I had never heard of Bo Burnham until I came across a clip of a recent conference at which he spoke about the impact of social media on culture. Burnham is a 32-year-old comedian and musician who received critical acclaim for a comedy special he produced during the COVID-19 lockdowns called Inside. Originally from Massachusetts,Continue reading “Resisting Colonization “
Category Archives: Other
Communion
This Tuesday, November 1, is the Solemnity of All Saints. It is one of the greatest feasts of the year because it is a celebration of those who have reached the final destination for which we are made and to which we all aspire, with the help of God’s grace. It’s important to remember thatContinue reading “Communion “
An Odd Sort of Mercy
Graham Greene was one of the most acclaimed writers of the 20th century, whose best novels feature morally complex characters who experience grace through their very real struggles with fallen human desire. I recently read his 1951 novel, The End of the Affair, which takes place in London in the mid-1940s. A writer named MauriceContinue reading “An Odd Sort of Mercy “
Bending the Knee
When I was a seminarian, I had a summer assignment at a parish where the pastor gave me the task of training the altar servers. I was very pleased when a pretty decent number of kids showed up to the training session. The first thing we practiced was processing down the aisle at the beginningContinue reading “Bending the Knee “
Singing and Parking
On Singing: “He who sings prays twice.” This is a phrase attributed to St. Augustine of Hippo, the patron saint of our Diocese. He is saying that when we sing our prayers, we adorn the words we speak to the Lord with a beauty that comes from our hearts’ love for Him. It is likeContinue reading “Singing and Parking “
Survey Says
A couple of months ago, the Diocese approached me and asked whether our parish might be interested in participating in a program that assists in outreach and ministry to married couples and families. After listening to what they had to say, I saw it as a good opportunity. There seems to be little debate thatContinue reading “Survey Says “
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 “
The Parish of St. Cecilia-St. Gabriel 