Up then father and no more negligence!” This was Catherine of Siena’s plea to Pope Gregory XI in one of many letters, urging him toward courageous reform. April 29 marked the feast day of this remarkable woman, who was born in 1347 and died in 1380 at just 33 years of age. In 1970 she…
With the recent celebration of St Valentine’s Day, various expressions of the tinsel of love were on display. Most of it was fun, but all of it inadequate. Still, all such expressions help us touch the hem of something deeper and keep open a portal to love’s sacred depth. The plot of the film P.S.…
Years ago, sandwiched between work and a commute, in the ambient silence of the Newman University Church, I learned about John Henry Newman for the first time. I was stirred by his motto “Heart speaks (un)to Heart”. Recently, two things propelled me to prioritise learning more about his contribution to the faith. First, he is…
This month we celebrate the feast day of St Therese of Lisieux. She emphasised paying big attention to the small things. A series of small experiences over the past ten days has given me pause for thought ahead of the Pre-Synodal Assembly taking place in Kilkenny on the October 18. On a special night last…
The Wizard of Oz is a classic, and an endless treasure trove of metaphor for many things. Might something also be learned by putting this timeless story into dialogue with the journey of synodality we are all on within the Catholic Church? In August 1939 Dorothy, the Tin Man, Scarecrow, and Lion were launched onto…