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A few years ago some kind friends urged my cousins and me to enjoy their condominium for week at Bonita Springs, Florida, nearby Naples. As the days passed I began to feel a bit of stomach …
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9/17/26
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Walk into any Catholic church on a weekday morning before Mass. You will see twenty-five, fifty, maybe seventy-five people scattered about the church, each in his or her individual pew. Approach a …
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9/3/26
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The ancient Christian world knew five ecclesial centers. Jerusalem, the oldest, was recognized as the mother of all churches and was initially led by the apostle James. Antioch in Syria was at first …
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8/20/26
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In 1492, King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella of Spain sent Columbus on his adventurous mission to the New World. But in that same year, forgetting about the brilliance of Jewish philosopher Moses …
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8/6/26
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A very gentle song that emerged from the mid-century’s liturgical moderations is entitled “Romans 8” and was styled by Rhode Island native Enrico Garzilli after that chapter in St. Paul’s …
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7/23/26
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The days of summer are well along. Indeed some old timers used to insist that summer ended with the Fourth of July! Yes, time passes quickly. The season’s daffodils have faded and the begonias are …
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7/9/26
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Christianity has experienced at least two Great Awakenings in America’s religious history. Great Awakenings in America were periods of intense religious revivalism that reshaped American culture, …
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6/11/26
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Since the believing world will commemorate the 800th anniversary of the death of St. Francis of Assisi on October 3 this year, Pope Leo XIV has expressed his hope that St. Francis’s message will …
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5/28/26
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The Jewish feast of Pentecost was originally one of three great agricultural celebrations marking gratitude to Almighty God for successful harvests. These three farming festivals later evolved into …
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5/21/26
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Marie Antoinette, once Queen of France, was executed by guillotine on October 16, 1793, at today’s Place de Concorde in Paris at age 37, convicted of high treason by her former subjects who, when …
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5/14/26
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The monks of La Trappe Abbey in Normandy, France may leave their monastery in 2028, the abbey announced — a move that could bring to an end 900 years of Cistercian monastic presence at “La Grande …
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5/7/26
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As this year began, Pope Leo insisted that the teachings of the Second Vatican Council are still “the guiding star” the Catholic Church is meant to follow today. Rereading all of its teachings …
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4/30/26
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St. Peter did not mince his words on that first Christian Pentecost. ““Let the whole house of Israel know for certain that God has made both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.” …
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4/23/26
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My visit to a cousin out of state overlapped with her day to mind her infant grandchild. While we were out shopping, she examined some clothing and asked me to mind the child who was in a stroller. A …
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4/16/26
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The Real Presence – Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity – of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist has been given popular as well as theological credence for centuries, in fact, for millennia. Believers often …
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4/2/26
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The “sedia gestatoria” was a ceremonial, portable throne used for centuries to carry popes during processions. It consisted of a richly adorned, silk-covered armchair mounted on a platform and …
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3/26/26
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The early Church did not lose track of the close-knit family from Bethany, just outside of Jerusalem. According to an ancient tradition, Martha, Mary and Lazarus left behind their country home and …
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3/19/26
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Two of Israel’s great leaders—perhaps the greatest leaders—were the prophet Moses and the king, David. Moses famously led the Israelites from slavery in Egypt, through a forty year desert trek, …
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3/12/26
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Although the Sacred Scriptures certainly credit God the Father with the creation of the world, in fact, the whole universe, one important natural element might have gotten the jump on God Himself. …
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3/5/26
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Eager that the faithful should observe a fruitful Lenten season, the Church’s liturgy early on recalls the lives of Biblical heroes who faced overwhelming odds but persevered to a fruitful outcome. …
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2/26/26
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