In an earlier column in this series I reflected on how many artists who might be characterized as secular humanists have influenced my view of the human person. As examples, I mentioned playwright Eugene O’Neill and film directors Ingmar Bergman and Woody Allen. I think I have admired these three artists because of their extraordinary talent.
Month: May 2023
Celebrating the Arrival Of the Holy Spirit
This Sunday, we celebrate the end of the Easter season with Pentecost Sunday.
Letters to the Editor Week of May 27, 2023
The Songs About Mary; Immigrants Serving the Country; Celebrate Memorial Day; Human Composting; Amityville Sisters
Obituaries, Week of May 27, 2023
Father Emilio J. Salerno
A Faith Vocation Grows in Brooklyn
A novel that was required reading for students beginning in the 1940s was “A Tree Grows in Brooklyn” by Betty Smith. In it the character, Francie, loves her neighborhood and refers to a tree that is growing out of the concrete as the Tree of Heaven.
President Biden Gets Cheers for His Environmental Policy Efforts
On the campaign trail, President Joe Biden was steadfast in his commitment to environmental policy. And so far through his first term, Catholic environmental advocates say he has by and large kept that commitment.
Nicaraguan Government Investigates Two Priests From Diocese Overseen By Imprisoned Bishop
Two priests in Nicaragua have been taken to Managua, the capital, for questioning, amid an investigation into alleged irregularities in the management of a diocesan Caritas chapter.
Mexican Priest Murdered, Archbishop Attacked
A parish priest was shot dead as he drove on a rural Mexican highway May 22, marking yet another attack in what has become the most murderous country for Catholic clergy.
Poet of ‘Trees’ a Catholic Convert, Humble Soldier, and ‘Gallant Soul’
When the U.S. entered the war in 1917, Joyce Kilmer was 30 years old, a poet famous for writing “Trees,” and the father of five children, including a 5-year-old daughter paralyzed from polio. He didn’t have to fight in France, but he did. He deployed with the Fighting 69th Infantry Brigade just four years after converting to Catholicism.
Father Duffy: Times Square Sentinel, Faithful Chaplain of the ‘Fighting 69th’
Father Francis Duffy’s legacy as an influential New Yorker began with his service as the chaplain of the 69th New York Infantry Regiment — the celebrated “Fighting 69th” — during World War I.