Creating the space for civil discourse is a contribution the church could and should make as we debate the important issues before us. The church, as a sanctuary of peace, could be the place that gives us the solace and calm to listen attentively to other members of the community as we discern the kind [...]
Archives
Letters to the Editor – September 23, 2010
My thanks to Joe Towalski for his thoughtful editorial about ground zero and the proposed site of a Muslim community center [Aug. 26]. It brought to mind the No. 1 rule of St. Benedict: All guests who present themselves are to be welcomed as Christ.
Official Announcement: Catholic Coalition for Church Reform (CCCR)
The Archdiocese wishes it to be known that the Catholic Coalition for Church Reform, the 2010 synod, and individuals endorsing the same, are not agents or entities of the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis or the Roman Catholic Church
Catholic Charities names co-CEO
The board of directors of Catholic Charities of St. Paul and Minneapolis has named Robert K. Spinner as co-CEO to share responsibility and authority with CEO Paul Martodam.
Letters to the editor – September 9, 2010
My intention was to read Laura Stierman’s “My Turn” reflection, “A Catholic response to immigration and Arizona law” [Aug. 12], with an open mind. I found that difficult because it did not seem to have been written with an open mind.
Why I have chosen to be ‘spiritual-plus’
“I don’t need organized religion.”
I hear that now and again. Or, “I’m not religious. I’m spiritual.”
Sometimes the individual will add that he or she doesn’t see the need of going to church: “I can be spiritual all on my own.”
Time to count and celebrate 40-year harvest of Venezuelan Mission
Harvest time is around the corner. For farmers and gardeners, this is an exciting and satisfying time to enjoy the fruits of that labor. Jesus often compared the kingdom to a field in need of laborers for a great harvest. The church continues and shares Jesus’ mission by taking its place in the mission field [...]
We are bound to Good Shepherd through pain and healing
I had relegated shepherds to the unicorn file, somewhere near the hunch-backed blacksmith and the whistling milkman. They were the stuff of Mother Goose lore.
So, it was surprising to discover actual shepherds when I visited the Holy Land.
A new look for TheCatholicSpirit.com
Notice anything different? You probably do – and hopefully you like the changes we’ve made to www.TheCatholicSpirit.com.
New digs
University of St. Thomas senior John Busch looked like a kid in a candy store recently when he entered a huge weight room on the St. Paul campus that is part of the new $52 million Anderson Athletic and Recreation Complex. The complex opened Sept. 1 for use by students, staff and athletes. It also [...]
Common Hope to get St. John’s Dignitas Humana Award
Common Hope, a St. Paul-based non-profit organization that provides education, health care and housing to children and families in need in Guatemala, will receive the Dignitas Humana Award Sept. 13 from St. John’s University in Collegeville. Common Hope — founded by the Huebsch family — began working with families in Guatemala in 1986, helping them [...]
Quotes from this weeks newsmakers – September 9, 2010
“The spirit of God was working in me and the parish staff members that day. God used us to be the light in the darkness.” — Father Tom Iwanowski, former pastor of Our Lady of Czestochowa church near the Hudson River in Jersey City, N.J., recounting how the parish provided comfort and care nine years [...]
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