Words of Life for Cutting Words

A Catholic Response to Teens on Social Media Writing Sites

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...]

Kazakhstan Bishop Schneider Broadcasts Seeds of Faith Around the World

His Excellency Bishop Athanasius Schneider, O.R.C, has been referred to in the National Catholic Register as “one of the leading voices of fidelity, continuity, and tradition in the Church today.”[1. Pentin, Edward. “How Bishop Athanasius Sc … [Read more...]

Combating Islam and Secularism

The Catholic Church faces two formidable challenges today, from Islam and from secularism. The responses needed to these two are not unrelated. The adherents to Islam are intensely dedicated to Mohammed, and to the book he claims to have … [Read more...]

Proselytism, Evangelization, and “Ecumenism of Return”

In a 2016 interview that was arranged by Fr. Antonio Spadaro, S.J., the editor of La Civiltà Cattolica, prior to the trip to Sweden for an ecumenical gathering anticipating the 500th anniversary of the Reformation, Pope Francis expressed … [Read more...]

Now Is the Time

The Urgency of the New Evangelization

At the beginning of his pontificate, Saint John Paul the Great coined the term “new evangelization” to describe a great urgency facing the Church. Nearly forty years on, the use of the term is now widespread among Catholics involved in alm … [Read more...]

Disciple-Making with Mercenary Love

“Gold, Silver, Precious Stones"? Or “Wood, Hay, or Straw"?

What is needed in these times to ignite a “new evangelization” that will return zeal and vigor to our Catholic parishes and dioceses? We certainly are in need of personal and ecclesial renewal that is faithful to our Lord, and to His call to … [Read more...]

Drawing Others to Celebrate God’s Mercy Through Storytelling

“Read me just one more story!” Maggie lay snuggled beneath the pink floral quilt, her brown eyes imploring me to continue reading from the big book of fairy tales. “You should be asleep already,” I replied. I gave a half-hearted sigh, tur … [Read more...]

Applying Six Offline Models to Online Evangelization

The Internet has now opened up as a wide field for our evangelization. Much of the cultural interchange now takes place via such electronic means. The Church is called to step out into every new forum and evangelize it, yet for the online … [Read more...]

The Explosive Growth of Pentecostal-Charismatic Christianity in the Global South, and Its Implications for Catholic Evangelization

Most Catholics are unaware that the heart of global Christianity is moving south—into South America, Africa, and even to Asia.[1. Philip Jenkins, The Next Christendom: The Coming Global Christianity, (New York: Oxford University Press, 2 … [Read more...]

To Whom Shall We Go?

(“To whom shall we go?” John 6: 66-69)[1. “As a result of this, many of his disciples returned to their former way of life and no longer accompanied him. Jesus then said to the Twelve, ‘Do you also want to leave?’ Simeon Peter answered him, … [Read more...]

Anemic Parishes and Parish Life

We all know the Catholic Church can never die, because her Head, Jesus Christ, is alive and can never die. However, the Church can certainly be anemic and deathly ill—which she, no doubt, is in America. I will examine some of the reasons f … [Read more...]

Does Religion Have An Essential Place in Political Society?

It is often said that religion should be a private affair. I have been told this while I was still working. It shows a distinct ignorance of the basis of religion itself. Religion is not meant to be private. It never was. Christianity, … [Read more...]

Practicing What We Preach

As he struggled with the question of whether or not to enter into full communion with the Catholic Church, John Henry Newman expressed his desire to encounter ministers of Christ carrying out the mission of their Lord and his Apostles in … [Read more...]

New Testament Witness

The faith of the early Christians in Jesus and the Kingdom of his Father constituted them as a community or Church. If it was their shared faith that formed them into a community, who and what they believed in would be the decisive factor … [Read more...]

What Is the Spirit Saying through Pope Francis?

When I was in seminary, I learned in moral theology the importance of avoiding moralistic preaching. In short, moralistic preaching is when a priest simply states the rules. For example: a priest preaches that abortion is wrong and sinful; … [Read more...]