Introducing Ignatius McDrool

As part of the intellectual explosion generated by the Catholica Australia website, we introduce you to another loyal son of Holy Mother Church. Ignatius McDrool is editor-in-chief of the recently renamed Catholic Prudence. This recent memo to staff at The Prudence was recently leaked to us by an insider.

Memo all Staff
From Editor in Chief Ignatius McDrool
Re: Congratulations'

I know the Cardinal and the sacred hierarchy are over the moon over the way we have scooped the pool in the Press awards.

And I have received a congratulatory letter from Father Farzenheim even though he expressed some misgiving about our expose on the Declining Standard of Coconut Lamingtons at Church Functions.

Let me just say in response that the piece, which received the Jeremiah O'Flynn Citation for Investigative Catholic Journalism, was in our best tradition of tell-it-like-it-is, fearless reporting.

The 'Lamington Gate' story had to be told, in spite of the pressure that was applied upon us from some cafetaria Catholics and dissidents. I think of the many hours Yolanda spent checking 'recipes against the reality'.

I know how Woodward and Bernstein and the Editor of The Washington Post must have felt with Nixon and Watergate.

Sometimes the editorial chair is lonely indeed.

We will not, however, rest on our laurels.

Our awards for Best Retyping of the Cardinal's Press Statement, Best Picture of a Board Chairman, and for Discipline in Letter to the Editor Publishing will spur us on to greater heights.

Our spending of $100,000 on digital imaging has brought rich fruits with the prizes for Best Photo Gallery of the Hierarchy in a Catholic Publication.

Expenditure on technology for colour printing enabled us to produce award-winning supplements including the memorable, Bishops and Their Lives, published in high gloss.

We regret that our new editorial policy of not publishing pictures of children has been resented in some dissident quarters.

However, we all know that these are difficult times which require Prudence, Discipline, Loyalty and Discretion, and we are grateful for the professional advice we have received from our insurance company and solicitors.

The award for Best Special Feature went to Father Infanta with his series titled, The Two Sides of Abuse.

He is no longer attached to the Archdiocese.

However, we have appreciated his travel articles from Djibouti, Timbuktu, Anchorage, and Rio.

Buona voyaggio, Father!

Yolanda's article on Loving Obedience, a pen picture of the legendary housekeeper, Molly Arbeit, won the Best Human Interest Story.

Molly herself was not left out of the haul, and her piece, Sixteen Tips on How to Iron a Priest's Shirt While Maintaining Custody of the Eyes, received a commendation.

Keep up the good work, we shall not rest on our laurels.

As they say in the vernacular, we are on a roll!

The years of dissidence are behind us.

The removal of outdated issues from our files and the change of the name of our publication to Catholic Prudence has met with universal staff and episcopal approval.

Good hunting!

Mr McDrool welcomes your news tips, particularly those concerning new apparitions and miraculous type events as well as parish pump type material concerning cake decorating competitions and local fetes.

©2006 Clifford Baxter

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