ROME — A stunning photo of Pope Francis on a lonely pilgrimage. Seemingly alone, Francis in fact walks with the entire Catholic community, the community of all believers and of all people of good will. It is a symbol of our times. With Italy on lockdown and Rome streets almost deserted, Pope Francis left the […]

Fr. James Martin, the Jesuit priest, author and editor at large at America magazine, suggests that instead of giving something up for Lent to do something positive instead. Click on a date to preview our programs. And he gets very specific in an article titled “This Lent, don’t be a jerk.” What is something positive? […]

By Fr. Ron Will, CPPS Over the last few days, we’ve been looking at what a silent directed retreat is and what to expect while you’re on a retreat. Let’s continue to look at some questions you might have. Third question: How does it begin? Click on a date to preview our programs. Powered by […]

Renée Darline Roden says she’s giving up swearing for Lent. A self-identified fan of salty language, Roden says, “Just as I set aside my precious stash of Dove Chocolates, I am putting my favorite four-letter words back in the pantry until Lent is over.” Click on a date to preview our programs. The reason why […]

Catholics — as well as many other denominations of Christians — fill churches on Ash Wednesday, even though it is not a “holy day of obligation.” They are drawn to it. In recent years, many churches have literally taken the ashes into the streets, applying ashes to the foreheads of all who want them. The […]

The Greek word parakletos, often translated as “advocate,” “counselor” or “comforter,” is literally “one called to the side of another.” It is the word Jesus uses at the Last Supper when he tells his disciples, “I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate to be with you always …  I will not […]

Do you ever get bored? That might not be a bad thing. Click on a date to preview our programs. Boredom can have its upsides, writes Neel Burton for the online journal Aeon. Burton, a psychiatrist and philosopher at the University of Oxford, says “Boredom can be our way of telling ourselves that we are […]

In a posting on the daily blog for Tricycle, Liz Kineke writes about Kevin Healey, an associate professor of media studies at the University of New Hampshire, who incorporates contemplative practices into his coursework. “His unusual approach to pedagogy grew out of his students’ interest in yoga and meditation and a wider growing concern around […]

Circles hold the power to create a harmonious environment fostering a spirit of peace and understanding of others. by Kathy Keary The richness of communicating in a circle has been known since ancient times when people gathered around a fire to keep warm and safe and to cook their food. From this history, the circle […]

By Kathy Keary The Circle of Love was created to provide support, encouragement and hope in a safe environment for people living with chronic illnesses. When people realize that they are not alone in their struggle, they often experience a sense of relief and encouragement. We begin each session with meditative prayer. Meditative prayer is […]

Fr. Thomas Reese is a Jesuit priest, former editor of America magazine. and now a news columnist for Religion News Service. He is best known for his analysis of politics and public policy from a faith perspective and for his commentary on issues in the Catholic church. Every once in awhile he writes a column […]

By The Columban Center for Advocacy and Outreach The story we tell at Christmastime of the Holy Family is not so different from the story of families today. There was no welcome in Bethlehem for the Holy Family after their long journey, so they were forced to sleep in a barn (Lk 2:7). Violence and […]

We would, of course, like to see you at our Advent Day of Prayer on Dec. 14, when we’ll be guided through Matthew’s infancy narrative by Fr. Ron Will, C.PP.S., but we also recognize there are many resources available for doing deeper into Advent, this most spiritual of seasons. Here’s a short list of some […]

By Dennis Coday A teacher who was a guest on a  National Public Radio show Nov. 24 described a scene I could remember from my childhood and my children’s elementary days too. Michelle Portera, an 18-year veteran teacher described how she used to celebrate Thanksgiving in her first grade classrooms: You make the Native American […]

By Dennis Coday This year the Renewal Center offered two days of reflection for RCIA sponsors and inquirers from parishes in the Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph and the Archdiocese of Kansas City, Kansas. About 65 people attended the November 2 event, which was presented by Precious Blood Fr. Ron Will, Director of Spirituality for […]

By Fr. Ron Will CPPS Scripture is a door through which you can experience God “How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of the one who brings good news, announcing salvation.” —Isaiah 52:7 God longs to speak to his people. Lectors are his mouthpiece. If you’ve accepted the responsibility to be a lector, do […]

“How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of the one who brings good news, announcing salvation.” —Isaiah 52:7 By Fr. Ron Will, CPPS Every Sunday during church, we listen to a reading from the Gospels. On any given Sunday, I am willing to bet, the average churchgoer can’t remember what they just heard five […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

“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 […]

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 […]