Blog

It is the end of the school year at most colleges and universities. Having spent many, many years as a student and as a professor, I know that this is an exciting time on campus. But not everywhere.We already know the doors of at least eight schools are closing permanently, while six others are merg...

The proportion of Russians identifying as Orthodox has fallen from 78% to 65% in the past 15 years, according to a new survey.The Cathedral of Christ the Savior in Moscow, Russia. Credit: Юрий Д.К./wikimedia CC BY 4.0.The survey, conducted by Russia’s Public Opinion Foundation on behalf of St. Tikho...

Secretary of State Marco Rubio meets Indian External Affairs Minister J. Jaishankar. Credit: US State Dept.If you listen, the accounts of religious persecution against Catholics in India are difficult to ignore.Many of those working with and for Catholics in the country have to speak carefully, and...

When Pope Leo travels to Spain in June, he’ll find himself in the middle of a complex situation involving the Spanish bishops and the country’s socialist government.The Valley of the Fallen. Credit: Godot13 / Wikimedia, CC BY-SA 4.0Subscribe nowWhile the focuses of tension are varied, perhaps the la...

Ascension Sunday presents a paradox:  Jesus leaves His apostles for Heaven, but He assures them He is always with them.  What kind of departure was this? Gospel (Read Mt. 28:16-20) Sunday’s Gospel records the end of Jesus’ forty days of post-Resurrection appearances and teaching.  The account of wha...

One of my tasks while working at the Vatican’s Secretariat of State was to handle letters written to the pope from bishops throughout the world. I would briefly summarize their contents before forwarding them to the Holy Father so that he might decide how to respond. Although the range of concerns e...

The Church has entered into that liturgical time between Ascension and Pentecost, the time of the original novena. As we journey through this time of focused prayer to the Holy Spirit, a new film will be hitting theaters nationwide May 19-20. That They May Be One is a docudrama combining commentarie...

For several decades now, the landscape of women’s religious life in the United States and across the Western world has been marked by noticeable decline. While the number of Catholics continues to climb to historic highs in the Americas, the place of religious vocations continues to progressively sh...

On May 8th the Dominicans celebrate the Patronage of the Blessed Virgin Mary over the Whole Order of Preachers. This is done partially because of a vision St. Dominic had in which the Blessed Mother showed him that the order was held in her safety and care directly beneath her Mantle. This vision is...

Every year on May 14th, the Church celebrates the feast of the Apostle who came late to the party: St. Matthias. Biblically, we know very little about this man, but legend and tradition tell us he was full of zeal. Upon being chosen to be counted among the Twelve, he devoted his life to preaching an...

Mother’s Day in the United States usually finds people celebrating in a big way. Mothers are showered with gifts, and restaurants experience one of their busiest days of the year as families treat Mom to dinner. People in the United States were celebrating Mother’s Day on that May 13, 1917, when our...

Have you ever noticed how the Ascension is celebrated during a time when many cross graduation stages and enter new stages of life? There is much to learn from these seemingly unrelated yet coinciding events. Against the context of graduations and new beginnings, the Ascension of the Lord imparts a...