Silvio Cuéllar Over a decade ago, my wife Becky and I decided to cut our cable service and go without television. It was a drastic decision at the time, but one that helped our children learn many skills, such as playing instruments, painting and developing their talents at a young age. We made that decision…
Effie Caldarola One morning, I was half-listening to America’s National Public Radio as I quickly prepared for an appointment. Into the shower, grab the coffee, find the toothbrush and in the midst of this, bits and pieces of the day’s news. Then, ‘StoryCorps’ was playing. An independent nonprofit, StoryCorps exists to let people tell their…
Fr Shay Cullen During a meeting of top cabinet members, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. expressed shock and dismay. He was very disturbed about the prevalence of online sexual abuse and exploitation of small children as young as three years old. This is due to the inaction of the telecommunications corporations that defy the law (RA…
Letter from Florence Micheal Sanfey A leading art expert friend of mine – speaking with a degree of Roman hauteur – declared that while she sometimes needed to be in Venice, she didn’t need to be in Florence. Quite frankly she just didn’t seem to like Florence very much, if at all. Scrambling for examples…
Dear Editor, Listening to the Gospel the other morning I was struck by the words “If the world hates you, remember that it hated me before you” (John 15:18). These words struck a chord with me because the previous day I was accused of lacking compassion by opposing assisted dying as a compassionate response to…
Sr Anne Marie Walsh SOLT We tend to like a lot of things. The more we like something, the more attached we can become to it. This can be good, bad, or indifferent. Being attached to our families, our spouses, our children, etc., is a good thing so long as it is a healthy attachment…
Dr Catherine McCormack My first observation on the GRACE project’s reports is the worrying number of stakeholders who report that they received no training for their roles in Catholic schools; and of those who received training, generally it was once-off or less often than yearly. Also concerning is the fact that of those who received…
Elizabeth Scalia In discussing the removal or transfer of a pastor, Canon 1752 reads, “… prae oculis habita salute animarum, quae in Ecclesia suprema semper lex esse debet”, in English, “… keeping in mind the salvation of souls, which must always be the supreme law of the Church”. The phrase resonates so deeply with me…
Sr Anne Marie Walsh SOLT “Your beliefs don’t make you a good person. Your behaviour does.” This is a meme that floats around Facebook every so often, but the idea has been around from the beginning of time. It’s been noted that the devil believes in God but is no better off for it. Just…
Dear Editor, I’m delighted and welcome Dublin airport’s decision to reverse the ban on the blessing of planes airside. It’s unfortunate that the initial announcement was made at all. The sudden change, and then reversal in policy was bizarre, particularly considering the longstanding relationship between parish and airport. Fr Des Doyle’s remarks about the supportive…