Contact: Christine Valentine-Owsik, 215-230-8095, cowsik@osv.com

HUNTINGTON, Ind., Oct. 3, 2012 /Standard Newswire/ -- "Catholic women are some of the most misunderstood and intriguing people in American society today," Helen M. Alvaré says in Breaking Through: Catholic Women Speak for Themselves, just released by Our Sunday Visitor.   

American pop culture increasingly treats the "Catholic female" as an oxymoron, or at least as a split personality: a woman who, while she might say "yes" to the faith as a private source of comfort, should say "no" to its countercultural teachings on sex, contraception, marriage, and more.

"But Catholic women themselves are in a different place," stated Alvaré. "Faced with situations their grandmothers and even their mothers never imagined, they are faced with the question of whether a 2000-year-old Church has anything to offer them at this moment in time. They are trying to make sense of the intersection of faith, modern science, and their contemporary, lived experience."

The nine women who contributed to this book come from a variety of backgrounds, experiences and occupations "All of the them, including myself, have struggled to figure out how the demands of their faith allow them to live freely and even with joy in the context of some very pointed and current challenges," stated Alvaré. "Their stories -- full of honesty, but ultimately hope -- come to a new and deeper understanding of the realities of being a Catholic woman in America today."

Topics explored by the contributors include:

• Navigating dating and sexpections
   
• Being Catholic in light of the sexual abuse scandal
   
• Wrestling with the issue of contraception
   
• Faith, psychology and same-sex attraction
   
• The counter-cultural "draw" of religious life
   
• Squaring politics with everyday Catholic living
   
• The Church and the single mom

In addition to Alvaré, Contributors to Breaking Through: Catholic Women Speak for Themselves include:

• Marie Anderson, M.D.
   
• Elise Italiano, M.A.
   
• Sister Mary Gabriel, S.V.
   
• Mary Devlin Capizzi, J.D.
   
• Rebecca Vitz Cherico, Ph.D.
   
• Mary Hallan FioRito, J.D.
   
• Michelle A. Cretella, M.D.
   
• Kim Daniels, J.D.

The world's largest English-language Catholic publisher, Our Sunday Visitor serves millions of Catholics globally through its publishing, offertory, and communication services. Established in 1912, Our Sunday Visitor publishes a wide range of books including Bibles, biographies of the saints, books by Pope Benedict XVI, children's books, devotionals, bible studies, inspirational works, and curriculum. Our Sunday Visitor is a not-for-profit organization, returning a portion of net earnings back to the Catholic community through the Our Sunday Visitor Institute.  For more information, visit www.osv.com.