By the time this column appears, the war in Iraq may be, for the time being, over. But as I write, we are in the thick of it. It started with bad omens: early prisoners of war, deaths by friendly fire, colliding helicopters, an American seemingly killing his fellow soldiers by hand grenades. A wild
After a decade of the greatest economic expansion in the nation’s history, state governments are drowning in tidal waves of red ink, placing safety net services, the common good and the lives of vulnerable persons at risk. Although far from alone, Oregon is a prominently cited example. With it
In the current practice of the Catholic Church in the United States, people are free to receive Communion either in the open hand or on the tongue. Although I have not conducted a survey, my impression from presiding at both student and parish liturgies is that the practice tends to vary largely alo
This series focuses on the world of devotions in the life of contemporary believers. America asked a number of Catholics to speak about a favorite devotionits history, its place in the writer’s life and its possible role in the life of contemporary believers. In this seventh part of the series
After I graduated from high school, I became a professional firefighter in Kansas City, Mo. Going through drill school, I learned that some fires can be extinguished only by taking away their fuel. In some cases, uncontrolled fire can be stopped most effectively when it encounters blackened ash.It w
My memory of the one role I ever had in a high school play has largely faded, but I do recall the director, a young English teacher who brought to his task great energy and commitment. Living in my Jesuit community is another energetic and committed young English teacher, Chris Derby, S.J., a Jesuit
View of Jesus
Your Of Many Things column on March 17 referred to Jesus Before Christianity, by Albert Nolan, O.P. For six years in the late 1970’s, my family and I lived in Cape Town, South Africa, during which I did a three-year certificate program at the Kolbe