Opinion
Children teach peace
How can a community be transformed from one of violence to one of peace? St. Francis de Sales School in West Philadelphia may have the answer. A vibrant assembly recently recognized dozens of peacemakers among the more than 500 students. Sixth-grader Fifi Degarr received a special peacemaker medal by the pastor, Father Louis Bier, and […]
The changing faces of charity
By Edward J. Lis In his recent encyclical, Caritas in Veritate, our Holy Father Pope Benedict XVI calls charity “an extraordinary force … which has its origin in God.” The 2009 Annual Report of Catholic Social Services of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia gives testimony to this extraordinary force of charity, which transforms the lives of […]
‘Profile’ passes away
Readers of last week’s Profile page in the Catholic Standard & Times met Claire Sullivan McCloskey, who was still active in her beloved St. Cecilia Parish in Philadelphia, just shy of her 92nd birthday. Her story was prepared in time for the newspaper’s Tuesday night deadline but by the time the paper arrived in homes […]
Help, year after year
Flowers aren’t the only sign of spring. On front lawns and around churches, and in the windows of schools and row homes, signs announce the beginning of this year’s Catholic Charities Appeal. The springtime tradition of raising money in the Archdiocese to fund the neediest of our brothers and sisters launches again this week. At […]
Truth be told
Is the truth worth $410,400? For Brian Davis, it is. He is a professional golfer who found himself on the cusp of winning his first pro tournament last Sunday. Playing a sudden-death playoff hole and tied for the lead, victory was in his sight. On a key shot, however, he noticed in the corner of […]
Rally for school choice
Talk about a win-win situation for Pennsylvania. Businesses can get a credit of up to 90 percent on certain state taxes by making a contribution to a scholarship organization, and parents who desperately need help paying tuition for nonpublic education can get scholarship aid. It’s all the result of a state program called the Educational […]
Resurrection, not reincarnation
Msgr. Michael K. MageeThe Challenge of Jesus Today The preface of the Eucharistic Prayer in the Mass of Christian Burial reminds us of the implications of the Easter mystery, not just for our belief in the Lord Jesus but for our own eternal destiny as well. Because He is risen from the dead in His […]
Building a world without nukes, a world of peace
Leaders of 47 nations, many of whom acknowledge they possess nuclear weapons or are thought to do so, took a step together in confronting anew the threat of mass destruction. In so doing, participants in the Nuclear Security Summit in Washington, D.C., this week made progress toward the goals of building peace and managing conflict […]
Are you smarter than a fifth-grader?
By Father Leonard Peterson Ah, if only at least some of us could go back to the fifth grade! “Why?” you ask. It’s a long story. The short answer is that this is the elementary grade where the seven sacraments are taught. I learned that from my regular classroom visits to our parish school. More […]
Show compassion for sex abuse victims
News reports of the clergy sexual abuse scandal unfolding in Europe and responses in the media continue to swirl around the Church. More attention has focused on who did what and when, or who made this or that comment, than on the victims of these heinous acts. Young people or adults who experienced sexual assault […]