The latest report from Pew Research, released Oct. 17, shows a dramatic decline in American religious habits over the course of a decade. Highlights from the report are available in this article from Religion News Service: Two-thirds (65%) of Americans describe themselves as Christians, down from 77% in 2009. The number of Americans who say […]
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Celebrating diversity and community Dec 10
The Human Family Reunion Tuesday, December 10, 2019 from 6-8:30 p.m. Precious Blood Renewal Center in Liberty, Mo. By Ed Chasteen I taught Race and Ethnic Relations every fall and Cultural Anthropology every spring at William Jewell College in Liberty, Missouri, for many years beginning in the mid-1960s. My students would spend 15 weeks studying […]
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Precious Blood Contributions to the Vatican Synod on the Amazon
by Dennis Coday You’ve probably seen news about the synod of bishops meeting at the Vatican this month to discuss issues that impact the church in the Amazon region of South America. (See for example, Pope Francis opens Amazon synod, says to ‘light the fire of the Gospel’ in the region.) But did you know there […]
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In a love deficit culture, we ask ‘Where is love?’
By Fr. Alan Hartway I remember back in high school at Precious Blood Seminary, that we staged the Broadway musical, “Oliver!” with what talent such as we had. I really remember only two of the songs. First was “Food, Glorious Food!” — of course — and the other “Where is Love?” sung by one of […]
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What Islam teaches about Mary
A couple years ago, Jesuit Fr. Francis X. Clooney, a professor of divinity at Harvard University, wrote a series of articles in America magazine exploring Islam in general and the Quran in specific. He did this to help combat what he called “dangerous ignorance” about another faith tradition. He called the series “A Catholic Reads […]
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The world needs to recover fierce and unrelenting love
By Fr. Alan Hartway Set me as a seal on your heart, As a seal on your arm; For stern as death is love, Relentless as the nether world is devotion; Its flames are a blazing fire. — Song of Songs 8, 6 This verse today is often used at weddings; occasionally partially engraved on […]
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What the world needs now …
“What the world needs now, is love, sweet love It’s the only thing there’s just too little of …” By Fr. Alan Hartway The verse above is from the 1965 hit by Jackie deShannon. The song is actually a prayer addressed to the Lord when the full lyrics are read. The need for love is […]
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Christians, Muslims strive to better understand one another’s beliefs and practices
Earlier this year, Cardinal Blase J. Cupich of Chicago met with Sheikh Abdur Rahman Khan, leader of the Shariah Council of the Islamic Circle of North America. The two are co-chairs of the National Catholic-Muslim Dialogue, which is sponsored by the Committee on Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. They […]
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Families from Central America and Mexico in ‘a biblical Exodus’
This Sunday, September 29, marks the World Day of Prayer for Migrants and Refugees. For several years now, we have witnessed a biblical Exodus of migrant and refugee , as well as from many other nations, journeying to our southern border to seek asylum. They have been met with “Zero Tolerance,” the name given to these […]
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Jewish, Muslim women group visits Auschwitz
Shelia Sonnenschein, who will be at the Renewal Center Sept. 19, traveled with 50 Jewish and Muslim women from across the U.S. this summer on the Sisterhood of Salaam Shalom (SOSS) Building Bridges trip to Germany and Poland. After visiting mosques and synagogues in Berlin, they traveled by train to Warsaw and then by bus […]