Ever since the 1970s, the first Sunday after Labor Day every year is designated National Grandparents’ Day. But we Catholics have been celebrating Grandparents’ day since at least the 6th century, with our observance of the feast day of Sts. Joachim and Anne (July 26), the parents of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the grandparentsContinue reading “Grandparents’ Day “
Category Archives: Other
Conscience
“If there is anything I learned during my time as an interrogator at Guantanamo Bay, it is the importance of a well-formed conscience,” writes Jennifer Bryson, a Fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center, in an article appearing in a 2022 edition of The Lamp. In the summer of 2001, Bryson was an unemployedContinue reading “Conscience “
Cardinal George, Cultural Missionary
I recently finished reading Glorifying Christ, a new biography by Michael Heinlein about Francis Cardinal George (1937-2015), who served as Cardinal Archbishop of Chicago from 1997-2014. Cardinal George was by all accounts a devoted pastor, but also a brilliant man, who was widely seen as the intellectual leader of the American episcopacy. Before becoming aContinue reading “Cardinal George, Cultural Missionary “
Keeping the Proper Perspective
After capping off a 61-1 season with a third straight national championship, members of the University of Oklahoma softball team were asked by a journalist how they were able to handle the unique pressure that comes with high expectations and play with joy when anxiety could easily set in. Infielder Grace Lyons responded first, saying:Continue reading “Keeping the Proper Perspective “
Go to the Sacred Heart
Since it was opened in 1885, people have been visiting the Basilica of the Sacred Heart in the Montmartre neighborhood overlooking Paris to take in more than just the view. Above the main altar in the sanctuary of the church, the Most Blessed Sacrament has been exposed 24 hours a day, 7 days a weekContinue reading “Go to the Sacred Heart “
Incorrupt
On Ascension Thursday (5/18/23) the Benedictine Sisters of Mary, Queen of the Apostles in Gower, Missouri transferred the coffin of Sr. Wilhelmina Lancaster from her grave in the community cemetery to a sarcophagus in their monastery chapel. What would have been a normal act of devotion to their foundress, who died on the same feastContinue reading “Incorrupt “
God is Good
“Forever I will sing the goodness of the Lord!” With this reference to Psalm 89, Bishop Caggiano began his homily for the Mass last Saturday (5/20) at which he ordained six new priests for the Diocese of Bridgeport. The Bishop remarked that such an occasion should evoke songs of praise and thanksgiving from the heartsContinue reading “God is Good “
Health Crisis
There is a mental health crisis in our society, especially among the young, and everybody knows it. Fr. Roger Landry, the Catholic chaplain at Columbia University, in a recent article in the National Catholic Register, cites a 2023 Center for Disease Control study which found the following: 57% of girls and 29% of boys reportedContinue reading “Health Crisis “
God is Beautiful
There is an old cherry tree that grows on the northwest corner of the Parish Office building on the campus of St. Cecilia. Every year, around this time, I look forward to seeing the beautiful pink flowers that adorn its twisted brown branches. The blossoms make me think of the conversion story of a priestContinue reading “God is Beautiful “
Why Read Scripture?
“The Christian story is amazing,” says English historian Tom Holland in a recent conversation with Bishop Robert Barron. Holland’s latest book, Dominion, examines the impact Christianity has had on human civilization, which he argues is so complete that even Christianity’s harshest secular critics often unwittingly base their critiques on ideas that he says are fundamentallyContinue reading “Why Read Scripture? “
The Parish of St. Cecilia-St. Gabriel 