I have struggled with the right words to say to friends and relatives during times of grief. From a Catholic perspective, what is really appropriate to say in times of grief? Death is something that our culture does not handle well. We tend to shrink away from it and often see it more as...
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  Ever wonder how some things work? Sitting in front of a computer, I marvel at how letters appear on the screen as I type and how I can change their appearance, size, or even shape with just a keystroke or two. Or how does the phone work so quickly, connecting us over great...
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Recently our bishop made some public comments about politicians who are Catholic but on some issues vote contrary to Catholic teaching. Can bishops do that? I thought there was a separation of church and state. Someday someone will write a definitive history of the development or, should I say, decline of the separation of...
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 We just celebrated the feast of the Guardian Angels on Saturday. I suspect most of us didn’t even avert to it, since we were busy about other things. Saturday is often the day for yard work, children’s sports, household projects, shopping, or other things that we don’t have time for during the week. Thinking...
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We offer these suggestions as a Catholic approach to sharing your faith with family and friends. Say “I will pray for you” to a friend who has shared some personal concern or difficulty. Respond “Thank God” when someone shares a success story with you. Make the sign of the cross as you pray before...
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What do I tell my child about heaven and hell? There is nothing more vivid than a child’s imagination in describing to you what heaven, hell, angels, even God look like. The scary details are surpassed only by the child’s sincerity. Building on the things that children know is the best way to teach...
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I wonder if there’s anything I can do to influence my friends to get involved in church-and even go more often? Can you help? Evangelization is always a delicate balance. Faith itself is a gift, yet it needs to be nourished. So any influence you have needs to be the kind that encourages and...
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Why is the Vatican sometimes called the “Holy See”? A little background in ecclesiology will help explain why we call the Vatican the Holy See. The church is very structured and organized in its hierarchy. A diocese is a geographic area governed by a bishop appointed by the pope. Each diocese is further broken...
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Creativity is always an important value and gift from our God to each one of us. This past spring a parish contest was set in motion in the parish with Kristi Alton from our community designing our parish 50th anniversary logo.
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Why does the annulment process take so long? What is the difference between an annulment and a divorce? There are whole books written about each of these subjects, and still there is more confusion than understanding. A divorce ends the legal contract of marriage between a man and a woman. An annulment, on the...
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