Is there a Doctor in the house?

In the July/August issue of Lay Witness, the publication of Catholics United for the Faith, Emily Stimpson has an entertaining article entitled, "The Average Catholic's Guide to Becoming a Doctor of the Church."

In her humorous article she lists ten steps to becoming a Doctor of the Church:

1. Get yourself ordained a Bishop (women excepted on this step, of course)
2. Fight a heresy
3. Spend some time in exile
4. Found (or reform) a religious order
5. Write a book
6. Excel at preaching
7. Have an apparition
8. Do not become a martyr
9. Become a saint
10. Be anointed by the Holy Spirit

Ms. Stimpson rightly notes at the end of her article that "even if the Trinity doesn't come through on the whole Doctor thing, and even if the Church never adds you to the official list, pursuing wisdom and holiness still has other rewards."