Clearing things up, and misc.

First, I'm so pleased that Eduardo has joined us, and has delivered me from the "guy on MOJ who posts about 'new urbanism'" slot.  Right on.

Second, I seem to be getting credit for Rob Vischer's excellent post, "Community in Suburbia."

Third, I want to thank Mark for his moving and personal reflection on the richness of Catholic urban life.  I am, and have long been, attracted to the idea of the rich, thick, Catholic life of America's cities in the pre-suburban era.  That said, I have to remember that the richness of that life (like the "thickness" of life in many African-American enclaves) was, at least in part, the product of poverty and prejudice, and lack of opportunity.  And, it is worth remembering that it was inept government, and corruption, and entrenched bureaucracy, and crime, at least as much as the evil Wal-Mart, or the interstate highways, or suburban developers (to name just a few of the commonly named culprits), that ruined the "old neighborhoods" where "thick" Catholic life thrived.

It is also worth remembering, I think, that no one made Catholics abandon their sense of community, or their understanding of the importance of parochial schools, when they moved to the suburbs.  It's a struggle for me to remain merely frustrated, rather than furious, when I think about the fact that many suburban Catholic parishes don't bother having schools because, after all, Catholic schools are for those folks who don't have decent public schools.  Uh, . . . no. 

Greg is right, I think.  The most important feature of Catholic urban life was the parish school, and the lives that were constructed around it.  And, the most important task for suburban parishes is to get their members' heads right about the importance of Catholic schools.  We need to drop everything else, and get our schools in order, and get more of them.  How can the law help, or at least stop hurting?

Rick