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Columns

A patron saint for athletes

By Thomas J. Craughwell
St. Sebastian (died c. 300) Feast day: January 20 The first Christians saw a connection between the courage and endurance of the martyrs and the courage and endurance of athletes. In his second letter to St. Timothy, St. Paul, knowing that his martyrdom was not far off, compared himself to a boxer and a runner: […]
1/11/12
Reading Time 2 min

Brothers of Charity

By Fr. Peter J. Daly
The world needs more brothers. The Church needs more brothers. Not the “blood brother” kind, but the kind of brothers found in religious orders. Most people today don’t have any contact with religious brothers. In the United States in the late 1960s, there were more than 5,000 brothers, mostly in teaching orders. But today, there […]
10/19/11
Reading Time 3 min

A patron saint for anesthesiologists

By Thomas Craughwell

There are two reasons why St. René Goupil is the patron of anesthesiologists: first, because he had been a student of medicine in France, and second, in tribute to the terrible sufferings he endured at the hands of the Mohawk Indians.

10/12/11
Reading Time 3 min

Eulogies at funeral Masses

By Fr. Kenneth Doyle
Q: I am wondering why I was almost unable to read a eulogy at my mother’s funeral. The pastor of the church said that they were eliminating family eulogies because of occasional improprieties in such talks and the extended length of the service. Due to the undertaker’s pleas on my behalf, I was finally allowed […]
9/28/11
Reading Time 3 min

Sometimes God tests our faith

By Fr. Jack Peterson, Ya
Jesus is uncharacteristically tough on the Canaanite woman in this week’s Gospel passage from Matthew. Usually, when someone comes to the Lord with a request and a hint of faith, He is pretty quick to acknowledge their faith and offer a gift of healing and new life. This woman faces a test. Jesus withdraws to […]
8/10/11
Reading Time 3 min

A patron saint for altar servers

By
Even among saints there is a hierarchy in which martyrs and mystics seem to get the lion’s share of attention. It’s only natural – we’re drawn to the drama and heroism of martyrdom and the supernatural marvels of visions and private revelations. But John Berchmans, the son of a Flemish shoemaker, was a saint of […]
8/5/11
Reading Time 3 min

What is a ‘beatific vision’?

By Fr. Kenneth Doyle
Q. We have been told that when we go to heaven we will have a “beatific vision” of God. This has always baffled me. What do those words mean? (Oneonta, N.Y.) A. The “beatific vision” means the eternal and direct visual perception of God. It means seeing God face to face. We have some sense, […]
7/8/11
Reading Time 2 min

The death of Sean Brooks

By Fr. Peter J. Daly
Sean Brooks wanted to fly. He knew it was his vocation from his earliest days. Even as a child, he watched airplanes move across the sky. He made his daddy, Michael, take him to airports. He loved everything about airports, even the baggage carousels. Knowing your call, your vocation in life, is a spiritual gift. […]
6/7/11
Reading Time 3 min

Only Catholics are in heaven?

By Fr. Jerry J. Pokorsky
There is an old and rather annoying joke about the devout Protestant who dies and is met by St. Peter at the pearly gates for a tour of heaven. As the tour goes on St. Peter points out all the different denominations, Lutherans, Methodists, Presbyterians and so forth. As they come to a certain group […]
6/1/11
Reading Time 3 min

‘Generous’ approval

By John Thavis
VATICAN CITY – A new Vatican instruction calls on local bishops and pastors to respond generously to Catholics who seek celebration of the Mass according to the 1962 Roman Missal, commonly known as the Tridentine rite. The instruction, issued May 13, said pastors should approve such Masses for groups of faithful, even when such groups […]
5/13/11
Reading Time 4 min

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