Catholic Review

Inspiring the Archdiocese of Baltimore

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.

As my goddaughter turns 1…


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Filed Under: Blog, Open Window

One year ago I drove to the hospital to hold my niece for the first time. She was precious and sweet and snuggly and warm.This weekend we celebrated her first birthday. Throughout her party, she was laughing and crawling and bouncing and reaching over to give her big sister a

Answered prayers (or the story of a missing watch)


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Filed Under: Blog, Open Window

Every day during Lent we pull a slip of paper out of our prayer basket and read the name of the person or people listed there.We’ve prayed for cousins and grandparents, deceased family members and living friends. We share stories about the people we’re praying for, and—when I think of

What we found when we went birthday gift shopping


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Filed Under: Blog, Open Window

If ever there were an aunt who deserves to be celebrated, it’s Aunt Shai. She gives her nieces and nephews her undivided attention, plays with them for hours, reads to them, and teaches them how to make up stories with their toys.So even though it wasn’t clear that she wanted

A warm welcome at Mass


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Filed Under: Blog, Open Window

I’ve never paid much attention to what greeters do before Mass. I always smile at them and say hello, maybe compliment a scarf or comment on the weather. Still, I hadn’t really considered it a significant job.At our parish’s Scout Mass this week, though, Daniel was a greeter, and he

Celebrating a dozen years of marriage


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Filed Under: Blog, Open Window

Twelve years ago I stood in the narthex of the Cathedral of Mary Our Queen, wearing my white gown, impatient and excited for the day—and this new chapter of life—to begin.My father was there, and my bridesmaids—sisters and friends—along with a lovely flower girl and a handsome little ring bearer.

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