An Important Message About WeirdCatholic.com

Accept no imitations

A Personal Note

That’s my professional response. On a more personal note, I want to thank everyone who has reached out to me this week. It has been a challenging week even without this. Having so, so many people express their kindness to me, their appreciation for my work, and their outrage on my behalf has been very encouraging.

I had a long exchange with the wonderful Fabiola Garza, who experienced far more direct theft of her own work. Ascension, however, did the right thing and pulled their book, and she was able to publish her work with Word on Fire. You should buy it!

Titles are more slippery things. I contacted multiple lawyers who said I had an uphill battle making this a legal fight, and I hate legal fights anyway. I have done what I can.

With the author, the situation is more upsetting, since I encouraged him in his early endeavors. I cannot imagine what he thought he was doing. He could have chosen a half-dozen other names for his book. That he thanks me in the book without mentioning the title of my site is … strange.

God is good, however, and has graced this week with trials and ministry to help restore perspective. I did my weekly spiritual direction for a wonderful group at the Legion of Mary, visited patients in the hospital, and taught a class of confirmation students. Tomorrow I serve at a funeral and do my part as a minister of consolation. On Sunday, I’m blessed to assist at mass twice, teach about the trinity to large group of OCIA candidates and catechumens, and baptize eight beautiful babies. I’m assisting my wife as she plans free thanksgiving dinners for people who are alone, in need, or shut-in. I even got to study parapsychology with Jimmy Akin. All this is in addition to my professional writing and my work on Games Magazine World of Puzzles. (Deaconing is a beautiful ministry, but it’s also an unpaid one.)

Those things, as well as two serious family health matters that arose this week, are all much greater and more important than this passing problem. I’m grateful to God for the restored sense of proportion—the chance to weigh what really matters.

If you want to help, there are a few things you can do. Please share this post or the JPG of the statement. Let Sophia Press know what you think. If you are in the Catholic media and choose to cover this book, please make sure to mention that it is not affiliated with this site and that I object to the title. Most of all, please subscribe: either free or paid, I don’t care. I also write about Catholic spirituality at An Owl Among the Ruins. Finally, and most importantly, please pray for all involved, especially the author, who has wronged someone who once considered him a friend.

Me right now.