Throughout the world Catholics are invited to support Pope Francis by making a donation to the Peter’s Pence Collection this weekend, June 15 and 16. The money collected supports the Pope’s ministry of serving the church and assisting the poor. […]
Recently (published May 20, 2024) the “Catholic Preaching Institute” at Saint Charles Seminary conducted a survey of the attitudes of Philadelphia Catholics on the preaching that they hear in their parishes. Here are some results: 5970 people participated from 204 […]
Recently I spoke to a mother who was asking to baptize her baby. Of course, I scheduled the baptism, but I also encouraged the young mother to attend Mass with her husband. Though I have not been a parent, I […]
All of us Capuchin friars will be in Cleveland from May 28-31 for an Assembly, a several day gathering and meeting. We will discuss relevant topics, but the most important thing is that all friars of our Province will be […]
I’ve got good news and bad news (but mostly bad news) about the future of religion in the United States based on a recent Gallup poll on religious practice. First the good news: 30% of all US adults and 33 […]
This past Sunday, May 5, was the day of the Broad Street Run. It was a rainy gloomy Sunday. Our Sunday Mass attendance was half of what it has been over the past few months. Saint John’s Mass attendance is […]
When I was a boy in a Catholic elementary school, each year each class created a May altar. The statue of Mary was placed on a pedestal and decorated with cloths, flowers and art. I remember looking at each class’s […]
Hanging above my desk in my office is a print of the home of Saint Catherine of Siena. The picture depicts the way the home looks today. A few years ago, I was in Rome for a meeting and I […]
Father Roch Raible, OFM Cap was my high school earth science and biology teacher. Father Roch loved nature. He was one of the foremost experts on the ecology of Western Pennsylvania and was consulted as an expert by universities and […]
When I moved to Saint John’s Church in 1991 from Cleveland, I was astonished to see that Center City was a vibrant downtown–attractive to businesses, residents, students, shoppers and tourists. I was familiar with downtown Pittsburgh and Cleveland; but I […]