Hemrick

Pray for Those Who Walk with Seminarians

by Father Eugene Hemrick When we respond, “Lord hear our prayer” to the offertory petition at Mass, “Let us pray for priestly vocations,” what should we include in this petition? Having worked in seminary formation, I can say that the formation of seminarians is awesome work in need of much prayer. During a recent faculty […]

A Mystical UFO?

by Father Robert Czok This past summer provided the opportunity for an excursion to Cape Cod with priest companions, Fathers John Amman and Bob Blauvelt, and a couple of brief solo sojourns into the highlands of New England, specifically, the Berkshires in Massachusetts and Vermont. The first segment of my travels with friends to and […]

Should We Ever Refuse Dialysis?

by Father Tadeusz Pacholczyk Patients and families sometimes struggle with the question of whether dialysis is “worth it.” A young woman wrote recently on a website addressing dialysis patients’ concerns, “My father has been on dialysis for three years, and he’s 62 years old. A few days ago he said he wanted to stop going […]

Friendships Are Eternal

by Bill and Monica Dodds We’ve reconnected with a number of longtime friends over the past few months, and it has been interesting to see how relationships can pick right up where they left off — no awkwardness, no uncertainty, just a true joy. A few people, during a particular time of our lives, were […]

Escaping from Prayer

by Effie Calderola It’s easy to escape from prayer. Why would I want to do that? Maybe it’s because true prayer goes to the very center of things, the center where God speaks my truth, and sometimes that’s a scary place to go. It also requires time and discipline, and sometimes I’m lazy. There are […]

Preparing for Episcopacy Has Been Time of Prayer

 by Bishop Paul R. Sanchez There is an intriguing passage in the Book of Daniel where the angel of the Lord seizes the prophet Habakkuk “by the crown of his head and carries him by the hair” (Daniel 14:36) and transports the prophet from Judea to Babylon with the speed of the wind.  Habakkuk is […]

Gospel-Like Simplicity Serves Bishop Ray Well

by Msgr. Kevin Noone To know Bishop Raymond Chappetto is to know a priest whose priestly identity is in the sinews of his muscles and in the marrow of his bones. His vocation was nurtured within a loving immediate family and a caring extended family of aunts, uncles and cousins. His maternal aunt, Sister Mary […]

To Know Bishop Paul Is to Feel His Goodness

by Father James Cunningham The appointment of Bishop Raymond Chappetto and Bishop Paul Sanchez as Auxiliary Bishops of Brooklyn makes perfect sense. Anyone who knows these two great priests also knows that they are the best. You couldn’t find in Brooklyn two priests more highly respected and admired. I came to know Bishop Sanchez when […]

When Ventilator Usage Is Ethical

by Father Tadeusz Pacholczyk THE USE OF ventilators can pose particulary challenging problems during end-of-life situations for families.  When should we place a loved one on a ventilator?  If somebody is on a ventilator, can we ever “pull the plug?” Understanding our moral duty depends upon whether the use of a ventilator in a particular […]

A Vegan Diet Saves Animals

by Father Frank Mann RECENTLY, the New York Times  published a rather engaging and informative article by Gretchen Reynolds titled, “Can Athletes Benefit from a Vegan Diet?”  There are many variant catalysts that initiate an individual’s choice in pursuit of a vegan or vegetarian lifestyle. I am certainly not an athlete.  However, many months ago, […]