Opinion
A boost in optimism
By Father Leonard Peterson Optimism is a slippery concept. I can grasp it one moment with a sure grip, only to lose it in a moment with someone else’s ugly reminder of what’s evil in the world. Surely you too have had the experience of sharing some good news that you experienced personally, or read […]
Witnesses to faith
The year of our Lord 2011 looks to be one of continued uncertainty. Will America’s economic recovery continue on an upward arc with improvement in employment? How will planning initiatives in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia affect parish life and Catholic education? What will become of the spanisions within and among the communities in which we […]
Let patience prevail
By Elizabeth FisherSpecial to the CS&T I know a little boy who was not popular in school. He was the butt of jokes, insults and pranks. Many of the boy’s closest friends began to distance themselves from him, fearing that this small band of miscreants would target them. Through all the taunting, this 8-year-old never […]
The unsung heroes of Christmas present
Just in time for Christmas, two final big jobs at parishes throughout the Archdiocese have largely come to completion. If it’s not easy for a family to bring out boxes of Christmas decorations from storage, buy and display a Christmas tree and decorate the house, imagine the task of decorating a room as large as […]
The future of the Church
Msgr. Michael K. MageeTHE CHALLENGE OF JESUS TODAY Recently one of the most popular commentators on contemporary issues in the Catholic Church, John L. Allen, published a book titled “The Future Church: How Ten Trends are Revolutionizing the Catholic Church,” citing among these such major trends as the shift in the Church’s geographical center of […]
Door remains open for Catholics to come home
An impression that’s become fashionable in recent years is that Catholics are leaving their Church in droves. Is the Catholic Church in the United States really declining? The answers: Yes, no and it depends. Statistically, no: the Catholic Church is growing. It showed a 1.5 percent increase in membership last year, according to information from […]
Witness to soldiers’ return
Father Stephen C. McDermott So there I was, standing in the gym with hundreds of others. This was my fourth time witnessing this powerful moment. For one full year, these families had been split apart. For one full year, the fear of the knock at the door became a way of life. For one full […]
Bishops to priests: prepare for new Missal translation
The bishops of Pennsylvania’s Latin-rite dioceses recently wrote a letter to all their priests concerning the forthcoming revised translation of the Roman missal. An excerpt of the letter follows: After a lengthy process, the new English translation of the Roman Missal has been approved by the Holy See. This revised translation will go into effect […]
‘For Christ is born of Mary’
As Advent leads Catholics toward the celebration of Jesus’ birth at Christmas, it’s fitting that the Church also honors Mary, the great mother of God, in the middle of this season. Last week we celebrated the Immaculate Conception of Mary on Dec. 8 and Our Lady of Guadalupe on Dec. 12. Those two days on […]
What does being ‘open to children’ mean?
By Tara Plymouth In our Family Life Office’s marriage preparation programs, we encourage couples to be “open to children” or “open to life” when they get married. However, the phrase “open to children/life” seems ambiguous. Also, in today’s culture, with widespread contraceptive use and many unfortunately living together premaritally, many couples may not know what […]