Holy Ground
In May 2003, the city of Oakland, Calif., had already reached its 44th homicide of the year. At one intersection three young men were tending a shrine set up to remember their friend, killed in a drive-by shooting. The shrine consisted of a picture of the deceased from much earlier school days, ciga
A Spark of Hope Across the Atlantic
The precious Catholic Church in the United States is in trouble. This is not news, of course, to anyone who has watched a newscast or read an American newspaper within the past few years. When I moved from Denver to the Netherlands a year ago, I did not know what to expect, but I was…
Pentecost in Jerusalem
For several days I had noticed colorful floats lined up in Zahal Square near City Hall in Jerusalem. Large painted plastic figures of men and women dressed as kibbutzim with tools and tractors were surrounded by fruits, vegetables, trees, flowers, grasses, greenery and barley sheavesall in readiness
Sing a New Song
At its annual convention in the year 2000, the National Association of Pastoral Ministers celebrated both its 25th anniversary and the retirement of its founder, the Rev. Virgil Funk. The occasion was marked with a special evening of songs by composers instrumental in the development of liturgical m
Letters
Letters
Food for Contemplation
Please convey my gratitude and appreciation to James Martin, S.J., for editing What Should the Next Pope Do? (4/25). The compilation from various knowledgeable individuals made me realize the importance of the Second Vatican Council. Curial officials doing hard time on an annual basis made me laugh (gee, ya gotta be kiddin’). The…
Editorials
‘We Had Hoped’
It would be foolish to pretend that in the wake of the announcement of the departure of Thomas J. Reese, S.J., as editor in chief of America, the past weeks have not been turbulent ones for the editors and staff, for many of our readers and for others as well who are concerned about the…
Faith in Focus
Why Are There So Many Old People in Church?
As a youngster, I wondered why there always seemed to be so many old people in church. A few kids and younger adults attended Mass every morning, but most in the church were really old – 50 and above. We cynical teenagers speculated that older folks came to church so often because they were bored…
Books
Alas, an Uncivil Alliance
The Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965 were historical landmarks This double-barreled assault on apartheid in the United States was the first time since 1875 that Congress was able to muster the votes necessary to make good on the Constitution 8217 s promise of equality Un
A Loving Look Back
Born in Berlin in 1923 to affluent Jewish parents Gregory Baum was sent for safety to England as a young teenager With the outbreak of war the refugee became an enemy alien and was interned in Canada Befriended there by a Catholic family he discovered Augustine rsquo s Confessions Like Edith S
Worship’s Place, Space
The problematic issues regarding art and architecture vis- -vis worship and current liturgical practice have seldom been thornier The saying that real art won rsquo t match the sofa seems to sum up the status of art today At least in the areas of painting and sculpture what is considered ldquo
Television
Sins of Our Fathers
On Jan. 6, 2002, The Boston Globe published a front-page story about child abuse in the Archdiocese of Boston. The article had the chilling opening line, “Since the mid-1990’s, more than 130 people have come forward with horrific childhood tales about how former priest John J. Geoghan al
The Word
Bread of Life
I have always found the aroma of bread freshly baked very comforting That smell always makes me feel somehow at home Perhaps it is because bread is such a staple of life Furthermore it is difficult to limit oneself to a single piece of bread that has just been taken out of the oven It…
Columns
Like Blossoms Along the Highway
On a fine sunny Sunday in May, the priest in the pulpit was talking about the everyday beauty that may have escaped the attention of some of the busier people in the pews, but clearly not his. With the precision of an amateur botanist, he described the magnificence of the dogwoods, lilacs and cherry
News
Signs of the Times
Jesuit Officials Say America Editor Resigned After Vatican ComplaintsJesuit officials in Rome said Thomas J. Reese, S.J., resigned as editor in chief of America magazine after repeated complaints from then-Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, who objected to the magazine’s treatment of sensitive church
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