Nihil Obstat

Nuns Having Fun

This afternoon I decided to do a little Christmas shopping at the Borders on 7th Avenue & 34th Street. Browsing around for a gift for my sister, I found the “Nuns Having Fun” 2007 calendar. I snapped it up on the spot. Hooray for nostalgia! The young woman at the checkout said she loved the calendar. I told her, “I remember when nuns wore habits.” She looked at me as if some ancient relic of another age just warped into the store. Yep, I remember when nuns wore habits, and when they could spin around from the blackboard and throw a chalky eraser harder than Whitey Ford. With pinpoint accuracy, Sister could throw the full length of the classroom to bounce off the forehead of whatever troublemaker (always a boy) who was yakking instead of paying rapt attention. Big mistake.

One of the people who developed the calendar is my old friend, Jeff Stone. Jeff and I met years ago at Dignity/NY. The last time I saw him was on the upper deck of the Peconic Star as we headed out of Greenport in the fog and mist for a lighthouse tour. It was freezing, but the time went by quickly as we laughed and discussed and gossiped.

Jeff is a courageous and articulate advocate for gay and lesbian Catholics. Whenever the Pope or bishops say something awful or outrageous, Jeff is right there on Channel 2, 7 or cable, giving a polite, usually witty, rebuttal. Yea, Jeff!

If you missed it, get the book he co-authored, Growing Up Catholic. It covers all the “cultural Catholic” touchstones. Whenever I need to laugh, I pull it off the shelf for a quick look. Laughter makes religion human. If we can’t laugh, then we’re missing one of the best parts of our faith.

http://www.culturalcatholic.com