In an interview with Newsday Hugh McGowan described his daughter Anne Marie Murphy fifty-two the married mother of four children as ldquo witty rdquo and ldquo hardworking rdquo an artistic and fun-loving painter The world would know nothing of this special education teacher were it not

Okay we all like making lists of New Year rsquo s Resolutions nbsp And most of the time--well much of the time--we have a really hard time keeping them because they rsquo re so difficult nbsp Lose 20 pounds nbsp nbsp Read a new book a month nbsp Never get drunk again nbsp Avoid all soda

Pope Benedict XVI used his important Christmas address to the Roman Curia in part to attack gains made by same-sex marriage advocates around the world especially in the United States in November and to contribute to a debate raging in France From USA Today Gay marriage denies God and devalues hum

Governments must reject the misguided trend of prison privatization.

What are the most real and valuable things in life?

This week, as we mark the 12th anniversary of the prison, a look back at Associate Editor Luke Hansen's reporting from Guantanamo.

One of the tasks of the new evangelization is to rebuild a culture of vocations.

Little Olivia Engel was one of the victims of the horrific shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., on Dec. 14. Msgr. Robert Weiss, pastor of St. Rose of Lima Church in Newtown, said the 6-year-old was to have been an angel in the church’s live Nativity pageant that night.Af

My life-changing encounter with a fictional French bishop

Trust the InvestigationRe “Digging Deeper” (Current Comment, 12/10): The BP explosion was a tragedy, and the most serious consequences were borne by those who died, their families and the many who live and work along the Gulf coast. Whatever civil compensation is made will never replace

The spiritual journey of every Christian is a journey of conversion that involves inward maturing, openness to the spirit and a developed prayer life. For Walter Ciszek, S.J., a small, stocky Polish-American, this spiritual journey was tested in the fire of Moscow’s dreaded Lubyanka prison, wh

Even when he does not speak, Father Joe is able to hold the rapt attention of the congregation.

How did Walter Ciszek, S.J., find “the abundant grace” to make his unlikely pilgrimage?

'The Testament of Mary' tells an intriguing though not always convincing story. It's main character—and to an extent its only character—is an old woman fretting about her past as she tries to get the facts straight.

David Lesch a recognized specialist in Syrian politics is the author of an earlier book on Syria rsquo s President Bashar al Assad with whom he has conducted several interviews His latest book traces the fortunes mdash mostly misfortunes mdash of Assad his government rsquo s off-and-on relation

nbsp Often I find the period after Christmas as we move into what is called ldquo ordinary time rdquo a rich time to turn to nurturing spiritual reading I want to recommend a book I find very helpful and illuminating Richard Rohr rsquo s Falling Upward A Spirituality for the Two Halves of Li

He saw a world suffused with goodness he loved it unreservedly and he called forth the best in us Though he came to live among us his was a foreign provenance He came unto his own and they knew him not And of course he walked the whole way mdash as he would often say mdash ldquo first th

Christmas HomilyMass during the Day nbsp Jn 1 1-18 Merry Christmas nbsp I have good news for you and some not so good news for you The good news is God became human for all of us which is what we celebrate this morning on Christmas the beautiful and lasting mystery of the Incarnation The not