Anti-racism work is essential. Why don’t parishes do it? Why do so many Catholics seem uncomfortable with anti-racism action? When a young woman in an Alabama parish heard that the Jesuits of St. Louis were organizing a solidarity stand vigil, she was inspired to arrange something similar at her parish. The women religious she consulted […]
Nicholas Black Elk: Fully Lakota, completely Catholic Nicholas Black Elk inspires an authentic relationship with God. “Good book. Did you know he was Catholic?” You never know what questions will mark you for life, but there was no doubting the impact of this one. I had just walked into a required theology class the fall […]
Divine revelation leads to revolution As long as the work of justice is incomplete, our faith drives us to revolutions large and small. Thomas Jefferson promoted a rather surprising idea: the need for a healthy society to make generous room for ongoing dissatisfaction. A nation’s Founding Father might be expected to champion docile compliance among […]
In ‘One Night in Miami,’ Black men of faith shake things up The Amazon Studios film, directed by Regina King, gives us a stirring debate about individual autonomy and social responsibility. For the past 21 years, I’ve taught at historically Black colleges, and several times during those years the theater department has either hosted or […]
Urban planning is an inherently Catholic practice This urban planner’s work is shaped by Ignatian spirituality. Growing up Catholic in Chicago, urban planner Jamie Kralovec has made the study of cities his life’s vocation. For him, it’s a vocation that combines the practical discipline of urban planning with a deep Ignatian spirituality. Kralovec attended a Jesuit […]
6 stories of vocations interrupted by the pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic changed work for many. But a more expansive theology of vocation reminds us that God calls us always. My colleague Jane and I met over Zoom with a congregational leader in Brooklyn, New York a few months into the COVID-19 pandemic. Tears flowed as […]
Two very different parishes point to divisions in the church Is Catholic pluralism fostering hard-rock divisions in the church? Two Sunday morning Masses in Charlotte, North Carolina, seen via video posted on each parish website, tell a story. At St. Peter Catholic Church downtown, a Jesuit community, Mass goes on much like it does in […]
Lakota Catholic tradition gives new meaning to the rosary Like Black Elk, measure time by the number of rosaries you can say on the way. When I think of the Lakota way, many sacred items come to mind. The Sun Dance tree. The čhaŋnúŋpa, or sacred pipe. The drum. The prayer flags and the rosary. Many […]
6 works of art that bring new meaning to the Eucharist A serving of contemporary eucharistic art gives witness to Christ’s kingdom. What does Eucharist call us to be? How does Eucharist shape our lives? Scripture scholar and Blessed Sacrament Father Eugene LaVerdiere wrote an influential book with the evocative title Dining in the Kingdom of […]