Ministry
Keeping the Fire Alive
Msgr. Michael Heintz Comments Off on Keeping the Fire Alive
What happened to that guy? We all can think of more than one brother in ministry who began his priesthood with zeal, excitement and energy, and who now, while faithful to the promises he made at ordination, is also bereft of that early fervor, showing little enthusiasm (and maybe even occasional disdain) for the work Read More
Interacting with People
Father Michael Ackerman Comments Off on Interacting with People
Not all that long ago, one of our church accounts was suspended at a local wholesaler due to a billing error. I thought that this would be a very simple thing to fix, but I was dead wrong. In calling to correct the error, I was bounced from one automated concierge to another. A very Read More
Why Young People Are Leaving the Church
Everett Fritz Comments Off on Why Young People Are Leaving the Church
I grew up in the suburbs south of Chicago, and, as a result, I am a fanatical Cubs fan. If you are even a mild baseball fan, you know that the Chicago Cubs won the World Series in 2016, and it was a big deal because it was their first championship in 108 years. It Read More
Living with Tension
Bishop David J. Bonnar Comments Off on Living with Tension
I don’t know about you, but when I travel on the highways, or freeways as they are called in Ohio, and see those signs that say “Scenic Overlook Ahead,” I am always tempted to stop and behold the view. There is something renewing in pausing and just looking, and, even more so, in listening. Isn’t Read More
Servants of the Risen Christ
Father Ronald Patrick Raab Comments Off on Servants of the Risen Christ
For 40 years of priesthood I have prayed the multifaceted images, metaphors and names of Christ in the Easter season. I have counseled rough and addicted people with the Good Shepherd. I have offered congregations Christ’s first word of “peace” after the Resurrection. I have sorted through hardships in fragile marriages with the consoling image Read More
Competition
Father Michael Ackerman Comments Off on Competition
Catholic grade schools are famous for a seemingly endless array of fundraisers. Growing up, our parochial school offered Easter candy sales every spring to help pay for capital improvements. We would have an assembly where a local candy company would come and make a pitch for us to be chocolate hucksters. To sweeten the pot Read More
We Will Rise Again and Again and Again
Dr. Jo Ann Paradise Comments Off on We Will Rise Again and Again and Again
Working in parish ministry for 45 years now, I do not once recall planning for the Easter season. There were many extended meetings about Advent that included what exactly is the shade of purple that denotes the season. There were even longer meetings about Lent. How do we facilitate making room for the Holy Spirit Read More
The Center Aisle
Father Ronald Patrick Raab 3
In November, as priests, we reflect on the connections between earth and heaven. We celebrate the saints and souls who helped transform the earth. They now take their place in heaven, and we remember that their struggles of faith, perseverance, ill-health, power and standing up against injustice are our concerns. Those before us stood on Read More