St. Joseph & Roughhouse Magazine

I had thought of calling this post "St. Joseph Roughhousing," but there were a couple of stumbling blocks.

First, although I've been musing on my own about St. Joseph and the Holy Family, and if we let one thing lead to another, the image of St. Joseph and little Jesus roughhousing could follow not too far behind images of St. Joseph and Jesus working and praying together - for after all, play is as natural a part of home life as work and prayer, if not even more natural - still, I didn't want to shock anyone who hasn't yet imagined (I just started today, after all) St. Joseph and the boy Jesus in the many and varied activities that must have made up their home life.

But second and more importantly, it might be good for me to get to the point, and since today is the feast of St. Joseph the Worker, I figured we might as well dive into the bush directly instead of beating around it.

The truth is there's been a lot of work happening in my neck of the woods, and St. Joseph has been doing the heavy lifting. He's always so quiet and industrious that you could miss him, but I'm paying close attention and want to make sure to thank him - along with St. Edmond Campion, St. Max Kolbe, our new heavenly friend Joe W, and our old friends St. John Bosco and St. Dom Savio - for helping my boy Dominic find his mission in life, or at least his mission for the next thirteen months.

Dom is two years out of college and very busy. He's been in and out of the house, and when out his travels have taken him to Italy and Japan in 2025 alone. Many opportunities have beckoned from both these terrific countries, but it turns out his work was waiting for him at home in the U.S.A. all along. What work?

Roughhouse Magazine! We've got beta copies in the mail and on order (ran out of the first set of 40 before we could blink), while the launch date is set for June 1st. Bravo, Dom!

So what is Roughhouse Magazine? It's the print magazine the boys of the world have been waiting for! It will arrive in their mailboxes once a month, filling their minds and hearts with stories of heroes and adventure, while drawing their hands into all kinds of things to make and do. There will be Lego sets to build, card games to try out, comics to read, basketball games to play, Morse Code to learn. This is the magazine that is missing in our current culture, the monthly treasure chest to lure your brothers, sons, nephews, godsons, grandkids, and neighborhood hoodlums, I mean neighborhood friends off the couch, away from the computer or smart phone, and into Real Life!

But Dom says it so much better than I can . . . 

"Roughhouse Magazine is a return to a better time for boy’s magazines. Inspired by the “Boy’s Own” magazines of the 1800s and Scout Life’s older issues, we aim to form today’s boys into tomorrow’s men by grounding them in the real. Every issue of Roughhouse is beautiful, sturdy, and crafted with care, filled with stories of heroism, projects, and games.

"Our magazines are divided into three sections: History and Adventure, Science and Mechanics, and Games and Fun. History and Adventure deals with stories of good and great men, whether they’re from the past or the present. Tales of battle, interviews with first responders, and more. Science and Mechanics, meanwhile, grounds boys in the world around them. Finally, Games and Fun is, as the title suggests, filled with games and fun things to do!

"Every issue is printed on durable paper and filled with gorgeous illustrations. Content includes stories from history, projects for your boys to build, games to play, and more."

To learn more about Roughhouse, read some sample articles, and subscribe, click here:

Roughhouse Magazine

I'm so excited because I spent my own boys' childhoods combing used bookstores and library sales for the kind of reading material that makes up each issue of Roughhouse. I guess I feel my time wasn't wasted (haha, I never did think it was! That much fun had to be a good thing!), but more importantly, it's now bearing fruit in the form of good, solid reading material for a new generation of boys!

Happy reading, and may St. Joseph the Worker care for you as lovingly as he did the Holy Family!

Draw me; we will run!