Q: What is the position or rule of the Church concerning cremation? A: There is a short answer to your question in Paragraph 2301 of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, which tells us that, “The Church permits cremation, provided that it does not demonstrate a denial of faith in the resurrection of the body.” But we can gain…
St Anthony offers a timeless challenge, says Lauretta Brown The invitation that Jesus gave to the rich young man in the Gospel of Matthew to “go and sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you shall have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me” is one that has echoed throughout the history of…
Bishop Robert Reed Here’s a question for you. Is holiness complicated or is it simple? Jesus tells us that holiness shows itself in simplicity, in acts such as giving a cup of cold water to a little one (Mt 10:42), or even in just sitting quietly in trust, like lilies of the field (Mt 6:28).…
You may recognise these often-quoted words from St Teresa of Kolkata, “What can you do to promote world peace? Go home and love your family.” Beautiful, right? Except – does that really sound like the Mother Teresa we know? The one we saw in the streets and slums of Kolkata, bending down to those covered in…
I teach Spirituality at the Oblate School of Theology in San Antonio, Texas. Fifteen years ago, we began offering a PhD in Spirituality. In the fifteen years since we have had doctoral students from many different Christian denominations – Mainline Protestants, Evangelicals, Episcopalians/Anglicans, and Roman Catholics. During those fifteen years we have not had a…
The Sunday Gospel Prv 9:1-6 Ps 34:2-7 Eph 5:15-20 Jn 6:51-58 This Gospel puts me in a New York state of mind. Encountering this Sunday’s passage from John’s Gospel, I can’t help but think back to a stretch of West 31st Street in New York City where, not far from Madison Square Garden, you can…
Q: I am baptised Catholic and was married in a Catholic church. Then I was divorced and remarried in a Methodist church. She is a baptised Methodist. Then she recently did RCIA [Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults] and joined the Catholic Church. How can I receive Communion again? What are the steps? A: For…
I could do so much more for this man now if I were a priest, says Fr Chris Gault OP “It’s just who I am.” So came the simple response with which I was met on an evening around 10 years ago, sitting in the living room of my student house with my friend and…
Is the world craving the good, the true and the beautiful more than ever? On July 26, more than 200 attendees, including bishops, clergy, religious figures, and laity from all over the country, gathered at the Church of Mary Refuge of Sinners in Rathmines, Dublin. A location designed for a remarkable moment that reignited a…
It’s not every day that The New York Times runs a story about Catholics and Eucharistic Adoration. Yet the National Eucharistic Congress held in July in Indianapolis caught the attention of the Gray Lady and many others. The five-day gathering in Lucas Oil Stadium, years in the planning with a $14 million budget, attracted 50,000…
Fr Ronald Rolheiser
Renata Milán Morales