Faith’s Absolutes

There were many absolutes in the Catholic Church’s teachings, but now it seems like there is much more flexibility and even changes to things we believed. What happened? It is not unusual to hear, often through the media, that Church teachings have been altered. Such reports are usually overstated, though …
Obituary: Sister Helen Hankerd

ADRIAN, MICHIGAN—January 23, 2023—Sister Helen Hankerd, formerly known as Sister Mary Ingrid, died on Friday, January 20, 2023, at the Dominican Life Center in Adrian, Michigan. She was 93 years of age and in the 74th year of her religious profession in the Adrian Dominican Congregation. Sister Helen was born …
Police say church vandal was about to break into tabernacle — until he saw the statue of Mary

By Joe Bukuras Boston, Mass., Feb 6, 2023 / 13:55 pm In early January, a man entered a Benedictine monastery in Arkansas and began smashing the altar with a sledgehammer. He was about to begin breaking open the tabernacle where the consecrated bread is kept, but something stopped him in his …
The ‘Four Chaplains,’ selfless heroes of WWII, honored on 80th anniversary of their deaths

By Jonah McKeown St. Louis, Mo., Feb 6, 2023 / 14:36 pm A crowd of military veterans, their families, and Boy Scouts filled a New Jersey parish church on Sunday to honor the “Four Chaplains” — a band of men of different faiths who all sacrificed their lives to save others …
AP tells reporters to call crisis pregnancy centers ‘anti-abortion centers’

By Peter Pinedo Washington D.C., Feb 6, 2023 / 13:21 pm The Associated Press (AP) issued new guidelines advising reporters not to use the terms “crisis pregnancy center” or “pregnancy resource center” but to instead refer to centers that offer pro-life counseling and support as “anti-abortion centers.” Reporters should “avoid potentially …
Pope Francis, Syriac Patriarch call for prayers after devastating earthquakes in Turkey and Syria

By AC Wimmer CNA Newsroom, Feb 6, 2023 / 09:23 am Pope Francis and local Church leaders on Monday reacted with dismay and calls for prayer following a devastating earthquake in Turkey and Syria. According to Reuters, the series of earthquakes — up to 7.8 magnitude — killed about 1,700 people …
Carrying Christ to the Sick

by Kary Ellen Berger As one of the seven sacraments, the Eucharist is a holy encounter central to our spiritual lives. While most Catholics receive this sacrament during the Mass, earthly saints bring the Eucharist from Mass to those who otherwise would not receive it. Throughout our archdiocese, countless individuals …
What are you Hungry For?

Imagine for a moment that you are Satan. You’re the master deceiver, the father of lies, diabolical, and you’re fully set on stealing as many souls from God as possible. How would you do it? I’m sure we could imagine a thousand different ideas, but let me propose one strategy …
personifying THE SAINTS

For a second year, students could venerate relics loaned from Our Lady of the Holy Spirit Center. In 2021, the school first received relics for veneration. The seven relics displayed in 2022 were from Saints Francis of Assisi, Anthony of Padua, Ignatius of Loyola, Dymphna, Mary Magdalene, Kateri Tekakwitha and …
Becoming Eucharistic People

I’m usually allergic to titles like “Becoming Eucharistic People.” While the title is beautiful, as with a nice spring flower, I have an instinctual adverse reaction against it. Why? Because I’ve often seen such titles on shelves headlining handfuls of dust. What in the world does the adjective “Eucharistic” even …