Hurricane season
There is no escape, no where to turn, to run, to hide. And it’s only going to get worse following Labor Day. No, I’m not referring to the seemingly endless stream of potential hurricanes …
The golden age of guano
Friday 16 September 2016 — Port-O-Call: Penzance Point — International Preservation of the Ozone Layer Day
I’ve lately been considering the nicknames of various cities in the Diocese …
Being led through the Door of Mercy
Normally during jubilee years, the only indulgenced Jubilee Doors are found at St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican and the three other papal Basilicas in Rome. One of the innovations …
Catechists
When the school year gets underway it is soon time to start up Religious Education programs throughout the diocese. By now most of the programs have their catechists in place, but …
Leaving our values at the door of the strip club
I was recently talking to a Massachusetts family with a 21-year-old son on the autism spectrum. Because of the Asperger syndrome and obsessive compulsive disorder that have affected him since childhood, he is only about 13 or 14 in his understanding and behaviors. …
Mothering the hard way
Many have heard of Asia Bibi, the Pakistani Christian who in 2009 enraged the Muslim women with whom she was harvesting berries by drinking from their well. She was beaten, arrested, …
Laboring over work
We are soon to celebrate Labor Day, our annual commemoration of work. And, of course, we celebrate work by taking off work. In doing so, we are following the Biblical pattern established by our Creator, Who rested after the work of the six days of Creation and enjoined the Sabbath rest on His chosen people. …
He’s my brother ...
Living in today’s world, we are so aware of our surroundings, what is happening in our neighborhoods, towns, states and countries; with the help of social media, we are kept in the know. …
St. John Vianney in concert
She rose to her feet with the agility of a 21-year-old athlete and the grace of a hula dancer. Lending a helping hand to extricate her from her collapsed chair was none other than the choir director himself, Robert Mondoy, who had grown up on Topside, then went on to fame and fortune as a musician, singer, and composer. …
Living out loud
Friends, happy September!
This is the first year in many that I’m not amongst the hordes of children and teens purchasing their new backpacks, pencil cases — yes, I used one in graduate school — or 17-cent notebooks.
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We never know where or when
Where have you seen the Face of Christ? We are taught to look for God in everyone. The lowly and the mighty are each bestowed with a God given dignity that compels us to act with charity to all and mercy to those who suffer. …
All of God’s children
It was a glorious summer morning. I was enjoying watching the birds on my morning walk. I glanced over at a newspaper kiosk. There was a picture of a young boy on the front. Assuming …
Transitions — Developing a personal creed of faith
Several weeks ago, Diocesan Campus Ministry sponsored a retreat for those students heading off to college. The EMBARK Retreat is designed to help our young people navigate the transition …
The relevancy of God
I can recall growing up attending Mass each Sunday. For me, it was more something that we did than it was an occasion to worship God and to receive Him in the Eucharist. I didn’t really want to go and looked forward to the times when we didn’t make it.…
Go for the gold
I do not know if anyone else has been addicted to the Olympics this year but I totally have been watching endlessly. As you know, I love sports so this is obviously something I would be drawn too. I cannot help but watch as records are broken. …
Potatoes, eggs and coffee beans
Be honest and ask yourself, “Do I complain or criticize more often than I praise or commend?” Sadly, more often than not, we tend to focus on the negative things in our lives that eventually lead us to feeling down and out and we just can’t seem to get ourselves out of that mindset. …
Environmental justice begins with each of us
One of Pope Francis’s recurring themes in his encyclical, Laudato Sí, is that the poor suffer the most as a result of environmental degradation. He points out that, “human beings, too, are creatures of the world, enjoying a right to life and happiness and endowed with a special dignity,” and “we cannot fail to consider the effects on people’s lives of environmental deterioration, current models of development and the throwaway culture.” …
Young people, talk to your grandparents!
For many young Catholics the defining moment of the summer took place in Poland, where Pope Francis joined more than a million teens and young adults for World Youth Day. Although we Little Sisters of the Poor spend our lives in the service of the elderly rather than the young, we followed the festivities in Krakow with great interest. …
