You've Got Questions? Here are the Answers!
A dear friend of mine passed away last year.
Of course, mourning is a process that takes time, and this case is no different. What is different, though, is the unshakeable fact that I can’t get past: this may have been one of the finest human beings I have ever had the privilege to count as a friend. So while I miss him terribly, I am grateful beyond words to have known him.
His name, you ask? Fr. Ray Ryland.
It would be impossible to capture the essence of this man’s life in a couple paragraphs, although others have done a pretty good job. But now, there’s a brilliant piece of Fr. Ray’s legacy available to us all. For download, even.
You see, Fr. Ray was a regular columnist for The Catholic Answer magazine (published by Our Sunday Visitor) from 2004 through 2014. During that time period, he answered literally hundreds of questions about every aspect of Catholicism. Want to learn about Angels? Baptism? Contraception? It’s in there, and so much more. Beyond the ABC’s of the faith, Fr. Ray provided answers to a stunningly diverse range of questions. And his answers? Priceless.
Catholic Q&A: Essentials of the Faith Explained is a compilation of 676 questions – from Catholics, Protestants and non-believers – along with Fr. Ray’s thoughtful, deeply insightful, and often witty answers. This new e-book is a veritable treasure trove of wisdom and great reading. Beware: there have been early reports of people becoming engrossed in the book to the point of neglecting sleeping and eating!
This book is the next best thing to actually being able to spend time with Fr. Ray, as I was so happy to do for many years. Did I mention that Fr. Ray was a World War II veteran? That he was an Episcopal priest for many years, a dedicated husband and father, who was both an attorney and theologian? Yes, J.D. and Ph.D. He and his wife later entered the Catholic Church, and then many years later, Fr. Ray was among the first to become an honest-to-goodness Catholic priest through the Pastoral Provision. Yes, a legit married priest – who gave one of the best talks I’ve ever heard on the value of priestly celibacy.
Fr. Ray worked with various excellent Catholic organizations over the course of time – including Franciscan University, Catholic Answers, The Coming Home Network International, and Catholics United for the Faith. Yet his countless accomplishments don’t capture the man so much as his obvious love for people. He was a truly gentle-hearted soul, always quick with a word of encouragement and a broad smile.
It is my pleasure to introduce you to my friend, Fr. Ray Ryland. I hope this book serves as an encouragement to you, along with a source of answers to just about every conceivable question you could ever think of. Read, laugh, and learn – and you’ll want to introduce him to your friends as well.
If you’re interested in purchasing this book, consider stopping in at your local Catholic bookstore first. It’s also available online, and if you use our Amazon link, CatholicMom.com gets a small percentage of the sales.
About the author: Kevin Lowry is a grateful convert, husband, and father of eight. He is the author of Faith at Work: Finding Purpose Beyond the Paycheck, and a contributor to numerous other books, magazines and websites. His website is gratefulconvert.com.
