Pat Ludwa, author of View from the Pew
A cradle-Catholic born in Battle Creek, Michigan - the land of corn flakes,
Pat Ludwa has proven he is no flake when it comes to his Faith as he so
poignantly illustrates in his essays entitled View from the Pew. He has
called Cleveland, Ohio home since he was five-years old. Even though he
received his formal Catholic education at the primary and secondary level and
then a year attending John Carroll University, by his own admission he didn't
really take the precious gift of his Faith seriously until he was bombarded
with Fundamentalist Evangelicals while in the Army. After graduating from
Cleveland State University, he accepted a commission as an Army officer.
After their military careers were over, he and his wife Cheryl returned to
the city on Lake Erie to raise a family. Pat traveled the globe during their
military stints from Korea to Germany plus various stateside assignments.
Their European assignments afforded Pat the opportunity to visit the seat of
his Faith in Rome as well as a trip to Assisi, the foundation of the
Franciscan spirit. It is this spirit that has forever remained with Pat and
which he is able to convey in his writings. He attributes it to his calling
years ago to the Franciscan seminary, but, as he recounts, "I was talked out
of it and found that my down-fall as a liberal Catholic occurred when I
actually read Vatican II." He has learned through trial and error over the
years and today he and Cheryl are active in parish ministry, serving as
Lectors. As a dedicated husband and father struggling with teen-angst for
their two teen-age daughters Bridget and Megan in these times of overwhelming
worldly influence, Pat is able to bridge the differences of the generations -
of liberal and conservative - and meld the truths and traditions of
pre-Vatican II with the true norms of what the Holy Spirit intended at the
Second Vatican Council. He presents a positive outlook for the future of the
Church in his column as he carries out the Holy Father's request for lay
evangelization, doing all he can from his "View from the Pew." If you want
to send him ideas or feedback, you can reach him at
KnightsCross@aol.com
For past columns by Pat this year, click on VIEW FROM THE PEW ARCHIVES
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