As schools reopen and parishes gear up for religious education and RCIA classes, a new survey shockingly shows that many Catholics need to return to second grade, the year most of us received our first Holy Communion. Before that most special day, we were taught repeatedly that we were about to receive not bread and […]
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The prevalence of security cameras is sparking a debate in society about when they might infringe on privacy. Followers of Jesus would do well do regularly clean and fine tune the lenses of their conscience, and examine its footage at the end of each day.
I enjoy tennis. In my boyhood long ago, I would practice for hours by hitting a ball against the sturdy outside walls of one of two buildings — the local high school gym or a furniture store just a block from our house. No one inside ever told me to stop, and so in my […]
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A sign with a Scripture verse has been hung on a vandalized statue of Jesus in Serenity Park on Peoria's south side. (The Catholic Post/Tom Dermody)
During World War II, a French village lost a beloved statue of Christ in a bombing raid. The villagers managed to rebuild the statue, except for its hands. Those pieces were never found in the rubble. Finally, the villagers placed a plaque on the statue with the inscription, “I have no hands but yours.” The […]
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The bodies of Salvadoran migrant Oscar Alberto Martinez Ramirez and his 23-month-old daughter, Valeria, are seen June 24 after they drowned in the Rio Grande in Matamoro, Mexico, while trying to reach the United States. (CNS/Reuters)
Nine days before the United States celebrated Independence Day, a photo from our southern border stirred emotions and debate about the kind of nation we are 243 years after our founding. “This image cries to heaven for justice,” wrote two leaders of the Catholic bishops in the U.S. after the above photo appeared on news […]
Continue readingAs we cross into summer and prepare for Independence Day, Catholics are being asked this week to remember one of the fundamental rights guaranteed in the U.S. Constitution: religious freedom. The U.S. Catholic bishops have declared the period from Saturday, June 22, to Friday, June 28, as Religious Freedom Week. Each day is set […]
Continue reading“When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the infant leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth, filled with the holy Spirit, cried out in a loud voice and said, “Most blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb.” Luke 1:41-42 “A fertilized egg, embryo, or fetus does not have independent rights under the […]
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Submerged cars are seen in downtown Davenport, Iowa, after a levee failure on April 30. (Provided photo/Christopher Mandle)
There are more than 700 references to water in the Bible. Pope Francis, in his 2015 encyclical “Laudato Si” (“On Care for Our Common Home”), cites it 47 times. Water is the element used in the sacrament of baptism to symbolize the grace of God which cleanses us and gives us life. For so many […]
Continue readingWhen a majestic, 850-year-old cathedral in the heart of Paris burned on April 15, the people of France and around the globe rightfully reacted with shock, sadness, prayer and resolve. Notre Dame Cathedral is a world historic and spiritual treasure. Across social media, those blessed to have experienced its splendor are posting images and sharing […]
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Students from the St. John Paul II Catholic Newman Center at Illinois State University in Normal carry a statue of Jesus near the front of the 2018 men's march through downtown Peoria. (The Catholic Post file/Tom Dermody)
This one is just for the guys. Pick a reason for joining Bishop Jenky and hundreds of Catholic men from parishes around the Diocese of Peoria for the annual Men’s March and Mass on Saturday morning, April 27: You want to show your support for the Catholic Church and especially its priests after a particularly […]
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Abby Johnson, portrayed by Ashley Bratcher, reacts to what she is seeing on the ultrasound screen while assisting with an abortion in this clip from the movie "Unplanned." The movie will officially be released March 29. (CNS photo/courtesy www.Unplannedfilm.com)
It would be fair to ask why so much of our commentary page is given over to the soon-to-be released film “Unplanned,” the story of Abby Johnson. There are movies released every week, some with religious or even specifically Catholic themes or storylines. We regularly post Catholic News Service movie reviews on our website. Why […]
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