The Breakfast Book Club: Finding Faith and Fellowship in a Shared Love of Reading
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his last year, as He simply loved it and we all spent more always said it was his time in our homes than road to sanity. Now we usual, reading became a are a smaller group and rediscovered pastime for meet on Thursdays in many. Some of us may the rectory dining room. have enjoyed “armchair Someone brings food traveling” to various — donuts or rolls or countries through the something like that — pages of a memoir, while and we fix up a pot of others appreciated the coffee. Then we discuss distraction of adventure the book we’ve read for and mystery stories. that meeting.” We may have sought Over the years, the spiritual counsel in Breakfast Book Club has the works of the saints chosen writing from a or a close reading wide variety of genres for of Scripture. As the their group discussions. members of the Christ Selected titles have the King Breakfast included both fiction and Book Club know from non-fiction, religious firsthand experience, the and secular books. Each benefits of a daily reading participant brings his habit are priceless! or her own perspective The Breakfast to each work that is Book Club has been a read, though all group The first meeting for the year will be the second Thursday of fixture in our parish for September, and the book selection is Michelle Obama’s Becoming. members have at least many years, providing one thing in common — parishioners with the a shared love of reading. opportunity for enriching fellowship and book “I’m part of the book club because I love to read,” discussion. Colette says. “I usually have about three books that “It started a long time ago, maybe 15 years,” I’m reading at any given time. For example, right says longtime book club member Colette Irtz. “I now I’m reading our book club book, a murder think Fr. Herman started it — he used to come. mystery, and a Bible study book.” continued on back cover
“You get to know members of Christ the King that you otherwise might not meet. Only one of the other members of the group goes to Mass at the same time I do, and I would have never met the others if I didn’t have the book club. Christ the King is such a big parish — you get to know people better by being part of a group.” — Colette Irtz 7
