aug 02, 2012 in Catholic Bioethics, Featured, On Books
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I opened my mail and found a review copy of The Broken Path: How Catholic Bishops Got Lost in the Weeds of American Politics by Judie Brown. I decided I was probably too busy to even read it. Three chapters into it, I felt I had no choice but to write a review. When I […]

Help Wanted: Father
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Help Wanted: Father

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by on Jul 27, 2012 in Featured, Parenting
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Job Description  Long term (as in lifetime) position in challenging and ever-changing work environment. Candidates must possess excellent communication skills and be willing to adopt a G-rated vocabulary. Applicants must also trade any existing sports vehicles in for a “babe” repelling, baby-friendly minivan. Some undercover work necessary such as checking up on kids and getting […]

Help Wanted: Mom
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Help Wanted: Mom

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by on Jul 20, 2012 in Featured, Parenting
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Qualifications:  Candidates must possess the desire to love unconditionally.  Little or no training is required but willingness to learn on the job is a must. The initiation period is little or nonexistent, depending on the support staff you have in your extended family.   You must have the ability to be aware of every departmental […]

Making Peace with the 24-Hour Day
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Making Peace with the 24-Hour Day

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by on Jul 09, 2012 in Featured, Parenting
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Do you have more things to do than time to do them?  Really?  No, not really.  Would God give you more to do than time to do it?   Of course not.  So if you feel that you can’t get it all done, then maybe it’s not all yours to do. Or, you aren’t organizing yourself. […]

Rock the World!
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Rock the World!

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by on Jun 15, 2012 in Featured, Live in Christ, Women
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Do you want to rock the world?  Like St. Francis who moved spiritual mountains and Mother Teresa who moved heaven and earth to serve the poor, we can change the world. We would not be here if God did not plan for just that. He put us here to make a difference in every walk […]

Movie Review: <i>U.N. Me</i>
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Movie Review: U.N. Me

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by on May 31, 2012 in Featured, Government & Politics, History, International Issues, Law & Justice, On TV and Movies
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Every once in a while, I watch a movie that I hate. U.N. Me is just such a movie. I hated watching it but I have to recommend that others see this movie.  Why?  Because I believe that even if the truth is brutally hard to digest, it’s better than ignorance. I hated what was […]

Feminism vs. Feminine
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Feminism vs. Feminine

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by on Apr 27, 2012 in Featured, Women
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I am a recovering feminist. Getting married in the Eighties was my first step when I changed my mind about keeping my own name. I went with logic. A long hyphenated name would be nothing but trouble over the long haul. And what does the second generation do if two people with hyphenated names marry each […]

Movie Review: <em>We Bought A Zoo</em>
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Movie Review: We Bought A Zoo

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by on Apr 03, 2012 in Featured, On TV and Movies
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Everyone has made at least one impulsive purchase in his or her life. Pet shops and women’s clothing stores thrive on such buys. But not many of us would be tempted to buy an entire zoo on impulse. Ah, but in the movies there are no limits as to what can happen. In the film, […]

Loving the Rapist's Child
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Loving the Rapist’s Child

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by on Mar 26, 2012 in Featured, Parenting
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This story by Heather Gemmen Wilson is a dramatic  testimony to the value of life–even life that results from a rape.  It was featured in the Amazing Grace for Survivors book. It had been more than a year since Casey was stillborn, and it seemed Steve and I would never be able to have the third child […]

From Catholic School to Prison to God
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From Catholic School to Prison to God

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by on Mar 08, 2012 in Featured, MyChurchParish.com, Those in Need
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Recently, I began corresponding with a young man who once walked down a dark, destructive path.  Eric is sentenced to twenty years in a Jamestown, North Dokota prison for his third drug offense. He tracked me down through Ascension Press, the publisher of my co-authored Amazing Grace books.  After reading Amazing Grace for Survivors and […]

Can Contraception Raise Family IQ's?
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Can Contraception Raise Family IQ’s?

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by on Mar 02, 2012 in Contraception & Abortion, Featured, Parenting
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Minorities are not generally high achievers so the government has a responsibility to reduce their population. (Stay with me, I have a point to make.) Singleton children from highly educated, successful parents tend to be self-centered, so the government needs to address that unpatriotic situation.  Rich families breed kids with tendencies for depression, so they […]

They Just Don't Understand
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They Just Don’t Understand

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by on Feb 24, 2012 in Featured, Parenting
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I once did not understand. So now, instead of getting upset when others don’t understand, I see it as an opportunity to inform or at least to pray for them. When I came to understand Catholic teaching on love and marriage, my heart grew to include the unborn children I once thought I did not […]

Mary for Dummies
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Mary for Dummies

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by on Feb 14, 2012 in Featured, Live in Christ
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You are a dummy if you do not friend the Blessed Mother, the best thing this side of God. Mary is the very bestest friend we could ever have. Yet, there are some out there who don’t even bother accepting her friendship. In general, Protestants don’t include her in their social circles but there are […]

My Son the Matchmaker
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My Son the Matchmaker

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by on Feb 13, 2012 in Featured, Marriage
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This article is by Regina Rico Ferreira as told in Amazing Grace for Mothers. “Mommy, where’s my daddy?”  My four-year-old son Jacob asked me.  The question was a jolt to our leisurly Sunday afternoon walk together.  I always knew the question would one day come, but I was not expecting it so soon. “Dear God,” […]

Why a Child is a Good Idea
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Why a Child is a Good Idea

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by on Feb 06, 2012 in Parenting
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Today, in “Annie’s Mailbox” newspaper column, a woman who admitted having no desire for children wrote: “Babies are messy, leaky, smelly and noisy, as well as demanding and expensive.” The woman is accurate. It is not logical to have a child. A baby will drain your bank account and rob you of sleep.  It will […]

Vending Machine Morality
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Vending Machine Morality

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by on Jan 27, 2012 in Dating & Singles, Featured
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Quarters can’t buy protection against STD’s. Even without religion, the facts speak the truth. Peace of mind is free. When a former college president shared that he had installed vending machines with condoms in the girls’ dorms, my face must have betrayed disapproval.  After a pregnant pause, (sorry, couldn’t resist) he further explained, “The girls […]

How I Met St. Jude
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How I Met St. Jude

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by on Jan 10, 2012 in Featured, Live in Christ, MyChurchParish.com
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My own life did not take on a deep spiritual dimension until I was pregnant with my fourth child.  But, once I turned seriously to prayer and saw the results, I became hooked.   It began when my husband Mark lost his job.  For the first time we consciously put our lives in God’s hands.  Whenever […]

grouch, Oscar the Grouch
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Grouchy Treasures

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by on Jan 02, 2012 in Featured, Women
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When you stop to count your blessings, do not forget to give God a big thank you to for all the difficult people in your life.  Those cranks that cross your path and darken your doorway are just bursting with the potential to bless you. Every person who provokes you is an opportunity, but it […]

The World’s Worst and Best Ideas
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The World’s Worst and Best Ideas

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by on Dec 26, 2011 in Featured, Live in Christ
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As a writer, I find that my thoughts quickly turn into articles in my head. A recent at-rest thought was:  What are the worst ideas in the world? High heels were my first thought. Heels prove that vanity lacks wisdom. Feet are for walking; high heels are anti-walking so regardless of what’s in your shoe […]

<em>Who’s Got You?</em> Observations of a Catholic Homeschooling Father
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Who’s Got You? Observations of a Catholic Homeschooling Father

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by on Dec 12, 2011 in Education, Featured, On Books
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If you do an Internet search for “Catholic Fatherhood” how much data would you find in comparison to Panda Bears, Applied Linear Algebra, and Welding Theory?  According to John Clark, author of  Who’s Got You, Catholic Fatherhood comes in last.  The results respectively were 1,914, 1,706, and 284. Catholic Fatherhood netted 270 results.  Clark surmised […]