Catholic bishops throughout the world make “ad limina” visits to Rome every five to ten years. These periodic trips bring them to the threshold or entryway, as the Latin word implies. “Ad limina” refers more specifically to the tomb, meaning the crypt of Saint Peter at the base of the Vatican’s high altar and that […]
I was first assigned to Saint Therese Little Flower (STLF) Parish, on Kansas City’s east side, in 1992. At that time, it had a parish school that served neighborhood children. One day I ran into the diocesan school superintendent there; she was walking the halls and visiting classrooms on her own (often when superintendents visit […]
There are a few annual events this month that you may want to join and one big project to which I will dedicate the remainder of my active priesthood. The events include a parish picnic at Saint Francis Xavier on September 13, an “angel fund” watch party on September 21, and a Mass in Swope […]
Some people think that priests who get assigned to inner-city ministries are being punished. Their comments give them away: “You must have done something awfully bad to get sent to the ghetto” or “The bishop must really have something against you to send you back there.” Though I have done some bad things in life […]
The book of Proverbs (Chapter 21) states: “A good name is greater than riches; high esteem is more valuable that silver or gold.” When we are born, our parents give us a name. That name helps to shape our identity. The Catholic baptismal ritual begins by parents stating their child’s name because the infant’s identity […]
In 1891 Pope Leo XIII wrote a famous encyclical called Rerum Novarum; the title translates into English roughly as “Of These Things” or “In New Times.” The document became the forerunner to the Catholic Worker Movement and the Catholic Social Teachings that help us maneuver through societal changes with Christ as our compass and guide. […]
There is a famous tale of a Chinese farmer whose horse ran away. That evening neighbors gathered at his place to commiserate. “That was bad luck,” they said. He replied, “Maybe it is—maybe it isn’t.” The next day, the horse returned, bringing with it seven wild horses into the corral. The neighbors reassembled there and […]
Within the Saint Therese Little Flower faith community, parishioners sometimes refer to common Catholics as “pips” or “people in pews.” Many pips are interested in what lies ahead for parishes, worldwide and local, since the election of Pope Leo XIV. There is much speculation based on descriptors of the new pontiff: unifier, multi-cultural, missionary-minded, Christ-centered, […]
The French term for hospital, Hotel-Dieu, translates into English as “House of God.” Usually sponsored by religious groups and often operated by nuns or representatives of the church, hospitals served originally as places of care for the suffering, triage centers for those wounded in battle, and hospice facilities that offer solace and peace to the […]
Michaelangelo Buonarotti’s famous Pieta depicts the lifeless body of Jesus taken down from the cross and placed on his mother’s lap and in her loving arms. The horrific anguish of the scene illustrates that Christ’s rejection, condemnation, and killing by our world fulfilled the prophecy that a sword of great sorrow would pierce Mary’s heart. […]
UPON THIS ROCK 