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Rita Buettner

Rita Buettner is a wife, working mother and author of the Catholic Review's Open Window blog. She and her husband adopted their two sons from China, and Rita often writes about topics concerning adoption, family and faith.

Rita also writes The Domestic Church, a featured column in the Catholic Review. Her writing has been honored by the Catholic Press Association, the Maryland-Delaware-D.C. Press Association and the Associated Church Press.

A boy walks between rows of trees in an apple orchard under a sunny sky.

An apple picking trip, a free turkey, and a little rutabaga lesson (7 Quick Takes)

November 6, 2022
By Rita Buettner
Catholic Review
Filed Under: Blog, Commentary, Open Window

It has been a few years since we’ve gone apple picking. So, when we realized we had a few free hours on a sunny Saturday, we headed up to Baugher’s to pick apples.

This side of heaven

November 2, 2022
By Rita Buettner
Catholic Review
Filed Under: Commentary, The Domestic Church

May this season of All Souls offer you a chance to reconnect with those you’ve loved and maybe make a new connection with someone you won’t meet on this side of heaven.

Carved jack-o-lanterns glow at night on the porch steps of a house

Happy Halloween, autumn surprises, and homemade apple pie (7 Quick Takes)

October 30, 2022
By Rita Buettner
Catholic Review
Filed Under: Blog, Commentary, Open Window, Uncategorized

Our boys won’t be trick-or-treating again this year, but we will be handing out candy, and we have two magnificent jack-o-lanterns for the front porch.

7 saints you can call on for help

October 28, 2022
By Rita Buettner
Catholic Review
Filed Under: Blog, Commentary, Open Window, Saints

Saints are friends who are in heaven, and we can invite them into the ordinary moments of our day.

A beach weekend, St. Christopher, Snickers, and a sailfish pin (7 Quick Takes)

October 24, 2022
By Rita Buettner
Catholic Review
Filed Under: Blog, Commentary, Open Window

~1~ I spent the weekend at the beach with a few friends, and it was absolutely wonderful. But by Sunday morning I was looking forward to being home with my family. I had planned to go to Mass in Ocean City, Maryland, but suddenly I had the idea to break my trip in half by […]

How Many Pieces of Candy Are in the Jar?

October 19, 2022
By Rita Buettner
Catholic Review
Filed Under: Blog, Commentary, Open Window

I walked over, glanced at the jar, wrote “197” on a piece of paper, and threw it into the container for guesses.

Have mercy

October 18, 2022
By Rita Buettner
Catholic Review
Filed Under: Commentary, Feature, The Domestic Church

Mercy goes a long way. Criticism gets us nowhere.

The beauty of autumn, surprise visitors, a Halloween selfie, and more (7 Quick Takes)

October 16, 2022
By Rita Buettner
Catholic Review
Filed Under: Blog, Commentary, Open Window

I’m trying to take time to marvel at the colors of this season this fall.

Grief and Gratitude

October 9, 2022
By Rita Buettner
Catholic Review
Filed Under: Blog, Commentary, Open Window

Today, I’m not feeling grateful for grief. But I am grateful for Eric. And I’m grateful for the good memories that come rushing back when I think of him.

Wedding weather, archery fun, and a robot at the store (7 Quick Takes)

October 9, 2022
By Rita Buettner
Catholic Review
Filed Under: Blog, Commentary, Open Window

I was excited about going to our nephew’s outdoor wedding, but I was antsy about the weather forecast.

A birthday candle story

October 8, 2022
By Rita Buettner
Catholic Review
Filed Under: Blog, Commentary, Open Window

Five years ago, when my sister and brother-in-law were expecting twin boys, I was rooting for them to come on my husband’s birthday. I loved the idea of them all being birthday buddies. As it turned out, our nephews were born the day after my husband’s birthday. God’s plan is always better than mine, and […]

Lessons to learn from St. Therese’s little way

September 30, 2022
By Rita Buettner
Catholic Review
Filed Under: Blog, Commentary, Open Window

St. Therese would nudge us to take on the little actions of daily life and see the value and the holiness in that service.

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