They loom over the streets and spring from roofs, mouths agape and eyes staring. Monsters of fairy tales? No, statues on cathedrals. We know them as gargoyles. … Read More
Foundations of Faith
A party to which the Spirit brings gifts
We all enjoy birthdays — presents, parties, good wishes, songs and even flowers. In some sense, Pentecost can be considered the birthday celebration of the church, because … Read More
Forbidden books, cases like Galileo’s
VATICAN CITY — Established almost 500 years ago, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith is no longer “the Inquisition.” Instead, its main focus is handing … Read More
It’s all Greek (praying) to me
The Mass is peppered with words from various languages. For example, “Amen” comes from the Hebrew word for “truth.” However, the use in Hebrew has a stronger … Read More
Saying it in ink
Do you have a tattoo? Once the mark of sailors, tattoos have become commonplace today. At least a third of Americans have some form of ink, according … Read More
Jesus shepherds us through Easter
This Sunday, April 25, is the Fourth Sunday of Easter. It is often called “Good Shepherd Sunday.” The name comes because, even though there is a three-year … Read More
When did the sprinkling start?
We’ve all seen them — especially during the Easter season — but we may not know what to call them. They are the holy water sprinkler and … Read More
When three days become one
Welcome to the longest Welcome to the longest day. No, that’s not a reference to Monday. We have begun the triduum — triduum is a Latin word, … Read More
Jesus lies in Mary’s arms again
As we enter the solemn days of Holy Week, our thoughts turn to Christ’s Passion. They also turn to Mary, standing at the cross (Jn 19:25). Depictions … Read More
With spring comes the passion flower
Flowers symbolize Easter — from the pure white lily to the purple and yellow crocus and fragrant hyacinth. But another flower comes to us before Easter and … Read More
