Pastor

There is a marvelous ten-dollar phrase from the psychological profession called “cognitive dissonance.” It refers to the discomfort people feel when some new information just received challenges a deeply held belief, and the reaction they have to that: they either have to dismiss or ignore the new information (sometimes easy to do) or adjust their […]

As we celebrate the solemn feast of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe today, we remember the saints, the ones who teach us to recognize Jesus as Our Lord and King. My father taught American history and had a special interest in the history of immigrants to our nation. I am generally not

When I was a kindergarten student at Cooke Elementary School in Detroit many years ago, we would always start the day with the Pledge of Allegiance. There was a flagpole mounted in a bracket on the wall in the corner of the room so that as soon as attendance was taken, all of us, teacher

Since I grew up in Michigan, when I went to college, I attended the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor to take advantage of the in-state tuition rates. Even though that was a long time ago, I still remember the football Saturdays, taking the long trek down to the “Big House,” Michigan Stadium, by some

Last week we had the privilege at most of our parish Masses to have three of the seminarians from Mt. St. Mary’s in Cincinnati serving at the altar: Stephen our resident intern, Patrick our previous intern from last year, and Deacon Joseph Morgan who is practicing his preaching with us as part of his seminary

One of the things I love about being Catholic is the treasury of the lives of the saints. Not only do they have the power to intercede for us from Heaven to help us get there, but their very lives inspire me far beyond what any athlete, celebrity, TV personality, or politician could ever do.

I have always loved the month of October. Growing up in Michigan, the October autumn days were often spectacular with bursts of fall foliage that Ohio (as glorious as the falls can be here) just seem to lack. The chillier days there were always perfect for trips to the cider mill with hot slightly greasy

One of my favorite hymns—both for its soaring melody and its profound lyrics—is entitled Praise My Soul the King of Heaven. It was written andcomposed by some of the great 19th century Protestant musicians, Henry Lyte and John Goss. In its powerful lyrics about how the faithful will praise Christ forever in Heaven, it included

Each year in the month of October, our American bishops emphasize the need for all Christians to rebuild a culture of life, in which every human life from the moment he or she is conceived is cherished, respected and protected. This flows from the Church’s core teaching that every human person is a gift not