Especially in places like the United States, where structures like pastoral councils are already relatively common, it is important to hear the synod’s call to ensure that consultation and dialogue are effective and not merely nominal.

It is often the task of responsible citizens and faithful Christians to work patiently from wherever we are to plant new seeds, soften ugly impulses and blow on whatever promising sparks we may see

Giacomo Puccini, the composer of “La Bohème,” “Tosca” and “Madama Butterfly,” has been called the world’s most popular songwriter, and with good reason.

A Reflection for the Memorial of St. Martin of Tours, Bishop, by Kevin Clarke

A hymn to mercy and love, “Love Calls Us to the Things of This World” springs to my lips when my heart is quiet. I teach it as often as I can for my introductory poetry students. 

What caused Dorothy Day to stand out in her time, as it does still, is the way her spiritual life was expressed not only in her daily prayer but in her response to the needs of her neighbors, to the poor and to the demands of history.

Bishop W. Shawn McKnight of Jefferson City, who earlier prohibited specific hymns and composers, has now issued a new decree opening a synodal approach to the issue.

Dorothy Day called for “a revolution of the heart,” a shift away from self-interest to solidarity. That isn’t accomplished by a single election.

“Small Things Like These” is dedicated to the girls and babies who went through the Magdalene laundries, the last of which closed in 1996.