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How to Energize Our Own Ongoing Human Formation
Father Patrick Anderson Comments Off on How to Energize Our Own Ongoing Human Formation
I asked a seminarian recently what advice he would give a priest regarding human formation. He told me that every priest should have a priest mentor or accountability partner to check in with from time to time, someone outside of confession or spiritual direction, who knows him well, with whom he doesn’t necessarily hang out, Read More
Sunday, Saturday and the Vigil Mass
D.D. Emmons Comments Off on Sunday, Saturday and the Vigil Mass
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
Dos and Don’ts during Elections
Father Dustin Dought and Jill Rauh Comments Off on Dos and Don’ts during Elections
In their statement on Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship (FCFC), the U.S. Catholic bishops write, “In the Catholic Tradition, responsible citizenship is a virtue, and participation in political life is a moral obligation” (No. 13). Voting in elections does not exhaust the duty of a Catholic to participate in public life; it is, nevertheless, an Read More
Synodality ‘Redivivus’
Father Ronald D. Witherup Comments Off on Synodality ‘Redivivus’
After the conclusion of the Synod on Synodality on Oct. 29, 2023, there was a flood of media articles and reports attempting to assess the synod and what it did, or did not, accomplish. The headlines of one newspaper screamed: “Vatican synod ends without clear stances on women, LGBTQ.” Similar headlines appeared in numerous other Read More
How to Nurture Hospitality
Father Jeffrey Kirby Comments Off on How to Nurture Hospitality
Hospitality is one of the oldest virtues of the Jewish and Christian faiths. While the Jewish and Christian beliefs in one God rattled the ancient world, the commitment of Jewish people and Christians to care for others and to show kindness to those around them — even those beyond their own people and to those Read More
Digital Shift and COVID-19
Father Robert J. Hater Comments Off on Digital Shift and COVID-19
History is marked by many cultural changes such as the invention of the printing press and the Industrial Revolution. Today, we witness another change — namely, the technological and digital revolution that transforms how people think and act. Every time this happens historically, the Church responds by integrating the word of God into the shape Read More
The Liturgy of the Hours
Father Gerald Dennis Gill Comments Off on The Liturgy of the Hours
Many priests today find the Liturgy of the Hours a burden and some have simply set it aside. This is not what the Church expects of priests who, when ordained deacons, made the promise to pray the Liturgy of the Hours. “Do you resolve to guard and increase the spirit of prayer proper to your Read More
Facing the Challenges of a Cancer Diagnosis
Father Frank D. Almade Comments Off on Facing the Challenges of a Cancer Diagnosis
I never thought I’d see the word cancer and my name in the same sentence. But it came to pass in January 2021. After that new year had begun, I was feeling lethargic and blah. I called my primary care physician. He said, come in today and I’ll check you over and take a blood Read More