Catholic. Pastoral. Trusted.
The Epiphany is the perfect time for a closer look at the Magi and their gifts Cologne’s magnificent cathedral stands on a rise overlooking the Rhine. As is true of so many Catholic churches, the cathedral’s architect designed it in the shape of a cross. On the church roof, at...
Written by Fr. Thomas Nairn, OFM, PhD The experience of serious illness and dying is often ambiguous, even for Catholics. We know that Christians are called to face the reality of death and dying with the hope and confidence that our faith brings. We hear in the preface of the...
Written by Dianne Bergand, CSA Angel of God, my guardian dear, To whom God’s love commits me here, Ever this day be at my side, To light and guard, rule and guide. Amen. Who didn’t recite this prayer as a child? Or what Catholic-schooled student wasn’t told to make room on her or...
Managing Editor Elizabeth Herzing interviews Fr. Matthew Allman, CSsR, about the ministry at the National Shrine of St. John Neumann. Q. What is the history of St. John Neumann? A. Saint John Neumann, a Bohemian missionary born in 1811, came to the United States in 1836 seeking to serve the...
“By waiting and by calm you shall be saved, in quiet and in trust shall be your strength.” —Isaiah 30:15 I can’t even figure out what you’re asking in this problem! Where do I start?” moans the chemistry student in my office. Her overstuffed binder perches perilously on the corner of...
Fifty years ago, on November 21, 1964, the Second Vatican Council issued a decree that began with the words highlighted on the next page. Unitatis Redintegratio (“the restoration of unity” or the Decree on Ecumenism) was not the first document issued by the Church calling for unity among Christians, but...
A look at what Jesus said and did as he taught, especially about and in relationship to women. And what do today’s women do to bring Jesus’ teachings into action? At the core of the New Testament we find the kerygma: the proclamation of what Jesus Christ did. The confession that Jesus...
How Can We Reach Out to Catholics on the Outer Edges of Our Own Church? Throughout his first year of service, Pope Francis has encouraged Catholics to share the joy of the Gospel with every person they meet, especially those on the periphery of society. Since, as the saying goes, charity begins at home, what...
David Werthmann Often when we journey into a new lifestyle or job, if we really knew what we were getting into, we wouldn’t get into it. At the annunciation, Mary had serious questions as her future was announced. The angel’s answers may have sounded a little sketchy—even preposterous—to Mary, who...
I recently gave a talk titled “Celebrating Diversity in Unity” at St. Patrick Parish in Fort Wayne, Indiana. The topic was germane because of growing tensions among parishoners over the changing face of the parish. Like many Catholic parishes in the United States, St. Patrick’s is ethnically, culturally, and linguistically...
The February 2014 issue of Liguorian focuses on spiritual nourishment. Often we feel as if we simply don’t have the time to nourish ourselves spiritually. But there is a way: In Moments With God, Jacquelyn Graham suggests we turn waiting into praying: “Sometimes waiting is a mere annoyance, and sometimes...
The Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy (Sacrosanctum Concilium), completed by the Second Vatican Council in December 1963, set in motion the most far-reaching liturgical reform in Catholic history. The initiation of this momentous change within the Catholic Church in America came on the heels of the social and political upheaval...
Timothy Matovina Many parishes and dioceses tend to focus on the challenges presented by the growing Hispanic presence. This is not surprising; a previous influx of Catholic newcomers to the United States was met with a similar attitude. Yet in the 2002 document Encuentro and Mission: A Renewed Pastoral Framework...
Kathy is a wife, the mother of three boys, and a full-time nurse. She and her husband lead a full life. Much of their time is filled with evening practices and weekend games related to the boys’ sports activities. The couple dreams of taking a family vacation. Like many people,...
“Dad, I’m going to have to exercise your angel.” “My roommate asked why I believe there’s something out there,” Zinn recalls. “He said, ‘What if there isn’t?’ and I said, ‘Then so be it. But what if there is?’ ” As Smith listened to the snores of thirty men sleeping in...
Words are important. They’re the building blocks of human relationships. Human beings use words to communicate their very selves. Words open us to the mystery of other people, breaking through human isolation and enabling community. Words are like stones or bricks. At their most positive, words construct the foundations for...
Easter lives with us as the core event of Christianity—the event that continues to give us direction more than 2,000 years after Jesus’ resurrection. We still look at the empty tomb and search for a reason his body wasn’t there. God’s plan extended beyond Jesus and through the disciples and...
When Pope Benedict XVI surprised the world with his resignation in February, a flood of questions followed, starting with “Can a pope resign?” to “What happens now?” His startling move has sent pastors, parishioners, and reporters back to Church history. There we find a handful of papal resignations, to be sure,...
“Just where is your head?” Growing up, I often got lost in my own world instead of focusing on whatever was at hand. I’ve since learned that I take in information primarily through listening. Unless I make an effort, I tend to miss a lot of nonauditory details—especially visuals—and what...
As we ring in this new year, we are given the opportunity to change our behaviors or attitudes. Catholics, of course, are encouraged to throw themselves wholeheartedly into this practice during Lent. However, counsel from all corners tells us there’s no time like the present to begin. So, too, with...