Other – Page 10 – The Parish of St. Cecilia-St. Gabriel

Knowing Ourselves

When the first images from the James Webb Space Telescope were released in July, the public response was astonishment. What the Hubble Telescope had revealed faintly was now seen with unprecedented clarity – thousands of galaxies in a patch of sky the size of a grain of sand, some of whose light took over 13Continue reading “Knowing Ourselves “

Throw Away Culture

In his encyclical “Laudato Si,” Pope Francis writes about “throw away culture.” While much of the encyclical discusses themes about the environment, “throw away culture” refers to much more than littering or the wasteful nature of consumerism. Lucia Silecchia, a law professor at Catholic University of America, has argued that Pope Francis intends the phraseContinue reading “Throw Away Culture “

Clearing up Confusion after Dobbs

In the wake of the recent Supreme Court decision Dobbs v Jackson, there has been a good deal of confusion over the significance of its overturning of Roe v Wade and Planned Parenthood v Casey. Surveys show that a very large number of Americans, up to 68% in some polls, believe that Dobbs criminalizes abortion,Continue reading “Clearing up Confusion after Dobbs “

Reconstruction

On Friday, June 23, the Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, the Supreme Court of the United States issued its much-anticipated opinion Dobbs v Jackson which struck down its 1973 opinion Roe v Wade and the 1992 decision Casey v Planned Parenthood. Dobbs effectively ended the 49-year federal prohibition of legal restrictions onContinue reading “Reconstruction “

Sacred Heart, Sacred Body

The month of June is dedicated to the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus. One may be forgiven for not knowing that, since the Sacred Heart of Jesus is not something that attracts corporate sponsorship or media attention. Sadly, there are no parades organized to celebrate the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Which is surprising, in aContinue reading “Sacred Heart, Sacred Body “

Adrift No More

At this year’s graduation ceremonies at New York University, pop star Taylor Swift addressed the class of 2022. If you’re not familiar with Taylor Swift, she is one of the best-selling musicians of all time, having sold over 200 million records since her debut album which came out in 2006 when she was 17. DuringContinue reading “Adrift No More”

Rosary & Renovations

Pray the Rosary May is the month of Our Lady, and a good time to resolve to pray a daily rosary. But you don’t have to take my word for it. Just a couple of weeks ago, two world-famous Catholics made strong pitches for the daily rosary. There was Pope Francis, of course, who exhortedContinue reading “Rosary & Renovations”

Vicki Thorn, R.I.P.

“A number of times over the years I’ll be someplace, and someone will have introduced me, and all of a sudden this woman will come up to me, and she’ll say, ‘May I give you a hug?’ And she’ll just wrap her arms around me and hold me very tight, and she whispers in myContinue reading “Vicki Thorn, R.I.P. “

What It’s All About

There’s a story about a young Italian priest who was travelling by train and found himself sharing a compartment with a group of high school students. Since it was 1952 and there were no smart phones to distract them, the priest and the young people engaged in conversation. What the priest discovered through the conversationContinue reading “What It’s All About”

Forgiveness & Healing

Forgiveness is the subject of a new book by moral theologian Fr. Thomas Berg and clinical psychologist Dr. Timothy Lock, who both serve on the faculty of St. Joseph Seminary in Yonkers, NY. The book is called Choosing Forgiveness: Unleash the Power of God’s Grace, and they recently gave an interview to The Pillar aboutContinue reading “Forgiveness & Healing”