Everywhere we turn it seems that the Church is in turmoil or some sort of disagreement. Both celebrated and emphasized by the news media, this
The art of civilized decency and scholarly discourse is diminishing, giving way to tactics aimed at shaming the faithful. I must admit that I was
Thomas John Paprocki is the Bishop of Springfield in Illinois. The occasion of this interview was the recently-completed Springfield Diocesan Synod, the first since 1963.
Thomas John Paprocki is the Bishop of Springfield in Illinois. The occasion of this interview was the recently-completed Springfield Diocesan Synod, the first since 1963.
This month marks the one year anniversary of the passing of an extraordinary man, Fr. Arne Panula. While I never met him personally, I am deeply
In John 1:14, the word “The Word was made flesh” almost always translates as: “and dwelt among us,” or some other reference to “dwelling.” Some
It has always struck me that the Lord started His life’s work at such a young age and died a mere three years later. There
Catholics love to ask for the saints’ intercession, and no saint is called upon more often than Mary, the mother of Jesus. While every saint
There’s a certain value to nonconformity, to separation from the rest of society. In “If 6 Was 9”, Jimi Hendrix wrote of “white collared
No one recognizes the power of a symbol like the Catholic Church. Catholic theology itself is imbued with the law that the physical order is
I would like to offer the following reflections and practices that have helped me better participate at Mass. My hope is that reflections might help
June 10th, the Tenth Sunday in Ordinary Time this year, announces Christ’s victory over our sin and the Devil. Through her lectionary readings, the Church,
The funeral Mass was about to begin. Friends and acquaintances of the deceased and of his family sat in pews behind or to the side
If you’re Catholic, you’ve probably heard at least once in your life that you should pray, fast, and give alms. These are the three traditional
The sign of the Cross is one of the most widely recognizable and controversial symbols in the world, as well as the most powerful symbol.
Who is the Holy Spirit? We must never forget how important it is to formulate a question in order for our minds to understand what
David Foster Wallace’s book, Infinite Jest, is unique: hilarious and bleak, enlightening and depressing. Wallace tried on two separate occasions to become Catholic but sadly
When people hear the term Kung Fu they probably think of the martial arts and guys like Bruce Lee or Jackie Chan, or even the
In Matthew’s Gospel Jesus tells His disciples that He did not come to bring peace but, rather, the sword (Mt. 10:34). He tells the apostles
Be like Mike? If you were around then, do you remember the “Be like Mike” Gatorade TV commercial of the 1990s? The implication of the
Over the past few months, ‘bullying’ has become a recurring topic of discussion among the members of Fusion, our youth ministry at Immaculate Heart of
On April 15, 2017, I was received into the Catholic Church at my parish’s annual Easter Vigil. As I stood and received the sacrament of
It’s hard to understand why so many people today are unable to see that humans are not, and never will be, smarter than God. And
If you conduct a poll of practicing Christians and ask them what their ultimate hope is, the vast, vast majority of them would say getting
