D.D. Emmons
Sign of Fidelity
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Most every Catholic can identify members of the clergy by their attire: a bishop by his mitre, a cardinal by his scarlet zucchetto, a parish priest by his black cassock and Roman collar. A garment we may not be as familiar with is the white mantle worn by the pope and metropolitan archbishops known as Read More
Palms of Victory
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As Jesus journeyed from Bethany to the Passover feast in Jerusalem, he was joined by his followers and other Passover pilgrims, all jubilantly proclaiming him the Messiah. Only days earlier he had raised Lazarus from the dead, called him out of the tomb, performing a miracle of his power over death. News of this miracle, Read More
Church at a Crossroads
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Seventeen hundred years ago, an event took place that saved Christianity. A council of some 220 bishops (the number is debated) affirmed that Jesus is divine in the way God is divine, and that Jesus and God are of the same substance. The gathering that took place June through August, A.D. 325, in the city Read More
The Wedding at Cana
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Among the most noteworthy of all the Gospel stories is the wedding at Cana; it was momentous that Jesus miraculously turned the water into wine and publicly revealed his divinity for the first time. The wedding occurred in March of 28 AD and is only recorded in the Gospel According to John (2:1-12), and was Read More
Mass for Professional Groups
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The Church has long offered Masses that recognize special occasions and special needs. Among such Masses are those for professional groups, traditionally popularized by names of a color: Red Mass (lawyers and politicians), Blue Mass (first responders), White Mass (healthcare community) and Gold Mass (scientists). At both the national and local level, these professional organizations Read More
Sunday, Saturday and the Vigil Mass
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Differentiating between a Mass on Sunday, one on Saturday night and a vigil Mass is, for me, not unlike trying to describe the baseball infield fly rule or the dropped third strike rule — it’s challenging. First, despite what thousands of Catholics may think, and parish bulletins proclaim, a vigil Mass is not the Mass Read More
Why St. Dymphna Is the Patron of Mental Health
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Why is St. Dymphna the patron saint of people suffering from mental illness? There is no indication that she was ever so afflicted; rather, it was her father who bore the disease. If you are not familiar with St. Dymphna’s story — or legend — he tale is most unusual. She was born into a Read More
The 2025 Jubilee Year
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A jubilee year, also known as a holy year, is one of the great events of the Catholic Church. Celebrated every 25 years, this observance calls pilgrims to Rome and Catholics everywhere to focus on the beauties of the faith, to strengthen our relationship with the risen Lord and to practice more intently the virtues Read More