Opinion
1964: Lessons from a memorable team
By Father Stephen Perzan On Oct. 25, the great 1964 Cardinal Dougherty High School championship basketball team was inducted into the school’s hall of fame. While that team had many outstanding players like Mike Kempski, Earl Williams, Phil Sirianni, along with the late Maurice Savage, what many people might not know is that it also […]
Visiting a Grave
(All present make the sign of the cross, and the leader begins) Praise be to God our Father, who raised Jesus Christ from the dead. Blessed be God forever. Response: Blessed be God forever. (A scripture text may be read, such as this from Romans 8:38-39) I am convinced that neither death nor life, nor […]
A solemn remembrance
Last Oct. 29, the Philadelphia Phillies let the champagne flow (and spray) as they won their first World Series championship in almost three decades. Two days later the entire Philadelphia region shared in the outpouring of emotion with a parade of some 2 million souls that no one involved will forget. So it is again […]
For Catholic fathers: Supporting men who make a difference in kids’ lives
By Jim Gabriele A few weeks back, I had the privilege of joining over 300 men at the Malvern Retreat House to hear a wonderful talk by Sean Dalton, a director at FOCUS, the Fellowship of Catholic University Students. Dalton travels the country bringing the truth of Catholic teaching to college students and is a […]
Music as praise and prayer
Fans of popular music would admit that even beyond matters of taste, so much of the music bombarding our senses is poor in quality. And with digital music made available more readily than ever before, the sheer quantity of bad music is enormous. But there are those moments… A catchy melody, a well-sung vocal harmony, […]
State budget impasse is finally over
By A. B. Hill Gov. Ed Rendell signed a $27.8 billion budget Oct. 9 that was 101 days overdue. The plan spends $500 million less than last year and does not include any broad-based tax increases. The Pennsylvania Catholic Conference (PCC) has been following the budget negotiations closely with an eye on education, social services […]
This month, consider the word respect
By Father Leonard Peterson This past September featured an unusual trifecta. Not the kind that rewards bets at the racetrack, but a trio of incidents exhibiting shameful human behavior. I refer to the unexpected incivility on display from a congressman, a tennis player and an entertainer. You remember that editorials responded, and letters to the […]
An emotional reality
Our front page shows the human emotion of news nobody wanted to deliver: Cardinal Dougherty and Northeast Catholic High Schools will close at the end of this school year. People, not buildings, dominate the page because this story is about students and their education. It’s a sad time whenever a school is forced to close. […]
On health reform, respect the unborn, migrant, poor
Immigration reform was all but dead. As the debate on health care reform kicked into high gear this summer and early fall, immigration disappeared from the political debate. But if reform of one broken system (immigration) moved off legislators’ dockets in favor of another (health care), the United States bishops brought the issues together last […]
Why you matter
By Father John Bartunek, L.C.Guest Commentary Long ago, a Frenchman incurred the displeasure of the emperor Napoleon. He was thrown into a dungeon, forsaken by his friends and forgotten by everyone in the outside world. In loneliness and near despair he scratched on the wall of his cell, “Nobody cares.” So many forces in today’s […]