Essays

An elderly man sits outdoors with two young children on his lap, smiling at the camera. They are near a red picnic table in a wooded area with trees and greenery in the background. The man wears a light blue shirt, while the children are dressed casually for warm weather.

God’s Pursuit of Fr. Walter Ciszek, S.J….and Each of Us

I suspect every person—at one point in his life or another—has a moment when he reflects on where he’s been, where he is, and muses at where he might be going. Similarly, I suspect that each person also has a moment where he reflects (or even agonizes) on what might have been if another path…

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A night sky filled with stars and the Milky Way galaxy, viewed through silhouetted pine trees. The scene is dark with vibrant star clusters and a hint of the galaxy's glow.

Stargazing

Looking at the stars is, perhaps, the single best way to excite the imagination–i.e., to wonder.  I can think of no other human activity that commands the attention of both body and soul.  It is something that causes a person to both consider his beginning and his end.

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A man washing another's feet in a humble setting, with muted blue and earthy tones. One figure is seated on a stool, the other kneeling. A Catholic scene of humility and service.

A Footnote

By Guest Author, Edmund Miller Soon we will witness again the Holy Thursday Mass and its traditional washing of the feet.  Maybe after I am dead and gone, someone may glance at this posting…and maybe, maybe, someone somewhere might one day offer a homily that gets to the core of what’s going on with this…

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Five Catholic saints in religious robes and halos, each with distinct poses, set against a golden background. Text below each saint identifies them as: "St. Dominic," "St. Francis," "Gabriel Lourdel," "St. Ignatius Loyola," and "St. Francis Xavier." The saints are framed in ornate, arched wooden panels with gold accents."

Fr. Ciszek and the North American Martyrs: Reflections on Sinfulness and the Love of God

On August 4, 1964, Fr. Ciszek began his annual eight-day retreat in preparation for his final vows, which he would take on the Feast of Our Lady’s Assumption, August 15, 1964. The site for this particular retreat was the Shrine of the North American Martyrs (also known as the Shrine of Our Lady of Martyrs),…

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Blue background with bold text: "BE ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF HISTORY." The words "HISTORY" are in large yellow capital letters."

The Totalitarianism of Equality

Even though I have differed in some conclusions from the late Fr. John Courtney Murray, S.J. in discussing the life of the Church in the context of the United States, I have always agreed with his proper framing of the question: The question is sometimes raised, whether Catholicism is compatible with American democracy. The question is…

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A man dressed in Catholic clerical vestments holding a book and a rosary, smiling against a dark background. The vestments are primarily black with white trim and gold accents.

Burke: THE CATHOLIC RESPONSE TO SCANDAL

Address given at the Milwaukee Wanderer Forum, December 6-7, 2002 Co-sponsored by the St. Gregory VII Chapter of Catholics United for the Faith Wanderer Forum Foundation, & Living Catholic Seminars By [then] Bishop [today] His Eminence Raymond Burke [then] Diocese of La Crosse, Wisconsin Introduction What has happened in the last eleven months in the…

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Black and white illustration of a nativity scene with Mary, Joseph, baby Jesus in manger, shepherds, and angels. Animals present; one angel ascends to heaven.

“Papa” Francis and the Prodigal Son’s Brother

by Guest Author, Major Adam E. Frey Clearly, not everyone in Catholic circles is happy with our new Holy Father.  While many of the prominent Catholic journalists that I follow have expressed surprise and delight at Pope Francis’ shock-and-awe strategy of using love to bring people back to the church, I have seen a disturbing…

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A man in military uniform stands atop a globe, gesturing dramatically against a dark, mountainous background. The scene is in black and white with stark contrasts.

My last ten burials/funerals with “Fr. Strangelove”…

…or How I stop worrying and learned to love the (Demographic) Bomb, NOT! A stranger came into the sacristy after Sunday Mass. In an incriminating huff he said, “I have been away from the area for fifteen years; where are the people? And now you are tearing down the school? I went there as a…

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A statue of the Virgin Mary in a white robe and veil, holding a heart with flames above it. The statue is depicted in soft lighting, emphasizing Catholic themes of devotion and love.

Our Lady of Fatima and Two Humble Priests

Having learned of Pope Francis’s desire to entrust his Pontificate to Our Lady of Fatima, I decided to settle down to the famous Fatima documentary from the mid-1980s narrated by Ricardo Montelban. Besides enjoying the suave and debonair devout Catholic and proprietor of TV’s Fantasy Island, something struck me in this documentary about Our Lady’s message to…

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A smiling man in a military uniform holding a pipe, wearing a helmet and jacket with visible straps. Black and white photograph.

The End of the Soldier

Chesterton famously commented, “The true soldier fights not because he hates what is in front of him, but because he loves what is behind him.”  In this pithy statement, Chesterton encapsulates the end or purpose of a soldier.  We saw this honored with the posthumous awarding of the Congressional Medal of Honor to Army Chaplain…

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