The latest boutique hotel to open its doors in Bethlehem’s Old City, just minutes away from Manger Square, is the Morcos Nassar Palace, which doubles as a humanitarian project unique in Palestine and possibly in the Arab world.

Kelly DeRoy, a core member, and John O’Connor, an assistant who has acted as a caretaker at L’Arche GWDC, share their insights about the community’s unique Christmas traditions.

Coinciding with the winter solstice, the Longest Night is a prayer service aimed at offering comfort to people who struggle with the in-your-face, over-the-top joy sometimes demanded during the Christmas season.

Electronic encryption allows people to keep a list of information secure and untouchable by centralized powers. To some investors and speculators, and apparently to some Catholics, that possibility holds enormous appeal.

George W. Hunt, S.J., editor in chief of America from 1984 to 1998, wrote about some of our nation's most famous authors. But he was a gifted writer himself, as seen in his many Christmas essays for the magazine.

Voters generally rejected “election denier” candidates this year, but barriers to full voter access remain significant. Catholics still have an important role to play in protecting democracy.

I have a confession to make: I have not been to confession yet this Advent. Every year, I bug people to go sometime during the season, and I think most of my family has been. But I have not yet gone myself.

A Reflection for Saturday of the Third Week of Advent, by Sebastian Gomes

According to the Death Penalty Information Center: “Seven of the 20 execution attempts were visibly problematic—an astonishing 37 percent—as a result of executioner incompetence, failures to follow protocols, or defects in the protocols themselves.”

This week on Jesuitical, Ashley and Zac talk to Father Dave Dwyer, the executive director of Busted Halo and the author of the new book ‘Mass Class: Your Questions Answered.’