Philip Lawler, one of the steadiest Catholic journalists alive and author of Faithful Departed: The Collapse of Boston’s Catholic Culture the best book on the priestly abuse crisis … has put together a valuable collection of essays on things that are going right in the Church: When Faith Goes Viral: 11 Success Stories on the New Evangelization from Alabama to Vladivostok.

This is not a book to read and forget, but an invitation to action in whatever way you might feel moved to make something happen in the Church – and the world.

Pick up this little anthology for your pre-Christmas reading. Its inspiring chapters may help you, despite all temptations to Scrooge-like cynicism about our postmodern world, to welcome the commemoration of the birth of the Savior with greater joy and, who knows, maybe even a greater hope.