St. John Vianney and the Meaning of the Priesthood

Homily preached by the Reverend Peter M. J. Stravinskas, Ph.D., S.T.D., at Holy Innocents Church in New York City for the memorial of St. John Vianney (4/8 August 202/OF & EF calendars). In this month of August, we celebrate the … [Read more...]

Book Reviews – August 2022

Configured to Christ: On Spiritual Direction and Clergy Formation. By Deacon James Keating. Reviewed by Rev. John P. Cush, STD. (skip to review) Married Priests in the Catholic Church. Ed. by Adam A.J. DeVille. Reviewed by John A. … [Read more...]

The Wheat and the Tares

A Reflection upon Contemporary Priestly Formation

In St. Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus tells the parable of the tares (13:24–30). Some tares had been sown by an enemy and grew up alongside the wheat. The wise owner of the field instructed his servants to let both grow together until the harvest “ … [Read more...]

Questions Answered – March 2022

Qualifications for the Priesthood Question: What are the qualities a person needs to be a Catholic priest? Answer: The best way to answer this question is to follow the address given by Pope Benedict XVI a number of years ago to the … [Read more...]

Celibacy as an Asset in Ministering to Married Persons

Celibacy for the Kingdom of God might seem like an obstacle in relating to the struggles of married people, including but not limited to spousal conflicts, balancing home and work duties, managing multiple children, and dealing with in-laws … [Read more...]

Discerning the Gift of Priestly Celibacy in Relation to Marriage

Every candidate to the priesthood, even those in the Oriental rites where celibacy is optional, must discern whether God is offering them the “precious gift of priestly celibacy.”[1. Presbyterorum Ordinis, 16.] In the Latin rite, priesthood … [Read more...]

The Last Word on Sacred Celibacy

The last word on sacred celibacy is, actually, the original word because it comes directly from the Word of God Himself, Jesus Christ. This word has been handed down to us infallibly in “Sacred Tradition and Sacred Scripture which forms one … [Read more...]

Book Reviews — September 2020

U.S.-Vatican Relations, 1975-1980: A Diplomatic Study. By P. Peter Sarros. Reviewed by Christopher Siuzdak. (skip to review) A Man, a Mission, a Miracle: Brother James Gaffney, F.S.C., and the Transformation of Lewis University. By … [Read more...]

The Charism of Priestly Celibacy

Teaching a course on Holy Orders in the seminary, which includes a unit on celibacy, has led me to reflect often on my own experience in the seminary from 1964 to 1972. During those years, everything was being questioned. Near the top of … [Read more...]

Real Celibacy Is an Invitation from Divine Beauty

The personal call of Christ to follow him in a life of chaste celibacy brings a seminarian into a suffering that involves his whole person. Seminary formation serves such a man by assisting him to integrate chastity within his body. Such … [Read more...]

On Understanding Priestly Celibacy: A Suggestion

Discussion has recently arisen about priestly celibacy in the Catholic Church. Such discussion is not new. This time the discussion involves a pope, Pope Francis. The discussion springs from an interview with Eugenio Scalfari (published in … [Read more...]

Spring Reading for April 2015

The Charism of Priestly Celibacy. Edited by John C. Cavadini (Notre Dame: Ave Maria Press, 2012) 184 pages; $13.25. (Reviewed by Fr. Jeffrey Kirby) --------- The Classical Moment: Selected Essays on Knowledge and Its Pleasures. Fr. … [Read more...]

Questions Answered

March 2014

Can you tell me the origin of the discipline of celibacy and why the Western Church puts so much emphasis on it? Has the Church changed its teaching on the subject of condom use to prevent the spread of the HIV virus?   Question: In … [Read more...]

Imagination, Prayer, and the Spousal Gift

In and through Christ’s Spirit, St. Joseph stands ready to assist any priest in going to Mary, thus concretizing the priest’s own spousal identity.   In this essay, I will explore the identity of the Blessed Virgin Mary in her powerful rol … [Read more...]