By Andrew Winter
1. The Register introduces a new recurring column this week: “9 Things to Know.” This series is designed as a fun and educational resource for readers.
2. Every 9 Things to Know article contains information about a certain topic or facet of the Catholic Faith, arranged in nine digestible points.
3. Entries in 9 Things to Know can cover on any Catholic subject: Church history, lives of the saints, sacraments, the Bible, etc., but it also has a major focus on people, places and institutions in the Catholic Diocese of Lincoln.
4. The 9 Things to Know series replaces the Children’s Literature Bookshelf column, written by Dr. Terrence Nollen. That column, which suggested and reviewed good children’s books, was discontinued after Dr. Nollen retired, having written 17 years’ worth of excellent articles.
5. The author of 9 Things to Know, Andrew Winter, is a senior at Hillsdale College, soon to graduate with a double major in English and History. He has belonged to St. Joseph Parish in Lincoln his whole life, and from his earliest years, has loved the study of theology, philosophy, and the Church. His writing-heavy and research-oriented background qualify him to present fascinating facts concerning all areas of Catholicism.
6. Each small paragraph of every 9 Things to Know article conveys a new set of facts and aims to draw the reader deeper into the topic at hand. Following are some examples of 9 Things to Know points from future articles in the series.
7. From 9 Things to Know about the Bible: “The Bible contains 73 books, divided into six types: five Pentateuch (or law) books, 17 historical books, 19 prophetic books, 7 wisdom books, four gospels, and 21 epistles.”
8. From 9 Things to Know about St. Patrick: “As St. Patrick was travelling Ireland converting thousands, the remaining pagans conspired to ambush and kill him. But miraculously, when Patrick and his friends came into view, the pagans saw only a deer followed by a group of fawns.”
9. From 9 Things to Know about St. Gianna: “When St. Gianna Beretta Molla was pregnant with her fourth child, she was diagnosed with a tumor in her uterus. Rather than undergo an operation that would kill her child, she chose to give birth and allow the tumor to kill her. Gianna Emanuela Molla, the baby girl born one week before her saintly mother died, has visited the Catholic Diocese of Lincoln three times.”
