A member of the parish of St. Ignatius Loyola Church in Manhattan, whom I will call Francine, lives modestly on Social Security, her monthly pension of $200 and the small salary she receives as a part-time receptionist for another church. Francine has lived comfortably in a studio apartment in Manha
The news these days is grim. Injustices that cry to heaven abound, while people feel ever more frustrated at their extremely limited ability to do anything about them. Our actions to combat injustices seem futile as the carnage goes on. We are tempted to ask, “Where is our God?”In the mi
There is a saying, “Well begun is half done.” Liturgical celebrations are among the places where that saying is especially true. What follows is one presider’s and teacher’s reflection on the first half of the liturgy of the Mass, from before the entrance procession to the en
You have to hand it to Mel Gibson. Whether his decision to screen The Passion of the Christ in advance for only a hand-picked cadre of sympathetic reviewers (mostly evangelical Protestants, conservative Catholics and sympathetic rabbis) was motivated by fear, money or faith, it was an excellent mark
Alternatives to Abortion
Your editorial The Abortion Debate Today (2/16) offered some excellent insights. However, we suggest that there is an additional and very relevant consequence of a consistent ethic of life: Pro-life faith communities must be prepared to offer expectant
"Our immigration system is broken and...in need of reform.” So said Bishop Thomas Wenski of Orlando, Fla., chairman of the U.S. Bishops’ Committee on Migration in a statement in early January—soon after President Bush issued his proposal on Jan. 7 about this controversial issu
This engaging and lively historical study weaves personal stories diplomatic correspondence and other accounts to depict the principal forces that shaped the founding of the United Nations While the author focuses on a conference held in San Francisco from April to July 1945 he effectively outlin