Posts
Out of Depth
Minne’s Diner is a fantastic breakfast joint in Rogers, Minnesota. Right off I-94, the place reminds one of so many other classic breakfast places in the big city–only the hours are different, i.e., this place actually has a closing time. It was here, last Thursday, that I and some colleagues gathered for breakfast and Evelyn Waugh’s short story,…
CCHD 2013-2014: Hasn’t the Catholic Campaign for Human Development improved? Not even a little…?
New year; new grants list…and as has happened several times before, the Catholic Campaign for Human Development (CCHD) has claimed to have undergone a major reform overhaul. CCHD Reform Started Right Here The first CCHD reform was provoked by a 1997 Wanderer Forum Foundation analysis and commentary of the Campaign that demonstrated the CHD was spending…
Our Lady of the Rosary, the Indispensable Prayer
How many times have you spent time with someone and suddenly realized that what seemed to be a few moments was in fact hours? The time speaking was just too delightful and the surprise when looking at a clock or watch attests that there, for that moment you’ve even escaped time — transcended it. I have debated…
Eternal Rest: Father Benedict Groeschel – Franciscan Friars of the Renewal
Today, on the Solemn feast of St. Francis, The Franciscan Friars of the Renewal report that Father Groeschel went to sleep in the Lord. October 3 is the feast of St. Francis and there is little doubt that Fr. Groeschel spent his life working to know and imitate the founder of the Franciscan rule, even in creating…
I got a guy in Heaven: Feast of the Guardian Angels
It just seems to be human nature that we all want a connection to power. We want someone “on the inside” who can whisper in the ear of the boss and get things done for us. Sometimes, we just need a guy that can talk to the boss and things get done. Growing up there…
Manipulating the Religious Landscape
Not everyone is happy about a recent Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life study that finds a growing number Americans want religion to play a role in U.S. politics.i One syndicated columnist rather hysterically likened the trend to the Taliban’s stoning of women for failure to wear “proper” head covering. “What in the world…
On the Feast of the Archangels Michael, Raphael, and Gabriel
A quick catechism on the existence and purpose of angels, as well as how the archangels fit into the order God created.
Patriarch Sako Schools American Bishops
“[This American Bishop] is also not experiencing first hand what we are experiencing. In America they put baskets with asylum request forms on church altars during mass. As if the migration of thousands of Iraqi Christians to the US was something to ask God’s blessing for. That’s a strange thing to do and only confuses…
Ember Days – For Thanksgiving and for Priests
Today* (see note below – there’s some controversy here), this Friday, and this Saturday are days that the Church sets aside for fasting. In modern times, particularly in America, there doesn’t seem to be any fasting imposed — instead a hippy motto of “do whatever you want” prevails, and staring at your navel for a moment seems to suffice. I…
Blasé Cupich?
When I heard of the announcement of the new Archbishop of Chicago this weekend, I checked my Twitter account. I like Twitter for the fact that I have several news sources that give interesting and up to the minute tweets on newsworthy (and sometimes not so newsworthy) items. So, of course, I wanted to check out the…
