Submissions to the McGrath Institute Blog
The McGrath Institute Blog helps Catholics live and hand on their faith in Jesus Christ, especially in the family, home and parish, and cultivates and inspires everyday leaders to live out the fullness and richness of their faith in the simple, little ways that make up Church life.
All submissions are evaluated by asking the question:
Will this piece help a committed lay Catholic live or hand on the faith?
General submission guidelines
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Write with a clear and concise voice that remains authentic to your style and personality.
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Provide practical insights to help others live and hand on their Catholic faith.
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Assume an audience of committed lay Catholics who desire to deepen the lived expression of their faith with authenticity and intentionality.
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Aim to accomplish the task of your piece within the allotted 300-800 words, but do not allow the word limit to hinder your writing either.
Writing a strong submission
Strong blog posts clearly exhibit the potential to impact readers and help them live and hand on their faith. Successful blog posts usually accomplish one or more of the following:
- Expand the reader's imagination of how to participate in the life of the Church (see What is Candlemas and how to observe it)
- Inspire personal or spiritual growth that moves the reader to take action (see Choosing your Lenten practices)
- Enrich the reader's understanding of a faith-related subject (see Learning from the Exsultet, the proclamation hymn of Easter)
- Recommend practices for deepening the lived expression of the Catholic faith (see Four poems that can help us teach our kids about God)
- Provide advice from experience for handing on the Catholic faith (see Ways to get students involved in school liturgies)
Process for submitting a blog post
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Writer contacts Stephen, Editor of the McGrath Institute Blog, with one or two ideas for a blog post.
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Stephen reviews the suggestion(s) and helps the writer select and focus the topic of their piece. (That way, writer and editor are on the same page from start to finish, and the writer can proceed with confidence that the piece will work well on the blog.)
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Writer submits a draft to Stephen (typically within 10-14 days of deciding on a topic) along with an author headshot, short 1-2 sentence biography for the author's page and a recommendation for a photo to accompany the published piece.
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At this point, Stephen creates a Google doc to serve as a common editing space, edits the piece in conversation with writer and situates the piece in the larger blog schedule.
General framework for blog topics
Living the Faith
| Traditions | Family Life | Spirituality | Culture |
|---|---|---|---|
| Liturgical, Seasonal | Insights from Kids | Devotions or Guides | Movie Reviews |
| Sacramental | Parenting, Marriage Insights | Works of Mercy | Book Reviews |
| Projects/Activities | Home Ideas | Reflections | Outdoors, Sports |
| Recipes | Relationship Building, Friendship | Calls to Action | Art Commentary |
| Profile of Person/Saint | Best Practices | Best Practices | Art/Essay Contests |
Handing on the Faith
| Teaching Resources | Working in Ministry |
|---|---|
| Sacraments | Work-Life Balance |
| Classroom, Catechesis Ideas | Insights from Experience |
| Questions Answered | Ministry Ideas |
| Primers, Lesson Plans | Best Practices |
Ownership of Content: Authors will always receive credit for their work. However, the McGrath Institute for Church Life will be the owner of all content produced for the McGrath Institute Blog.