As our parish churches plan for crowded parking lots and full pews, there is something mysterious yet curious about the “new Catholics.” They reappear after having been gone for a year ready to be part of the congregation of the faithful again on...
The pastor entered the church as he did every Sunday and, after reaching the altar, bowed and walked to the pulpit. My brothers and sisters in Christ. I welcome you to the Easter Mass at our church. Our church is crowded today as there are many...
Let’s stop using the birth of Christ as an excuse to expand the economy. Increasingly today, nobody cares about December 25th. Rather, it has become just a day for retailers to restock shelves with goods that they have in inventory in hopes of...
It seems as if it does not affect your parish then there is no reason to be concerned. Except when it is yours. My parish, St. Patrick’s in Chatham, New Jersey, motored along for years not too concerned about the conditions affecting the...
The pews are empty. Mass booklets are stacked in piles. Parish bulletins lay strewn on the floor like trash after a nine inning baseball game. All left for the ushers to pick up and clean. Even water bottles are jammed into the missal holders. Who...
It seems I write about this sad phenomenon every year and, guess what, nothing changes. Thousands of “part-time Catholics” drive to attend Mass at their local church not even knowing if it is still open. They parade in wearing their finest and drive...
Each year I express my frustration with Catholics that attend Mass on one of the two major Catholic feasts – Christmas and Easter. This year was no different. The 4:00 p.m. Mass at our local parish was jammed to the rafters. Over 1000 adults and...
Wouldn’t it be nice if the stores had the common decency to wait until after Christmas to put all their merchandise on sale? Kind of makes you feel like you didn’t get the best deal last month when the new price is 70% off. How about the new store...
