This morning, my local ordinary, Washington’s Archbishop Wilton Gregory, was named by Pope Francis as one of 13 new cardinals who will be elevated during a November 28 consistory in Rome. Archbishop Gregory has served the Church for many years...
A reflection on the Sunday readings for October 25, 2020 When couples approach me for marriage preparation, they must complete a pre-nuptial inventory form. One part of the inventory concerns the couple’s “spiritual assessment.” Among the questions in this segment is...
One key to understanding the Church’s teaching on the economy is to ask—as Francis does in Fratelli Tutti—whether we “include or exclude those lying wounded along the roadside” (FT 69). This is, of course, a reference to the parable of...
I see you. You were brought up with CCD and Sunday Mass and played Necco wafer communion. You gave up candy for Lent, ate fish sticks on Fridays, and know what “Holy Day of Obligation” means (get thyself to church). Your...
Fratelli Tutti is a signature encyclical—not only of Francis’s papacy, but for the Catholic Church. During a pandemic, when the world seems to be at a political, social, religious, and ecological tipping point, comes a papal encyclical on “fraternity” and...
I offer here a sketch of someone caught in the eddies of our time. A sketch because it is not complete; I am still in the midst of confusion and uncertainty. But something of an outline is taking shape, and...
A reflection on the Mass readings for the Twenty-eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time. At my parish, I am currently leading an eight-week series on St. John of the Cross. John’s poems are all brilliant, but the ones that are the...
The pandemic has revealed how inadequate our virtual lifestyles are for sustaining strong communities. Yes, the lockdowns, capacity limits, and other precautions were necessitated by a charity towards others in our society, especially the elderly and other vulnerable populations, and...
On Sunday, Pope Francis promulgated his third encyclical, Fratelli Tutti, on Fraternity and Social Friendship. His timely assessment of the state of our world touches on issues including war, extreme inequality and economic disparity, environmental degradation, and the fractured global...
This reflection is written against the backdrop of the release of Pope Francis’s third encyclical, “Fratelli Tutti,“ on Oct 4, 2020, the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi. The focus of this encyclical is “fraternity” and “social friendship.” In his...
Given the recent heightened interest in charismatic communities, especially in Catholic groups involved in the charismatic renewal, I wanted to share my own experience as a member of one such group, years ago. The community was called the Intercessors of...
Pope Francis is signing a new social encyclical, Fratelli Tutti, this weekend. The Holy Father has spoken about human fraternity throughout his pontificate, so it’s not a surprise that he chose this topic for an encyclical. In preparation for this...
American Catholics should embrace losing. It’s not as if we haven’t had ample opportunity over the last several years. We should know by now that U.S. Catholics often find ourselves among the least respected groups in modern society, particularly for...
As a fairly new Catholic, I always enjoy learning about new saints whenever I can. Thanks to all my friends who have referred different saints to me, I have learned about many holy men and woman of various ethnicities, ages,...
“The battle is marvellous and grievous to be borne. Oliver and Roland both strike hard, and the archbishop delivers more than a thousand blows and the twelve peers are not behind him, and the French all fight as one man....
This week at his Wednesday audience, Pope Francis spoke about the 51-year-old priest of the Diocese of Como in Northern Italy, Father Roberto Malgesini, who was murdered Tuesday while distributing food to the needy. Reportedly he was killed by a...
“Those who take care of the sick – play an essential role in today’s society, even if they often do not receive the recognition and recompense they deserve. … Taking care of those who are sick, of those who are...
While it’s a phenomenon that began online, the QAnon movement has found its way into the discourse and lives of ordinary Americans. With its conspiracy-laden messages, Q taps into Americans’ deep-seated angst about their government, cultural forces they can’t comprehend,...
A reflection on the Sunday readings for September 13, 2020 In the middle of the sixteenth Century, Sts. John of the Cross and Teresa of Avila undertook a reform of monastic life. This led to no little discontent in the Carmelite...
I was recently asked to give a presentation on Black Catholicism and social justice for the California Chinese Catholic Living Camp (CACCLC) 2020 retreat. It, like everything else for now, was virtual, which gave me the opportunity to present from...
Adam Rasmussen
Alexander Pyles
Andy Thomas
Angela Rasmussen
Deacon William T Ditewig
Brad Henry
Brian Killian
Carlos X. Colorado
John Cavanaugh-O'Keefe
Claire Domingues
Daniele Palmer
David Wanat
Dawn Eden Goldstein
Daniel Amiri
D.W. Lafferty
Efran Menny
Emmett O'Regan
Gabe Lewis
Henry Karlson
Joe Dantona
John Paul Shimek
J. Patrick Yodzis
Kerry Campbell
Kevin Hay
Mark Hausam
Mark Joseph Williams
Massimo Borghesi
Matt Kappadakunnel
Matt Palmer
Mike Gray
Mike Lewis
Nate Tinner-Williams
Nathan Turowsky
Paul Fahey
Pedro Gabriel
Pete Vere
Rachel Amiri
Rachel Dobbs
Robert Fastiggi
Rodrigo Guerra
Fr. Satish Joseph
Stephen Walford
Steven P. Millies
Toni Vercillo
Will Sipling
