About eight years ago, during a period when I counseled several adult survivors of priest sexual abuse, I also served on a board for our diocesan Office of Child and Youth Protection. We almost became an underground group because our bishop at the time was uninterested in dealing with issues that exposed church faults. A […]
Harry Truman once said, “During election season, we behave somewhat as primitive people do during a full moon.” Every four years around the time of a general election, I, like many other church leaders would love to disappear because people go crazy. In addition, numerous churchgoers want priests to instruct Catholic voters how to cast […]
There is a chance I could be excommunicated. I might not mind if I was. “Excommunicate” means to “be out of communion with.” There are things in which I am out of step with, in the church, and so it would probably serve me right. Of course, it helps to remember that Jesus was excommunicated […]
“Sub” means under; “scribe” comes from the Latin (scribere), meaning to write. To sign ourselves to a particular principle or write our name under a certain document reflects what we hold to be important. Each of us subscribes to certain values, such as The American Way or to traditions of our family or Christian morality; […]
Most of us humans are opacarophiliacs. It means that we have an attraction to sunsets. Though it can happen anywhere, people especially like to gather on beaches to watch the sun go down over the water’s western sky. We are amazed at the spectacular and unique array of colors and we quietly wonder how brilliant […]
Christmas offers us a rare moment when culture and Christianity coincide. The melding of sacred rituals and secular routines in a loving embrace is like the union of Saturn and Jupiter forming the Christmas Star. In the darkest hours of the northern hemisphere, we look to the brightest of all spiritual lights; even brighter than […]
As the year of Covid’s rampage comes to an end and vaccines begin to get distributed, we straddle a tender time. We realize that the severity of loss will continue; we know to remain vigilant and to heighten our caution. Though hope looms on the horizon, we are not yet out of the woods. Many […]
As friends and fellow citizens of earth, we dialogue. If our talk involves examination or exploration, we discuss. Sometimes, in the verbal intercourse, we disagree. Periodically, we debate. If the parties conversing offer authority or analysis, we might discourse. Occasionally, we discern. Eventually, we make some sort of decision or determination. Earlier this year, I […]
Like other annual occasions this year, our 2020 Borromeo Academy Prayer Luncheon was an on-line remote event. Through the gracious blessing of angel donors’ matching challenge gift of $50,000.00, parishioners and other benefactors gained tremendous incentive to join us. Because of your generosity, we met the challenge and raised nearly $150,000.00 to provide scholarship assistance […]
Many of our Catholic hierarchical leaders in America are not fans of President-elect Joe Biden—perhaps with substantial reason. The atmosphere is very different from sixty years ago when the Catholic world was elated by the election of John F. Kennedy. Celebrated then was the fact that a Catholic could become leader of our Waspish nation, […]
