Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, We can all name a litany of things we have missed in the aftermath of the coronavirus quarantine. Whether they be one-time events that were cancelled, postponed, or modified, or regular activities that have been curtailed, the time we have spent in relative seclusion without question has been a challenge. Fortunately, we have also learned to do without and to adapt. What were once phone calls have turned into FaceTime conversations, and what may have been rushed meals have turned into slower-paced family time at the table. We have adjusted to making sacrifices of…read more

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, Recently, the Associated Press published an article about the Catholic Church in the US receiving loans from the Paycheck Protection Program, indicating that the Church had received roughly $1.4 billion in assistance. The tone of the article was negative. The AP (correctly, and fairly) cited the fact that the Church has paid a great deal in settlements and that financial problems are our own fault. However, it seems the authors of the article have bought into the extremely unfair myth that the Church has bottomless financial resources and that accepting funds from this government…read more

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, Over the last two weeks, this space has been dedicated to examining how we receive the Eucharist at Mass and why. In my previous column, I sketched the history of the Church’s discipline and provided some reflections on the nature of the Eucharist and how the True Presence of Christ in the Eucharist informs the Church’s practice. The most recent change in practice, as I wrote last week, came in 1969 with the Congregation for Divine Worship issuing a special indult (Memoriale Domini) to allow reception of Communion in the hand in those countries…read more

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, Last week, I scratched the surface of questions surrounding the distribution of Holy Communion, with the promise to resume the examination this week. The universal discipline for the Catholic Church throughout the world is to receive on the tongue, with some countries sharing in a special indult that allows reception in the hand as an exception to the norm. In the US, one may choose to receive on the tongue or in the hand. The story of how that indult came to be applied in our country is interesting and bears reflection. How did…read more

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, In the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, parishes the world over were forced to delay or reschedule numerous events and adapt to a very different, limited way for carrying out their ministries. Our own First Communion students - and our RCIA catechumens and candidates - had their reception of the Sacraments delayed by several weeks. It is a scenario no pastor wants to face but face it we must! Two weeks ago, we began to celebrate Masses for our First Communion students. How beautifully they showed us all what reverence and joy before the…read more