S+L Celebrity Watch: Clapton and Colbert

Noel Ocol

Wednesday, March 4, 2015

Welcome to S+L’s Weekly News Round-Up, where we search, summarize and present to you interesting Catholic News from around the world.

As the Director of Marketing and Communications here at S+L, I am exposed to many interesting Catholic news stories and articles on a daily basis. Some of them we cover on our different programs and others I’d like to share through other media channels.

I thought I’d put together and share some of the interesting articles that I’ve come across over the past week. Enjoy!

Good old Eric Clapton. Who doesn't know the living rock and roll legend who was notorious in the 60's for that crazy rock lifestyle?

But what most people don’t know about him was his return to the Blessed Virgin Mary at the lowest period of his life. “I was in complete despair,” wrote Clapton. “In the privacy of my room, I begged for help. I had no notion of who I thought I was talking to, I just knew that I had come to the end of my tether . . . and, getting down on my knees, I surrendered." Check the entire story here on Aleteia.

And here’s the video of Eric Clapton as he sings the song he wrote for Blessed Mother performed with Pavarotti:

Speaking of Momma Mary, have you seen this cool infographic explaining the seven approved recent Marian apparitions?

Ok, so we are on the third week of Lent. If you are struggling through the do’s & don’ts of Lent, don’t fret! Check out the illustrated guide to Lenten fasting and abstinence. This will help you get your bearings pointed in the right direction!

Considering that it's still Lent, I hope that a good and thorough confession is on the top of your to-do list. Have you ever tried to explain the sacrament of confession to someone who doesn’t believe in the sacrament? Well, here is an excellent video that’ll do the hard work for you! Plus side - it is easily sharable!

Here’s another great video. I just love these cartoon explanations! See it here.

One last bit on the topic of Lent. If you are like some people (that I know…), and are having a real difficult time with the “fish thing” during Lent, check out this pretty cool Lenten survival guide for people who hate fish. There in contains many great ideas that even I didn’t consider.

Who doesn’t love a great comedic celebrity, especially an outspoken, Catholic one?

Just yesterday, a video started to circulate on the websphere of Stephen Colbert and Fr. James Martin freestyling a hilarious interview where Stephen professes his faith and talks about many things Catholic. This is a must see. - Prepare yourself for some laughs!

Finally now, to close off this blog entry, I thought I'd share this feel-good video that’s making the rounds on social media. It’s a candid video of monks in Jerusalem engaged in a snow ball fight!

That’s it for me this week folks. I'd love to hear your thoughts and comments on these stories. If you have any interesting stories yourself, please feel free to send them to me!

I hope you enjoy these little stories! I certainly have. Till next week!

- Noel