George Weigel writes (CR, Nov. 20) about “The Two Americas.” He, of course, is talking about the two major political parties which campaigned on the issues that he refers to and the supporters of each party. Most Catholics, and millions of others, are concerned about the issues Mr. Weigel raises, but with others as well....Read More

I stipulate at the outset that religious vocations are urgently needed and vitally important to the mission of the church. In no way do I wish to denigrate the sacrifice of those so called. I remain most grateful for their commitment and service. However I am somewhat disheartened that marriage, as a vocation, is hardly...Read More

VATICAN CITY – The head of the Russian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow, died Dec. 5 at his home outside the Russian capital. He was 79.Read More

BEIJING (CNS) -- China's one-child policy, begun nearly 30 years ago, still provides pastoral challenges and is taking a toll on vocations, said some Chinese church leaders. Auxiliary Bishop Paul Pei Junmin of Liaoning said that, in the past, the diocese used to have 20 young men and women enter the seminary and convent each...Read More

To make a long story short: a priest of 11 years, I returned to my native Archdiocese of New York in 1976 with a doctorate in moral theology, all the while expecting I would be assigned to the faculty of our Archdiocesan Seminary of St. Joseph, Dunwoodie, in Yonkers. Such was not to be.Read More

When the new school year begins in late August, school officials at St. Frances Academy, Baltimore, expect to see a more racially diverse enrollment with the addition of several Hispanic students, ending a two-year interlude with an all-black student body. It’s the first time in its 179-year history that St. Frances Academy officials have actively...Read More

WASHINGTON – About the only thing everyone with a stake in it is likely to agree on about the Freedom of Choice Act is that the legislation has languished in Congress for 20 years, only once rising – just barely – above the fate of hundreds of bills that are introduced each session and never...Read More

Neil Lupton traveled from his home in Boston in early February to attend the Immaculate Conception, Towson, Boy Scout 50th Anniversary Celebration. It was there that he met up with four of his fellow troop members, Robert Carter, David Duley, Ed Bollinger and Michael Topper, whom he hadn’t seen for more than 45 years. The...Read More