The World Meeting of Families in Philadelphia this September should be more than a vast Catholic “gathering of the clans” around Pope Francis – and so should the months between now and then.
Guest Columnists
Two Lenten Lessons: Service and Solidarity
Recently, I heard an interview with the author and illustrator of a newly released children’s book and got that familiar “I’ve got to have that book” feeling.
Keeping Catholic Schools Catholic
Will the Church be allowed to staff its schools with teachers who teach and live what the Catholic Church believes, or will the state try to coerce Catholic schools to employ teaching staff according to other criteria?
Real Beauty Is Being Comfortable With Ourselves
By Karen Osborne Have you paid attention to the man behind the curtain? In the famous movie, “The Wizard of Oz,” Dorothy, her friends and her dog Toto journey through the magical land of Oz to reach the wizard, the only person who can send her back home to Kansas. When the group travels to the wizard’s inner sanctum, […]
No Fighting God
Some months after my son-in-law, Rob Susil, died, a longtime friend asked me in a gentle but point-blank way, “Are you still fighting God?”
Operating in the Care of Strangers
This is my Lenten reflection: We can never be strangers. We all are part of God’s family.
Exercises in Love
By Effie Calderola WHEN MY YOUNGEST child was 4, I re-entered the workforce after spending time at home raising three children. Even though I started as a part-time employee, I felt pressured. I was uneasy with myself, often stressed and during that first year back at work, a family medical crisis added to my lack […]
World Christianity by the Numbers
THE ANNUAL “STATUS of Global Christianity” survey published by the International Bulletin of Missionary Research is a cornucopia of numbers: some are encouraging; others are discouraging; many of them are important for grasping the nature of this particular moment in Christian history. This year’s survey works from a baseline of 1900 A.D., and makes projections […]
Ukraine: Confusion, Disinformation
TWO RECENT interviews in the National Catholic Register suggest that there is considerable confusion about what’s what in Ukraine. Those confusions reflect the success of the extraordinary Russian disinformation campaign that’s been underway for the past 15 months. They may also touch on the delicate, but important question of Russia’s attempts to buy influence in […]
Observing Lent, Day by Day
Lent is a journey – a journey to Calvary with the Lord and an opportunity to reflect on how well we’ve each picked up the cross daily (as instructed in Luke 9:23) and followed Him.