Alongside his ecumenical work, McDonnell was devoted to the charismatic movement in the Catholic Church, and served for two decades as a consultant to the U.S. bishops’ on the charismatic renewal.
Liturgy
Posted inIdeas
A Jesuit architect visits the new Notre-Dame
The craftsmanship is extraordinary—woodwork, stonework, metalwork and glasswork. Even with a trained eye, it is almost impossible to distinguish the parts that were replaced from those that survived the fire.
Posted inFaith, Vatican Dispatch
Pope Leo’s message to Gen Z: ‘You are a sign that a different world is possible’
At a Mass for the Jubilee of Youth outside Rome, Pope Leo exhorted over a million young people to be “seeds of hope” and a “sign that a different world is possible.”
Posted inFaith and Reason
The Eucharist and controversy: History, theology and why we argue
Latin Mass, Eucharistic Revival, real presence: In every age—including our own—the church has seen a complex Eucharistic landscape.
Posted inFaith, News
Pope Leo prays for conversion of those resisting climate action at new Mass
“We must pray for the conversion of many people, inside and outside of the church, who still do not recognize the urgency of caring for our common home,” Pope Leo XIV said while celebrating a new formulary of the Mass “for the care of creation.”
Posted inFaith
Pope Leo XIV: ‘Sport teaches us how to lose’
Athletes who never make mistakes, who never lose, do not exist. Champions are not perfectly functioning machines, but real men and women, who, when they fall, find the courage to get back on their feet.
Posted inFaith, Faith and Reason
Making Communion a true meal: bring back wine, sing easy songs and no hosts from the tabernacle
For a true Eucharistic revival in our nation, we need to take seriously the command of Christ and the “General Instruction” of the Roman Missal to increase our efforts to give everyone a complete sign of reception of holy Communion.
Posted inFaith, Last Take
Catholics, we must be more attentive to the poor and vulnerable who show up in our parishes
As a Black person who sometimes ministers in predominantly white parishes, I can appreciate how easy it is to feel out of place. It makes all the difference to hear words of welcome.
Posted inFaith, Faith and Reason
The helplessness of Jesus on the cross: A Holy Week reflection
For me, there are three themes that I draw out of our tradition and that I emphasize in my preaching: solidarity, empathy and gratuitousness.
Posted inFaith, Features
Where is God in the liturgy? A way forward for reform and renewal
How do Catholics in the United States understand the liturgy today? Five different approaches are prominent, but some share more with Pope Francis’ synodal and liturgical vision.