I recognized the man in the pew as an active member of a neighboring parish. After Mass I greeted him and asked what brought him to our parish, somehow assuming it was the quality of our liturgy. His two-word...
Despite a national trend of decreasing Mass attendance and shrinking parishes, bright spots of hope can be found in the vibrant, active and growing parishes that do exist across the United States.
A new parish, St. Clare of Assisi in...
"Facts are stubborn things," said Mark Twain, "but statistics are pliable."
With that in mind, let us examine a recent Gallup survey that reported a continued and disconcerting (or so it would seem) drop-off in Mass attendance by Catholics, continuing...
How do we, as Catholics, make our parishes, liturgies, programs and processes more appealing to Catholics and non-Catholics alike?
The answer is relatively simple: Welcome. Invite. Include. Empower. Appreciate. Celebrate.
For a parish to be truly vibrant, it must accompany as...
By RICHARD DOERFLINGER
With the retirement of Justice Anthony Kennedy from the Supreme Court, interest groups and politicians are insisting that any replacement must pledge to uphold the court's Roe v. Wade decision on abortion.
In response, the U.S. Conference of...
Pledges to the Annual Catholic Appeal topped the $5-million mark for the third straight year, with more than five months left for gifts to be made.
The $5,146,545 in gifts thus far represents 110 percent of the 2018 Annual Catholic...
By GINA CHRISTIAN
"One of my parishioners told me he's deleted 40 contacts from his cellphone since February," my priest friend said. "All of them died from drug overdoses in the last six months."
Sorrow and weariness dulled my friend's gentle...
Prayers for vocations are being answered in the Diocese of Wilmington as one of the larger groups of men in recent years prepared to enter their first year of the seminary, according to Father Norman Carroll, diocesan director of...
Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Cycle B
1) Jer 23:1-6
Psalm 23:1-6
2) Eph 2:13-18
Gospel: Mk 6:30-34
A royal mess
In today's first reading, Jeremiah promises that God will send a new king, a new "shepherd," to his people. In the Gospel, Mark signals the...
VATICAN CITY -- Pope Francis added an Italian teenager to the list of people he will formally recognize as saints Oct. 14 during the monthlong meeting of the world Synod of Bishops on young people.
During an "ordinary public consistory"...