Today, the church in Delaware — together with nine counties on Maryland’s Eastern Shore — serves nearly a quarter million Catholics across 57 parishes, 18 missions, and 29 schools, a striking testament to a Catholic community that began generations earlier in log chapels and missionary outposts.
A number of springs ago, I went to the Easter Vigil Mass with the joyous anticipation of Easter, though a bit muted. That year, my dad was journeying through what I knew — but did not want to believe — were the final months of his earthly life.
Jesus says in the Bible, “Don’t throw your pearls before swine. They’ll trample them under their feet.” Meaning, not everyone can recognize the value of what is precious.
I now know what Jesus meant when he said, “Let the children come to me; do not prevent them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these” (Mark 10:14).
I feel joy and even some nervousness, but above all, I feel deep happiness in my soul knowing that I am close to becoming Catholic.
Seekers might accept an invitation to attend Mass with us. But anyone who is the least bit interested in music, or knows the singers performing, may attend a concert. It’s another way we can draw people to Christ and the Church.
So you’ve fallen? That’s the acknowledgement of Lent. We’re all sinners. But the biggest gift of Lent is God’s overwhelming and enduring love for us. So welcome to the rest of Lent, which beckons with many graces.
As long as I have been involved in ministry, which is more than 50 years, there has been The Tablet newspaper. Even before I had my first choir or became a leader of song, The Tablet was visiting parishes around the Diocese of Brooklyn, reporting events to help us all feel more connected to one another.
It is important to attend to sacred marital vows because Satan and the ways of the world try to destroy everything that is holy. The evil one purposefully lays traps. Renewing vows gives us the courage to keep our union healthy, holy, and shining brightly as a witness to God’s unconditional love for us.
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) is a popular and proven therapy created by Marsha Linehan, who emphasizes the importance of “mindfulness.” In mindfulness, according to DBT, we’re never the same person. We’re one person for our co-workers, another person for our partners, another for our friends.
