Rev John Trigilio jr PhDThD - Catholicism For Dummies, 2nd Edition

Catholicism For Dummies, 2nd Edition

by Rev. John Trigilio, Jr., PhD, ThD, and Rev. Kenneth Brighenti, PhD

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Catholicism For Dummies, 2nd Edition

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Library of Congress Control Number: 2011939647

ISBN 978-1-118-07778-8 (pbk); ISBN 978-1-118-17042-7 (ebk); ISBN 978-1-118-17043-4 (ebk); ISBN 978-1-118-17044-1 (ebk)

Manufactured in the United States of America

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About the Authors

Rev. John Trigilio, Jr., PhD, ThD, serves as pastor of Our Lady of Good Counsel (Marysville, Pennsylvania) and St. Bernadette (Duncannon, Pennsylvania). He is President of the Confraternity of Catholic Clergy. Father Trigilio co-hosts with Fr. Brighenti several weekly programs on the Eternal Word Television Network (EWTN): Web of Faith, Council of Faith, Crash Course in Catholicism, Crash Course on Pope John Paul II, and Crash Course on the Saints. He is a member of the Fellowship of Catholic Scholars and was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Harrisburg (Pennsylvania) in 1988. Father Trigilio can also be found on Catholic Answers Radio. He preaches retreats, gives parish missions, and speaks at Catholic conferences across the U.S. and Canada. His personal website is www.trigilio.com.

Rev. Kenneth Brighenti, PhD, is Vice Rector for Pastoral Formation and Assistant Professor at Mount St. Mary Seminary and University (Emmitsburg, Maryland). He is a member of the Board of Directors for the Confraternity of Catholic Clergy. Father Brighenti also served as a U.S. Naval Reserve Chaplain for ten years and in 1988 was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Metuchen (New Jersey), where he served as pastor of St. Anns Parish (Raritan, New Jersey) for more than eight years. Fr. Brighenti has coauthored the following books with Fr. Trigilio: Women in the Bible For Dummies, John Paul II For Dummies, Saints For Dummies, Catholic Mass For Dummies, Everything Bible, and Catholic Answer Book: 300 of the Most Frequently Asked Questions.

Dedication

This book is dedicated to Our Lady, Queen of the Clergy, and Saint Joseph, Patron of the Universal Church.

To Blessed Pope John Paul II, of happy memory, who inspired us to work on this project by his life and pontificate.

To His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI, the Bishop of Rome, Vicar of Christ, Supreme Head of the Catholic Church, and the Servant of the Servants of God.

To His Eminence, Raymond Cardinal Burke, Prefect of the Apostolic Signatura; Most Rev. Kevin Rhoades, Bishop of Fort Wayne-South Bend, Indiana; Most Rev. David OConnell, CM, Bishop of Trenton, New Jersey; Rev. Msgr. Roger Roensch, Director of the Bishops Office for U.S. Visitors to the Vatican; and Rev. Msgr. Walter Rossi, Rector of the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, Washington, DC.

And to Reverend Mother Angelica, PCPA, founder of EWTN, who despite her many sufferings (both physical and by persecution) has never stopped loving, hoping, and serving the Lord Jesus in His Holy Catholic Church by spreading the Word and teaching and defending the faith through electronic modern media and telecommunications.

We also dedicate this book to our loving parents, who gave us life and love and shared their Catholic faith:

Percy and Norma Brighenti

John and Elizabeth Trigilio

Finally, in loving memory of the following faithful departed:

John Trigilio, Sr. (19271998), father

Joseph P. Trigilio (19641997), brother

Michael S. Trigilio (19661992), brother

Mary Jo Trigilio (1960), sister

Rev. Fr. Stefan Katarzynski, cousin

Authors Acknowledgments

Father Brighenti and Father Trigilio are indebted to the following for their assistance, encouragement, opinions, guidance, advice, and input throughout this project: