Note: This article was drafted in spring 2021 and completed and submitted to Homiletic & Pastoral Review in October 2022. In the June 2022 Apostolic letter Desiderio Desideravi, Pope Francis issues the clarion call for liturgical … [Read more...]
Thinking About Ministry After Covid
Based On Ecclesiological Insights of Pope Francis
December 24, 2021 by Fr. Nihal Abeyasingha
The opening paragraph of Lumen Gentium states, “Since the Church is in Christ like a sacrament or as a sign and instrument both of a very closely knit union with God and of the unity of the whole human race, it desires now to unfold more f … [Read more...]
Christ’s Corona Is Our Corona
October 28, 2021 by Robert V. Thomann, DMin, PhD
The COVID story pales in comparison to the infectious disease of faith which the Church is experiencing. While this disease of the faith seems to be widely known, it is not widely acknowledged; while it is widely recognized, it is not … [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...]
The Mass that Always Was There
April 22, 2021 by Gerard T. Mundy
As a result of the 2020-2021 coronavirus pandemic, Catholic bishops in dioceses around the world restricted public access to the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. In the United States, every Latin Rite diocese reportedly canceled public Masses at … [Read more...]
The Dangers of Safety
April 9, 2021 by Fr. Sean O'Brien
We had a pre-existing condition, but we didn’t know it. Before the days of COVID, I was aware that I was in a safety-based culture. We could think of the expansion of insurance (I bought a phone recently and was automatically involved in an … [Read more...]
Mass Attendance and Cura Personalis
March 26, 2021 by Matthew Kappadakunnel
The novel coronavirus pandemic resulted in novel dilemmas for Catholic parishes. In compliance with local health mandates, many parishes quickly augmented their technological capabilities to offer “virtual Mass” to provide members a safe opt … [Read more...]
On Live Streaming the Mass
February 12, 2021 by Fr. Christopher Seith
In an article written in 1953, the German philosopher Josef Pieper raises an alarm about the TV-transmission of the Mass that, at first, sounds hyperbolic and out of date. He seems horrified at what, for us, has become the norm. He argues … [Read more...]
Should Catholics Receive a COVID-19 Vaccine?
December 11, 2020 by Fr. Peter Fonseca
On January 30th, 2020, the World Health Organization declared a public health emergency of international concern in the wake of the rise of the novel coronavirus, COVID-19.[1. “IHR Emergency Committee on Novel Coronavirus (2019-NCoV).” Acc … [Read more...]
Liturgical Lessons for Social Media from Medieval Hermits
November 25, 2020 by Fr. Edward Linton
In the face of stay-at-home orders and church closures put in place throughout the world to keep people safe from the coronavirus, Catholic priests have exhibited remarkable pastoral creativity. One has only to browse social media to see … [Read more...]
Book Reviews – December 2020
November 25, 2020 by Book Reviews
Art and Architecture for Congregational Worship: The Search for Common Ground. By Richard S. Vosko. Reviewed by Christopher Siuzdak. (skip to review) American Priest: The Ambitious Life and Conflicted Legacy of Notre Dame’s Father Ted Hes … [Read more...]
Weaning Off the Livestream Mass
October 16, 2020 by Fr. James Mason
“Who, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God something to be grasped. Rather, he emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, coming in human likeness; and found human in appearance, he humbled himself, becoming o … [Read more...]
Hope in the Darkness
August 28, 2020 by Sister Joseph Andrew Bogdanowicz, OP
For thou art my hope, O Lord GOD: thou art my trust from my youth. . . . I will hope continually, and will yet praise thee more and more. – Psalm 71:5, 14 Many psychological and scientific studies will be published in the upcoming months r … [Read more...]
Healing Paralysis in Contemporary Society
An Ecclesial Reading for Division and Isolation
August 28, 2020 by Thomas A. Hunter
The dramatic Markan narrative of the healing of the paralytic prompts a dialogue with contemporary issues, allowing an addressing of the complexities of our current era. There are two programmatic keys that highlight our reading: (1) Mark … [Read more...]
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