How the council is still shaping the church

Graymoor Spiritual Life Center in New York has this year sponsored Saturday morning Lenten retreats based on the life and ministry of contemporary spiritual leaders I was asked to introduce the Franciscan Sister Thea Bowman to one of the Saturday morning retreats I did so gratefully I first enco

A memoir of an American archbishop

The Hudson River what some call ldquo America rsquo s River rdquo is center stage this year It is the 400th anniversary of Henry Hudson rsquo s discovery and to celebrate the Hudson River Valley is providing a sensory and cultural feast Ships no strangers to the river are in even greater num

It rsquo s cherry blossom time in Washington DC and as blooms sprout everywhere I rsquo m reminded how Lent is like the blossoms Lent just happens No longer do we need search for something to ldquo give up rdquo Lent is and it draws us into more conscious Christian behavior As Lent goes alon

February is a month when hearts appear everywhere thanks to the Hallmark honoring of St Valentine Love is in the very air we breathe and so I thought this might be a good moment to reflect a little on my life with cab drivers and why I can honestly say I love them My mode of transportation to

I suppose lots of people are in count down mode as they await the inauguration of Barack Hussein Obama as the 44th president of United States But those of us who live in Washington D C or its nearby environs may be more immersed than those beyond the Beltway We are trying to figure out when a fi

Now that the general election season is underway we are beginning to hear absurd mantras like True leaders don t change their minds My opponent flip flopped My thinking on fill in the blank is the same today yesterday and tomorrow I find this certitude bordering on idolatry--and it

The late Thomas Clarke SJ once suggested to me that one of the most important questions we should ask in our quest for understanding is What time is it I ve been thinking about Tom s comment as Pope Benedict XVI begins his first visit as pontiff to the United States and remembering the fir

Peace and justice advocates and activists when they re making their list of what to be grateful for in 2007 can look to the peace accords in Ireland as a cause for celebration After centuries of violence and irrational hatreds it appears that the lions and lambs are now playing together A