I’m looking forward to using this book with my students this year. We belong to a very small English speaking group in our parish in Göteborg, Sweden. Two of my students have made their Confirmation already and two of them will be making it in the Spring. I think your book will be a huge asset to me and my class and help further our discussions and our learning. — Sam E. I am in the process of prepping my... Read more
In celebration of the Year of Consecrated Life, today is a particular sort of “open house” day for many religious orders; nuns and brothers and priests are greeting guests in parlors and chapels, showing something of their homes and how they live their lives. Kathryn Jean Lopez got a bit of a jumpstart on the day by sharing tea and laughs with the Summit Dominicans who, when we last left them, were rescuing an older nun from a freezing elevator.... Read more
Perhaps the names seems familiar, but you can’t quite place her. If that seems true, you’ve very likely seen Kate O’Hare actively participating on social media — she is hard to miss as she draws out new angles in arguments and stories about politics, entertainment, art, technology, sports and religion. She talks about it all, because she has spent her life writing about all of those subjects, in turn. O’Hare is a veteran journalist with a finger on the pulse... Read more
He was an award-winning newswriter for CBS News for over two decades, during which time he amassed a mess of awards, including an Emmy, a Peabody award, Writer’s Guild awards and I forget what else, and in three fast steps, Deacon Greg spells out why Brian Williams’ non-apology not only fails, but further-damages his credibility: What was wrong with that? Let me count the ways. 1. There’s the deflection in the first sentence. Williams seems to be saying: “I was... Read more
So, someone commented that he knew “all about” me, based on the fact that Cardinal Dolan seemed to like me. Whether Dolan likes me or not is an open question; we’ve never met, but we each know that the other exists, and will occasionally give positive nods in each other’s directions. Not particularly revealing, I know. I read that comment and thought, “you know ‘all about’ me? I don’t even know all about me! I know I’m not stagnant, but... Read more
At yesterday’s General Audience, Pope Francis — greeting Slovak pilgirms, and apparently referencing an upcoming vote in Slovakia on same sex marriage and adoption — encouraged them to work “to continue their efforts in defense of the family, the vital cell of society.” I’m not sure anyone — except the most extreme and unrealistic of Francis’ haters and admirers, both of whom seem to believe that he intends to upend church teaching any minute, now — would expect him to... Read more
Isn’t that a most beautiful banner? And it heads up a most beautiful new blog with a most original and surprising concept. The blog is Love Among the Ruins; the focus is “finding the Theology of the Body in unexpected places”, and the concept? Well, I’ll let Kathryn, the blog’s curator, explain: One year ago today, I published a post on my own blog (Through a Glass Brightly) which was titled “Good Clean Fun”: The Theology of the Body in... Read more
And his father and his mother marveled at what was said about him; and Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, “Behold, this child is destined to be the rise and the fall of many in Israel, and a sign that is spoken against (and a sword will pierce through your own soul also), that thoughts out of many hearts may be revealed.” The Gospel According to Luke, Chapter 2 It is odd that this feastday -The Feast... Read more
A few months ago, I wrote about the Dominincan Nuns at Our Lady of the Rosary Monastery (aka “the soap nuns”*) running out of room and launching a very necessary capital campaign meant to create enough space for younger women to find their monastic vocations, and older sisters to manage their way around multiple levels. Part of their renovation plans would include a ramp for the less mobile among us, and a better elevator that the antiquated lift that is... Read more
Earlier this week I had the pleasure of chatting with Jen Fulwiler on her radio show. We covered a lot of ground in 18 minutes, in particular touching on a topic that deserves some lively thought — assuming one ever has time to think — on the paradox of good intentions: we in the church serve the poor and advocate for them. We devise programs and policies meant to lift people out of poverty and into prosperity, and when we... Read more
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