Finding Treasures Close to Heaven

Last updated on: August 3, 2022 at 4:02 pm By Lois Kerschen

The “Wandering Pew” team (my husband and me) once traveled to Fayetteville, Texas, to visit two historic Czech Catholic churches: St. John the Baptist (1870) and St. Mary (1855). These two churches were delightful discoveries for their history and settings. Fayette County was established by Czech settlers in the mid-1850’s. They were originally served by area priests, but in 1872, the petition to have a Czech priest was granted, and Fr. Chromcik arrived from Moravia and stayed for 38 years.... Read more

Despair or Hope: Can’t or Can

Last updated on: June 3, 2022 at 4:46 pm By Lois Kerschen

The Catholic definition of despair is that it is the abandonment of all hope for saving your soul. This happens when you think your sins are so terrible that the God of Mercy cannot love or forgive you. There we go again—a presumptuous human deciding for God what God will do. It doesn’t compute, though, because God is always willing to forgive. Never underestimate God’s ability to love. The everyday understanding of despair is simply giving up hope on a... Read more

Outside: Not in Communion

Last updated on: May 30, 2022 at 11:17 pm By Lois Kerschen

Archbishop Salvatore J. Cordileone’s decision to deny Holy Communion to Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi is in accordance with Church law and Scripture. The 1983 Code of Canon Law says that “those obstinately persevering in manifest grave sin are not to be admitted to holy communion.” Promotion of or participation in abortion, for which Pelosi is infamous, is a grave sin. The United States Council of Catholic Bishops has stated: “A person who is conscious of grave sin is... Read more

Historically Empowered: Catholic Women

Last updated on: May 24, 2022 at 9:16 pm By Lois Kerschen

Women in the Catholic Church have enjoyed a more equal position with men than in other religions. Hysterical bigots, however, like to post on social media that the Catholic Church has “enslaved” women for 2,000 years. Time for a history lesson! Jesus Elevated Women Jesus was the closest thing to an equal opportunity employer one could find in His culture. Scholars agree that there are more references to women in Gospel stories than in other literature of the time It... Read more

Our Lady of Kibeho

Last updated on: May 19, 2022 at 5:21 pm By Lois Kerschen

Our Lady of Fatima predicted that, unless her requests were heeded, Russia would cause wars and persecutions of the Church. Similarly, Our Lady of Kibeho in Rwanda made requests and predictions. Yet how well have we fulfilled these requests? Insufficient participation in the Five First Saturdays Devotion resulted in the Soviet Union. Although it finally dissolved, Russia is once again invading another country. This crisis moved Pope Francis to reconsecrate Russia to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Over the centuries,... Read more

Culture of Life Education

Last updated on: May 14, 2022 at 4:52 pm By Lois Kerschen

Among the multitude of blogs, articles, and commentaries around the potential reversal of Roe v. Wade, many have discussed the need to step up aid to women with unplanned pregnancies. For example, the New York bishops have pledged: “Any woman — regardless of age, religious belief or affiliation, marital status or immigration status — who is pregnant and in need, can come to the Catholic Church and we will give you the services and supports you need to carry your... Read more

Discordant Benevolence: Compassion That Harms

Last updated on: May 9, 2022 at 6:46 pm By Lois Kerschen

There is a post being proliferated on Facebook that lists different scenarios of women who “need” an abortion. It is a commonly used tactic to elicit an emotional response that makes sympathetic readers feel that women are helped by abortion. The post starts out “I’m not pro-murdering babies.” (Dramatic pause until) next line: “I’m pro-Becky (whose unborn child has an “incompatible with life” diagnosis); I’m pro-Susan (who became pregnant from rape) and several other cases. Abortion is made to appear... Read more

Post-Roe: The Work Goes On

Last updated on: May 4, 2022 at 4:50 pm By Lois Kerschen

The news is abuzz about the leaked Supreme Court draft of a ruling that would reverse Roe v. Wade. While the repercussions from the leak may affect the ruling, if it holds, the pro-life movement will enter a new phase. Pro-life activists have all been planning for this development for a long time. Pregnancy Resource Centers are gearing up to help more women. Organizations are shifting their focus to state legislatures, although many states have prepared for the overturn of... Read more

The Value of Silence

Last updated on: April 29, 2022 at 9:54 pm By Lois Kerschen

Catholicism values silence. While we have magnificent music for our liturgies, awesome homilies, prayers we say out loud at Mass or together in the recitation of the rosary and so on, we also place importance on a tradition of silence. There is a hauntingly beautiful and ancient hymn called “Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence.” It is derived from the “Prayer of the Cherubic Hymn” from the Litany of St. James, written in the 4th Century. It’s first verse says:... Read more

The Evils of IVF

Last updated on: April 24, 2022 at 5:04 pm By Lois Kerschen

What are our children to us? Are they precious gifts from God or commodities? Do we “have” children or do we “make” them? The practice of In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) says that we “make” children and contributes to the attitude that children are property. IVF is commonly accepted these days. Insurance companies long ago stopped refusing to pay for this “experimental” practice and now readily pay for IVF as just another (albeit expensive) procedure. We’ve even had IVF children as... Read more

Which was the day that God ended His creation and rested?