By Father Joe Krupp DEAR FATHER JOE: Unlike in most parishes, my priest did not appear to minister during the COVID pandemic. I feel abandoned, so why should I go back to my parish? I understand the sense of betrayal and sorrow, I do. I ministered to many people during the height of the quarantine [...]
By Pete Burak Anyone else remember the gut-wrenching feeling of watching the polar bears at the zoo, tugging on the pant leg next to you, looking up excitedly to share the moment with Dad, only to see a stranger’s face looking down at you? Or walking down an unfamiliar path in the dead of night [...]
By Patricia Majher Give thanks for pie; sometimes, a single pastry can bring generations together. During the 1910s, a young wife in South Dakota thought she’d save money on the cost of a fancy, printed cookbook by making up a volume of her own. Using an old, hardcover medical book as a base, she painstakingly [...]
Encyclical of Pope Francis In his third encyclical, Fratelli Tutti, On Fraternity and Social Friendship, Pope Francis focuses on many of the issues that serve to fracture our relationships with each other and with society. Released on the eve of the feast of St. Francis of Assisi, the eight-chapter papal document studies the effects of our social ills and proposes [...]
By Joe Pisani During the last two presidential elections, we learned one thing — you can’t trust the pollsters. How could they be so consistently wrong? However, there was one poll that gave me a reason to be hopeful about the future ... and it had nothing to do with political views. RealClear Opinion Research [...]
By Cynthia Kaan Ah, the holidays. Twinkling lights. Scents of pine and hot chocolate. The joy of travel plans. So how can you joyfully decide where your travel plans will take you, or whether to visit his parents or her parents? COMMUNICATE. This is a key ingredient to keeping the joy in the plans. Communicate [...]
By Douglas Culp In last month’s issue, FAITH’s Theology 101 column focused on The Ghost of Christmas Past and the Ghost of Christmas Present in “An Advent Carol.” This column brings us forward to The Ghost of Christmas Future and the third task of Advent: abiding in the belief that Christmas Day not only celebrates [...]
By Michelle DiFranco A number of years ago, my family had the opportunity to visit the United Kingdom. The entire trip was amazing, but the most memorable city we visited was Edinburgh, Scotland. The architecture was beautiful, and the city made for some unexpected surprises. When we arrived in Edinburgh, I knew we would be [...]
By Cynthia Kaan Bells are ringing. The trees are glistening. Everything is covered in snow. All seems right with the world during the Christmas season. But what if your friend or family member is missing out on the best part of Christmas – Christ? Here are a few ideas to help bring them back to [...]
By Doug Culp When Charles Dickens published A Christmas Carol in December of 1843, the importance of Christmas was fading in England. People had lost sight of its meaning and relevance, a cultural state of affairs that we can certainly relate to today. This one story began to change all that with its immediate popularity [...]