Family Life

Guadalupe procession, Mass in Los Angeles honor ‘mother of our roots’
Dec 10 2011
LOS ANGELES – Los Angeles Archbishop Jose H. Gomez Dec. 4 urged a crowd of 25,000 people from throughout the archdiocese to immerse themselves in a deeper conversion and to view and help each other as brothers and sisters of the “familia de Dios” (family of God).

In his class, instructor requires students to keep cellphones on
Dec 09 2011
WASHINGTON – Most colleges require students to put away their cellphones during class. However, for one class at The Catholic University of America, not bringing a cellphone to class can result in loss of points from their participation grade.

Archbishop Dolan defines human dignity as ‘primary doctrine’ of church
Dec 08 2011
NOTRE DAME, Ind. – Calling the dignity of the human person “a primary doctrine” of the Catholic Church, Archbishop Timothy M. Dolan of New York told an audience at the University of Notre Dame Dec. 6 that it must prompt Catholics “to treat ourselves and others only with respect, love, honor and care.”

Book Review: An extraordinary story of an ‘ordinary’ soldier
Dec 07 2011
Most Americans of a certain age are familiar with the highly publicized, remarkable heroism of Audie Murphy and the battle glory flamboyance of Gen. George Patton among many other larger than life figures of World War II.

Irish priests struggle, feeling tarred by sins of the minority
Dec 07 2011
DUBLIN – Father Damien McGroarty, 29, is one of the youngest diocesan priests in Ireland. Ordained just over a year ago, he should still be at the honeymoon stage of his vocation.

Bishop Patrick Sheridan, retired New York auxiliary, dies at 89
Dec 06 2011
NEW YORK – Auxiliary Bishop Patrick J. Sheridan, a retired vicar general and one of the best-known and most popular priests in the New York Archdiocese, died Dec. 2. He was 89.

Updated: Mount St. Joseph mourns revered president
Dec 05 2011
Ever the poetic soul, Xaverian Brother James M. Kelly died as the sun was rising Dec. 3, the feast day of his congregation’s patron, St. Francis Xavier.

Downes happy to be home at O’Dwyer Retreat House
Dec 05 2011
Michael Downes has come back home to the Monsignor O’Dwyer Retreat House.

Black Catholics’ survey finds strong ties, strong engagement in church
Dec 04 2011
WASHINGTON – African-American Catholics are much more engaged in their church on a variety of levels than are white Catholics, concludes the first National Black Catholic Survey.

University of Arkansas football player recalled as ‘an amazing soul’
Dec 03 2011
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – The Catholic community in Little Rock and Fayetteville joined the rest of the state in mourning the death of University of Arkansas football player Garrett Uekman.

Forever alive in the presence of God
Dec 01 2011
By the time this column appears most of the leaves will be gone. But right now I'm watching the few remaining leaves fall to the ground. Here and there, there are still trees with bright red leaves on them – burning bushes, so to speak, of the presence of God.

On World AIDS Day, Vatican renews call for greater access to therapy
Dec 01 2011
VATICAN CITY – The deaths each year of more than a million people from AIDS, the suffering of their families and the new infections of hundreds of thousands of infants are unacceptable when the medicines needed to prevent them exist, a Vatican official said.

Youth ‘Focus’ on Vocations
Dec 01 2011
A study conducted in the 1980s indicated that most priests and religious first seriously thought about ministry around the age of 11 and then again in their junior year of high school. Two years after that study, “Focus 11” was born. First instituted in the Archdiocese of Detroit, the program had two components: one aimed at 11-year-olds and one at 11th graders. It consisted of lesson plans, exercises, and prayer services designed to help our children explore this radical expression of their faith.

Pope urges international agreement on climate change
Nov 30 2011
VATICAN CITY – Pope Benedict XVI urged international leaders to reach a credible agreement on climate change, keeping in mind the needs of the poor and of future generations.

Death penalty opponents praise Oregon governor for declaring moratorium
Nov 28 2011
PORTLAND, Ore. – Catholic and other opponents of the death penalty praised Oregon Gov. John Kitzhaber for placing a moratorium on the use of the death penalty for the rest of his term.