“In what might be regarded as the domestic Church, the parents, by word and example, are the first heralds of the faith with regard to their children.”      In this passage from the Second Vatican Council’s Dogmatic Constitution on the Church (“Lumen Gentium”), the Church teaches that parents have …

The desks in my elementary school had hinged lids.      This design facilitated storage. Also, it served my purposes:  reading a library book or magazine while the teacher expounded on something less exciting like axioms and theorems. Lift the lid, read a few paragraphs, and quietly put it down …

Have you heard about the latest craze? It is called “truthiness.” Everyone is doing it. You see, you start with something that is true and then twist it to include other facts that may or may not be true. Wikipedia puts it this way: “Truthiness is the belief or assertion …

Instructions for a life of love This column first appeared in our July, 2018 print edition It started out quite innocently. I was giving a talk to seventh-grade confirmation students and their parents at a parish. I was speaking about knowing your Catholic faith and sharing it with your child.  …

Archbishop Dennis M. Schnurr’s column for July The Declaration of Independence, which we celebrate on July 4, declares the rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness to be God-given and therefore “unalienable.” Catholic social justice teaching agrees. These are not only civil rights, but human rights. The Church …

La Declaración de Independencia, que celebramos el 4 de Julio, declara que los derechos de la vida, la libertad y la búsqueda de la felicidad deben ser dados por Dios y, por lo tanto, “propios”. La enseñanza de la justicia social católica está de acuerdo. Estos no son solo derechos …

An Independence Day reflection They did their best to make the surroundings pleasant, but a hospital’s surgical waiting room’s designers did not create an atmosphere for reflection as TVs blare, monitors mark patient progress from pre-op to procedure room to recovery, relatives and friends chatter to distract from the serious …

This column first appeared in our July, 2018 print edition. A few years ago, when I was still working in a parish, my beard did some evangelizing. Now, before I elaborate, I should share a couple of points about my beard. First, it’s long. It’s not “ZZ Top” long, but it’s …

This column first appeared in our July, 2018 print issue Q: What does the church teach concerning transubstantiation? Is the current teaching of the Catholic Church that through the consecration of the Eucharist we receive the real presence of Christ, or a symbolic presence? A: Very frequently it is thought …

  You just graduated from high school. Congratulations! Now college is on the horizon, a time full of promise and possibility. You will learn a lot, meet interesting people, choose a career, and possibly even find the person you will marry.  You will also make important decisions about your faith …