One portion of the Mass that Catholics will not have to thumb through their missalettes to follow this Advent is the Lamb of God. more

St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross is more often remembered as Edith Stein, the brilliant philosopher, who was born into an observant German-Jewish family, inclined toward atheism as a young adult, eventually converted to the Roman Catholic Church and then became a Discalced Carmelite nun. Reminiscent of Loyola, reading the life of St. Teresa of Avila was instrumental in her conversion in 1922 after which she gave up university life and taught in a Catholic grammar school for ten years. Still, Edith’s academic credentials are impressive. She worked with the eminent philosophers Edmund Husserl and Martin Heidegger. She translated Aquinas’ “On Truth” into German. She became a lecturer at the Catholic-associated Institute for Scientific Pedagogy in Munster in 1932, resigning in 1933 due to anti-Semitic legislation. At that time, Edith wrote to Pope Pius XI about Nazi abuse. more

By Father Stephen Battey Recently, someone shared a photo of a poorly veiled statue which looked more like something that one would find in a comedy film, rather than a Catholic church. Funny as … more

Challenging world oil executives to recognize the urgent environmental need to quickly transition from fossil fuel extraction and burning, to clean energy production, Pope Francis called them to take … more

With the death of Queen Elizabeth II, and the long-awaited ascent of her son to become King Charles III, England has become the focus, once again, of great pageantry and palace intrigue. There is … more

WARWICK — “What prevails here today, and always, is the promise made to them then, the one hundred beautiful souls that left us, that we pray to be at peace with the good Lord, who lent … more

St. John Paul II Parish, Pawtucket, hosted an International Festival on Saturday, May 20. The evening featured tastings of various delicacies from around the globe as well as International Folklore … more

The Catholic Church has dedicated numerous feast days throughout the year to events in the life of Mary and her various titles. The following are some of the feasts of Mary in the month of May: Feast … more

Voice of the Faithful on-line newsletter, no doubt hoping to justify its own critical assessment of U.S. Catholicism, recommends its constituents read a recent article from Commonweal magazine regarding the “high stress, poor health, and low morale” of the diocesan clergy, specifically in the Archdiocese of Milwaukee. more

All Saints Day worshippers will have an added cause for celebration this year. John Henry Cardinal Newman was beatified by Pope Benedict XVI in mid-September in Birmingham, a large English industrial city. more

The Trappistine Sisters in Wrentham, MA. have happily inaugurated a newly enlarged chocolate factory whose delightful products help sustain their monastic life. The new building also boasts an improved gift shop and, more important, an expanded and selective religious book store – La Sallette and Tally’s watch out! more

Last August, I wrote about a six-hour sail that gave new perspectives on life, faith, and the Catholic understanding of ecology. A few weeks ago, another outing on the Able—the sturdy sloop owned … more

Deeply concerned about a “globalization of indifference,” Pope Francis in his 2016 World Day of Peace message titled “Overcome Indifference and Win Peace,” warns that “the first kind of … more

Let us keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, the leader and perfecter of our faith. (Heb 12:2) This verse from the Letter to the Hebrews has become one of my favorites, for it summarizes so concisely … more

The splendor of Easter is rightly reflected in the decorative elegance of even the humblest parish church. Budding tulips, blossoming azaleas, blooming hydrangeas and emblematic lilies accompany the … more

In 1985, Father Mary Jenco, a Servite priest was taken hostage in Beirut and held for 19 months, suffering gravely at the hands of a Shiite group. After his return, he traveled around the country … more

A few weeks ago I was driving to work when I got caught in a horrendous traffic jam, a back-up caused by a two-car accident further down the highway. While sitting there stewing, growing … more

The Associated Press recently carried a story that I found both amusing and instructive. It seems that in Florida, some folks observing last month’s lunar eclipse from their car, forgot to keep … more

The first verse of chapter eleven of the Epistle to the Hebrews, which will be heard this coming Sunday during the second reading at Mass, offers not so much a precise definition of the virtue of … more

PROVIDENCE — “We’re swimming upstream trying to live the culture of life, and the evil one wants to isolate us, separate us, make us second guess ourselves in the value of what we … more