Catholic blog comment of the year award goes to Fr. Phillip Neri Powell, O.P. for his response to this post at Mark Shea's Catholic and Enjoying It! -

"A reader writes:

I just got home after a disheartening experience at a work function. A nun railed on me about not voting for Obama, then my views on abortion, and then the Catechism of the Catholic Church (read: it's "outdated" and "needs to be reformed"). I respected her tremendously and am disappointed beyond belief. To make matters worse, a co-worker who is vehemently anti-Catholic, started in on me too, because, you know, I don't think women should be priests, etc. etc. She's the same co-worker who, offended at our practice of closed communion, referred to the Eucharist as "just a hunk of bread."

I tried to be civil, and attempted to end a futile conversation with, "Well, we're just going to have to disagree", after it became obviously clear all of my arguments were being dismissed as "outdated." But they persisted, so I left the function early and went for a long walk in the cold night air.

I need prayers now, for the strength to face these people again, for the souls of both the nun and my co-worker who are clearly misguided, and as I being a much-needed job search to find something a little less obviously hostile to my beliefs.

If you and your readers could do that, I'd be grateful. 2008 has come to a spectacularly disasterous end and I'm pretty much fed up with everything."


The workplace referred to was a Catholic women's college.

Fr. Powell's comment was:
"I've had to note many times lately to my readers that I've taken vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience.
There ain't no %$#@ vow of nice.
I think the time for "being sweet" to the enemy is last past..."