September 2023

VOL. 88, NO. 9

Scroll through the Table of Contents to view what’s in this month’s print issue. Some articles are available only in the print issue: Subscribe today to get full access to all the material you see listed below. And remember to sign up for our weekly email so you never miss an online article!

Features

cardinals-gathered-for-vatican-ii

Can the church change?

BY DON CLEMMER

The church’s teachings have proven surprisingly adaptable to every age—but what about this one?

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The art of survival

BY JOSEPH MALHAM

Isolation and supply chain issues during COVID-19 prompted this artist to seek new approaches to his craft.

Columns

THE EXAMINED LIFE

toddler-picking-berries

A taste of grace

BY EMILY SANNA
Cultivate communion through intentional eating.

CULTURE IN CONTEXT

armageddon-time

How the world works

BY PAMELA HILL NETTLETON
Armageddon Time is a family film that sparks meaningful conversations about race and privilege.

SALT & LIGHT

Dreaming while Black

BY FATHER BRYAN MASSINGALE
Dreams are what propel people to do risky and dangerous things for the sake of justice.

MARGIN NOTES

georgetown-university

Whose actions?

BY KEVIN CLARKE
Catholic schools can lead with affirmative action.

TESTAMENTS

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Dine with dignity

BY ALICE CAMILLE
Volunteering with unhoused people provides just a glimpse of the kingdom to come.

GLAD YOU ASKED

Departments

Editors’ Note
You May Be Right (Letters to the Editor)
From the Archives
Poetry
Reviews (Music, Film, Books)
Eye of the Beholder (Art meditation)

Practicing Catholic

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The gospel sport

BY SAM ROCHA
Fly fishing is a spiritual exercise in humility.

Essays

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Good food

BY CAROLINE LAFLEUR
Working at a food pantry is an opportunity for communion.

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Longing for home

BY CHRISTINE VALTERS PAINTNER
The feeling of exile is at the heart of the human experience. How can we make room for healing?

Sounding Board

School spirit

BY MARK NEUHENGEN
Catholics must set aside their holier-than-thou attitude toward public education.

Expert Witness

dahlgren-chapel-at-georgetown-university

Catholic foundations

An interview with Rachel L. Swarns
Without profiting from slavery, the U.S. Catholic church would not be what it is today.

Home Faith

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Lasting impressions

BY TERESA CODA
While “smells and bells” aren’t everything, embracing pomp and circumstance can help make memories last.