Commentaries
Jailing families: U.S. should pursue prison alternatives for migrants
U.S. bishops have warned about the potential for abuses in family detention centers, and now abuses are occurring. An editorial argues immigrant children should live without barbed wire fences while their legal status is being sorted out.
Both political parties play immigrants as pawns
Between the recent executive orders on deferred deportation for immigrants, a judge's blockage of the plan and entrenched congressional opposition, Father Gus Puleo believes Republicans and Democrats share blame for failing to reform the system.
Child’s bus ride leads to deep life lessons
A children's book subtlety draws the link between worship and service, observes writer Effie Caldarola. One lesson: reply to a child's plea of "I want that" to "You have this."
Living like a strong, confident girl
Karen Osborne wonders why teen girls give up doing things they love. She condemns the pressures put on boys and girls to do and like things based on gender, which denies opportunities for positive experiences.
Using the long reach of prayer during Lent
When thinking of big numbers of people -- 114 million who watched the Super Bowl or the millions who will watch Pope Francis in Philadelphia -- you can touch them and really help them with your prayer, writes Jesuit Father William Byron.
‘Consubstantial,’ and other challenges to memory
It's been a few years but Maureen Pratt still struggles to recall the changed prayers of the Mass. She writes on some ways to shore up a faltering memory.
Marching for life in all its phases
Moises Sandoval reflects after this year's March for Life that America needs to do a better job of building economic and social conditions to have and raise children.
The strangers who care for us
Before Lent begins next week, Carolyn Woo reflects on how there really are no strangers. Whether it's the people who care for us or those we don't know at all, we're all part of God's family.
This headline doesn’t tell you everything
Just as headlines on Twitter do not tell all you need to know about a topic, so too, writes Erick Rommel, do we need to probe more deeply into the words of people around us.
Work and resentment are no reasons to quit the marriage
In their Marriage Matters column, Deacon Paul and Helen McBlain offer positive, practical advice for a couple struggling to stay together.