In the Pews

Whitewash or renewal?

In year two of the sex-abuse scandal, it it time for the laity to brush up on their leadership skills? About 200 laypeople from some 50 Chicago-area parishes...

Who’s the boss?

The priest shortage is generating some creative solutions to parish staffing, but they require a little flexibility and a healthy sense of humor on the part of...

Out of sight, out of mind

Once ubiquitous, the parish priest is disappearing into thin air, with troubling effects on young Catholic imaginations. A few years ago while teaching, I...

Bring back men in black

Religious clothing allows Catholics to make a fashion statement about their faith, says a young priest who sports the look that a previous generation put away...