Friends in the Field - Zoë Rowmanowsky

Holy Traders, Batman!
Bam! Pow! Splat! These superheroes of the Faith are striking blows for the kingdom of Christ.

Need It, Need It, Got It, Need It
Holy Traders

As Jim and Betsy Shanley watched the news one evening in 1992, a television report showed people waiting in line for a serial killer's autograph. Another story announced the launch of kids' trading cards featuring criminals. Disturbed at the vice he saw in the news reports, Jim Shanley was inspired with an idea for spreading virtue: high-quality trading cards depicting saints of the Church.

"We believed that if the Lord would bless this idea, children's lives might be touched and changed for Christ," says Shanley. The holy cards, now known as Holy Traders, are an evangelization and teaching tool for children.

Shanley knew nothing about trading cards, so he started doing his homework. He researched and collected cards, called people in the business, and sought advice from friends and colleagues. His wife helped him with ideas and mock-ups. "But it was the Holy Spirit Who really nurtured the plan," says Shanley.

The Shanleys worked hard to create cards and other materials that are contemporary in format and traditional in content. "Respect for the saints, the children and the Faith is built into the cards," says Shanley. "But we also wanted something that parents wouldn't have to convince their kids to like."

Shanley looked for saints with stories children could identify with. Young role models such as St. Therese of Lisieux, St. Maria Goretti and Blessed Pier Georgio Frasatti were naturals for the collection.

It took 18 months for the first Holy Trader to materialize — Mother Frances Cabrini, the first United States citizen to be declared a saint.

The front of each Holy Trader card depicts a glossy color photograph of a saint. A biography, short catechetical lesson, some statistics and usually a quote appear on the back of the card. On the flip side of St. John Bosco's trading card, for instance, a child will read the saint's disarming words, "Any boy in trouble is a friend of mine."

The first set of Holy Traders was introduced in May 1994 and the second set followed a year later. To date, there are 56 saint cards. Shanley eventually hopes to provide a male and female saint for each day of the year so that "if a child doesn't have a patron name saint, there will be a saint for his or her birthday."

Over 9,000 sets of Holy Traders have been placed in the hands of children and adults in the U.S. and Canada. The heavenly heroes are sold through bookstores, parishes and direct mail.

But like the cherished baseball cards many remember, are these cards really being traded by today's Catholic kids? Shanley says yes, but adds that they're more often used as a learning tool to teach kids about virtue and other aspects of the Catholic Faith. Sometimes a card will go from person to person and then wind up as part of a teacher's lesson plan. Often the cards are used as incentives and rewards.

The Shanleys, who have four children, work on their "holy" projects full-time. They are revising and working on more cards. They also plan to launch a time-based catechetical resource that will "magnify the gifts of the catechist and get children excited about learning their Faith." The multi-media package, which will complement the trading cards, includes the "You Are Here" wall poster calendar (one for each liturgical season) and the "Holy Planner," a notebook/journal with lots of visuals, Scripture quotes, and snippets of information on the sacraments, prayer and other aspects of the Faith.

The catechetical resource and Holy Traders are produced by the Azariah Company, a name the Shanleys chose for their love of the Book of Tobit. Azariah is the name the Archangel Raphael assumed when he came to earth to help Tobias. "We see the cards in the same way as the story of Azariah," says Shanley. "Our little cards and projects are more than they seem, and they help lead children and adults back to the Father."

The Azariah Company can be reached at 1827 Stonehaven Drive, Boynton Beach, FL, 33436-4617, 800-242-8467, fax: 561-732-0547.

The Rock Between You and a Hard Place  
Life on the Rock

Many young adults today are looking for something to build their lives on. And they don't want sand.

In January 1997, Eternal Word Television Network (EWTN) offered tuned-in teens and college students some solid ground when it sunk resources into a new program called Life on the Rock. The live one-hour weekly show, hosted by well-known Catholic writer and speaker Jeff Cavins (an Envoy contributing editor), helps young people to build their lives on the rock of Jesus Christ and His Church.

The idea for Life on the Rock began when EWTN's foundress Mother Angelica invited Cavins to share his "reversion" story to the Catholic Church on her weekly broadcast, Mother Angelica Live! After the show, Mother asked Cavins to pray about moving to Birmingham, Alabama to host a live show for young people. "It had been something she'd wanted to do for a long time," recalls Cavins. "She had no idea that I had always wanted to do broadcasting."

Now, Cavins and his television guests are proclaiming the gospel on a worldwide level. Set in a trendy coffee house, each show is tailored around a topic young adults face today, such as relationships, dating, chastity, choosing careers and finding God. Past guests have included Mary Beth Bonacci on chastity, Helen Alvare on abortion, Jesse Romero on being a witness for Christ, Envoy's Matthew Pinto on young adult ministry, Fr. John Hopkins, L.C., on vocations, and Paul Bernetsky from Youth for the Third Millennium.

On air, Cavins and his guests take live phone calls and e-mail from around the world. Internet users can listen to the show via computer and even catch up on past shows. "This multi-media approach is hitting young people right where they are," says Cavins. "Statistics show that young people are spending more time on the internet than watching TV."

Life on the Rock reaches 60 million homes on television, and 600 million shortwave radio listeners around the world. It's also accessible to 20 million commuters who have access to EWTN's AM/FM radio signal.

Though Cavins gets lots of response to the show, he is always surprised at the way it can change the lives of viewers. Four months after Mark Bercham of NET Ministries was a guest on the show, Cavins received a letter from a young man who had come home late from work and happened to turn on EWTN. "He had been praying about what to do with his life and the show so spoke to him that he called NET," explains Cavins. "He was one of the few who was accepted for the NET teams this year." Life on the Rock has also received many letters from young people who are pursuing priesthood or religious life as a result of seeing the show.

Life on the Rock's focus is not raw evangelization. "Our niche is to be a supportive and teaching show for those who are thinking about the Lord or going through tough times," says Cavins. "It's also for committed Catholics who need encouragement." The show seems to hit every age group, regardless of the fact that it's geared toward the younger generation.

Since Cavins believes it's often the "average story" that inspires, the show will begin featuring college and high school students from around the country who will discuss their experiences of living as young Catholics today. Cavins also hopes to do live shows on-site, such as a sunny beach in Florida or a university campus.

The ideas are endless, but the real goal is to use the media for the glory of God. "We're doing our part, but ultimately it's the Holy Spirit Who draws hearts," says Cavins. "We're bringing our five loaves and two fishes to God — He's the One Who knows what really happens in the homes into which our program goes."

Life on the Rock airs Thursday nights at 8 p.m. EST on EWTN. It can be heard on shortwave radio and on AM/FM stations across the country. To receive more information, contact Life on the Rock at EWTN, 5817 Old Leeds Road, Birmingham AL, 35210, 205-956-9537, e-mail: rock@ewtn.com.

A High Society That's Open to All
The Catholic Society for Evangelists

For many years, Tom Balboa loved the Bridegroom but dismissed the Bride as boring. But for the past five years, his life has been dedicated to both: Christ and His Catholic Church.

In 1993, Balboa, 66, co-founded the Catholic Society for Evangelists with his friend and colleague, John Leach. Based in Grand Terrace, California, the Society is a non-profit organization that provides affordable materials to budding Catholic evangelists across the nation.

"Our mission is to bring former Catholics back home, to help active Catholics grow in the Faith, and to give solid information to searching non-Catholics," says Balboa. "Our main focus is to first take care of our own, because Catholics don't know what they have."

Balboa began discovering the riches of the Faith after he had a conversion experience sparked by praying the rosary for the first time. He got his hands on solid Catholic materials such as the conversion tapes of Fr. John Corapi and Scott Hahn. Eventually he needed more materials than his limited resources permitted. Benefactors, such as St. Joseph Communications, agreed to send materials at cost to the Society as long as they didn't sell them for profit. The Catholic Society for Evangelists is now a clearing house for solid Catholic books, tapes, tracts and pamphlets.

"If a booklet costs us a dollar, you get it for a dollar. We make no money here," explains Balboa. "We want to make evangelization tools affordable to everyone." The Society sends materials to anyone, regardless of whether they can make a donation. "We have an 81-year-old woman who was on fire to evangelize but could only send a dollar," says Balboa. "We sent her the stuff she wanted because in the end, the Lord always provides for us."

The Society enjoys a membership of approximately 800. Each member must sign a pledge of loyalty and fidelity to the pope and the magisterium of the Church, and each is asked to contribute a yearly donation of $12 to help defray costs of materials and postage. Members receive an evangelization packet full of what Balboa calls "evangelistic atomic bombs" — inspiring audio tapes, books and pamphlets. "Putting the right tool in the right hand at the right time can save a soul," says Balboa.

The lay apostolate operates out of Balboa's home. Though volunteers help with different efforts, Balboa is the only full-time staff member. He answers the phone, packages and ships materials, and handles correspondence and speaking engagements. When donations are insufficient to cover operational costs, the Board of Directors supplies what's needed. Currently the Society has 17 board members, as well as spiritual directors, clergy advisors and associate advisors.

The Catholic Society of Evangelists does more than send out evangelization materials. They co-sponsor local and national conferences with other groups, promote the St. Louis de Montfort total consecration to Mary, and soon hope to start translating their materials into Spanish. Balboa represents the Society at various Catholic events across the United States and does a lot of speaking himself.

Placed under the patronage and protection of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Society is slowly growing. They receive regular feedback from people whose lives have been changed by their efforts. Their only desire is to answer what he hears the Church urgently requesting. "Our Holy Father is calling for a new evangelization and that call is to every Catholic," says Balboa. "Our hope is to inspire, with the help of the Holy Spirit, millions of Catholics to become active evangelists for Christ and His Church."

Contact the Catholic Society for Evangelists at 12056 Mt. Vernon Avenue, Suite 111, Grand Terrace, CA, 92313, 909-825-0377, or visit their Web site at www.catholicity.com. /cathedral/cse.