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Tension often exists between the dominant culture in a parish and the minority Hispanic-Latino Catholic communities. This situation can be a challenge to the church’s mission. Instead of celebrating the building of community and promoting worship and life in prayer, or being of service to the most marginalized among us, including fighting for justice and peace, or receiving formation so that all may grow and mature in faith, many Hispanics experience and believe that the body of Christ has a cloud over it. Responding to cultural diversity in the church is an opportunity to rediscover the Gospel values that have been taught and to work together on building welcoming and loving communities of hope where no one feels abandoned or ignored.

The Roman basilica of Sts. Cosmas and Damian tends to elude the casual tourist and the hurried pilgrim, although it’s right off the Via dei Fori Imperiali between Trajan’s column and the Coliseum. A visit at any time is worthwhile, as the apse mosaics are among the most spectacular in Rome – sixth and seventh century work that somehow anticipates 20th century art deco. Sts. Cosmas and Damian is particularly striking during Advent and Christmastide, though, because it’s also home to one of the world’s most colossal crèches.

Isaiah the Prophet tells us that in “a land of gloom, a light shall shine.” Allow me to tell two stories of light scattering the darkness.

Greetings to all and it is a blessing to sit down and write to you. It has been a year since I have written an article for The Catholic Review. It is a blessing and honor to write an article for Christmas this year. I have and you, too, have a lot to be thankful for because Jesus, the risen savior, is in charge. I titled this article “A Christmas and Easter Love”; I know Easter is a little ways off. However, you can not have the crown without the victory. Ask yourselves: Does Christmas and Easter only come once a year? The season of Advent urges us to be ever ready, not for the four weeks but all days of the year, and the season of Lent asks us to repent and follow Jesus. For me it means that I should have a Christmas and Easter love every day. To trust in the Lord in all that I do and try – and this is challenging – to imitate Christ daily, yes daily. My yearlong journey challenged my Christmas and Easter love.

One of the most startling truths of New Testament Christianity often reverberates for me. It is from St. Paul and though I’ve not previously observed its emphasis in my homilies or writings, I do so in this column because of the insight it offers all of us as we attempt to understand the meaning of Christmas. (I will save this startling New Testament truth until the last paragraphs.)

CAPE TOWN, South Africa – Zimbabwe’s President Robert Mugabe must be forced to step down, said the Southern African Catholic Bishops’ Conference.

ST. PAUL, Minn. – Four years ago, Carmen Dean couldn’t have imagined the crowd that would fill her church, Risen Savior in Burnsville, to celebrate the Dec. 12 feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, patroness of the Americas.

Archbishop Francis Patrick Keough headed the Archdiocese of Baltimore, Dwight D. Eisenhower was well into his second term as U.S. president and the Baltimore Colts were the toast of the professional football world.