Decrying the unimaginable “hell” migrants experience in detention centers, Pope Francis urged all Christians to examine how they do or don’t help — as Jesus commanded — the people God has placed in their path.
Month: July 2020
What the Diocese Is Reading
Our picks for this season’s must-read books.
Court Rules in Favor of Employer Exemptions to Contraceptive Coverage
In a 7-2 ruling July 8, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of Trump administration rules that give employers more ability to opt out of providing contraceptive coverage in their health plans.
Our Lady of Mount Carmel to Celebrate Feast Day
There will be no Procession of the Giglio at the Shrine Church of Our Lady of Mount Carmel this year, but the church will still celebrate a feast day with scaled down events.
St. Petersburg Diocese Urges Catholics to ‘Take the Pledge’ in Videos
It was an elongated production schedule that would have rivaled any James Cameron epic, but the Diocese of St. Petersburg, Florida, has finally issued a pair of “Civilize It” videos with more than 30 Catholics in the diocese taking part in the civility pledge to have an open mind, open ears and a civil tongue this election season.
St. John’s Basketball All-Time Starting 5’s
Check out the all-time starting fives for St. John’s men’s and women’s hoops.
The Birth of Our Democracy
My dear brothers and sisters in the Lord,
As we come upon the July 4th holiday, we must recognize what this day is truly about. We celebrate the independence of our Nation from British Colonial rule. The Declaration of Independence, a document that is far from perfect, gave us a democracy.
Interpersonal Relationships
Re-reading Steven Knepper’s essay about existentialist-personalist philosopher Gabriel Marcel in Commonweal (March, 2020), I was reminded that great philosophers frequently transcend the time in which they think and write. Knepper’s essay is entitled “From Problem to Mystery.”
Books for the Summer Of Our Discontent
Since plague time began, I’ve found the following books reassuring, challenging, illuminating, and in some cases just plain fun: which is to say, apt reading in, and for, this troubled moment.
Is the Seed Scattered, or Sown?
Realizing that we are a constant work- in-progress — and that God is merciful — lays the groundwork for receiving God’s Word as fertile ground that allows the seed to be received, nurtured with the help of God, and grown into fruit that solely gives glory to Almighty God.