Commentaries
‘Follow your dreams’ — then get to work
Slogans such as "do what you love" can be a recipe for disaster, writes Erick Rommel, if we don't have an unwavering commitment to the kind of hard work that leads to success.
Showing the presence of Mary in an increasingly secular world
John McGarvey laments that faith is a less visible feature of public life in America than it was in his youth. But among today's growing Catholic Hispanic population, public devotion to Mary remains strong.
At Hiroshima, urging peace and an end to materialism
Jesuit Father William Byron advises President Obama to read a prophetic account of the dropping of the atomic bomb in 1945. Humanity still grapples with the cause and effects of a universe split open.
Welcoming the stranger with familiar food
Effie Caldarola bought halal meat for the first time as a gift for resettled Muslim refugees. Food may be a little thing but Jesus didn't ask us to do big things to "welcome the stranger," only to try.
Tragic fire kills four, but unites community in hope and faith
Father Gus Puleo recounts the funeral at his parish, St. Patrick's in Norristown, for two little girls killed in a house fire in which there were no smoke detectors. The rites were a public lesson in the resurrection.
Seek the eternal in a busy world
Maria-Pia Negro Chin sees exhausted young people rushing from one activity to the next, and at times she too stresses over many things. If we have God's love, she writes, what are we stressed about?
In a culture of fear, there are 3 ways to cope
At the root of the disturbing rise in suicide is fear, writes Father Eugene Hemrick. Once it is embedded in us, it is difficult to uproot, but an examination of conscience can identify and help eliminate it.
If parish is ‘dictatorship,’ what’s a member to do?
Father Ken Doyle answers an irate reader's questions about parish structure. This priest who works 12 hours a day (plus weekends) takes issue with being characterized a 9-to-5 worker not worth his pay.
Come to the cathedral, meet your new priests
Everyone is invited to witness the ordination of four new priests for the Philadelphia Archdiocese on Saturday. CatholicPhilly.com editor Matthew Gambino takes a look at the ceremony and the road ahead for these men.
How much should you give to the needy? Give more
Writer Effie Caldarola notes two essentials for Catholic stewardship: giving of time and talent should come off the top, not from what's leftover; and our giving should be sacrificial, not just from our surplus.