Note: I would like to thank Br. Jonathan Ibarra, M.Id for his insights into this topic. Many dioceses in the United States and around the world are facing a decrease in the number of altar servers and a lack of formation of the altar … [Read more...]
Same Sex Attraction in Catholic Women who Desire to Live Chastely
January 26, 2024 by Fr. James McTavish
Abstract A growing number of Catholic women with same sex attraction (SSA) are interested to know the Catholic Church teaching on this issue. Thus far there are no specific Magisterial documents solely dedicated to women with same sex … [Read more...]
Cooperative Catholic Elderly Living Experiments
July 27, 2023 by Ronda Chervin, PhD
Many Catholics, such as myself, who are old and living alone think about what our options are for better ways of life. We will often consult our pastors. Our greatest motivation is probably loneliness, but also the need to be taken care … [Read more...]
Before and After the First Papal Tweet
How Benedict XVI Promoted “Communio” in a World of Social Communications
January 27, 2023 by Fr. Thomas F. Dailey
Originally presented at a conference on “Catholicity as Gift and Task” on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of Communio, at St. Bernard’s School of Theology and Ministry (Rochester, NY) on October 2, 2022. The historic date was 12/12 … [Read more...]
Book Reviews – January 2022
December 24, 2021 by Book Reviews
When Breath Becomes Air. By Paul Kalanithi. Reviewed by Richard J. Janet. (skip to review) St. Clare of Assisi: Light From the Cloister. By Bret Thoman. Reviewed by Lawrence Montz. (skip to review) America on Trial: A Defense of the … [Read more...]
“Amoris Laetitia”: A Clarion Call for a Healthier Clergy
October 28, 2021 by Msgr. Frank Chiodo
One of the often missed points in Amoris Laetitia (chapter 6, §203) is the Holy Father’s reference to the importance of improving the psycho-affective development of future priests. I am convinced that this is long overdue. Having been a … [Read more...]
A Renewed Look at Pastoral Freedom Concerning COVID-19
Refocusing the United States on the Light of Christ
May 20, 2021 by Deacon Gerard-Marie Anthony
Many states are opening up, no longer mandating face masks for its citizens. Many people may think that this goes against charity or Church teachings. But freedom is aligned with charity, so we can be okay with getting away from focus on … [Read more...]
Mother Church, Tota Pulchra
A Call for Ecclesial Communities
May 20, 2021 by Samantha Mattheiss
In the Gospel of John, we read “Neque vocem ejus umquam audistis, neque speciem ejus visistis” (John 5:37), or “Neither have you heard His voice, nor seen his ‘speciem.’” “Speciem” is defined as “visual appearance . . . splendour, beauty, vi … [Read more...]
Philomena, St. John Vianney, and a Blueprint for Converting Parishes
February 12, 2021 by Tate Hilgefort
Last fall my wife was five months pregnant with our 11th child. We had already named her Philomena after the great wonder worker and favorite saint of St. John Vianney. This is when we found out that Philomena had a heart defect that would … [Read more...]
Making Parishes Home Sweet Home
Parish-Based Homeschool Cooperatives for the Next Academic Year and Beyond
February 12, 2021 by Fr. Anthony Stoeppel
John Kingdon proposed that public policy change comes about when the three streams of problems, policies, and politics come together at the same time.[1. J.W. Kingdon, Agendas, Alternatives and Public Policies (Boston: Little, Brown and … [Read more...]
Book Reviews – January 2021
December 23, 2020 by Book Reviews
God with Us: Encountering Jesus in the Gospel of Matthew. By Edward Sri. Reviewed by Lawrence Montz. (skip to review) The Lighthouse. By Michael D. O’Brien. Reviewed by K.E. Colombini. (skip to review) A Legacy of Preaching, Vol. I: Ap … [Read more...]
Religious Life: Ideal and Reality
November 13, 2020 by Fr. Richard Gribble, CSC
All aspects of life are experienced on a continuum between the poles of ideal and reality. Human relationships are one example. Certainly, all desire our relationships to be of an ideal, but such a desire is not possible, for reality tells … [Read more...]
Why You Should Have Hope for the Future of the Church
June 18, 2019 by Michele Chronister
It’s officially the heart of ordination season, and our family is attending our usual round of ordination Masses. For the second year in a row, I am sewing a chasuble and stoles for some of my seminarian friends. If you have never sewn a … [Read more...]
Words of Life for Cutting Words
A Catholic Response to Teens on Social Media Writing Sites
January 28, 2019 by Mark C. McCann
With more and more young people reaching out to one another through social media, there has been an increased call for new forms of ministry to teens within these virtual worlds. With the advent of public writing sites that allow for the … [Read more...]
Questions Answered
September 18, 2018 by Fr. Brian Mullady, OP
Question: I truly appreciate our parish priest. Everyone loves and admires him. People find it sometimes difficult to express their appreciation. How does one go about showing their appreciation for their priest? Answer: One hears so … [Read more...]
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