The California Knights of Columbus are adding Mary's Son, A Tale of Christmas, by Darryl Nyznyk (Cross Dove Publishing), to its expanded Keep Christ in Christmas Program.
The fight to keep Christ in Christmas is not a fight between Christians and non-Christians. It’s a fight against those who don't know what makes this country tick, who would deny its constitutional heritage. It’s a fight against those who took “In God We Trust” off the front of our currency and put it in small letters on the edge of the new dollar coin. It’s a fight against those who are dropping “Christian” from the YMCA as it becomes “The Y.” It’s a fight against those who would separate church and state by deriding, denigrating, and destroying church. Christmas is a joyous occasion not only celebrating the birth of Our Lord and Savior, but the birth of Jesus also celebrates the birth of the Judeo-Christian philosophy whose principles are the foundation of the United States Constitution, creating the greatest country in the history of the world. The Muslim principles have not created a successful democracy. Or atheistic Communism. Or Buddhism. Or others. One can be as anti-Christian or anti-God as they so desire, and the Constitution protects them as such, but please, do not allow their historical perspective to become so jaded, or their thinking so rigid, or their influence so prevalent, as to believe we the people can successfully govern our democracy without reliance upon the Judeo-Christian principles born on that first Christmas Day. Salute and join with the Knights of Columbus as they keep Christ in Christmas, God in the public domain, and re-evangelize Christian principles in our changing culture.
MERRY CHRISTMAS
WELCOME
We are St. Jude on Internet (SJOI) a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation that has been advocating prayer and spirituality in public places since 1996. A major SJOI emphasis is fighting to keep Christmas from becoming winter break - striving to overcome the lethargy that allowed Easter to become Spring Break. SJOI is initiating a very worthy and ambitious project placing a highly acclaimed Christmas novel by Darryl Nyznyk into the hands of Catholic and other Christian seventh and eighth graders, and into their homes for all to read. This outstanding Christmas novel (that actually features the birth of Jesus) is, Mary’s Son, A Tale of Christmas.
Posted September 30, 2011 by: J. B. "Bud" Mirassou Executive Director, SJOI
The Ideal Christmas Gift
What excites SJOI about this novel is its far-reaching potential to counterpunch and counteract the narcissistic and materialistic messages that besiege our young teens 24/7. Educators - teachers, principals and coordinators - all see in this story moral lesson after moral lesson to teach the true meaning of Christmas. They tell us each chapter has its own unique springboard for paths of life’s lessons, like lessons for anti-gang and anti-bullying and lessons of hope for all.
One seventh grade teacher said that every middle-schooler in America should read this book; a principal of an impoverished school said her prayers had been answered when a classroom set of Mary’s Son was donated for her seventh graders.
How It Happened
In 2010, my former law partner Darryl Nyznyk and I formed Cross Dove Publishing, LLC, for the publishing of Mary’s Son. Upon the handing of the book to friends and neighbors, some of whom were teachers and principals, it soon became abundantly apparent that the award-winning Mary’s Son was an exceptionally good resource for teaching middle-school students what Christmas really means. As a result, the 2011 business plan included selling the book to Catholic Schools and to the Religious Education programs. It soon became obvious that many schools and parishes would be unable to afford to buy the book. It was decided to continue on with selling the book to the affluent schools and parishes, but more importantly, SJOI was set up to solicit money from foundations and individual donors to buy books, supplying teaching aids, and other services for the economically challenged schools and religious education programs. Cross Dove will sell SJOI the book at a reduced price for delivery to schools and others, and as a fund-raiser for the ancillary services.
Why It Happened
SJOI launched its gifting project with spectacular results. One principal met us in the school library and his gratitude was overwhelmingly obvious. Clearly, this library needed serious help. The classroom set of Mary’s Son was a wonderful addition. The novel was tested with an elementary school Girls’ Club. The principal told us the girls loved it, their reaction was “phenomenal.” This is an extremely heartwarming program. Were informed, in some instances, this will be the only book in the house. Maybe their only Christmas gift. SJOI solicits donations of $2500 or more, for the gifting projects. The $8.50 per book allocation is a Christmas treasure at a bargain price. SJOI is convinced this is the best Christmas gift opportunity in America.
Project Activities * Bishop Sartoris of the Los Angeles Archdiocese has enthusiastically endorsed Mary’s Son; and, it has also been endorsed by the Los Angeles Archdiocese’s Department of Elementary Education and by schools such as American Martyrs in Manhattan Beach, St. Mark in Venice, Good Shepherd in Beverly Hills, St. Francis of Assisi in Los Angeles, Holy Innocence in Long Beach, St. James in Torrance, Nativity in Torrance, St. Lawrence Martyr in Redondo Beach, and others in between.
* The California Knights of Columbus has endorsed Mary’s Son as part of their Keep-Christ-in-Christmas program (soon to be shown on their website at www.californiaknights.org).
* By October 28, 2012, St. Jude's Feastday, SJOI plans to publish The Power of Jude, A Middle-Schooler Self-Help Handbook and add the book to its Catholic School gifting program.
* SJOI plans to not only add gifting to accepting Christian Schools but also to Boys and Girls Clubs and even to the Recreation Departments of towns and cities.
* SJOI solicits grants from Foundations and other individual sources to fund these gifting projects.
Overhead
To assist in funding overhead costs, SJOI solicits individual contributions. For each tax-deductible contribution of $15 or more, plus $5.00 S&H, the donor will receive a copy of Mary’s Son, A Tale of Christmas autographed by author Darryl Nyznyk; and, an autographed copy of The Power of Jude, A Self-Help Handbook for Persons of All Faiths and Beliefs. From time to time other gift items may be set out on the page “Contact Us.”
Please consider us as part of your Christmas giving.
Thank You