Michael Leach, a past president and publisher of the Crossroad/Continuum Publishing Group, is currently executive director of Orbis Books. Therese J. Borchard is the author of 15 books including Woman, Why Are You Weeping? A Lenten Companion for Women. This thoroughly entertaining and informative anthology salutes the jubilant spirit of Catholicism, the faith of some 63 million Americans. How can one religion contain so much diversity? Mitch Finley responds: "I like being Catholic because we don't all have to agree on everything; in fact, we can disagree on plenty, and we can come at being Catholic from all kinds of directions, yet we are all Catholics."

According to a 1999 National Catholic Reporter/Gallup Poll, sacraments ranked first among five identifiable Catholic hallmarks — the other four being spirituality, social justice, Marian doctrine, and community. All of these are evident in these pages.

Andrew M. Greeley, who has written much on the essence of Catholicism, contributes the lead selection where he states: "Catholicism is a religion of festivity and celebration, of holidays and parties, of a sacred calendar, of Christmas cribs and Easter lilies, of processions and pilgrimages, of seasons and colors, of special prayers and special patrons."

Some of the most delightful pieces include a list by members of a church entitled "Fifty Things Catholics Like Best About Being Catholic." You might be surprised by Robert Ellsberg's "Ten Catholic Heroes of the Twentieth Century." Best of all are the selected bits from Catholic authors sprinkled throughout the book: Mary Gordon, Flannery O'Connor, Christopher Buckley, Annie Dillard, Walker Percy, and others.