Fr Joseph EsperThe longest-serving Pope in the Church’s almost 2000-year history was Pius IX, who reigned for almost 32 years, from 1846-1878. It was he who solemnly defined the dogma of the Immaculate Conception: namely, that Mary was conceived in her mother’s...
Several centuries ago there was a famous painting showing a young man playing chess with the devil—a game in which the young man’s soul was at stake. Every chess piece on the board was clearly visible in the painting, and it portrayed the instant...
Deacon Kurt GodfrydIn the Gospel of Luke (5:1-11), Jesus turns to Simon Peter and says: “Put out into deep water and lower your nets for a catch.” In reply, he speaks for himself and the other disciples: “Master, we have worked hard all night and have caught nothing...
If we were to compile a list of the greatest comedy and entertainment teams of the past century, almost everyone would agree that George Burns and his wife Gracie Allen would be on that list. They had many classic routines together, in which Gracie...
Deacon Donald CoxIn the Book of Exodus, we read of the Israelites departure from Egypt and of their miraculous deliverance by God through Moses. As part of that story, we read of the time when Moses went up on Mount Sinai and was given the Ten Commandments. He...
Fr Dino VaninWhen I was newly ordained, I heard our retreat master mention something that has stuck to the back of my mind as Gospel truth and has had the significance of a milestone on the road to happiness, i.e., to God: “Jesus has to be everything for you.”...
The Society of Jesus, the religious order known as the Jesuits, was founded in the 16th century by St. Ignatius of Loyola. After St. Ignatius himself, probably the best-known Jesuit was St. Francis Xavier, one of the greatest missionaries of all...
Thomas AddisIn the world of politics today, the most effective weapon in order to defeat your opponent is not a firm understanding of the issues or the ability to think on one’s feet in a stressful situation. Nor is it a life of character and service to one’s...
Chances are you’ve heard of the famous Passion Play of Oberammergau in Germany. Back in 1633, one hundred villagers died in an epidemic of the bubonic plague, and the people vowed that if God would spare the rest of them, they would reenact the...
Andrew MahonIn October 2017, Church Militant published America magazine’s interview with Milo Yiannopoulos after the latter’s refusal to print it. It isn’t hard to see why they wanted to distance themselves from him. Milo is a walking contradiction, not least...