The Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate (CARA) is an institute of Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. For more than six decades they have provided pastoral and statistical data on the Catholic Church in the United States. In turn, dioceses and religious communities utilize their valuable research in pastoral planning.
One of my favorite scripture verses is “Rejoice in the Lord always, I say it again, rejoice! Your kindness should be known to all. The Lord is near. Have no anxiety at all, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, make your requests known to God. Then the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:4-7).
Guests of this year’s Gennesaret Retreat traded the world’s noise for spiritual peace and encountered profound renewal, growing closer to Christ through the Holy Eucharist, daily conferences, community and the opportunity for the Sacraments of the Anointing of the Sick and Reconciliation.
Sunday Mass had just finished, and I was looking forward to grabbing a quick bite to eat prior to visiting a couple of families.
Hope is based upon faith—belief in God. When I give myself over to hope, I am free to see what He sees, hear what He hears, and love what He loves.
The overturning of Roe v. Wade in 2022 has brought our country and the pro-life movement to a new political and legal reality. The achievement of that longstanding goal requires us all to consider anew how to best protect unborn life and support families in difficult circumstances.
Before I ever stood behind a desk as a director, I stood in line at shelters. From the age of 16 to 29, my life was defined by homelessness and addiction. Generational poverty, dysfunction, and trauma shaped my path.
Giovanni de Pietro de Bernardon was born in Assisi in 1881 into an affluent family. His father was a noted cloth merchant and his mother was French, also of an affluent family. His father was away in France when Giovanni was born. Upon his return home his father took to calling him by a nickname – Francisco, which means Frenchman.
This is a powerful reminder of the movement of the Holy Spirit in our Church in recent decades.
A stained glass window inside St. Thérèse Chapel at Holy Hill in Hubertus, Wis., depicts St. Thérèse with fellow Carmelite saints, John of the Cross and Teresa of Ávila. All three are Doctors of the Church. OSV NEWS PHOTO/SAM LUCERO