Greetings from sunny central Puerto Rico! I covered a week-long mission trip to Aibonito with a large group of young adults and youth from the Vicariate of Black Catholic Concerns’ Youth Ambassador Program.
Month: July 2019
Broken Dreams and Items Left Behind at Border
Tom Kiefer, a photographer who lives in Arizona, is documenting the journey of migrants at the southern border, examining the lives and religious beliefs of those trying to enter the United States.
Catholic Kid Takes Up Pro-Life Cause
A 9-year-old Catholic boy is going beyond “thoughts and prayers” to take action against legal abortion in New York.
Census Won’t Ask Citizenship Question
In a July 11 announcement from the Rose Garden, President Donald Trump said he was ending his efforts to add a citizenship question to the census and would instead direct federal agencies by executive order to provide data about the country’s citizens and noncitizens to the U.S. Commerce Department.
U.S. Women Dominate on World Cup Stage
When remembering the 2019 Women’s World Cup, fans should focus on the U.S. team’s on-field accomplishments, not the off-the-field controversies.
News Coverage ‘Lifts’ Giglio Feast
A fresh wave of able-bodied lifters has rejuvenated an Italian tradition that dates back more than a century in Williamsburg and more than a millennium in Nola, Italy.
Zuckerberg Confirms Facebook Blocked Pro-Life Ads
Facebook co-founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg has come under fire after he publicly confirmed that the social media behemoth banned pro-life advertisements during Ireland’s abortion referendum in 2018 — a vote that led to the legalization of abortion in the traditionally Catholic country.
Pelosi, Wolf Urge US to Call Out China for Religious Freedom Abuses
Democratic Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi described repression of religious minorities in China as a “challenge to the conscience of the world” Tuesday during the opening day of a high-level U.S. summit on religious freedom.
Choosing Between Good and Better
As part of a “Sunday Scriptures” reflection a few weeks ago, I referenced the book “The Biggest Lie in the History of Christianity” by Matthew Kelly. I wrote, “The book challenges us to ask ourselves four questions: Who am I? What am I here for? What matters most? What matters least?” That understanding of what is important, what matters, certainly has a central role in this Sunday’s Gospel.
Receiving the Spirit
Third in a series’For me, reading Pope Francis’ Exhortation “Christ Lives: Addressed to Young People and to the Entire People of God” is like making a day of prayer. Of course, whenever I read anything that any pope has written I pay close attention to it. However, Pope Francis’ writing and speaking touches me on a special level. This has been true from the start of his pontificate. I continue to hear rumors that some people in the church are trying to force Pope Francis to retire. This is a complete mystery to me. I have found every document that Pope Francis has written inspiring. The following statement from the Exhortation could sum up an entire spirituality, could be a succinct statement about what is happening in our lives because of God’s presence: