cover image Fearing the Stigmata: 
Humorously Holy Stories of a Young Catholic’s Search for a Culturally Relevant Faith

Fearing the Stigmata: Humorously Holy Stories of a Young Catholic’s Search for a Culturally Relevant Faith

Matt Weber. Loyola, $13.95 trade paper (224p) ISBN 978-0-8294-3736-2

The Catholic Church faces many obstacles in reaching out to 21st-century young adults. Weber, a 20-something Harvard graduate and producer at CatholicTV, wants to lend a hand by evangelizing his peers and helping them navigate their way in a church that can be quite intimidating. While very committed to his faith, the author takes a humorous and slightly irreverent approach to Catholicism, which some will find appealing. But his pithy reflections are uneven—at times gripping, humorous, and bold, at other times, corny and out of touch. The writing is strongest when the author is explaining how he discovers God in his daily life, through the ordinary, mundane, and even frustrating moments. This is no small favor that he offers to those in his generation; many of them have not been taught about faith, prayer, or spirituality. The numerous pop culture references will help ease skeptical young adults into the faith-inspired stories. (Sept.)