The Leadership Void; we need St. Benedict – UPDATED

September 3, 2009 By

Deacon Greg sent this my way, noting, “this is extraordinary, and the piece mentions you, too!” Such a star, I am! What is “extraordinary” is the lengthy post Boston’s Cardinal Sean O’Malley put up in his blog, addressing the criticism he has received for presiding (in a very minimalist way, it must be said) at [...]

Filed Under: America, American Genius, Benedict XVI, Benedictine, Bride at every wedding..., Catholic Vocations, Catholicism, Chaput, Crisis & Opportunity, Critical Thinking, Crucible of Faith, Culture of Life/Death, Faith, Free Speech?, It's all about me! Me! ME!, Leadership, Monasticism, The Fourth Estate, Timothy Dolan, Year of the Priest

"The stuff priests are made of…" UPDATED

August 31, 2009 By

Wow, a great photo via the Crescat, who recounts the story she found here and marvels at “the stuff priests are made of”: 4 June 1962. Navy chaplain Luis Padillo was giving last rites to dying soldiers as sniper fire surrounded him. A wounded soldier pulled himself up by clinging to the priest’s cassock, as [...]

Filed Under: Benedict XVI, Catholic Vocations, Catholicism, Christians in Exile, Communion of Saints, Crisis & Opportunity, Crucible of Faith, Culture of Life/Death, Fascism Again, Free Speech?, Freedom of Worship, John Paul II, Socialism doesn't work, Timothy Dolan, US Military, Year of the Priest

"A pure gift…not a trophy."

August 31, 2009 By

A truly terrific video I especially love the words of Archbishop Timothy Dolan, “This is a pure gift from God, and not an earned trophy. . .His grace lifts up our nature.” A simple-sounding yet profound mystery. And what he says about the priestly vocation is true for all of our vocations, including the vocation [...]

Filed Under: Catholic Vocations, Catholicism, Communion of Saints, Prayer, Saints, Timothy Dolan, Year of the Priest

St. Catherine’s Sons and Daughters

April 30, 2009 By

“If you are what you should be, you will set the world on fire” – St. Catherine of Siena St. Catherine of Siena – one of my all-time favorite saints. She was not -as many believe- a professed nun of the Order of St. Dominic (Order of Preachers) but rather what we would today call [...]

Filed Under: Benedict XVI, Catholic Vocations, Catholicism, Dominican Order, Frassati, John Paul II, Timothy Dolan, World Youth Days

Technical Difficulties…The Rosary Podcasts

April 25, 2009 By

I am getting the oddest variety of emails. Many, many good wishes from people who appreciate First Things and agree with me that I’m privileged to be part of it; a few people who liked me better as a lone wolf and don’t know if they’ll come around too often, and a lot of really [...]

Filed Under: Blogs and Blogging, First Things, It's all about me! Me! ME!, Timothy Dolan

New York; We have a Pastor in Tim Dolan!

April 15, 2009 By

Yes, he is larger-than-life; gregarious, accessible, open, friendly, warm, charming, engaging…Archbishop Timothy Michael Dolan is all those things. Dolan kisses his crosier, signaling his acceptance of the Shepherd’s burden But as he showed us in his barnburner of a homily just now, Dolan is afire with the love of Christ. When the time for jokes [...]

Filed Under: American Genius, Benedict XVI, Catholic Vocations, Catholicism, Culture of Life/Death, Faith, Prayer, Timothy Dolan

Archbishop Dolan talks to the NY Press

April 15, 2009 By

Video here First question from the press – predictably – “are you going to be an agent of “change” for the people of New York?” Sheesh. They really don’t get it. The video is well-worth watching. Take your measure of the man who will be the Bishop of “the capital of the world.” He dares [...]

Filed Under: Catholicism, Timothy Dolan