Fr Patrick Briscoe OP When I think about the saints most beloved by modern Catholics, Padre Pio tops the list. His weathered face and brown Capuchin habit are iconic. His remarkable personal story, his strong-willed personality and the intensity of his spiritual life are absolutely captivating. But here’s the thing: I think most people get…
Why don’t we preach hellfire anymore? That’s a question asked frequently by a lot of sincere religious people who worry that too many churches, priests, and ministers have gone soft on sin and are over-generous in speaking about God’s mercy. The belief here is that more people would come to Church and obey the commandments…
Q: I’ve often wondered why Catholics emphasise the Eucharist more than the wine, as the wine is not offered at Communion time. Jesus said to do both in remembrance of him. Isn’t it wrong to not receive both as Jesus taught? A: First, the Eucharist is both the bread that becomes the body of Christ…
The Sunday Gospel Gn 2:18-24 Ps 128:1-2, 3, 4-5, 6 Heb 2:9-11 Mk 10:2-16 or 10:2-12 Fr Joshua J. Whitfield As Eve to Adam in the purity of Eden, as bride to groom in the joy of a wedding: it is a primeval holiness, the holiness of a woman in love with a man in…
I believe the faith in Ireland is not dead. It’s like a bird in hibernation, waiting to awaken, says Anto Crossey It was November 2019, when Robert Nugent called 500 men to Derry. Like many others, I simply responded to the call, showing up that day without fully realising what lay ahead. The gathering was…
Michael R. Heinlein I’ve noticed a pattern lately. Whenever my 7-year-old son presents himself for Holy Communion to a minister unknown to him, he is routinely denied the sacrament. I find this fascinating. He does all the right things. He bows. He makes the sign of the cross. He waits patiently to say “Amen” before…
Sabine Kleyboldt (KNA) It took Bernini nine years to create his first work of art in St Peter’s Basilica. It will have taken a good nine months to free the bronze canopy from the dust of the centuries. Then visitors will be rubbing their eyes. The excitement is growing: the huge grey cuboid in the…
Several years ago, I went with another priest to visit a mutual friend. Our friend, a successful businessman, was living on the top floor of a very expensive apartment overlooking the river valley in the city of Edmonton. At one point during our visit, he took us out on his balcony to show us the…
The Sunday Gospel Nm 11:25-29 Ps 19:8, 10, 12-13, 14 Jas 5:1-6 Mk 9:38-43, 45, 47-48 In our divided and divisive times, this weekend’s Gospel should give all of us pause. It poses some hard questions about how we judge others – and asks us to look more closely at how we judge – or…
Q: Listening to a Catholic radio station one day, they mentioned that leprechauns and fairies were demonic. This shocked me. St Patrick’s Day celebrations always include leprechauns. Fairies are loved by little girls and big girls alike. I made a small fairy garden for me and my granddaughters. We also have many other fairy items. Are we…
Fr Ronald Rolheiser