Day: August 3, 2023

St. John Vianney (the Curé d’Ars)

Saint Jean-Baptiste-Marie Vianney (1786-1859), the patron saint of parish priests, was the son of a French farmer. As a boy, he desired to be a priest, but it seemed this would be prevented by academic difficulties; however, John overcame this obstacle with the help of a tutor. He was considered a devout but otherwise unpromising […]

Diary of an American Exorcist, a Review

Books, movies, and websites discuss what exorcism is — a demonic possession that afflicts a person. And while some claim that possession is really just a mental illness, many professionals, especially Catholic priests, disagree. That explains why in the Catholic church ordained priests are trained to expel the Satanic evil from the afflicted and perform […]

The Transfiguration: Jesus’ Divinity within His Humanity

Jesus takes His closest friends up a mountain to pray, an action packed with meaning for Jews. Why? Gospel (Read Mt 17:1-9) The meaning of today’s Gospel reading, known to us as the Transfiguration, is greatly enriched if we understand the context in which it appears, both within Matthew’s Gospel and the larger story of […]

Germany: Cardinal Woelki Cracks Down on Priest Who Blessed Homosexual Couples

During the ceremony, according to the Kirche und Leben website of the Diocese of Münster, a blessing was given by parish leader Ulrike Platzhoff and Fr. Herbert Ullmann to homosexual couples. (It should be remembered that in Germany, the responsibility of the parish is often entrusted to a lay person, man or woman.) The group […]

Rome 2025: The 13th Labor of Hercules

Everything seemed to have gotten off with a bang in January 2023, during the audience granted by the Sovereign Pontiff to the Mayor of Rome. Roberto Gualtieri presented to the Holy Father the 87 interventions planned in the Eternal City to achieve a metaphorical “embrace between Rome and the Vatican.” The total amount for the […]

Ultra-Orthodox Israelis Attempt to Storm a Church

The repeated attacks at Deir Mar Elias are linked to claims by a group of Israelis who claim, against all likelihood and against history, that the site contains the “tomb of the prophet Elisha.” The monastery was founded by the Carmelites. The order of Carmel was founded by hermits in the 12th century on the […]

My View For Awhile: Rounding the corner

Now that the conference (my destination) is over, and I am again reparked near Chicago with friends, I can post some images of the journey so far. It is winding down. Along the way driving, I saw some great midwestern … Read More →