Two hundred years ago June 8 nbsp 1809 was the cornerstone laying for St Patrick rsquo s Old Cathedral near Canal Street in what was then uptown nbsp New York City nbsp nbsp nbsp That same day nearby in New York City was the death of Thomas Paine author of Common Sense nbsp And an inte

Some years ago I asked one of my students nbsp a religious sister what she would say if she were to preach on the feast of the Ascension Without a second rsquo s hesitation she replied ldquo The Ascension is God rsquo s act of faith in us rdquo nbsp Yes nbsp God the Father entrusts to u

CONGRATULATIONS 100 Years Old nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp ldquo The Pontifical Biblical Institute P B I is a university-level institution of the Holy See It was established by Pope Pius X with the Apostolic Letter Vinea electa of May 7 1909 in order to be a center of higher studie

As we enter the month of May devotion to Mary and praying the rosary come to the fore Here is a variation that I nbsp find very helpful It originated with some variations with Cardinal Suenens of Belgium nbsp nbsp At bottom nbsp instead of nbsp one Our Father and then ten Hail Marys nbsp

John Perry a Candian Jesuit who teaches in Liberia sends along this report from Decoration Day in the country s interior The second Wednesday of March is a national holiday in Liberia It is called ldquo Decoration Day rdquo and Liberians spend the day refurbishing the graves of deceased family

A Jesuit mission in Micronesia

General Intention Farmers and World Hunger That our Lord may bless farmers with abundant harvests and sensitize the richer nations to respond to the ravages of hunger throughout the world We are frequently told that there is sufficient food in the world to feed everyone The problem is that nbsp

The final in a series for Lent

A recent book on baseball umpires reviewed positively is entitled ldquo As They See lsquo Em rdquo nbsp That reminded me of nbsp a comment in the New Yorker many years ago about nbsp hree umpires explaining how they called lsquo em -- The first umpire said ldquo Some rsquo s balls and so

Lent is a season of prayer and penance A traditional nbsp instinctive reaction to the coming of Lent is to ask What penance will I do nbsp What will I give up nbsp More nbsp recently nbsp we have been challenged to ask more positively nbsp What out of a spirit of generosity or penance