Author Archives: Bill Schmitt

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About Bill Schmitt

Bill Schmitt is a Catholic journalist, author, educator, and marketing-communications specialist whose recent work can be seen on the Magis Center blog, in the diocesan newspaper of the Diocese of Albany, and in commentaries at “Phronesis in Pieces” on the Substack platform and at “OnWord.net”. As a secular reporter/editor, he worked at Gannett Westchester Newspapers, McGraw-Hill, Cahners Business Information, Kiplinger Washington Letter, and Chemical Week magazine. Bill has been an adjunct professor of English and media at several schools, including Fordham University and the U of Notre Dame. Full bio: Click "About" at billschmitt.substack.com

This Whovian — or Whoosier? — Learned from the Doctors: The Present Isn’t Enough

Posted on December 2, 2013 by Bill Schmitt

The recent blockbuster episode of the brilliant BBC series “Doctor Who” got me thinking again about the danger of “presentism” in today’s world. Did you see the episode entitled “Day of the Doctor,” in which three different reincarnations of that … Continue reading →

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This Just In … EWTN News Nightly

Posted on September 4, 2013 by Bill Schmitt

The biggest news in Catholic news right now is the debut of “EWTN News Nightly.” Thanks to Deacon Greg Kandra’s blog, you can see the Sept. 3 premiere and enjoy intelligent commentary about the telecast. Thanks to Lisa Hendey’s blog, … Continue reading →

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Poetweets on a Notre Dame Theme

Posted on August 4, 2013 by Bill Schmitt

Have you heard of poetweets? They’re short bursts of verse that use 140 characters–the length of a tweet.  Similar to haiku being limited to 17 syllables. Thanks to the author of this Prezi description of poetweets.  This relatively new art … Continue reading →

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World Youth Day: “A Positive Outlook on Reality”

Posted on July 30, 2013 by Bill Schmitt

One of the wonderful commentaries Pope Francis offered during the World Youth Day events in Brazil last week was his prescription of three attitudes that would help today’s young people build “a more just, united, and fraternal world.” Those three … Continue reading →

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God’s in the details — and the patriotic songs

Posted on July 4, 2013 by Bill Schmitt

I was blessed to start out this 4th of July with Mass at St. Matthew’s Cathedral, a Mass celebrated by Bishop Kevin Rhoades to mark the end of the Fortnight for Freedom. Especially in light of the Bishop’s remarks about … Continue reading →

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Gateway Episodes: This Concept Opens Up Some Possibilities

Posted on June 28, 2013 by Bill Schmitt

Thank you, Abby Ohlheiser, whose post in the June 25 Slate introduced me to the concept of “gateway episodes.” Abby mused on how a TV series, perhaps a now-cancelled series that one always wanted to sample  and still can catch … Continue reading →

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The Priesthood, Education, and ACE

Posted on June 11, 2013 by Bill Schmitt

The connection between the Alliance for Catholic Education (ACE) and religious vocations is very real, partly because the connection between education and the priesthood is very real. We’ve seen the ACE connection a lot recently. During Lent, it was my … Continue reading →

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Stay Tuned …

Posted on May 13, 2013 by Bill Schmitt

The Son Rise Morning Show, which is heard on more than 180 Catholic radio stations in the United States, is not being heard in South Bend, for the time being. Because of what might be called “technical difficulties” in leasing … Continue reading →

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Exploring Talent

Posted on April 16, 2013 by Bill Schmitt

I was delighted today to receive a book, The Little Book of Talent, as a gift from ACE. I know it will be valuable to study the phenomenon of talent, partly for my own ongoing personal development, partly for applications … Continue reading →

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Knocking from the Inside

Posted on March 31, 2013 by Bill Schmitt

Behold, I stand at the door and knock. We Catholics immediately know this Gospel passage, and we picture Jesus requesting entry into our lives, into our hearts. This is a wonderful image, especially with Easter on our minds. But Pope … Continue reading →

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