Here at Being Frank, we’re very lucky to have a great team of contributors who truly represent the breadth and depth of the Catholic Church. There are seven members of the team – one for each day of the week. Some are guys, some are girls, all are Catholic and brave enough to step up and be frank about their Faith. On their respective day, each author publishes their post at high noon…usually.

So, who are these intrepid bloggers? We’ll let them tell you themselves…

Kereopa (posts on Mondays)

Kia ora. I’m a passionate Wellingtonian, and a born and bred Catholic. I’m a massive political geek, stemming from an upbringing where we were taught to love, not be loved. I’m proud to be a faithful Catholic but I’m also prepared to question and inquire. I don’t believe in taboos. I consider myself a typical young Kiwi – with a big world view, a strong sense of identity, a mass consumer of popular music, and a belief that we’re all capable of greatness. I’m a progressive conservative, with a strong sense of natural justice and a proud defender of the unborn. Other interests include theology, the environment, cooking, the saints, the arts, Maoridom, and coffee.

Marty Rethul (posts on Tuesdays)

Marty’s a big reader of all things from Socrates to Austen, Tolkien to…other stuff. He’s keen on music, and remembers fondly the days of throwing slippers, toy soldiers, and the odd tantrum when being forced to play an instrument by his long-suffering parents. He came round in the end though, and chose to learn one of the great instruments of western music. Marty loves talking and debating things Catholic, and thanks God every day for…well…many things. By things Catholic he’d includes architecture, football, music, social justice, education, dream sequences, liturgy, saints…all sorts. He’s also a bit of a stato, a trainspotter, if you like – he always gets more excited in a census year, that’s for sure. Marty would say he’s grown a lot over the last five years – hopefully his posts will be challenging, but only for the readers.

Inkling (posts on Wednesdays)

I come from a family of converts to Catholicism; though most of my life has been under the guidance of the Church, it has been in an environment of constant discovery – as any Christian life should be. My field of study is Film, TV and the Media, but I firmly believe that nothing beats a good book. Literature, culture, orthodoxy and tradition; these are all things I love. I draw inspiration from the lives of many saints, particularly St Joan of Arc and St Francis de Sales. Studying and working in an industry that is in great need of well-informed people is a constant reminder to keep growing, learning and expanding one’s knowledge. Needing to explain the Catholic position to others and to be able to defend it is a good way of deepening both knowledge and understanding of our faith and the beliefs of others. I look forward to many frank discussions.

Opthomistic (posts on Thursdays)

I was raised in the Archdiocese, I have been in a Catholic family since my birth 22 years ago. Nevertheless, there is a moment where we experience a real conversion to faith and make it our own. I’m interested in things scientific and have the blessing of doing research, albeit in the West Island. In my spare time I sing, dance, cook, think and read. But not all at the same time. I’m also very interested in the Catholic Church, scripture, theology and philosophy. This means that there is an overwhelming amount of things to be read and even more to think about. I need all the Saints I can get my prayers on, but my favourites are Mary, Joseph, Augustine, Aquinas and the Little Flower. I look forward to being part of the Being Frank community.

Methuselah’s Beard (posts on Fridays)

Although some think I am merely a tuft of hair underneath some old guy’s chin, like the Transformers, there is more to me than meets the eye. I am an ageless professional who was born and bred Catholic. Despite this there is a lot about being a Catholic that I’m still learning about. I think this blog is a fantastic (and non-threathening) place to discuss matters of our faith and to learn more about what it means to be a Catholic!

Voice in the Wilderness (posts on Saturdays)

I was born and raised in Christchurch and have lived here for all 23 years of my life. Likewise, I was born and raised a Catholic and really discovered my faith when I was about 15 years old. I have tried to live it out, with Gods constant help, since then. I am passionate about prayer, catholic and secular education, the pro-life movement, youth work and family life among many things. I aim to post about things that I think are important to the life of a Catholic Christian, but that are interesting at the same time. As my name implies, my patron is St John the Baptist.

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Being Frank Alumni

If you’re browsing through our archives, you might also run across some posts from our authors past:

The Captain (posted on Thursdays from July ’06 through October ’08)

I am a 24-year-old cradle Catholic, born and bred in Auckland in a huge, loving, raucous family. “Question everything” has been my motto since, well, birth really. I’m passionate about stimulating real discussion about being a young Catholic in today’s society – with all the challenges, and good stuff, that brings. “Get your nose out of the Bible and out of the Catechism – get on with living in the real world, as a real Catholic!”

Agnes Day (posted on Tuesdays from July ’06 through April ’07)

I was born into a Catholic family and never looked back! I thoroughly enjoy being a Catholic and learning more and going deeper into the never ending truth that is encompassed within the faith. I was thrilled to be invited to be a part of this site and am looking forward to all the conversation that is bound to be spurred from such a venture. In today’s age there is much confusion about Christ and the Church and sites like this one are an excellent forum for discussion and debate. I hope to present many posts which prompt reflection and point to the truth. In a recent trip to Rome, Assisi and France I dived into Church history and really saw how beautiful the reality of the Church Christ founded is and how young the Church in NZ is, I hope to share that beauty with readers and encourage the potential that we all have to be saints and live in eternity with Our Lord.

Peter the First (posted on Wednesdays from July ’06 through September ’07)

Another self-proclaimed (well, generally-proclaimed) geek, I’m interested in the ways global communication is developing (and those it’s leaving, quite literally, in the dust), and the impact a greater flow of disparate information is having on our faith. I’m an advocate of a life well lived as the most complete expression of prayer, and enjoy open discussion and debate. I take encouragement from the imperfect humanity of Pope Peter, whose name hopefully injects some humility into my posts.

eyeWitness (posted on Sundays from July ’06 through June ’10)

I am a 22 year old Catholic on a journey of questioning and learning more about my faith, and hopefully strengthening it along the way. I think Catholics are often stereotyped and generally misunderstood, so it’s important for us to know what we believe! I definitely don’t know everything, so I think this blog is an awesome place to discuss and learn more about our faith. Sometimes it’s uplifting to read about someone else’s day and feel supported because they think about some of the same issues, and share the same concerns, as you. I love that writing my blog challenges me to think about my faith. It’s exciting to be a part of the learning and discussion which comes from everyone’s input and ideas.

Tuppence (posted on Wednesdays from October ’07 through May ’10 )

I’m the Catholic that loves to be Catholic where no one else is Catholic. Living in somewhere like NZ, you get lots of people who are just plain old confused about what that means – “Does that make you Christian?” I’m passionate about getting rid of labels and not putting people in boxes (myself included) and trying to get to the crux of the matter when it comes to debating issues of our faith. I want to grapple with the beauty, depth and profoundness of the faith which we must treasure so dearly in our grand ol’ universal Church. Seeking to dialogue that with what’s happening in the world today, I try give across an angle that is truly catholic (with a little c) in situations where labelling it ‘Catholic’ may get a sour look. I’ve studied sociology, economics, some languages too, and am on the brink of getting a real job…well, maybe. Be Christ to others, see Christ in others…

On The Road (posted on Saturdays October ’08 through May ’10)

It took me twenty something years to see the full beauty and glory of Christ’s gift to us in His Church. Confirmed Catholic on July 6th 2008, I learn something new everyday about the One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church. My two year path of conversion that has taken me around the world from my solidly protestant background has given me a passion for apologetics and defending the Truth. I strive always to grow in faith and love with Jesus Christ and hope to continue to do so through this blog. I am excited to contribute to this community and look forward to the robust discussion.

The Dumb Ox (posted on Tuesdays from July ’06 to August ’10)

I love the Catholic faith, I love to talk and I don’t mind a bit of robust debate about the things that really matter. I don?t profess to be an expert, but I do believe that with a bit of applied reason and an examination of Scripture and Catholic teaching any issue can be satisfactorily resolved with a logical answer.

James the Least (posted on Mondays from July ’06 to November ’10)

I am an opinionated loudmouth who is always keen for a conversation about my faith as I see such discussions as being a great opportunity to explore and explain what makes us Catholic. I’m also always looking for ways in which we can use technology to help spread the Good News of Christ – hence why I am writing for this blog. In between posts and my other projects, I enjoy spending as much time as possible with my wife and my young son. I look forward to taking part and having others take part in this little online community we’re building.

Filia Day (posted on Thursdays from April ’07 to May ’11)

I’m a 24 year old Catholic and I love the Faith to bits. I converted to Catholicism a few years back, and in consequence have realised first hand that Our Lord is the only thing that can completely satisfy my thirst for Truth. However, I am aware that I still have a long way to go in regards to growing in my faith. Hence, I thought this blog could help me to grow in knowledge, and inform my prayer life. Here’s hoping! I’m a self proclaimed ‘new feminist’ (thank you JPII for coining the term!), so expect a few posts on women’s issues. I suppose my motto for life is to find God in the ordinary and little things that, while appearing to be insignificant, really mean a lot to Our Lord. Again, here’s hoping!

Joan of Arc (posted on Sundays from July ’10 to July ’11)

I’m a 20-something cradle Catholic who has been involved in various church ministries as long as I can remember. I’m not an expert in anything other than my own experiences but I love talking about God and learning more about the Church and the depth of what she teaches. For me the ‘heart-stuff’ comes easier than the ‘head-stuff’ but I aim for a balance of the two in my pilgrimage of life. I commented to a group of people the other day that I spend about 80% of my life talking about God (possibly a slight exageration), then someone asked me what the other 20% is about – generally my other interests are in working with young people, social issues, and cultural/social anthropology (humans are fascinating!). I think this site is a great place to share a passion for all things Catholic (and human) and I am excited to be a part of it.