Not even ten minutes pass after Mass, and you find yourself sitting in the parish hall breaking up an argument between the kids who are fighting over a donut. So much for that peace we offered one another during Mass. Ah, peace. We want peace in our homes; we want to be holy families. But […]
Are you: married, with kids still at home, live near eastern Iowa, AND want to enjoy a date night with your spouse? If so, please consider attending the Couples Night Out event on Saturday, October 18 at St. Mary Catholic Church in Solon, Iowa. More information and registration found here. This was the Couples’ Night Out […]
Home ownership the cornerstone of the American Dream. Ownership means self-sufficiency and independence. Ownership means we don’t have to rely on anyone else. Ownership gives us the one thing that prize most: freedom. Or does it?
Most of us live in a world of extraordinary luxury. We can have pretty much whatever we want whenever we want it. Humility and sacrifice don’t always come naturally. This week’s readings draw a direct line from our selfish inclinations to our salvation.
It’s been a few weeks since I was ordained a permanent deacon. After four years of deacon formation, there were still some things for which I was not totally prepared. Here are seven … Quick Takes style. — 1 — Everything — A good friend of mine, Deacon Andrew pictured with me above, was […]
Friends, the Pregnancy and Infant Loss Ministry resources for our diocese continue to expand. We are grateful to announce yet another opportunity for couples who have experienced any type of pregnancy or infant loss. A healing retreat for couples will be held in Des Moines on Saturday, October 4 @ St. Pius X Catholic Church […]
How would you answer this question … Outline a marriage preparation program for your parish. Explain what components you would like to include and why. Joel had to answer this very question for his sacramental theology course, and we thought it made good blog post material, too. It’s the topic of our latest column at Catholic […]
A few years ago, Lisa and I went to the 2011 Catholic New Media Celebration in Kansas City. During the conference, a number of us went out to dinner together one evening. Purely by chance, Devin Rose and I ended up sitting next to each other. Upon discovering that we were both converts, we shared our conversion stories and generally chatted each other’s ears off. He mentioned that he had written a self-published apologetics book, which had caught the attention of Catholic Answers. Devin’s book, The Protestant’s Dilemma, is finally available.
Joel helps us prepare for this Sunday’s Liturgy of the Word with a reflection on the Mass readings.
As the youngest of 11 children, five brothers and five sisters, in a devoutly Catholic farm family, Fr. Guerric Letter learned early on to cook for a crowd and pass rigorous sanitary inspections. On the occasions when his mother and sisters would take a day off, the men still needed to eat. The one instruction he received from him mother and sisters? Don’t leave the kitchen a mess.