In a joyful announcement that resonated through the halls of the XVIII Assembly of the Italian Catholic Action in Sacrofano, Cardinal Marcello Semeraro, prefect of the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints, declared that Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati will be canonized during
While Lent is traditionally a time of fasting and penance, Christians around the world have managed over the centuries to find colorful ways to participate. Here is a sampling of traditions from around the world. At the bottom of the page you’ll
Way back in 1968, the popular rock band The Rolling Stones had a classic hit called “Sympathy for the Devil.” That’s a tune that medieval historian Henry Ansgar Kelly could well be singing these days. Kelly, who teaches at the University of
The word “theology” has something of a bad rap in our postmodern world. For many a soul, it conjures up images of dusty books, dry speculation and generously proportioned friars debating the number of angels who can dance upon the head of
Father Benedict J. Groeschel has spent most of his priestly life guiding others who want to orient their lives more and more toward God. Through his books, retreats and speaking engagements, he has worked to open the spiritual life to a world
Pick an age. Any age. Pick a culture. Any culture. Pick a time, pick a place,and then pick a person. Whoever they are, wherever they are, and whenever they are, the same questions haunt them: Who am I? Why do I exist?
Have you read the Harry Potter books yet? Maybe your children read them, or want to, but you feel uncertain as to whether or not you should let them. Or, you’ve heard about them and need a guide to help you decide
The real vocations crisis in the United States, some Catholic Church insiders like to point out, is not the diminishing number of priests. It is the dramatic decrease in the number of Catholic marriages. Compared with 35 years ago, there are about
“I’m not religious, but I am spiritual.” How often have you heard someone say something similar? Or perhaps even said it yourself. In our secular culture, being “religious” is often seen as being narrow-minded, judgmental and a bit of a nutcase. It
So what, exactly, do Protestants believe? Today, Protestantism encompasses literally thousands of different groups or “denominations.” But they all trace their roots back to the Protestant Reformation of the 16th century. At that time, some Christians came to understand their faith differently.
So much of what the Catholic Church teaches is taken out of context by a secular society that just doesn’t “get” the big faith picture or by other religious denominations that oppose many of our beliefs and practices. If you’re Catholic, then