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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.

Shamrocks, soda bread, and two dates for mom and dad (7 Quick Takes)

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

This year I decided we should have something Irish for our door.

The world begins today

March 15, 2022
By Rita Buettner
Catholic Review
Filed Under: Blog, Commentary, Open Window

It started as an ordinary enough day. I was just starting the workday at my office when my phone rang. My new nephew had been born!

Bee is for Buettner, babies, and bananas (7 Quick Takes)

March 12, 2022
By Rita Buettner
Catholic Review
Filed Under: Blog, Commentary, Open Window

When I put dinner on the table, I told my children that I bought the placemats because “bee is for Buettner.”

Two years later, a double-dip feeling

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

This week, as we find ourselves marking the second anniversary of the day schools—and the world—shut down, I find my mind wandering back to March 2020. Our world turned upside-down.

Our Lenten prayer basket, a hole-y surprise, and a nice number of bananas (7 Quick Takes)

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

I love having a prayer basket for Lent. I don’t know why pulling an intention out of a basket feels so ceremonial and important, but it does.

Welcome to Lent

March 2, 2022
By Rita Buettner
Catholic Review
Filed Under: Blog, Commentary, Open Window

Two years ago, on Ash Wednesday, we went to Mass as a family. It was a beautiful service on what was otherwise a relatively ordinary winter day.

Fondue for dinner, an ice storm, and general musings (7 Quick Takes)

February 27, 2022
By Rita Buettner
Catholic Review
Filed Under: Blog, Commentary, Open Window

~1~ Sometimes when I run out of ideas for dinner, we make fondue. It requires a little prep—cutting up vegetables and meats and preparing the broth, but then John takes over the pot and handles the cooking. It always feels fancy and special, but there are never leftovers. I wonder whether people will expect dinner […]

Making the most of the journey

February 23, 2022
By Rita Buettner
Catholic Review
Filed Under: Blog, Commentary, Open Window, Uncategorized

This weekend, my sons and I road-tripped to New York to see my sister Maureen and her three youngest children. Spending eight hours on the road for about 36 hours together might seem a little intense, but I would drive further than that for the chance to hug my sister. We had a fantastic weekend. […]

Surprise! A birthday road trip with Shamrock Shakes (7 Quick Takes)

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

One of my favorite writing techniques is to give myself a designated period of time to write and see how quickly I can go. I am currently racing to complete these quick takes before my sister Maureen and niece finish baking brownies for my nephew who turns 13 today. Here we go! ~1~ We are […]

Trying to catch the bus

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

We’ve never missed the bus, but we’ve come close.

Daisies for the window, ripe bananas, and a special moment at Mass (7 Quick Takes)

February 13, 2022
By Rita Buettner
Catholic Review
Filed Under: Blog, Commentary, Open Window

The other day while I was grocery shopping alone, I saw a sweet pot of daisies.

Picking out the carrots

February 11, 2022
By Rita Buettner
Catholic Review
Filed Under: Commentary, The Domestic Church

God steps in and eases our burdens in small ways we might not ever see. That’s how much he loves us.

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