Opinion
Down time can lead to unhealthy habits for kids
It’s cold outside. There’s school work do to and even when there isn’t, a book or a movie or a video game beckons kids to curl up on a soft chair in a warm home. And sit. On winter days children are sitting a lot, and that can invite two unwanted guests into their lives: […]
Remember sick in spirit
While people suffering with drug addiction and/or mental illness may break the hearts of their loved ones, much mercy and compassion is also often present. To mark the feast of Our Lady of Lourdes and the World Day of the Sick on Feb. 11, Bishop Michael Bransfield of the Wheeling-Charleston Diocese in West Virginia wrote […]
Paging the past, writing the future
By Father Stephen ThorneIn my room in St. Cyprian Rectory, you will find a number of books. Some I have yet to read, others I have and continue to use. One such book that I have used often is our bicentennial book, “Our Faith-Filled Heritage.” Like others, I enjoy reading the rich history of our […]
Senate bill opens school choice opportunity
With the focus this week on Catholic schools, a new effort comes to light that would expand access for parents to the great gift of a quality Catholic education.As a public policy issue, school choice has gained ground steadily in recent years. Because it is so compelling, school choice initiatives have flourished in the forms […]
Health care reform, redux
If anyone thought passage of the health care reform law ended the process of reforming the system, they might have been surprised to learn that the new House of Representatives last week voted to repeal the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. Political observers think outright repeal won’t happen because it probably won’t get through […]
God provides for every historical time
By Mary Rochford Catholic Schools Week celebrations became an annual event in 1974. I can remember teaching the third grade at St. Timothy School in Philadelphia just like it was yesterday! In those days, celebrating Catholic Schools Week meant taking displays to the local malls. We were not necessarily looking for increased enrollment (St. Timothy […]
Everybody counts, even the unborn
By A. B. Hill The results are in. Two recent reports reveal interesting statistics about Pennsylvania – the 2010 Census and the 2009 Abortion Statistics. The 2010 Census figures show that 12,702,379 people currently call Pennsylvania home, a 3.4 percent increase since 2000. In 2009, 37,284 abortions were performed in Pennsylvania, a 3.9 percent decrease […]
No ordinary time
With the Christmas season past and the Lenten season yet to come, the Church finds herself in the early weeks of Ordinary Time on the liturgical calendar. Yet this is no ordinary time. Catholics were encouraged to pray for vocations to the priesthood and religious life last week. This week the Church celebrates the Week […]
Ethical thinking vs. ‘tyranny of relativism’
Father Tad PacholczykMaking Sense Out of Bioethics I once asked a young physician whether he had received any training in medical ethics during medical school. I wondered whether he had been taught how to handle some of the complex moral questions that can arise when practicing medicine. It turned out that he had taken only […]
Tackling homelessness through gifts of love
Now that the Christmas decorations have been stored for another year and presents placed away too, it is worth remembering how some recently given gifts keep on giving. The coats and hats from clothing drives, the toiletries and supplies through parish-based giving tree programs and the casseroles given to food cupboards since Thanksgiving are making […]