by David H. Powell Carol and I enjoyed lessons and carol services this Advent in various diocesan settings. Lessons and carols were originally a purely Advent prayer service composed as preparation for Christmas, but over time, the format evolved into Christmas readings and carols. Usually such a service will begin with an Advent selection like […]
by Veronica Szczygiel Although autumn is my favorite season, the one thing I don’t love is how dark it is by the time I leave work to go home. It feels a bit eerie to see night ushered in so early, and I often long for the long light of summer days. I think I’m […]
by Father Anthony Raso I never expected to write this, due to the ongoing “macho” of a 12-year-old boy from Bay Ridge, even 50 years later. However, society has taken a decided turn for the wiser, and this was reflected on the last page of The Tablet (Nov. 16) in an article about “bullying.” I […]
by Shirley F. Lascano While typhoons are a part of life in the Philippines, it is an accepted fact that they come and go. Roofs blown away, tide rising, school cancelled, flooding and evacuation. Typhoons do not allow a dull moment in the Filipino way of living. Before the arrival of the most powerful storm […]
by Father Kevin Abels This past May 31, I celebrated my 10th anniversary as a priest. I can’t believe it has been 10 years! I am happy as a priest. Every day, I thank God for revealing this vocation to me and, most of all, for giving me the Holy Spirit who allows me to be […]
by Walter Douglas Ollivierre Jr. The Rosary is one of the most sacred prayers that a Catholic can pray. It brings one closer to Jesus and brings peace to the mind and body. Not many things can match the spiritual power found in a person clutching the beads and calling out the Lord’s Prayer. As […]
by Mary Kay Rail-Kahaly Converting a parish-based elementary school into a Catholic academy is a challenging and rewarding ministry. After Mass in January, 2012, I was approached by Father Jim Cunningham, pastor of Holy Name parish in Park Slope, and was asked to “help with a special project.” A subsequent invitation to dinner at the […]
by Stephen Kent All Souls’ Day, Nov. 2, is yet another way that Catholics are able to show our way to the world – by celebrating death. This is indeed countercultural. In today’s climate, death is a situation to escape, a topic to be avoided. All Souls’ Day is more than a piety. It is […]
by Carol Glatz No matter how some media may want to spin it, Pope Francis won’t fit into the political categories of left or right, and he will challenge everyone with the truth of the Gospel, said the Vatican’s media adviser. “Pope Francis is not a politically correct pope,” rather, he is “a loyal son […]
by Richard M. Doerflinger As the impasse that has shut down most federal government operations continues, with each major party blaming the other for this terrible situation, a pro-abortion website, called RH Reality Check (“RH” for “Reproductive Health”), created a brief flurry of commentary by claiming to find the real culprits: the Catholic bishops! The […]
