"You are tenacious. I love a woman who won't give up." William Luse 6/1/04
"Kudos also to Elena, who proved that she can take it as well as she can dish it." TSO 6/4/04
"the wonderful Elena" Nathan Nelson 8/1/04
"Elena, I quake at the sound of your name" John B-Catholic Packer Fan 8-12-04
"I like your writing and your spunk." Todd Flowerday, Catholic Sensibility 11-8-04
"Elena is is so many shades of stupid they don't make a Crayola box big enough to begin coloring her" Anonymous TWA blog 2/05
"Well, Elena cuts to the chase. Says it like it is and doesn't mince her words." Alexa of Domestic Excellence
"Elena, a woman I have little in common with but have come to be fond of" Cecily Kellog 9/15/05
"I work nonstop to help people with stupidly limited perspectives, like you, accept this reality. Even when it’s hopeless, like in your case. You live in a fantasy. I can’t help you" Also Cecily Kellog 07/2020
"Your witness is horrendous" JCecil of Liberal Catholic News
"Truth, love, charity, and, oh yeah, sensitivity, decorum, good taste and a dollop of wit. That's more like it. Keep rockin'!" PMC 12/05
"I've also been reading this blog for some time and just noticed I hadn't added you to my favorite blogs. Done!" The Mighty Barrister 5/21/04
"Now go haul your huge, sagging, obese, smelly old body out of the chair and take care of those kids of yours before I call CPS and have them do an inspection and see what you're really up to when you're supposed to be homeschooling them." NMH 2006
"That you are one narcissistic, bizaare individual." Jill Filipovic on Feministe Blog September 2006
"I could certainly continue to go back and forth (and believe me, I would love to!!!!!), but that would be answering a fool according to his folly." Amy-anti-Catholic blogger at Blessed Motherhood 7/07/07!
"Where's Elena? We need Elena." Kathryn the Daring Young Mom 2/17/06
"I have no problem with Elena. I find her answers to be quite lucid, witty, and insightful." David B commenting on In Today's News 10/29/05
"She's not cranky, she just senses happiness and snuffs it out." Gabe, age 9, after being scolded for not being ready for swim practice. 12/0
"you are one narcissistic, bizaare, individual." Jill Filipovic 9/11/2006
"Elena of My Domestic Church get’s my nomination for living a life of loveliness that I could only ever dream of. She’s an awesome wife and mother, a deeply committed Catholic, a proponent of pro-life issues, a hands on make-and-bake-and-cut-and-stick-musical-momma, a prayerful, compassionate, thoughtful and passionate woman who endeavours to live a christocentric life in her own euphonious way. Yes, I am proud to know her as a blog buddy and sharing in her trials and her triumphs via reading her blog over the last few years has impacted me more than she could know… and always for the better." Deb from Ukok's Place 08/2007
"I have a feeling elena never moves on from anything. other than the couch to the fridge." 08/2007 commenter on the now defunct Rock Star Mommy Blog.
"I think you're a shrew." Anne Basso 7/08
"Even with our differences, I will say one thing--she's smart. I may not always agree with what she says, but she doesn't spout unsupported garbage as fact." Ruthjoec aka JAnn from AOL Catholic message boards and This That and the Other Thing Blog
"I was wrong. You were right. God bless you" T from LO2W blog 3/6/2008
"As a Catholic Mother myself, I enjoy reading My Domestic Church. It's one of the many blogs that I follow and read regularly. It's refreshing to read comments from a mother that shares your views. So much of what Elena has me nodding my head in agreement. I'm sure that any Catholic-Mother will enjoy reading Elena's blog." SAMinIL on Blog Catalog 9/09
"Because of my interest in Benedictine spirituality and monasticism, began reading about the Domestic Church. This site is an excellent resource. Like any good family it is alive with energy and the Holy Spirit." John on Blog Catalog 12/08
"I watched your talk on YouTube and thought you and your husband did a wonderful job. Very natural, not stilted. Your account of your child, Raphael's, life and death were extremely touching and profound." Eileen via e-mail 02/21/2010
"Happy Easter to you Elena! Four years ago I discovered Candy. Two years ago I discovered you. Last night (Easter Vigil) I was received into full communion with the Catholic Church. It was a beautiful night and one I will remember forever. Thanks to you and Kelly for clearing up any confusion there may be about what the Church believes, teaches, and proclaims. Have a blessed Easter season!" From a VTC reader. 05/2010
"Elena, You completely 'foul up' the catechism. I repeat you are a nice lady, but your lack of education and knowledge, as your distorted answers show," Jack from Liberal Catholic Sports Music 1/9/2009
"you repeatedly impress me. I know we have very different political views that show up in our comments to each other at times, but I have never once felt anything but generosity from you toward who I am." JB via e-mail 7/23/2010
"The post I really love, though is 28 Things I Learned About Marriage in 28 Years at My Domestic Church. In fact, it's so good I plan to show it on the first day of class for my Family and Society course this." Sister Edith at Monastic Musings
Elena was animated, enthusiastic, faith shined through! She was very real. For us, she was relatable and so honest and open. She motivated us the most and we are thankful that she shared so much of her personal life to show example. some PreCana evals from 2014
"you never cease to amaze me, and everyone else! You are unbelievably unforgettably wow! I'm so blessed to be your cousin and friend. Dan - My domestic cousin 5/2014
"Elena: A flute could never sound or feel so etherial as when you play." Marissa
"Your comments are continually provoking, idiotic and condescending" my nephew 11/2018
" As a mom of littles, I really appreciate moms like you tackling these tough issues and sharing your wisdom!" Laura commenting on Catholicmom 06/2019
"Thanks so much for a thoughtful article faithful to the teachings of our faith, while being compassionate towards gay people."Tim commenting on Catholicmom dot com 06/2019
"Grandma, snuggle me!" - My domestic granddaughter 2017
"When Elena turns the other cheek, it's so she can whip around the other side with full force!" Mr. Pete My Domestic Husband!
Elena, I have emailed my thoughts to the homeschool blog awards folks.. this is just wrong how they allow her to get away with this time and again… it almost makes me wonder if deep down they feel the same way? I hope not!!
Elena,
I appreciate very much you taking the time to respond to my questions. It gives me much to think about.
One thing, though, is that I am concerned about your inciteful posts toward Candy. She has not attacked you personally, nor has she mentioned you in any way. While you may have a personal thing with her, attacking her publicly is not Christ-like nor appropriate. Are you aware that she does not even display her award on her blog? I realize people can still link to it through the blog award page, but there are lots of links on there, plenty of which probably at some point could have offended people. That is the nature of blogs, it’s about what you think, you believe, and that will always be the opposite of what some others believe.
She appears to have a sincere desire for the salvation of others, but when I see your posts a glaring difference emerges. You are sooo hateful toward her and her blog personally. Not blatantly so, but anyone reading for more than a few minutes can tell that you have a huge chip on your shoulder toward her. You said in your post that you are not too upset by it, but it is obvious that you are and that you feel quite threatened by her, enough so that you have an entire blog devoted to refuting her. Being a newcomer to both and an outsider, meaning I am not biased either way as I have no “previous” relationship with either of you, you should know that purely by appearance, you appear to be the one inciting un Christ-like behaviour and hate speech. It is inappropriate for you to attack her and encourage her to be reported. I tend to think if anyone should be reported for inflammatory and slanderous speech toward a fellow Believer, it should probably be you. If she is guilty of being inappropriate, you are just as guilty.
Blessed are the peacemakers…
Shyla, you probably are not aware that last fall, when it looked as if Candy really was going to quit attacking Catholicism, I took Visits to Candyland down. When she decided to start in with a new set of attacks, I brought it back up. I originally started Visits to Candyland because she lied about me and about things that I wrote. You probably are also not aware that last month she put the satellite view of my home on her blog with arrows to my home. You’re not aware of those things because she leaves them up until she is sure that I saw them, and then she deletes them.
I am not attacking her as a woman, wife, mother, person, homeschooler or anything else. I am simply objecting to her falsehoods against my religious beliefs and my church.
Also for the record, you would be hard pressed to find anything that I have written that is untrue or an ad hominem . In fact on Visits to Candyland we ask people to be civil.
For some reason, people think that being a good Christian means being quiet and not speaking out. I think that we can look at how Europe ended up before WWII to see how that works out. But the example of Jesus is this:
“I believe it to be a great mistake to present Christianity as something charming and popular with no offense in it….We
cannot blink at the fact that gentle Jesus meek and mild was so stiff in his opinions and so inflammatory in his language
that he was thrown out of church, stoned, hunted from place to place, and finally gibbeted as a firebrand and a public
danger. Whatever his peace was, it was not the peace of an amiable indifference.”–Dorothy Sayers
Shyla, I stand behind everything Elena has said to be true as I have been a witness to this.
None of us are attacking Candy as a person, wife, mom, daughter, etc.
Candy has the right to print false articles about the Catholic church and we have the right to respond with the truth. Candy has refused time and again to let us question her on her comment area, don’t you think we have tried to show her the error of what she is printing?
I don’t hate Candy or even dislike Candy, in fact I love her.. I don’t like the false lies she continues to write but that is a totally different thing that not liking Candy.
Being called “The Whore of Babylon”
is a bit inciteful don’t you think Shyla? Would you consider that a good thing to say about your particular walk with the Lord?
Yes, you can see it today on that lovely blog- that I choose not to read. Really, my LDS and Islamic friends are kinder than her comments about a fellow Christian Church.
Elena, I had no idea that she posted the satellite view of your home! That is horrible, reckless, mean spirited, un-Christian, and dangerous. I am utterly shocked and horrified, and my whole opinion of Candy has drastically changed. I used to think that she was a harmless housewife just spewing lies about the faith that I love on her only real outlet. Not anymore……
Hi Shayla, Elena has been personally attacked on Candy’s blog. Candy is known for her habit of posting really nasty things and then quickly taking them down so that she doesn’t look bad. I have seen it myself.
Kitkat, Candy did send me a personal apology for doing that. I just wanted to illustrate for Shyla that there is a lot of “history” there, and she is only seeing part of it.
Shyla,
She has a post right now calling the Catholic Church the Whore of Baylon. Do you not think that might be inciteful to Catholics??? and this is not the first time she has posted such things about Catholics..she has likened us to
Satanists and more..and she HAS attacked Elena and others personally on her blog.
On Elena’s blog you will not find one hateful post about any other religion or denomination..you will see her refute misinformation and out right lies about Catholicism.
How is Elena the ‘hateful” one and Candy not? At least Elena allows people to disagree and give their opinions….Candy does not…at this point Candy is only allowing comments that support her false views of Catholicism.
Guys, since several of you have responded to me, I didn’t want to just drop off the face of the earth. I have no desire to be in the middle of this controversary. For those of you that were amazed, confused, or hurt by my comments, I apologize. Just realize that to me, coming in as a new reader to both blogs at the same time, I saw nothing on Candy’s site except a post where she seems to be concerned with the salvation of others, but over here I saw actual “attacks” against Candy and her blog. I have a little bit of a better understanding now of the full story. If everything is true, I am sincerely sorry that she has acted in such an un Christlike way.
I am going to disappear back into the world of my family and my own blog now. As I have six homeschooled children of my own, I have other priorities and better things to do with my time than spend it in the middle of a controversary b/t two people I don’t know and probably never will. Blessings to all of you~
shyla’s left but, you know, if someone’s wrong about something to the degree that Candy’s wrong about Catholicism, then, yes, necessarily, it becomes about her: about her being wrong. Very wrong.
There’s nothing hateful about telling another person they’re wrong, even if that person is too proud to contemplate the possibility.
Catholicism is a cult plain and simple.
Oh thank you Ginger. With your compelling and persuasive comment the scales have fallen from my eyes!
E.
Ginger,
Quod gratis asseritur, gratis negatur.