Lots of interesting things in the news about Catholic sisters and nuns! For your weekend enjoyment, check out the following nun stories:

Second time was the charm for Cebuano lass turned nun by Inday Espina Varona at ABS-CBNnews.com (April 27, 2011)

People do not need to be members of religious orders to live Pope John Paul 2′s message of hope. “You can be a lay minister, you can be in any kind of profession and still fulfill your Christian potential.”

Sister Maria said one lesson from Pope John Paul 2 is, that words are nothing if not backed by action.
“Witnessing is not just preaching,” she stressed.

Shareholder proposals companies don’t want you to see by Julianne Pepitone at CNNMoney.com (April 25, 2011)

The Benedictine Sisters of Mount St. Scholastica filed a shareholder proposal in November asking AT&T to “publicly commit to operate its wireless broadband network consistent with Internet network neutrality principles.” It turns out that the St. Scholastica Monastery in Kansas owns more than $7,400 worth of AT&T stock. Other Catholic monasteries around the country joined the cause, filing their own requests. A few individuals also petitioned AT&T, including “Mike D” of Beastie Boys fame. AT&T did not respond to a request for comment.

So why do nuns care about such a geeky issue?

“Net neutrality can greatly affect underserved communities that have limited access to the Internet. We need to alleviate those social inequalities,” Kron [the contact person for the proposal] said, noting that the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops has published an open letter supporting Net neutrality. Unfortunately for the nuns and Mike D, the SEC granted a no-action letter on the basis that net neutrality is not “a significant policy issue.” Kron called the decision “shocking” and said the group “vigorously disagrees.”

Jane Lynch to play Nun in “Three Stooges” by Bill Belew at Examiner.com (April 29, 2011)

The actress will be playing the role of Mother Superior in the comedy flick. As usual Mother Superior has an orphanage, where Larry Moe and Curly live. Sean Hayes will be playing the role of Larry, Will Sasso will be playing Curly, while Chris Diamantopoulos will be playing the role of Moe.

A prayer for peace in honor of Memorial Day by Pope John Paul II …

Mary, Queen of Peace, we entrust our lives to you.

Shelter us from war, hatred and oppression.

Teach us to live in peace, to educate ourselves for peace.

Inspire us to act justly, to revere all God has made.

Root peace firmly in our hearts and in our world.

Amen.

For whom would you like to pray this day?

I just came a news release for a biographical cartoon of John Paul II’s life. What a fabulous idea!I grew up on comic books — I remember vividly the one of John Paul II and one of Maximilian Kolbe. I read them over and over again. I think it is really important that people in religious life, religious educators, ministers, etc. take note of such a production because it is a great example of putting the Gospel message in a form that children, young people, and even adults can find meaningful. I know how much those comic books meant to me. And though some may not agree with John Paul II’s theology, I don’t think any one can dispute the fact that the man was truly holy and an inspiration to people across the globe.

Kudos to Calvin Cooper Productions and the Vatican Television Center. Here’s the Catholic News Agency’s news brief announcing the release of the film.

Biographical John Paul II cartoon presents Pope’s life in a format for the whole family
Barcelona, Oct. 16, 2006 (CNA) – The first animated film on the life of Pope John Paul II will be released this week. John Paul II: The Friend of All Humanity spans the life of the former Pope, from his birth as Karol Wojtyla, in Poland, to his death as Supreme Pontiff of the Roman Catholic Church in Rome at the age of 84.

The hour-long animation, dubbed in seven languages, was made by Barcelona-based Cavin Cooper Productions, in partnership with the Vatican Television Centre. The film was produced by Cavin Cooper founder Jose Luis Lopez-Guardia.

Lopez-Guardia has been working extensively in the last few years as a creative artist in animation, as well as in editing and production. He has also developed conceptual studies for Disney, Warner Bros, Universal Studios, MGM, Nickelodeon, DreamWorks, Sony and Hanna-Barbera. He has supervised and directed some animated television episodes.

The movie’s press release says the film, “offers the most intimate moments and the most meaningful anecdotes about the most important figure of the 20th Century,” in a format, “enjoyable by the whole family.”

“It was the Pope who inspired the great political and social changes that dramatically changed the history of mankind,” it says.

To view the trailer of the John Paul II animation, go to: http://www.johnpauliitrailer.com/

Got any ideas on using cartoons and comics or some other medium to reach people today? Do comment!