Introduction The upcoming Synod of Bishops on the Family, in October 2015, faces a huge challenge. The preparatory document for the synod reminded us that many families find themselves crushed and abandoned. [1. Holy See, "The Vocation … [Read more...]
Articles
The Meaning of the Wilderness
May 31, 2015 by Juliana Weber
It is characteristic of God in Scripture to lead chosen people into the isolation and barrenness of the wilderness or desert.[1. One author calls it “one of the most basic in biblical tradition, and it is to be expected that it should a … [Read more...]
The Thrill of Anticipation: Encountering God in the Eucharist
May 31, 2015 by Sr. Teresa Benedicta Block, OP
How Previous Ages have seen the Eucharist At one point during the Communist takeover in China, the Communists came to a remote village where Catholicism was lived with great vigor. They imprisoned the local priest in his own rectory, … [Read more...]
“The Indelible Mark”
Sacramental Character in Patristic and Scholastic Theology
May 12, 2015 by Nicholas Senz
The history of the development of doctrine is, in many ways, a history of language. It is a story of the perpetual struggle to adequately communicate the divine realities in human words, or at the very least, to attempt to do so without … [Read more...]
Promoting Devotion to Wisconsin’s Approved Marian Apparition among Catechists
May 12, 2015 by Rev. Edward Lee Looney, STB, MDiv
Parish religious education programs will soon be gearing up for another year of instructing children in their religion. Parents have registered their children; curriculums and lesson plans are being drafted, and catechists are being … [Read more...]
The Beauty That Beckons Us
An Introduction to the Theology of Fr. John Navone, SJ
May 12, 2015 by Dr. Eric Cunningham, PhD
(As HPR’s way of honoring the lifelong work of our brother Jesuit, Fr. John Navone, SJ, we shall run Gonzaga University’s Dr. Cunningham’s essay in two parts over the next two months.) Part One Introduction This work was written to provi … [Read more...]
Dean Koontz’s Odd Catholicism
May 12, 2015 by Dr. Stephen Mirarchi, PhD
When EWTN aired Raymond Arroyo’s first "World Over" television interview with Dean Koontz on October 18, 2012, many viewers were surprised to learn that the author of over a dozen #1 New York Times bestsellers is a practicing Catholic. The l … [Read more...]
Sexuality and Spirituality
An Attempt at Integration for Sexual and Spiritual Health
May 12, 2015 by Patrick F. Cioni
Abstract: This paper attempts to show the relationship between sexuality and spirituality, and ways to attain profound union between husbands and wives. Incorporating spirituality with sexual behavior enhances the capacity for satisfaction … [Read more...]
Same-Sex Marriage?
May 12, 2015 by Fr. William P. Clark, OMI
The question of same-sex marriage is complex in various ways: legally, morally, sociologically, and psychologically. It is not the purpose here, however, to analyze the phenomenon of same-sex unions under any of those aspects. The more … [Read more...]
Best Practices for Clergy Assignment Boards
April 27, 2015 by Jim Lundholm-Eades
This is an assembly of some best practices for clergy assignment boards, gleaned from examples in dioceses across the U.S., encountered while doing numerous assessments of chanceries relative to best practices at the request of their … [Read more...]
The Resolution of Conflicts in Priestly Life and Relationships
April 27, 2015 by Dr. Richard P. Fitzgibbons, MD
Loving, supportive and mutually encouraging relationships among priests are essential to the physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being of priests and to their ministry[1. Richard Fitzgibbons. “The Origins, Manifestation, and Resolution o … [Read more...]
Catholic Identity: More than the Tip of the Iceberg
April 27, 2015 by Dr. Jay Boyd, PhD
It is becoming more and more difficult to deny that there is a crisis in the Church. Statistics are available that show a decline in the Church in practically every measurable way, from Sunday Mass attendance, to priestly and religious … [Read more...]
Lumen Gentium
The Church’s Explanation of Her Nature, Mission, and Structure in the World
April 27, 2015 by Jayson M. Brunelle, MEd, CAGS
October 11, 2012, marked the 50th anniversary of the opening session of the Second Vatican Council. The newly canonized Pope St. John XXIII, born Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli, was elected to the papacy in October of 1958, at the age of 77. Much … [Read more...]
The Homiletic Directory
A Guide for Catholic Preaching
April 15, 2015 by Fr. Shane Crombie, CC
In response to a request made by the 2008 Synod of Bishops, the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments recently published the Homiletic Directory. The Directory was commissioned to assist homilists in their … [Read more...]
Offering Dignity through Hope, Not Death with Dignity
April 15, 2015 by Stephanie H. To
In February of 2015, Valentina Maureira, a 14-year-old Chilean girl with cystic fibrosis, created a viral video appealing to Chile’s President for assisted suicide.[1. Worland, Justin. “Chilean 14-Year-Old with Cystic Fibrosis Asks to Be All … [Read more...]
Recent Comments