QUOTE(LilyofSaintMaria @ Jun 15 2006, 04:47 AM) [snapback]1006084[/snapback]
This may be a little off topic in this forum, but . . .
Well, just to start you off (if you don't know already), my sister and I publish (very, very, very small magazine) for Catholic girls ages ten through teen. We are looking for any suggestions that you might have concerning what you would like to see in a Catholic girl magazine. If you were to get one, what would you want in it? What would you think other girls would like in it? Let's say the theme of the issue is Catholic 101, the basics of Catholicism. What kind of articles, stories, activities would fit in the issue that would interest the age range of our readers. To learn more about our apostolate take a look at our website: www.saintmariasmessenger.com
So much appreciate any suggestions!
Thank you loads!
Bernadette
Hi Bernadette,
Well, first let me say that I'm a teenager myself (I'll be 14 and a high school freshman in September.) I've subscribed to a few Catholic teen girl magazines here and there, and the thing that annoys me is when they try to incorporate excessive fashion, makeup, and crafts in order to "appeal to a broader audience". A *LITTLE* (we're talking, like, maybe 2 pages per issue!) is alright, I guess, and I applaud them for trying to promote modesty, et cetera, but it just ends up drawing attention away from the true focus of the magazine.
For Catholicism 101, I would definitely have a section on the Real Presence. I would explain it and maybe include a miraculous story or two regarding the Real Presence. It's so saddening to see how many Catholic teenagers there are out there that do not grasp nor love the concept of the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist....the Eucharist ought to be the center of our Catholic lives, and it's too often misplaced.
It would be nice to include some stories of young female saints their age...for example, Maria Goretti. She's amazing, and she is a model of purity for young girls...at our age, her example is so needed and inspiring!
Mary is our Mother, first and foremost, and a lot of the girls that you are reaching may come from broken families, may not have mothers, or may have bad mothers at that who are not the best of influences. You could discuss Mary's role in the Church and in Jesus' life, and then talk about how she is still active in the life of the Church, watching over her children and protecting them. When you discuss the later, you could mention some of the numerous miracles and apparitions that have occurred in the last couple hundreds of years involving her.
I don't want to quote Gemma word for word, but I'll just say that I agree with her and I think her ideas are great!
Good luck and God bless...your ministry is so needed in our world today! I'll pray that your magazine is able to reach many girls and touch many, many hearts!
Trust in Him^,
Christina.