Commentaries
Heading to the beach — with the pope’s encyclical
Columnist Effie Caldarola has an unusual beach read, and a modest proposal -- save a lot of water by giving up meat once a week.
Born to privilege, Sister Nirmala rose to leadership via poverty
The successor to Mother Teresa died recently in India. The pastor of the Norristown parish where the sisters work remembers the sister's remarkable life.
NaPro Technology helps couple find hope, and have a son
Writer Theresa Strenge tells how one couple used the Creighton method of natural family planning to identify problems leading to miscarriage.
One spouse feels the urgency when couple can’t conceive
A husband can't hear the biological clock as his wife does, and it's causing a strain, write Deacon Paul and Helen McBlain in their Marriage Matters column.
Assyrians find hope in liberation from ISIS
Last month Assyrian villagers were freed from Islamic State militants, but the persecuted Christians have a history of being forced to flee their homes, writes Jesse McDonald.
10 reasons why going to church can make you feel better
Everybody has reasons for going to Mass. Here are writer Shannon Bowen's top 10. She hopes to change the recent and unfortunate steady decline in Mass attendance.
Setting goals to pave a path toward a dream
Revelations from newspaper articles and recent health studies suggest that setting goals may be the best thing for your mind, body, and soul.
Facing a new reality
With the Supreme Court's sweeping legalization of same-sex marriage June 26, the church is facing a difficult road ahead -- a truth spelled out in the pointed remarks by the four dissenting justices in the Obergefell v. Hodges ruling.
Memories of a saint from my time
The May 23 beatification of Salvadoran martyr Archbishop Oscar Romero stirs memories of the only saint I ever met while he was alive, writes Moises Sandoval.
Charleston tragedy should drive us to, not away from, church
Carole Norris Green sees the elephant in the room: God is calling us all to prayer, every day, and not just on weekends. It is a nonviolent but powerful response to evil.