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 “
Category Archives: Other
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? “
Bells
In 1940, Walt Disney released the film Fantasia, which consisted of eight sequences of animation set to pieces of classical music. It is generally considered a masterpiece. The most famous scene from the movie, of course, is “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice,” which features Mickey Mouse as a novice magician who tries to wield magic to helpContinue reading “Bells “
Gift of Life
The late comedian Norm MacDonald, who hosted the “Weekend Update” segment on Saturday Night Live in the 1990s, made the following observation during one of his parody news reports: “Dr. Jack Kavorkian was responsible for another death this week. This time it was a 58-year-old woman. She’s the twenty-sixth of Kavorkian’s patients to die sinceContinue reading “Gift of Life “
Warring with Spirits
Warning: this article contains spoilers about season one of “The Rings of Power” television series. If you have been looking forward to watching it, I suggest skipping to the second paragraph. “The Rings of Power” is a television series on Amazon Prime that serves as a prequel to J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the RingsContinue reading “Warring with Spirits “
Why the Church Teaches
For those who follow these things, the #6 most popular podcast on iTunes right now is hosted by Fr. Mike Schmitz, a Catholic priest from the Diocese of Duluth, ND. Fr. Mike’s current podcast is a follow-up to his extremely popular “Bible in a Year” program, which he hosted in 2021, and is called “CatechismContinue reading “Why the Church Teaches “
God’s Precious Ones
If you were a member of the Church in its earliest days, one of the people you’d have thought most unlikely to become a follower of Christ was Saul of Tarsus. Saul was a Pharisee, a brilliant young scholar of the Law, and a zealous defender of his tradition. He believed the Christian sect wasContinue reading “God’s Precious Ones “
Pope Benedict XVI, R.I.P.
On February 11, 2013 I was sitting in a Roman lecture hall, taking notes and trying not to be distracted by my Australian classmate whose phone kept buzzing. Finally, he turned to me and whispered, “The Holy Father just resigned.” I looked at him skeptically, saying, “That’s not possible. Someone is pulling your leg.” AContinue reading “Pope Benedict XVI, R.I.P. “
Matthew 26:38
“Last year, nearly one in 30 deaths recorded in Canada was an assisted suicide death.” Catholic ethicist Charlie Camosy cited this troubling statistic during his recent interview in The Pillar of Amanda Achtman, a human rights advocate who works with Canadian Physicians for Life. Since the 2016 introduction of Canada’s Medical Assistance in Dying (MAID)Continue reading “Matthew 26:38 “
The Parish of St. Cecilia-St. Gabriel 