Catholic. Pastoral. Trusted.
I was very disappointed by the one-sidedness of “The Faithful Vote,” (September 2020) by Michael Wright. It failed to mention three issues that I think are more important than environmental issues. Support of gay marriage, because it does not allow for procreation and is against God’s law of one man...
Editor’s Note: It was brought to our attention that the crossword puzzle that ran in the Jan. 2016 issue was carried over from Dec. 2015. We apologize for the oversight. Click here to access a printable/downloadable PDF page with the correct grid, clues, and answer key for the Jan. 2016...
Steve didn’t want to check on Aunt Liz while his wife was away, but a promise was a promise. This one became more than he bargained for. Remember your promise!” Cathy said as Steve handed his wife her carry-on bag and gave her a quick kiss before she headed to...
The forget-me-not flower is a visual symbol of Life Directions,” Rev. John says. “As legend has it, during the creation, as God finished naming each plant and animal and was preparing to rest, then he heard a small voice: ‘What about me?’ God bent down and lifted the little seedling....
In this first of ten articles on the basic principles of Catholic Social Teaching, let me begin by remarking that principles, once internalized, lead to something. They prompt activity, impel motion, direct choices. A principled person always has a place to stand, knows where he or she is coming from...
I have a theory about nurturing faith in the family. It goes like this: If a child’s faith is an integral part of his or her everyday life—not just the overtly religious parts—it will become so central to that person’s identity that he or she could never leave the Church because...
I notice things. So a couple of Sundays after confirmation in my parish, I noticed that Brett, a newly confirmed high school senior, was not with his family. After Mass I approached his dad in the plaza. “Where’s Brett?” I asked. I had a hunch I knew the answer. His...
I probably learned to count by praying the rosary with my family, mostly because I was calculating how many prayers were left before I could go do something else. The rosary was a thread that ran through the life of my family. One of the last images I have of...
Pope Francis notes, “A perfect family does not exist. We should not be fearful of imperfections, weaknesses, or even conflict, but rather learn how to deal with them constructively.” At a May 26 Mass in the Vatican’s St. Martha guesthouse, Pope Francis told attendees about “three things, three steps that...
The Mail in November featured a response by Mary S. to the publisher’s column (September 2015) regarding the pope’s encyclical on the environment. I was taken aback with the ideological response. I cannot believe that she has even read the encyclical. I am in a discussion group that is studying...
It’s for our children.” “No child left behind.” “Latch-key kids.” “Anchor babies.” “It’s not a choice; it’s a child.” That short list of slogans and terms demonstrates that for decades politicians and political campaigns have focused on a lot more than kissing babies. At times, children are front and center...
As we enter January and February, I can’t help but feel a bit melancholy after the excitement of Christmas. Now I have two more months of bleak weather where I’m likely to be trapped indoors with fighting kids who will start to push me to my limits. This is the perfect...
Tommy lay face down on the floor crying his eyes out. Parish School of Religion wasn’t easy for him. He was six years old and recently diagnosed with anxiety disorder, for which he took daily medication. To top things off, I had just been diagnosed with breast cancer. My illness...
Spring Meditations John Bartunek, LC Liguori Publications $9.99 Consciously or not, we too often live disconnected from our planet’s natural rhythms. We can make night seem like day and summer seem like winter. We can travel from tundra to tropics in less than a day and find whatever fruit or...
May all your troubles in the coming year be as short-lived as your New Year’s resolutions,” quipped an anonymous realist. Recall the ambitious list of resolutions often created with good intentions at the beginning of each year—intentions to start walking, stop smoking, floss more, fuss less, lose weight, gain indulgences…you...