Pumping up priesthood at the expense of lay ministry is no way to renew the church. The full, conscious, and active participation of laypeople in the liturgy...
Parish life
The shortage of priests has made some places in the United States “mission territory,” drawing clergy the world over to a parish near you. One...
Parishes can’t always anticipate impending disaster, but there’s plenty they can do to prepare and protect themselves from the worst. Imagine...
7 steps to a church worth connecting to. The March 19 celebration of the feast of St. Joseph is in full swing at St. Joseph’s University in Philadelphia...
How parishes can successfully navigate this election year and promote faithful citizenship The year 2008 was a tough one for preachers. In March a video of the...
We can learn a lot from people who left the church, whether we can win them back or not. For generations, the Baltimore Catechism taught that Catholics who...
It was a typical Wednesday evening at the Parish Church. Gloria Jackson was preparing to meet her sixth-grade class for religious ed. This was the third class...
With a wink and a smile and a sueeze of the hand. Gilda Rodriguez naturally knows what question to ask, what personal thing to say to each person she greets...
On vacation last summer, I quietly joined a small country parish for Sunday Eucharist. Relieved at not having to preside at two or three liturgies, I settled...
Our churches are filled with potential youth leaders. They might sit a few pews over from you at Sunday Mass. They might live in your neighborhood. You might...
