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U.S. Catholic ∙ Vol. 75, No. 2 ∙ February 2010

COVER STORY

Through a glass darkly
Though mental illness carries far less stigma than it once did, Anna Weaver relates the painfully honest appraisal of Catholics with it, who sometimes don't feel comfortable in their own parishes.
WEB ONLY!
Faith can't cure mental illness: A guest blog post from Anna Weaver on writing on and struggling with mental illness
Resources for those struggling with mental illness

EXPERT WITNESS

When bishops brawled
Follow church historian Philip Jenkins in Expert Witness back to the days when bishops brought squadrons of monks-with weapons-to church councils. In this interview with the editors, Jenkins explains how what we believe today was the result of some "hands-on" theology.

SOUNDING BOARD

Get off the fence
Catholics can no longer hem and haw when it comes to the reform of our country's immigration laws, argues Joshua Hoyt in Sounding Board. Anti-immigrant sentiment is alien to our Catholic tradition. In Feedback readers debate the legal, political, and moral issues of immigration reform.

FEATURES

Catholic workers
When it comes to charity, staffing the soup kitchen and collecting canned goods count, of course, but Michelle Bearden has found five Catholics who show some true creativity when it comes to the corporal and spiritual works of mercy.
WEB-ONLY! See story for extra profiles and suggestions for action.

Thea-logy
Twenty years ago Sister Thea Bowman, F.S.P.A. got even bishops to dance. That alone might qualify her for canonization, and in Wise Guides her fellow Franciscan Sister Charlene Smith describes a woman whose "little" light still shines.

ESSAY/OPINION

The case for Deacon Pam
The Vatican may have settled the question of women priests, argues Phyllis Zagano, but there's no reason women can't serve as deacons-and lots of reasons why they should.

When it's hard to be a Catholic
There are days when even the most faithful among us are ready to throw in the towel, writes Father Francesco Iacona, C.M.F. in a letter to his friend Liz. But even when the church lets us down, it helps to remember the God who always bears us up.

DEPARTMENTS

Editors' Note
You May Be Right Letters
Signs of the Times News
Catholic Tastes
Culture in Context: Reviews
Glad You Asked: What is heresy?
At Home with Our Faith
Eye of the Beholder 
Jerry Bleem, O.F.M.

COLUMNS

The Examined Life - Bryan Cones
To eternity and beyond!
Margin Notes - Kevin Clarke
A few fit men
Culture in Context - Patrick McCormick
Critical conditions
Testaments - Alice Camille
Dads behaving badly