Our lengthy "holiday season" driven by the consumer-confidence index and lasting for months is a bad idea, writes Stephen Kent. It all adds up to a festival of consumerism, he believes; it wrings the true meaning out of Christmas. But Liz Quirin says that in her family Christmas shopping is a happy time of being...Read More
VATICAN CITY – Pope Benedict XVI has appointed new heads of several Vatican departments, naming Canadian Cardinal Marc Ouellet of Quebec as prefect of the Congregation for Bishops.Read More
St. Angela Merici was born March 21, 1474, in Italy. At the young age of 15, she became a Franciscan tertiary and had a vision that she would inspire women in vocations. While making a pilgrimage to the Holy Land, she became blind. Instead of going home, she continued on her pilgrimage. Afterwards, Angela Merici...Read More
WASHINGTON – The U.S. bishops’ Committee on Doctrine in a June 23 statement discussed the distinction between the church’s definitions of a direct abortion and a legitimate medical procedure that could result in an indirect abortion.Read More
St. Gabriel of Our Lady of Sorrows was born in 1838 in Assisi, Italy. After a youth spent in society and chasing women, Our Lady led him to the Passionist Order. He devoted his life to prayer, devotion to Our Lady and contemplation of her sorrow over the suffering of Jesus. Pope Benedict XV lifted...Read More
VATICAN CITY – A priest who seeks status rather than the will of God will be a slave to himself and to public opinion and will never discover how God wants to use his personal gifts and talents for the good of the church and the world, Pope Benedict XVI said.Read More
St. Lea lived in the fourth century. After she became a widow, she went to a Roman monastery and would later become the superior there. Writing after St. Lea’s death, St. Jerome praised St. Lea for living such a devout life free of the things of the world. He proposed a life of renunciation.Read More
In this Year of the Priest, I have written about various priests who have touched my life. How could I allow the year to end without remembering Monsignor Marty Schwalenberg and Father Jack Hooper?Read More
St. Mark the Evangelist was a disciple of St. Peter. Sometime before the year 60 he wrote the second Gospel, which he wrote in Greek for the converts to Christianity. He traveled with St. Barnabas and St. Paul on a missionary trip through Cyprus. St. Mark also evangelized in Alexandria, Egypt, where he established the...Read More
The Catholic Review (June 3) has given Tony Magliano another opportunity to promote his diatribe against the military, allowing him once again to do it during a time when we are to honor and remember those who have served our country and given their lives for us.Read More
St. Simeon Stylites the Younger was born in Antioch around in 521. When St. Simeon was 5 years old his father died, and a monk nearby undertook his care. At age 7, St. Simeon and the monk began to live solitary lives on top of platforms. The saint attracted a number of followers and eventually...Read More
BEL AIR – Kate Froehlich figures that journalism will thrive, as long as the field is blessed with curious people who are conscientious about keeping the public informed.Read More